The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-24
st. PauI,s.

ihere were many masses at ST. pauI,s
and the church of Our Lady NJ so.ron,.
yesterday The congregations at all the
services were large and at last mass a.
each church the attendance tested the
capacity of respective houses Of worshin
At ST. Paufs the new marble altar
was beautifully garnished with vine ana
Hover. The music was exceptionally ano
including the Kyrie. Gloria, Credo and.
Agnus Del OF Gounods est Cecilia" tho
'Veni Creator" LambiIotte's HaIleluia
Anthem, the benedctlon hymns and the
lie Deum Miss Van Merkestyn. Mr.
Arrico and Mr.. Herbert were the SOLO
lists.
At the solemn high mass the Rev.
Father Goevert was celebrant. the Rev.
Father Kitrick. deacon; the Rev. Father
Coyle, sub-deacon.
The Rev. Father Coyle preached the
sermon.
The text for the discourse was: "Resur-
rexit, sicut dixit, alleluiar' He Is risen
as lie said, alleluia."-Old hymn.
The preacher said in part: What a
change has come over the ritual of Holy
Mother Christ today A few hours ago.
and bowed In sorrow she assisted at the
death and burial of the Christ. mournful
lamentations were heard In the churches.
the affairs were bare, the penitential pur-
pie was worn by her ministers, all was
darkness and gloom; but today, glad
allelulas loud paens of victory and tri-
umph resound the white and gold vest
ments of joyous festival tide are once
more assumed, fair flowers shed perfume.
and the affairs are ablaze with a thous-
and lights. Whence this universal ioy?
'Resurrexit slcut diyit," "He is risen. as
lie said" Christ is risen from the tomb
where they laid Him. Today that vic
tory over death and sin is celebrated. TO-
day is therefore the grandest, greatest
festival of the church of God
In the glorious mystery celebrated to-
day, we rejoice, first of all, at Christ's
victory over death and hell, and then
we rejoice, because that victory contains
two glorious pledges, the pledge of the
church's triumph and the pledge OF the
fulflment Of the hope of each of us, that
we, too, on the last day, God willing,
shall, as Christ arose, arise, and in our
flesh see God
And first, the resurrection was the
pledge of the triumph of the church. for
1t proves that Christ was God. that the
Crucified One was the son Of the Most
High, that the fire that He came to cast
on earth was fire from Heaven, that the
doctrines He announced had on them the
stamp and seal of divine authority. Ii
+ fr,,1
years of His public ministry Christ
wrought many wondrous miracles. Heal
ing went forth from the very hem of His
garment devils that tormented the pos
sessed fled at the sound of His voice. the
night of darkness was dispelled for the
blind, deaf ears were opened again to the
harmonies of nature. Nay, the very dead
were recalled from the world beyond and
restored to their wondering friends But,
great though these miracles undoubtedly
were. and sufficient each one, to prove
the mission divine. not on any or all OF
these did He rest His proof. but He ap-
pealed again and again to the fact that
they CHS enemies) would cruelty the Son
of Man, and in three days He would rise
again.
Here, then, in the mystery Of today. Is
the hinge of the Christian Faith. 1t be-
ing true, our faith is true. He being
God. that faith must conquer. So true is
this that Paul hesitates not to say: TT
Christ be not risen from the dead. then
is our preaching VAIN And truly. for
who but the omnipotent could accom-
plisn the stupendous fact of the resurrec-
ton. Great Is mans power. wondrous
CONTINUED on Eighth Psas.)