The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-26
Father Duffy Delivers Discourse
 at St. PauI'S
CAUSE FOR REJOICING
Catholic Priest Sketches the Story of the Birth of the Savior-What Is Meant and the All
 Mankind.

At St Pauls church (Catholic) yester- day Christmas was celebrated with low masses at 6.3O, 7.3O. s.3o and 9:S0 o'clock and with a Solemn High Mass at 10 8t O clock.
 At the Solemn High Mass Father Bran non was the celebrant, Father Duffy the deacon. and Father Coyle,-the sub-deacon
 Gounod's mass was sung by select choir.
 The collections at ali the masses were for the Orphans Home at East Lake and were greater in amount than ever before
 The decorations were exquisite, the al- tars being illuminated with electricity and beautfied with cut flowers and palms and potted plants.
 The sermon was preached by Father , Duffy.
 Behold, l announce to you good tid- ines of great joy which shall be to al the people, for this day is born to you a savior''--words taken from Luke II: 10- was the text
 In the course of his discourse, Father Duffy said:
 NiiiCi DdDJ 0SiHiSis "Christnias with all it's joys and pleas ure has come again. In the midst of the gloom and dreariness of winter there Is one bright, joyful time to which we al look forward with eager delight even as the traveller in the sandy desert watches for the clear, cool stream. And so ii has ever been. The glad tidngs of the ~a1s oF oios over the crib in the ruined stable still echo through the world, and the church takes up tho heavenly message and makes it still her own. It is she who proclaims today what for nineteen hundred years she has never ceased to proclaim on eacf recurrence of this great solemnity: I an nounce to you good tidngs of great joy this day is born to you savlor Let me invite you to hearken to this welcome summons of great joy and tc consider why it Is that when nature is wearing it's gloomiest and most disheart- ing aspect the fervent Christian heart is buoyed up with the most enlvening joy
 Accompany me then in spirit to the dreary mountainous village of Bethlehem It is the deep dark gloom of the easterr twilight when an aged carpenter and g fair young maiden are making their way slowly through the snow-trodden streets From time to time the old man knocks timidly at one of the doors but meets with cold reproach or chilling repulse The proud, stiff-necked Jews scorn tc acknowledge the poor travellers as being of the royal tribe of David, and theii povery-stricken appearance precludes any prospect of gain from giving them shel ter, They have thus made their way through the hamlet and are now out 1T the country. A roofless stable attract, their attention. Anything that would af ford them protection for the night 1. welcome. In it the aged carpenter en deavors to make shelter for his young maiden companion, who is In the mos helpless condition of womanhood And 1T the ruined, roofless hovel she bring. forth her child and lays him in the man ger.
 Is This AlI2
 And is this all? Do you ask the might, Emperor. Augustus, the ruler of the world, to rejoice because a beggar-boy wrapped in swaddling clothes, Is to b, found in a roofless stable outside Beth lehem? Do you ask the proud Herod dc you ask the philosophic Plate, do vol ask the rich, the naughty, the hypo critical Pharisees, who are looking fo the restoration of their lost glory, tt make glad on that account? Should yol do so, they would cry. BahH In you face and laugh at you as crazy fool.
 But we remember. my brethren, that prayer of our Divine Savior: T confess to thee, Father. Lord of Heaven and Earth, because thou hast bdden these things from the wise and the prudent and hast revealed them 10 little ones Yea, Father, for To it seemed good in thy sight For us 1t is the privilege to pene- trate the inner recesses of Gods bounty and love, we. through Gods grace. may comprehend the mystery which that in- fant form eonceals, we may know the charm of the hymn which that angelic chorus chants.
 "The reason of all this joy, Lie cause of all this jubilation, is contained in few words of the gospel just read: t Yer bum caro factum est, ct habitant in nobis, And the word was made flesh and dwet amongst us That weeping, shiver- ing infant is the only begotten son of God He has left the bosom of His Fathers which has been fop all eternity His resting place. and is to be found where the shepherds found-wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a man. ger.
 A Cheering Hope.
 -Four thousand years had elapsed since this infant had first been promised Throughout that dark, dreary night of waiting his coming had been the one hope that cheered patriarch and prophet And now the long-expected has come, the long-promised one has arrived. and God has visited Ills people. Let heaven therefore rejoice and let the earth be filled with joy, let the sea roll and heave as a sign of gladness, and let the fields and all that grow therein thrill with de-
 fContinued on Eighth Page)