"Now the birth of JESUS was on this wise," (S. Matth. i. 18-25;) comp. S. Luke i. 27, and S. Matth. i. 20, &c.,—the two angelic prophecies concerning the Holy Child; first, to the Blessed Virgin, then to Joseph. Isa. vii. 14; Acts iv. 12; v. 31. How few and short are the words of the first Evangelist on this Mighty Event which from the beginning had been longed for, and whose blessings will never cease. Truly, Thou art a GOD that hidest Thyself." S. Luke enters more fully into details, and tells us of the wondrous visit of the angels to the shepherds, and the visit of the shepherds to the Infant SAVIOUR. So is the Good Shepherd revealed first to shepherds in the city of the Shepherd King of Bethlehem. Then was brought from heaven that Wondrous Song, when "the sons of GOD shouted for joy" once more at this new creation as they had in the Beginning. Then were heard the first notes of the glad thanksgiving to the Good Shepherd, which has rung on through thousands of years since, and still ascends before every altar in Christendom, from "holy bishops, faithful priests, and pastors proved in love," as adoring crowds sing ever Gloria in Excelsis," and we still in the "City of our King," in our Bethlehem, "the House of Bread," greet the Living Bread veiled in earthly elements, and adore His Sacred ineffable Presence on our altars in the self-same words in which the Angelic throng greeted their New-born King, saying, "Glory to GOD in the highest," &c., and "therefore with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven, evermore praising Him and saying, Glory be to Thee, O LORD most High. Because Thou didst give JESUS CHRIST Thine only Son to be born as at this time for us, Who," &c. See Proper Christmas Preface, Holy Communion Office. So does the Catholic Church with faint echo join the heavenly song to celebrate in type at the Eucharistic Table the "Marriage of the Lamb;" and so Alleluia. "Like circles widening round Orb after orb the wondrous sound, Alleluia. Alleluia. For "I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of GOD is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and GOD Himself shall be with them and be their GOD." Rev. xxi. 3. Consider, those who watched the Holy Manger-bed, how pure and holy they were! 66 I. The Blessed Virgin Mother, her meek obedience, her perfect purity and her meek and quiet spirit, how she kept all these things and pondered them in her heart;" so full of fond adoring love for the Infant SAVIOUR and GOD, and yet, (marvellous gift!) her First-Born Son. "Henceforth all generations shall call me blessed," must have been her constant song. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see GOD," we hear already as it were from the lips of the yet silent Word bestowing a blessing on her and all who copy her example. (S. Matth. v., &c.) II. The aged Joseph, so strong and steadfast in his holy love for her and his LORD, so reverent in his worship of the Divine Child, the affianced husband of the blessed Maiden, commissioned by GoD the FATHER to be the protector, guardian, guide of the holy Mother, and the Child Who is the "Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty GOD;" whose blessed office it will be to watch over Him as He grows "in wisdom and stature," &c., in the lowly home of Nazareth. Surely he must be filled with glad but awful, lowly thoughts as he too ponders in his heart all that has passed. III. The lowly shepherds: "And they came, and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger." How short, how simple, how grand the words that place us in the presence of the holy family at Bethlehem ! Let us follow the example of the shepherds, and of Mary and Joseph, and ponder with them "these things in our hearts" with adoring faith and love. Let us think, lastly, to help us in this, what is the Church's faith concerning this Holy Child, i.e., how she bids us continually to believe "JESUS CHRIST, His SON, our LORD."