A Christian Science program was conducted from Station WEAF, New York City, on Sunday, May 30, by Mrs. Helen de Stefano. This program was given under the auspices of the Committee on Publication for the State of New York with the approval of The Christian Science Board of Directors. The "Symphonic Four" were accompanied by a staff organist.

The program opened with an anthem entitled "In My Father's House Are Many Mansions," by James G. MacDermid. Then Mrs. de Stefano read an address substantially as follows:

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion." Thus the inspired writer of the book of Genesis expressed his concept of God's great gift to man. Here he clearly defined the highest endowment of the divine Mind as authority and power "over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth," over every subtle or malicious suggestion of limitation, over every thought of fear.

This is not transcendentalism, but an ideal which is not too high for our understanding here and now.

Every moment makes demands upon us to exercise our heritage, the ability to think spiritually and to understand our real selfhood. We must all agree that our thinking determines our experience. The questions, "What shall I think? What shall I do?" compel each one of us to make a choice of one of two modes, one of two models, to guide our thought and action. On the one hand is the sense of physical man, whose destiny is involved in the limitations of matter, with all its uncertainties and imperfections, sickness, lack, fear, sorrow, its half victories and half joys. The other model is the spiritual man, the man of God, who expresses the characteristics of his Father, who is not mortal or material, but is incorporeal Life and Love. This spiritual or true sense of man brings forth the manifestations of health, joy, peace, and the realization of good which is inexhaustible and ever present.

Down through the ages, mankind has searched for freedom from discord, but has failed to find a panacea for its many ills. Does not this failure indicate that the search has been made in the wrong direction? It is obvious that material ways and means have been found inadequate in the search for deliverance from limitation and fear.

Since the maintenance of health and the healing of disease absorb much of the time and interest of the majority of people everywhere, let us see how we can utilize our dominion, our divinely bestowed heritage of authority, over the "creeping thing" called sickness.

The most successful healer the world has ever known was the master Christian, Jesus of Nazareth, who overcame all manner of discord for himself and others through spiritual means alone. He taught that his dominion over sin, disease, and death was the result of his understanding of God and man, inseparable as divine Principle and idea.

John records him as saying, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also."

Today this saying is being fulfilled in a very practical way. The Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, has written in her major work, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," as follows (p. 393): "Mind is the master of the corporeal senses, and can conquer sickness, sin, and death. Exercise this God-given authority. Take possession of your body, and govern its feeling and action. Rise in the strength of Spirit to resist all that is unlike good. God has made man capable of this, and nothing can vitiate the ability and power divinely bestowed on man."

Let me repeat the thought-arresting and thought-arousing words which the writer, Mrs. Eddy, has used here—"exercise ... authority"—"take possession"—"govern"—"rise"— "resist." They are a far cry from wishful thinking or the mere repetition of beautiful phrases; they call for definite mental action, mental discipline. They are based on the conviction that divine Mind, God, is omnipotent, and has endowed man with the ability to avail himself of this power, to resist and to conquer all that is not good.

Sickness is not good; it does not come from God; it is no part of His plan for His sons and daughters. Can you picture a human parent providing illness as a part of his child's life for purposes of education or discipline? No, you cannot. Love renders impossible such a plan. Says the Apostle John, "God is love"—not just loving, but Love itself. We need to understand more of divine Love, to feel our at-one-ment with Love, and to experience the confidence and assurance which come from this oneness.

As your thought is turned away from the contemplation of the imperfections of a mortal sense of selfhood to the realization of man in the image and likeness of God, the sickness imposed by material beliefs will fall away like an old garment, and you will find yourself free. Health will be established normally, naturally, and inevitably as your birthright as a child of God.

We read in the book of Matthew that Jesus did not many mighty works in a certain place, "because of their unbelief." This shows how necessary are the qualities of teachableness, receptivity, willingness to let go preconceived opinions and beliefs and to accept the true idea of the allness of God and the nothingness of nonintelligent matter.

As these substantial and progressive qualities of thought are assiduously cultivated, we shall find ourselves fearing evil less and trusting God more, learning to rely upon Him for every good thing.

Through the desire and effort to understand more of the spiritual or true idea of God we move with certainty in the direction of the highest good, we rebuild the waste places, which have been devastated by false theories, and we are more aware of our ability to consummate our aspirations and endeavors. Thus our lives can be enlarged and beautified, proving quietly, step by step, our inheritance of dominion, fulfilling those words of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians, "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."