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

Rev. P. A. OReilly spoke from the gos- pei of St. Matthew, vi, 2433: "No man can serve two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. because each of them claim the servant, and does not permit him to work for one master to- day and the other tomorrow.% The rev erend father said:
 God demands that we serve Him alone. The Lord thy God, shalt thou adore, and Him only shalt thou serve He or ders that we love Him with our whole heart, and does not permit us to divide our heart with another, as the Samari- tans did. who, beside the true God. also adored idols. The other master wants us to follow the bent of our own incli- nations. If given to avarice we soon cul- tiyate wide false conscience, and think the greatest injustlces and impositions justifable. One master says you must do this and another master says you must not do that Evidently it is inn possible to obey both masters at one and the same time when one tells us not to do what the other demands.
 God says we should seek first the. kingdom of God and his justice That is before everything else-the kingdom of God and his justice. Practice virtue and good works, which are rewarded in the kingdom of Heaven, and in doing this we will find sufficient time to take care 
 treasures of this life when compared with the treasures of Heaven In lifes battle for supremacy mans efforts are often poorly rewarded The farmer blows and plants in order to obtain a good return, but before the crop is ready to apply the sickle a storm de- stroys the fruit of all his labor and toll. Men bear the heat and burden of the day and their rewards often fall into sieve. When the evening of life is ended they find their hands empty, after toiling hard all through life. When working for God we are not working for an uncer- tainty. The apostle writes "I have fought a good fight; have finished my course; I have kept the faith. For the rest there is laid up for me crown of justice, which the Lord. the just judge, will render to me at that day, and not to me only, but to them also that love his coming"
 The goods and joys of the world are f1eetng, and end with death, but if we are faithful in the service of God our reward will be everlasting. Let us work for permanent reward, which all who have arrived at mature age, or the use of reason cannot attain without labor and merit. God is willing to grant us Heaven when we keep the command ments; when we shun evil and do good. God commands us to sanctify the Sun day and hear mass devoutly. We should always pronounce His name with rever- ence, and abstain from drunkenness, impurity. injustice, revenge and enmity. Always practice charity. Be faithful in prayer, be humble, and do not be want ing in modification and self-denial. Practicng those virtues we will be giv- en much peace of mind; and where peace and quiet of mind is wanting there can be no true enjoyment. So we are re- warded here, independent of hereafter. Much peace have they that love the law. and to them there is no stumbling block" The service of mammon or sin caused the angels, those bright spirits to be cast eternally from their abode of happiness.
 Our first parents lost original justice and brought sickness, sin and death into the world There is no peace for the wicked. The apostle says: "Tribula ton and anguish upon every sorl that doeth evil"
 The heart of the sinner is like the troubled sea, which rolls wave over wave even in the greatest calm. The servants of God, with hearts free from sin and resigned to His holy will, can be happy under every circumstance in life Therefore we should serve God and not mammon.