Birmingham age-herald., 1895-09-30
St. Paul's Catholic Church.

Rev. P. A. O'Reilly ofIiciated. He took for his text from the gospel of the day St. Matthew xii.
 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind"
 The greatest duty we have to fulfill IS to love Him who gave us the power to love. He by Whom we live, move and have our being, tells us we must love Him with a love of preference.
 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with thy whole mind" This Is the first and the greatest command ment It Is the greatest because our salvation depends on 1t. Nothing can help towards salvation if we fail in loV- ing God. IL is the greatest because It includes all others, because it discloses the secret of mans destiny and the con summation of his happiness. It is the first because 1t is not only an abridge- ment of the commandments that were written on two tables of stone and pro mulgated amid the thunders of Sinai but 1t is also the commandment that was written by the finger of God upon the heart of man when He breathed into a lifelesS form a living soul, stamped with the image of Himself God should be the end of all our thoughts, feelings, n- clnations and actions Al all times our will should be submissive to the will Cf God We should be able to cry out with St. Paul. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulations or distress, or famine or the sword :? l am sure that neither death nor life shall separate us from the love of God !" St Thomas says the soul which loves We truly love God we will let no hour pass without it's attendant good works The lives of the saints abounded with many and wonderful works for the glory of God and the salvation of their breth- ren. What Is necessary to win your love? Goodness, virtue, talents. Where is the source of all these if not in God Himself? All the beauty of the world is only the reflection of Coda drop from the ocean of His beauty. This beauty is shown in miniature in all His works Every flower every plant, cries out 10 us. Love Him Who has created us for thee The first to love us on earth were our parents but God loved us before they did-before we or they were born, before all ages. II have loved thee with an everlasting love"
 When the end for which we were ere ated was lost Christ, who alone could restore lost innocence, accepted human nature that He might offer Himself in sacrifice for the sins of mankind. He became man. remaining always God, 10 give God-like value to His human sacri- flee. Through love of us He remained hefe tnlfty-Inree years, poor ana uc- spised, subject to all the afflictions of human nature. sin excepted. What nailed His blessed hands and feet to Calvary's wood? What caused Him to wear on that God-like face crown of thorns as a mock token of His divinity? It was pure love for man. He came through love to teach Is how to love. He died of love to gain our love. The deluge of injuries heaped upon Him by man could not lessen the effects of His love. In this We have known the charity of God our saviour. declares the sacrod d scripture, because He had laid down His life foi%us. To our shame we must con- fess we do little to show our gratitude or return love for love. If we serve God faithfully He will reward us richly a reward surpassing our expectations, be- cause it is infinite in duration. How we labor to acquire a little wealth for sixty or seventy years and neglect to work to attain eternal wealth.