Birmingham age-herald., 1895-07-08

self. Not merely because the poor cap tive had mother, wife and child depend- ent upon his labor but because they saw 1n the captive one who was redeemed by the precious blood of Christ and who was in danger of losing his faith, and they always chose for their great sacrifice that one among the captives who was most in danger of denying his faith for the sake of liberty.
 And such as Christians is the value that we should hold ourselves for the worth of the most precious blood of Jesus Christ. And what a value is thati As well might we think of counting the stars in the Armament or of allowing the waters of the ocean to flow through our fingers and count the drops as they fall as to attempt to esti- mate the value of the precious blood. In the gallery of the Vatican there is a picture of the Transfiguration. whose conception and finish are SD grand that the whole world of art would feel in suited if a price were to be placed upon it. It's standard of artistic value is be- yond the reach of material wealth But if this is so with an artists masterpiece what can we say of the nasterwork of Jesus Christ--what of the soul which He deemed not too dear when it cost Him His own most precious blood.
 Whence is this to me, that the mother Of my God should come to visit me, " cried out St. Elizabeth when the blessed virgin passed her threshold shortly after the incarnation of her divine Son. Wherefore, then, we may well ask Does God Himself come to redeem us at the price of His own humanity, de- flied and made infinite by it's union with His divinity" Purely through His own love aner-we made by God Godlike, re- deemed by God at such price, and des- tined by God for union with Him and everlasting happiness in Heaven Can it be possible that a man can be found to foul that divine spark within him, and to cast aside the treasure of redemption by plunging again into the slavery of un- natural, license and sin. Alas! that prac- tice and theory should be so far asunder History answers our question in the af- firmative. Nay, we do not need history. to tell us so, our daily experience of life is fraught with such instances.
 Go into the workshop and listen to the cursing, blasphemy and impure language uttered there Go into the streets of this our city, and see the signs of sin and vice see how often the doors that lead to the gambling house and worse swing open; look to the saloons on every street and corner, see them with their doors wide open, gaping jaws as if ready to swallow men body and soul, and to do the devils work for him.
 And yet the men of whom We speak are not brute animals; they are beings endowed with a cool, calm reason and free will. They are men created by God Godlike, and redeemed by the divine Son with His most precious blood. Yes, each of them has within himself a soul which was valued by Infinite Wisdom at such priceless treasure.
 And we. seeing this and knowing it as II really is, hold back our hands in anger or in selfshness when we could stretch them forth and save the sinner. My brethren. the man who dares not to risk all he has and ali he hopes for of tenn poral goods to save the soul of a sinner is no true Christian, and deserves not to be classed with Him who came to seek sinners and bring them to repentance IL is because We have not the spirit of Christ within us that there exists so much sin in the world around us. If it were possible for us Christians and Cath olics to give up sin and to live according. 10 the law of Christ, then indeed could we say that the kingdom of God has come.
 Therefore, for us another question must be proposed: Shall we. who profess to follow Christ as members of His church. who know the fact of our creation our redemption and our destiny-shall we go forth from this church today with the spirit of the world or tSa spirit of Christ in our hearts? Will the home the work shop or the office find Us tomorrow as we were yeSterday! or Will we walk the world as in it, but not of it, conscious Of our high estate as Christians and of our brotherhood with the sinner as with the saint through the most precious blood of Jesus Christ?
 Think of the day when the crowd first cried out in blasphemy: His blood be upon us and upon our children" and then think how the martyrs took up that same cry and asked for that same treas ure, which was the sign of their redemp- ton and the hope of their salvation Asls 1t, then, also for yourselves and for your children-not that tomorrow or next week you may drop it in the mire of sin but that you may always feel the effects of it's healing grace that when the voice or temptation sounds in your ear YOU may also hear as a gentle whisper from q heavenly spirit. You have not been redeemed with gold or silver but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ"