Birmingham age-herald., 1895-06-10
St. Paul.s Catholic Church.

This being Trinity Sunday Rev. Father O'Reily, at St Paufs Catholic church, took for his text yesterday morning at l 10 80 o'clock service St Matthew, xxviii,
 1920: And Jesus coming spoke to them, saying all power is given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go ye, therefore, and
 teach all nations. baptizing them in the
 name of the Father and of the Son and
 of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to ob- serve all things whatsoever I have com
 manded you; and behold I am with yoa
 all days. even to the consummation of the world"
 Such was the promise such was the commission of Christ to his church, said
 the divine, to abide with it forever and consequently to lead it in the way of truth. This appointment to preach, b2p- tize, etc. was not made to a church or society not in existence, but to a visible tea ching body--Christ's representation the church established and organized by i Christ and His apostles having for it's purpose the continuation of the incarna-
 ton, to Keep intact the deposit of reve
 lation, to teach all the truths consigned
 to her keeping to all the nations, even
 as Christ taught.
 1t is the work of the church today to
 do what Christ did personally and through His ministry while He was
 among men teaching the way of sslva-
 tion, over 1900 years ago. The teaching
 of the church is co-extensive with that
 of Christ, all He taught she teaches, where lie was silent she is This church is the one great authoritative teacher, for O her alone did He promise the guid-
 hnce of the Holy Spirit and His own per
 manent, abiding presence. That visible society, t' which zen the outside world acknowledges Him to be the founder. forms a network as expansive as the
 universe. It's members are found in eY cry country, having membership under
 one leader of over 250, ,000 900. Her mem bers are not more striking than her per feet organization with one in the lead Christ-who represents her invisibly Under Him you have patriarchS, pti-
 mates. archbishops. bishops, cardinals, etc. Christ established this greatest of societies in the last year of His public life. taking His twelve apostles and seV- enty-two disciples to assist him in car rying out the greatest scheme of man
 redemption.
 Christ charged His apostles on Pente-
 cost, the birthday of Christianity, to go into the whole world and preach the gos- pei to every creature adding: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that belieVeth not shall be con demned." From these words we have to
 accept the whole of the gospel of Jesus | Christ Itis intended for every nation and l individual, and to endure without alter l ation unto the end of time. No new doc l urine Is to be added or none taken there 1 from, as Christ was the fnisher and man l cannot improve on his work.
 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away | The bark of the church was built of the l best materials, constructed by skf1lful | worlxmen, under the direction of master minds Christ launched her on the bill | lows of time, with Him whom He sent l to guide her on her course always at the 1 helm His mission is to enter every l ocean, She may get considerable toss | ing. but never will go down, and conquer 1 all opposition.
 The synagogue was the work not of
 man. but of God. Moses, his representa- 1 tive, drew up it's bylaws and constltu- ton, appointed it's rulers, defined their ex- act power, and it was from this divine
 origin that it derived it's dignity and per l lection.
 To place the origin of the Catholic 1 church we begin with Christ's coming. l and sailing down the current we come to l the great feast of Pentecost, fifty days l after Christ's resurrection. although the 1 church before this day existed as teach l ing body, fulfilling the work for which | it's divine founder placed it here. Yet 1 Pentecost is the real Christian birth
 day, since on this day and not before was l the church given the fullness of the Holy l Ghost to guide it in the way of truth and | teach with divine authority all He taught 1 them.
 Let us ask God to strengthen our faith.
 as a dead faith is of no avail. We must | possesses a lively, active faith-one that
 worketh by charity-and if we work from | motives of faith and religion we will be
 given our reward, since the slightest act | done for God will gain the appreciation of Heaven.