The New York herald., 1872-12-30
ST. PATRICK's CATHEDRAL.

Sermon by Archbishop McCloskey-
Thoughts Suggested by the Christmas
Festival.
There was large congregation in attendance at
the st. Patrick's Cathedral at the hi gh mass ser
vices yesterday. The music was, as usual very
fine, The sermon was delivered by His Grace the
Archbishop, who, 1t is needless to say, was lis
tened TO with the greatest possible attention The
right reverend gentleman, after having In most
analy tical and interesting manner dilated upon
the fall of man by sin, the consequent anger OF
sible that existed thereafter between God and
man until
THE COMING OF THE SAVIOUR,
he spoke Of the s'aancen between God, the Creator
and man, the creature, which the condescension
OF the Saviour in becoming man had brought about
1t was, he said, after the sin OF first parents
an mpossibility for man to raise himself up to God
in order to put himself where he could, face to
face, talk with Him, and be In position to ask or
Him the graces he stood in need Of How, then.
could the alliance take place. or, rather, how did it
take place 1t being impossible Tor man to raise
himself up to God the Son Of God Himself consented
to come down to man, to become like to him in all
things, in his lowliness. in his abasement, in his
poverty, in his wretchedness In everything to be
his equal but in sin. For the sake OF mankind
whom lie wished TO save, whom He loved so
dearly, He even took upon Himself our poor,
weak human nature, our human flesh ana blood
ana consented that ne should be touched by human
hands, to receive expressions OF human love- and
to return love for love. Yet that little infant In the
manger was all the time the INFINITE Almighty
With all His poverty, His abandonment, He was full
OF riches, OF honors Of glory, OF Immortality. by
the coming oil that inl lant the alliance between God
ana 5 man man was " Ire restored In the birth Of the child
consummatcd. but only begun. Then, indeed, God
was seen on earth and communicated directly with
men, but In that alone was not the mystery OF the
incarnation. Then 1t Is true God had united him
self with man still He had not communicated Him.
OF His mission on earth to last only during His life.
time, to cease when He passed away from earth
Not so.
THE MYSTERY OF THE INCARNATION
first achieved in stable is to endure forever, to
exist until the end OF time God once become man
abandon man to himself, for whom He finally laid
down his life; SO the mystery o. IN tne lhcarnati9n
5aa not I only united His divinity to our humanity
but He left us the means OF SALVATION the power Of
becoming sharers with Him in the kingdom Of
heaven. As st. John says HE gives to us who re.
ceive Him, who believe III Him and who adore Him
In the nness Of the mystery Of the incarnation the
power Of becoming the sons Of God.n SO He has
united himself to each one individually The
right reverend gentleman then remarked that the
best way, especially for this season OF the year. TO
unite ourselves with God was to receive him in the
sacraments II Catholics had not already done
this II they did not intend to do So they cid not
pleIeness and It's peifection He then went on to
say that we were already standing on the threshold
OF new year and as our thoughts went back to the
months that had rolled by since the last 'New Year'
we naturally asked ourselves had we during that
time
DRAWN NEARER TO HEAVEN,
nearer to God The resolutions and promises we
had made at the beginning, where are they nows
year once passed is passed forever, and Its words
indeed a time Tor solemn warning, but 1t was also
time Tor holy resolution and prayer. We should
return thanks to God for the blessings he had
showered upon us during the past year, and we
should pray for the grace OF God during the COM
ing year; pray for strength in our cares and
the light OF faith should break in upon the dark
days that now surround him and that all the erring
children OF the Church should be brought back to
the knowledge and fear or God