Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-12-26
al the Cathedral.

At the Cathedral.
Christmas was appropriately celebrated al
the Cathedral on yesterday according to the
beautiful, impressive and time honored Gus.
tom of the Roman Catholic church. The
anniversary of Christ's nativity is observed
with singular magni6cence by the "Church
UNIVERSAL" and the triumphal ceremonies
partake of an exceedingly interesting char
acter, more Importance attaching to the
Christmas festivities than on any other day
in the Romish calendar.
At the Cathedral the day was ushered in
by the celebration of mass and holy COM
munion at and o'clock yesterday morn
ing, each service being attended by large
number of COMMITMENTS.
At 1880 o'clock grand holy mass was cell
ebtated; being conducted by large number
of the clergy, the officiating members being
brant; Very Rev. A. Raveau, priest of hon.
or; Rev. Father McMullen, deacon; Rev.
Father O'Reilly, sub-deacon, and Rev. John
Stanley, master of ceremonies.
The interior of the Cathedral was hand
somely decorated and presented an exceed
ingly attractive appearance.
The altar was brilliantly Illuminated with
wax tapers and candelabra and the rich para
phernalia within the chancel rail was made
resplendelt by the glow Of mammoth star
which hung suspended directly over the
m ain altar, tho effect being heightened by an
arrangement of flowers about the altar
around and above which assembled clouds of
fragrant incense.
The affairs of St. Joseph and the Blessed
Virgin, on either side of the main altar, were
also brilliantly lit up with candles and can
delabra. The organ loft and gallery rails
near the altar were festooned with evergreen,
stringer of which was suspended across the
church, having an inwrought star of the same
material hanging from the center.
The music was particularly fine, consist
ing of Lodges grand mass which was sung
by full choir, the "gloria in excelsis'' be-
ing rendered, with usual expression and
impressiveness.
At IL o'clock an eloquent sermon was
preached by the Rev. Father Stanley, who
spake on the nativity of Christ, basing his
discourse on the epistle of st. Paul to the
Hebrews, first chapter.
The reverend speaker said: On this beau
tiful Christmas morning let US 60 over to
Bethlehem and view for while the work
that has come to pass. 1t is the anniversary
Of the birth of the child, Christ, whose ad-
vent is celebrated to-day over the entire
globe. The question may be asked why is
the birth of the child Christ observed by all
Christiandom to-day. The explanation is cas-
lily discerned. The coming of the child
which first saw the light in Bethlehem, had
been told centuries before his advent.
The child was destined to be the redeemer
of fallen humanity. We read in Luke that
the angels rejoiced in heaven at the birth of
the child, and the shepherds who watched
their flocks by night we're visited by celes-
tial messenger who told where the child
could be discovered in the words: "You shall
find the child wrapped in swaddling clothes
and lying in manger." We are glad to re-
mind ourselves of His poverty, want and
sufferings.
1t is a pleasing fact for the church to pom
der upon that his divinity was established in
the manager at Bethlehem and that the glory
of life was born in suffering and wretched-
ness. He thus united and established his
identy with the human and divine. The
child born on this day was the only begotton
aon of God, and by his twofold character he
suffered and atoned for the sins of man.
The divinity of the child, as the son of
God, was heralded to mankind by exultant
stars, and He himself affirmed His own d.
vinity. He permitted Himself to be adored
by the wise men of the East, and later He
owned Himself the Son of God by permit
ting one of His disciples to address Him as
Chou art the son of God.'' There have
been leaders Of thought in the world who
have promulgated. a special mission, but He
alone laid claim to the honor of divinity, and
proved by His acts tho divinity that was in
Him.
If Christ were really God, he must be
able to do things above his own nature, to
have superhuman control of other than
the material forces about him, and law itself
must be subject to his will. No higher
truth of his divinity can be given than his
power to perform miracles. Christ, in proof
of his divine nature, wrought the most stu
pendous miracles, as shown by the gospel
book not made by man, and which alone
made felt the sublimity and immensity of
God. 1t is here shown that he walked on
the waters, commanded the elements, gave
speech to the dumb, sight to the blind, and
at his touch the dead became instinct with
life. He commanded Lazarus to live, and
he arose from the tomb embued with life.
The apostle John bears evidence that even
his enemies attested to the truth of the
miracles wrought by Christ.
He has perpetuated his want and divinity
by far more stupenduous miracle than
raising of the dead. The seed sown by Him,
the founder of the church, has grown in the
great Catholic religion and his word has been
fulfilled, while the church must fnlfl her
mission until the end of time. She is de-
voted to the work of saving fallen man, in
the fultilment of which she porpetuates the
divinity handed down to her.
History recordsthe overthrow of monarchies
and human rulers are forever devising new
plans to perpetuate their dynasties, but there
is one dynasty that the ingenuity of demons
cannot overthrow, the church of Jesus Christ.
The speaker made On eloquent appeal for the
necessity of higher standard of personal
gravity and morality, closing with an earnest
exhortationa flor the abandonment of sin and
and more perfect obedience to the duties
imposed by their religion.
At st. PauPs Church.
The services at st. Paul's Episcopal church