The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-12-26
CATHOLIC OHRIsTMAs.

OF glad expectation, they remain IN nef
temples, even until midnight. Let Us lis
ten to the grand harmony!
Divided into two vast bodies, they peal
forth the verses of the royal prophet 10
alternate chorus; and who could tire
hearkeniDgf Well does Durendus say,
the spirits of just men, while they cheer
fully and mutually excite each other In |
this holy exercise" We fancy ourselves
among the choirs of heaven, as st. Ignatius
once was in spirit, when be learned tne |
method of alternate chanting.
Oh! whose heart does not yearn toward
the church in these her days of longing
She has laid away from her all that is dag
| cling and joyous yet is she most charming.
Anxious love, like SUP, burns over her,
altering her color; yet is she all beauty
bright and rich and warm-her aspect
teeming with purity and love and inspira-
ton. "Iam black, but beautiful" (Cant.
i.4.)
| 1t is midnight. Long since men have
ceased from their labors. The din of traffic
has been hushed for hours. Yet there is
sound through all the world. From every
city and town and village, from splre-
crowned hill and from holy valley, from
numberless sweet hooks and by-ways, it
swells forth, the sound of n grand harmony,
the voices of myriads chanting. Now the
! tones speak of longing; now they tremble
! with expectation; then there is a burst of
rapture TO lowing the mellow warbling OF
| desire. 1t is the voice of the church long
ing for her Beloved, She shall be graft
fed, for even now there is knocking at
| her temple gates. The chant is hushea,
| and n voice gentle as the iisping of child,
breatbes the sweet entreaty, "Open to me,
my sister, my love, my dove, my undef ed
the drops of the night" (Cant. v.2) Yes,
lovely Babe, gladly will the temple doors
open to thee for many long and weary
mile did thy mother journey with thee be-
meath her heart!
i Winter ruled the earth Chill blew the
breezes, and co'dness was over nature.
ShiveriDg had the aged saint and Mary
asked for shelter, but the inns were filled,
and none in Bethlehem, would trouble to
receive them. Riches were not theirs, and
all saw that the unknown mothers time
was near; hence, fearing they might have
to look to the child, they shut her from
their dwellings. The only place of refage
her holy spouse could find for his charge
! was cheerless stable, followed from
rough cold rock. The OK aud the ass were
their only earthly companions hay and
straw formed the rude couch upon which
! the mother brought forth her child at mid
night. Jesus! Saviour! she wraps thee
scantily in some swaddling- clothes, and
3 lays thee shiveriDg in manger: Well
, then may the dew and drops of the night
. hang heavy upon thy locks
But, though in Bethlehem these uu
known travellers were outcasts, God did
J., not desert them. The glimmerings OF
adorng angels wings fell upon the mo-
Q theirs eyes to comfort her heart, for there
:, were angels near in numbers. They how
J cred over and within the hut, making il
. ring with the most blessed hymn that
); mortal or angelic ears had ever heard
:, "GiorS to God in the highest, and on earth
o peace TO men of goodwill"
y Instantly upon this knocking the churct
T. rises to open to her Beloved, and now be
IS gins ber Joy, Now she will celebrate hil
IN birthday, and her heart leaps high in bid
IN ding him welcome. Her torches, her sanc
ne tuary lamps, the countless candles on he
ID altars, all are lighted with the speed Q
ir love; their shining shows her epouse tina
u she was 30 full of expectation, so confiden
er of his coming. that she has already cas-
40 away her weeds of mourning and desire
y and has arrayed her charms in her mos
bs precious robes. Evergreens and tapestr
mo- are twining and glowing all about her-i
re- her inches, upon her piers, her arcade
en- her parapets, her cloister-g galleries, her mai
u sive stalls, her carved and fretted ceiling
Her alters and her sancturaries have te'
ie- toons and garlands, and crowns of sweete
ag Uy design, and wells and hanglpgs OF Ghoice
AZ, Al, embroidery. She peals her bells an
aS sweeps her AngeTs over her organ key
mt and tunes her many Instruments, to nj h'
temples with the rapturous canticie OF II
at day, "Gloria in excelsis Deo."
mt But let us circumscribe our views. /
M we may behold the JOY OF tue uniNe' .
,ch church even in her smallest division, /
on us see how, in the good old Catholic time
tho the simplest villagers celebrate the brit
my day of the Incarnate Eternal!
re. .r The few rich men among them ha
i3I IN sent stores of flowers and fruits from the
conservatories to deck the green branch
on, gathered in the fore-t. Pious ladies ha
wn brought in the various ornaments, viii
ev. they have been preparing for weeks, as
on. offering for their new born saviour. II
,er- happy pastor and many of his spiritu
ing flock have been busy in the church (
''n days, disposiDg the decorations with u
les, firing ingenuity and taste.
fter Now it is almost midnight. The ski
leir are clear and studded with twinkling sta
les, Ice is over all the streams, snow is over
ms the streets and fields, and weighs doN
the trees. Stiffness is upon the villag
on on yet not the stiffness of slumber. You c
,oU see that something is TRANSMITTING VIII
ifni takes not place at other midnighte:
md lights are gIlmmer'pS through Ihe co'Iae
rod vvin and. now and then, Cheeri