The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-11

Oh we may Haunt ourselves before the
world in brilliant colors, decked out iii
the very height of fashion, walk the
street with princely tread and a cult
waited bearing that is both dignited and
noble, but God reads the heart, and be-
fore His gaze we shall see, perhaps thai
within we are as the whted sepulchres,
only fit for the dunghill and the gutter.
And this careful introspection this
microscopic examination, of self-compaI-
ing ourselves with what we were once
realizing what we have lost, what we are
in the sight of even loving eyes-aye,
even under the eye of an all-merciful and
forgivng God, this should move us to
an active penance, to heroic action. You
may wonder why a mission demands
self-sacritice so essentially, so necessa-
rily. | will tell you. A good life is con-
tinued act of self-denial, and this mis-
sion will start the habit. You must break
from that sinful passion, that occasion OF
sin, the society of a certain person; you
must stop visiting that evil place, mus
stop reading that bad book, Without this
slef-discipline the mission will be worse
than useless
Mission for All.
For whom is this mission given? For
every soul in this parish. The mission is
for all. There is none so good that he
has no message for him.
The Christian who is in earnest this
week says: II want to stand apart from
my daily life and see what it looks like.
| want TO start over again. | want to
see what binders me from progressing.
| want to get back to first principles; to
begin to lead the interior life; to give
one week to God. 1 want to be silent
and alone"
Indifference a a fT1n H-h u
spirit Is breathed out over the whole
parish would, in a person of apparently
good life, be sign of danger; an in
dication, perhaps. of secret pride or cold
ness of heart. The tree that holds back
its buds and blossoms, when the whole
garden is decked with green leaves and
flowers. is not fruitful
Then the mission is for those who
mourn. Go where you will, my brethren,
you will ever see the weed of mourning
that tells of the hearts sorrow. Gods
hand has fallen-the wound seems deep.
1t may be sickness or poverty, or dis
appointment or maltrea tment or death.
a husband or a wife has lost a faithful
life partner. Perhaps a mothers heart
is broken over the loss of her frst-born;
her own flesh and blood has been snatched
from her heart Or perhaps a father lies
dead in his grave. The remembrance of
that open grave is still fresh in your
memory. The mission will lot restore the
loss fortune, nor give back the broken
health, nor heal the broken heart, nor
| bring the dead back to life but it will do
| that which is greater-wil teach you
| the secret of knowing how 10 suffer with
| joy. All. that is a gift.
The oppressed and down tndden. whose
hearts are torn and mangled by the false
ness of friends and the collness of the
world will hear a voice 10y and sweet
whisper to them: Come to Me. all you
that are burdened and heavy laden [
will refesh you. Let friends depart and
the world despise, behold, !, hsus Christ,
still remain true to you"
This mission is the voice of God to the
careless Christian. For those who mean
to enjoy both this world and the next
for those who commit venal sin as one
breathes the air-wthout a thought. Such
careless Christians would like to serve
God were it not so hard Thy are not
altogether without prayer or mass, but
sometimes are careless
They hate to be disturbed---o get up
early on Sunday. AS a result o. over
indulgence their passions are strong, they
do not know what self-restraint is and
now and then they make fatal rusi into
sin. to be followed by quick rem orse
and repentance.