IN THE CHURCHES

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 153, 26 December 1918, Page 4

IN THE CHURCHES

PEACE ON EARTH

v Bishop Sprott spoke at St. Paul's ProCathedral yesterday on Christ's ntessag* of peace on earth to men of goodwill. The message, he said, taught humanity that it tvas God's eternal purpose thai the human race should be united in one whole. Thus it could be understood Why it was that the human race had never been left without this vision of unity, and that this hops had sprung eternal in the human breast,. But, on the other hand, the Christmas message taught not oniy that God had a purpose, but that God bad also a method, and that that method was that only through His Son made man could the human race be united; that nothing could bring the race to unification but the living centre and the ■living head, Christ Jesus. Then the people could understand why this unity had never yet been achieved j bec«U6B as yet they had never really bowed' to Chrint. They tbonrht that they could take this or that beautiful element of the Christian system that attracted them and set about realising it. But they could do nothing of the sort. The, human race could only be unified around that living centre; and it would.never realise in this or in any other world that dream of unity until that fact Was realised. Notwithstanding all the horrors of the past world.war, and notwithstanding the tmphasis j»iven to the need for a League of, Nations, it was f6und that even before the conference that was to creata that league had met men spoke of it, as impossible. Some had already begun, to sneer at it. Nevertheless, the man who really held the 'Christian faith, the man who really believed that it was God's eternal purpose to unify mankind and that that unification was to come from tho allegiance of mankind to the Lord Jesus Christ as the living centre and tha living head, could never lose faith and hope. Such a man believed that God'i purpose must stand, that His counsel rriust be accomplished, that He would'do his wortt; and that, though darknessmight cover the earth and gross darkness the people. He would yet arise and fill the universe with His li£ht, His love, His righteousness. Though it was not, yet accepted by any people in the world, not even in Christendom, there had been, nevertheless, an instinctive feeling that the unification of mankind in a tw livr ' ing fellowship would be the result of the coming of Jesus Christ; for, wherever the Christmas festival had penetrated it I had been regarded instinctively as preeminently the festival of fellowship, preeminently' a social festival, a festival of (fatherings together, of associations of kinsfolk and friends. It had been tn». instinctive feeling, everywhere the Christmas festival had penetrated, that more than all other festivals it was the festival of gatherings together; and this was a truth that bad always been *«soelated with the birth, of our Lord Jesus Christ because He was destined to achieve that unification. Special services were also held in other Anglican churches.

There Were the traditional Christmas, services in the various Roman Catholic Churches in the city. At the early Masses large numbers received Holy Communion. Later in the morning High Mass was celebrated in the varieus churches, with sermons on the great message of Christ. At St. Joseph's Church, ■BiKkie'street, there was High M«ss< in the morning. The celebrant was His Grafe Archbishop O'Shea, with the Roy, Father Hurley as deacon owl Rev. Father O'Connor sub-deacon. Archbishop 6'Sltea preached an eloquent seithon on the lessons of Christmas, making particular reJ frrence to peace. He 'exhorted the people to pray that the Peace Conference might be successful in bringing about a. just and lasting peace "for the world. The choir, under the conductnrship if Mr. Bernard F. Pa?o, gave snecial music, which was wall siiner. "At 10 o'clock, at St. Gerard's Cliu'tK there was .ilso Hisrh Mass, the Rev. Father 'Whpkn, C.SS.R-.. being the relebrant. The swiging of the choir, tjnder Mr. F J. Oakes, »« in years past, was a special feature. The choir was heartily congratulated liy Father Whelan on its splendid work dur» ing the past twelve months.

Special services were held yesterday by the Salvation Army. The mornitiK. eefvic«> at the Sah'ation Army Citadel ttns conducted by Cojnmiesiriner H. 0. HMWer, who referred partici'larlv to -t.h* blessings of peace, and to the lessons that were to be learned from the war: A sfteciat prayer was .offered up for homes that have been stricken as a result of the influenza epidemic. All the Arrnv homes were brilliantly decorated, arid festivities suitable to f>.o season ■Ki*p carried out in ea«h< ; The Army bands played carols in various parts of the city.