The Turning Point of the 20th Century

December 28, 1949

We have come the to the turning point of the century. Many of you can look back to the turn of the century. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that we are just about to bid goodbye to the most exciting era of all history. The whole face of the globe has been changed. We have moved from the horse and buggy day, to the Atomic Age in one generation. In fact, if those of you who lived at the turn of the century were to be suddenly catapulted back to the year 1900, you would be completely lost.

But now we look forward to the second half of this century_, and as we see its possi­bilities, we cannot help but see that we are in for an even more exciting era. At the beginning of this century, Albert Einstein set forth his law of Relativity, which set the stage for Nuclear Physics, and the splitting of the atom, releasing to us the vast possibilities of Atomic Energy. Next February, Albert Einstein will release to the world the first printed copy of His New Theory of Gravity, which will no doubt have an even more important influence on our scientific advance, than his first discovery.

We can only guess now, but the signs all point to an age of advance just ahead, that will move beyond even our most fantastic pipe dreams. Who knows, but that some of us may be around long enough to take to take a trip to Mars or one of our other planets.

Sunday we will hold our Mid-Winter Communion. This will be a good day for the Church to face up to the New Responsibilities and Challenges that this new era will bring to us as Christians. The New Year is always a good time for retrospection and rededication. This year we will be able to look beyond the past year to the past half century. Wherein, we have we failed to be true ambassadors for Christ in this momentous Era, through which we have passed. What have we accomplished for Christ and the King­dom of God during this same Era?

We will see many tragic mistakes that we as Christians and as a church have made in the past 50 years. However, this is not time for weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. Indeed, the mistakes of the past should make us walk in humility, seeking God’s forgiveness. God has led us through these years, and he has done great things for us, where we should be glad.

Let us make this Sunday, the first day of a great new era, and a great day for rededication in our lives. May the elements for the Sacrament, become the sign and seal for our new dedication to Christ, so that we may give to the new age the moral and spiritual backbone that only the Christian Gospel and the Church can give.