The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-06-28

The Life Of Our Saviour,

, The following beautiful and scholarly
description Of the life of Our Saviour i,
taken from a recent volume of lectures by
the Most Rev. DR.. Hedly, Catholic bishop
in England -
When the hour came which Gods Eter-
nal Providence had marked as the "fuil-
ness" of time, then Man appeared in the
world. He came into the world AS the
poorest and the lowest come into it-un-
noted, unhonored, and obscure. He did
not blaze from the heavens at the MONDAY
hour, and flash the knowledge of Himself
over all the earth. He was born in the
silent depths of the midnight, in hovel
on the slope of Bethlehem. The simple
shepherds were the only cnes who heard
the Angel heralds utter His titles, and pro-
claim His birth, Aud when they went to
see HIM, He looked to them, as to all
others, 10 more than little child of
Adams race and Israel's stock. They could
! see that lie lay in that poor bed in the
| dumb helplessDess- of common infancy.
They could tell that the rough touch of
the elements and the uDgeDtle nursing Of
His rude surroundings were to HIM, as to
others before Him, pain and misery. They
could see that He, like other babes, felt the |
love of HIS mother, and nestled with what
seemed n blind urconscious happiness in |
her arms. 1t was SO. This was Jesus. |
He was circumcised, and the name of
Jesus was given to Him. He was the |
Christ, the Amounted One the One whom |
the grace of the Deity had anointed far
above all His fellows-so incomparably |
above them, that He was by excellence the |
Christ The Child of Bethlehem and of
Nazareth. as He walked with uncertain
step by His mothers side, holding by her
robe You might have seen Him, q boy of
twelve, startling the Temple school rs by
an apparition, and afterwards passing the
night In prayer on the mountain he was
afterwards to visit SO often. His fellow
townsmen saw Him at His labor and me-
chanical toll. They called Him "the car
penter"-the son of Joseph. And they saw
that, after Sc long sojourn in His hidden
life, He passed away from Nazareth, and
began to speak to the children of His father
Abraham in Galilee and Judea. The ira
ders of Capharnaum, the fishers Of Gee, |
sareth, the shepherds of the hills of Calilee.
knew Man who preached a higher life |
sublime beatitudes, than, the doctors of !,
their own day, or even the prophets and
the saints of old. The crowds shat thropp-
ed Jerusalem on the great legal feasts, ard |
camped out on every hill that stood round |
about, knew a Man of God, Who wrought
wonders and denounced wickedness and |
said that God was His Father. The Priests
and Scribcs and Pharisees learned to know
tins Man, and to fear and hate Him. The
Roman President and his officers watched
him, and consulted about Him. At last
ii violent end came and what the world
saw was man dragged before the Roman
power by u ,tnmultuous Jewish mob, in
tciI"Satcd. tortured, and at last crucfied
on the place "t common execution And
after All this, and after they had seen his
nieltSs bn"N laid down in the hewn rock,
He was seen again. Witnesses appointed
and pre- ordained saw Him, spoke to Him.
handled linn, ate with Him and when He
had gone in and ont among them for forty
days, He walked with them out at the gate
where once He had beer dragged in, fettcr-
ehi aud going up the familiar bin, He
rose risiblr ard bodily into the spaces OF
the s1r. aud the muistering clouds hid
Him, that He was seen no more. This was
Jesus Christ.