of the existence and providence of God, is the idea
of sacrifice. Even pagans never lost that idea. Nothing in this world
is worth having but must be paid for. Its cost is summed up in
sacrifice. Now, religion demands the same. If it calls for right
living, it calls for the sacrifice that right living demands. An
athlete gets his muscle and strength, not by coddling his body, but by
restraining its passions and curbing its indolence, by working its
softness into force and power. A river is bound between banks, and
only thus bound is it anything but a menace. If a church claims to
have the Truth, she forfeits her first claim to a hearing if she asks
for no sacrifice. That your Church asked many sacrifices was no cause
for your throwing her over, but a sign that she claimed the just right
to put religion in positive form, and to give precepts of sacrifice,
without the giving of which she would have no right to exist at all.
Am I clear?"

"You are clear, Father, and I know you are right. I have never been
able to leave my own Faith entirely out of the reckoning. I am not
trying to excuse myself. I could not ignore it, for it intruded itself
and forced attention. In fact, it has been forcing itself upon me most
uncomfortably, especially of late years."

"Again," said Father Murray, "a reason why you should have attended to
it. If there is a divine revelation confided to the care of a church,
that revelation is for the sake of men and not for the sake of the
church. A church has no right to existence for its own sake. He was a
wise Pope who called himself 'Servant of the Servants of God.' The
position of your Church--for I must look upon you as a Catholic--is,
that a divine revelation has been made. If it has been made it must be
conserved. Reason tells us that something then must have been
established to conserve it. That _something_ will last as long as the
revelation needs conserving, which is to the end of the world. Now,
only the Catholic Church claims that she has the care of that
revelation--that she is the conserving force; which means that she
is--as I have told you before--a 'City set upon a Mountain.' She can't
help making herself seen. She _must_ intrude on your thoughts. She
_must_ speak consistently through your life. She can permit no one to
ignore her. She _won't_ let anyone ignore her. Kick her out one door,
and she will come in another. She is in your art, your music, your
lit