Birmingham age-herald., 1895-09-23
watchful should the reflection make us, how charitable toward others!
St. Paul's Catholic Church.

At St. Pauls Catholic curch Rev. P. A. OReilly spoke from St. Luke vii, H. 16 And when He came nigh to them, to the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was carried out, an only son of His mother and she was 8 widow, and the Lord loving her was moved with pity towards her, and He said: Young man, l say to thee, arise and he that was dead sat up and began to speak,
 The funeral of a young man, the only son of his mother, Is pictured to us as something very sad Her sole support is taken away the joy of her heart no longer to be seen; but my friends we car ry our own bodies freely and blindly to the grave whenever we, knowingly, fully and deliberately transgress grave com mand of God, as the vivid colorng of the grief of the affected mother at the death of her son is a true picture of the sinner. The city out of which the dead man was carried signifies the body in which the soul dWells, shut up as 1t were in it's own city.
 When Adam and Eve looked upon the first corpse of the world their son Able, cold in death, with what bitterness of soul they must be filled when so forci- ply reminded of Gods warning But of the tree of knowledge, of good and evil thou shalt not eat for in what day soever thou shalt eat of it thou shalt die" They now, more than ever realize
 
 descendants, the enormity of sin, the frailty of mans existence and the pun ishment of sin. Beholding His son cold in death could not the Father of the human race well say: "Oh pride of in- tellect, vanity of Vanities except loving and serving Thee oh God"
 But no matter how short may be our stay here we may secure in this brief span the end of life-a crown of eternal happiness. Faithful man, who is want ing in the fulfillment of his religious du- ties blights the noblest pursuits, the power to know what is true and the power to do what is good. These rights poverty does not forfeit. The knowl- edge of God, who is infinite truth. and the loving of Him who is infinite good ness are the essential elements of man S perfection. Practicing them as we ought they will prevent the death of the soul.
 Naim is small town in Galilee It is noted In history as a most beautiful place owing to it's picturesque sur roundings; yet it was not too. fair or beautiful for death to enter It contains the most lofty mansion as well as the most lowly habitation of the poor. Christ's coming to Naim, was not by chance; but he took occasion of the op- portunity to prove his divinity by raising to life the only son of his mother as well as to console the deeply afflicted heart of the poor widow. From this miracle we Cdu iedl llldl 1lOlulilS IS dcClQenIal. Christ says are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God but even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. so every act is either ordained or permitted by God Mans extremity is Gods oppor- tunity. The young man had died. The funeral procession was on the way to bury him. Who of his acquaintances ever thought that he would return to life again? But when human aid has failed God stretches forth helping hand. Our God is our refuge and strength, a helper in trouble. A dead man was carried out. This is repeated every day. At the moment we are born we begin to die. so life Is a lingering death. We should always live to be pre- pared to die a good death. The gospel says our Lord came near and touched the bier and said, Young man, I say to thee arise" Here Jesus Christ mani fests himself as the omnipotent God, to whom everything is subject, and whose word Heaven and earth obey. As Christ raised the young man to life, the peo- pie, full of enthusiasm, praised and glo- rifed God, saying this is indeed the great prophet foretofd by Moses to se- cure for us grace and life everlasting.