The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-09
FATHER KERRIGAN WAS THE PREACHER Discourse on the Lesson of the
 Transfguratlon. MANY PRACTICAL TRUTHS  Priest Reminds Catholic Men of Their Dere.iction - Tribute to Good
 Women of the Church.
 Reason for Lent.
MANY PRACTICAL TRUTHS

ing at 1030 o'clock the choir sang the Kyrie Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei of Weber's mass in G. with Mrs. Putnam as solo soprano and Mrs. Chalifoux played g beautiful violin solo as an offertory
 The Rev. Father Kerrigan was cele- brant of the mass and preacher. The theme of his discourse was the Trans iguration, and hs text was the gospel of the dey, found In Matthew xvii; 1-9 He spoke as follows;
 My Dear Brethren
 It was deereed, in the eternal coun- sells of God, that Christ should save the world by the Cross. Therefore Christ looked forward to that event as the grand contamination of his life. But during his mortal life the apostles could com prehend the place which the Cross held in the divine plan of salvation.
 We remember how, at Caesarea- Philip pi Peter remonstrated with Jesus for having declared that he must undergo suffering and death. Wherefore 1t was necessary to prepare the apostles for the terrible events of the crucifxion by show Ing them some scintillation of the divine glory of Jesus-which glory he left yelled in order to save the world. And so on Mount Tabor, he Is transfgured before them that they might not afterwards stumble at the sight of their Masters suf- ferings. There was danger that when the apostles should see their master torn and bleeding staggering under a cross, and then dying on 1t, their trust in him might waver; hence they were prepared by the Transfguraton for the day of Calvary. And not only they are taught, but also the whole world is taught thereby, who it was that died for man.
 The transcendent glory, the apparition of Moses and Elias, and the voice of God out of the cloud all testify that Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus Christ was a true man; the apostles saw much of Jesus as a man. He ate with them and drank with them. They saw him asleep in the boat on Gennesaret; they saw him sitting down to rest, when wearled. at Joseph's well at Samaria. He had lived their com mon life and was in form and fashion a man. But he was also God. This was harder to realize But belief in the divin- ity of Jesus was necessary that men might be saved wherefore, at times, the transcendent power and glory of the divinity of Jesus burst forth to hold men faithful to their belief in his two natures.
 An lncontestabIe Proof.
 The Transhguration is one of these full, incontestable proofs that Jesus was the I Son of God And, too, it was opportune at the time it was given; for that night was approaching of which Jesus declared All ye shall be made to stumble in me the shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad"
 The Transfguration then, is one of the great proofs of the divinity of Christ and, in the judgment which God will execute upon the world, that fact will furnish one of the finest proofs that God gave to an unbelieving world abundant evidence that Christ was the Son of God
 But since, among us, there Is no ques- tion of the divinity of our Lord, I would rather direct your attention to another fact which this occasion embodies-a fact of special moment to us during this Holy Lenten season, this time of intro- spection and sefdenial We see in the Transfiguraticn the highest example ok what man can make of his life. As the glory of the transhgured Lord is to the lowly estate of the cross bearer, so is the glory of the elect to mans present life. No man can be the consubstantial Son of God, but we can be like him in his glory; we can share in his kingdom, and live his life, and this for all eternity.
 Mems Neglect.
 When one compares time and eternity, and considers the smallness of the price and the greatness of the reward, is it not strange that men give their lives for other things and neglect that for which they were created? The one idea that should possess the Christian is, that there Is within him a being like to him who appeared transfgured in the mount, and tine strength of human labor should be bent unto the developing of this noble aim in life As the sculptor, looking upon the rough mass of stone, sees in it the | beautiful life-like statue and faints not i at the long labor that is required to work ! the creation of his brain out of the shape | less marble, so man should hold this great thought ever uppermost in the mind: What can I do with my life? Am I so living that I shall be fit to stand on | that second mount of transfgusation | where the NlSlOn VIII Ho nhoIt pdsS dWdy9
 These are the thoughts that should en- gage our attention. especially during this l holy season Indeed this is the main reason why the Holy Church. our ever solicitous mother, appoints the season of Lent, draws us aside for a while from the hurry and rush after material things, that. neditating upon the sorrowful pas sion and death of her spouse, Jesus | Christ and pondering upon the season ! of tour salvation-we may discover at what value we appraise that sacrifice; whether we are so living as If our sole fNnntinued on civfh paoAl