—Apostles' Creed. "In One LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON of GOD, begotten of His FATHER before all worlds; GOD of GOD, Light of Light; Very GoD of Very GOD," &c. "Incarnate by the HOLY GHOST of the Virgin Mary, and was made man."-Nicene Creed. "Such as the FATHER is, such is the SoN. "The SON uncreate, "Incomprehensible;-i.e. illimitable, infinite. "Eternal, "Almighty, "GOD, One GOD, "LORD, One LORD, "By Himself GOD and LORD, "Of the FATHER alone, not made nor created, but Begotten. "One SoN, not three SoNs. "For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess, "That our LORD JESUS CHRIST, the SON of GOD, is GOD and Man, "GOD of the Substance of His FATHER, Begotten before the worlds, "Man of the substance of His Mother, Born in the world, "Perfect GOD and Perfect Man, "Equal to the FATHER, &c., "GOD and Man, but yet One CHRIST, (the Anointed,) "One, not by conversion, &c., but by taking of the Manhood into GOD, "One altogether, &c., "As the soul and flesh are one Man, so GOD and Man is one CHRIST."-Athanasian Creed. And this is the grand Catholic Faith from the beginning which GOD approves; this is the Church's constant Pleading in every collect and petition; this is her daily song of love "We acknowledge Thee to be the LORD, 66 All the earth doth worship Thee, "The honourable, true, and only SoN. "Thou art the King of Glory, Ó CHRIST. "Thou art the everlasting SON of the FATHER, &c. "Thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb." This, her morning hymn of praise after the reading of the written Word. "He hath visited and redeemed His people, &c. "To give light, &c." This, her last evening salutation of her Incarnate LORD, as she re-echoes the words of the Holy Virgin Mother, "My soul doth magnify the LORD. "It hath rejoiced in GOD my SAVIOUR." This, her last Even-Song as she chants the dying words of the holy Simeon, 66 LORD, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, &c. "For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation." And in the fading evening light, she offers her unceasing praise to the Sun which never sets,-the "Sun of Righteousness," the Light of Light, the "Light to lighten the Gentiles, the Glory of His people Israel." This is her continual prayer, "By the Mystery of Thy Holy Incarnation : "By Thy Holy Nativity: Good LORD, deliver us.” Prophecies, &c., of the Nativity. By the FATHER Himself. Gen. iii. 15; xii. 3; xv. 1—6. Comp. S. Luke iii. 22; S. Matth. iii. 13; S. John v. 17-46. By Jacob. Gen. xlix. 10. "Be By Moses. Comp. S. Luke xxiv. 27, 45. ginning at Moses." See Gen. iii. 15; xxii. 18; xxvi. 4; xlix. 10; Numb. xxi. 9; Deut. xviii. 15; xxxi. 26-29; xxxii. 4; Acts iii. 22, 18; vii. 37. "He is the Rock." Comp. 1 Cor. x., &c. Job: xix. 25. David the King: Pss. ii., xviii., xlv., ex., cxxxii., &c. Solomon the King: Cant. iii. 6, 11; iv. 16; v. 2-16. The Church shares His power. Cant. vi. 3, 4, 10-13; viii. 11. Isaiah: vii. 14; viii. 1-8; ix. 6; lii. 7; xlix. 6; xxii., &c. &c. Jeremiah xxxi. 34; xxiii. 5; xxxiii. 14. : Daniel vii. 14-24; ii. 44; ix. 23-27. : Joel: iii. 9-13, 14, 16, 17, 18. Amos: ix.; the Tabernacle of David: iv. 12, 13. Comp. S. John i. See above. Obadiah: 17-21. Comp. Zech. xiv. 9; S. Luke i. 33; Rev. xi. 15-19. Jonah: ii. 9. Micah i. 15; vi. 4; vii. 7, 8, 20; v. 2-5, 8— 15; iv. 1, 2, 3-8. Habakkuk iii. 17, 18; i. 12; ii. 3, 20. Zephaniah iii. 15, 17. : Haggai i. 13, 14; ii. 7, (Heb. xii. 26;) ii. 22, 23. Zechariah i. 10, 11, (Heb. i. 14,) 12, 14-17; ii. 9, 10, 13; iii. 8-10; iv. 6, 7, 8-10; vi, 9-15; viii. 18-23; ix. 9-17; x. 12; xii. 7, 8; xiii. 1; xiv. 1, "The glory of Israel shall come," &c., (margin.) Comp. Nunc Dimittis. |