The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1888-12-21
Christmas Thoughts.


The 25lh day of December first appeared
in the Church's Calendar of Festivals, as the
anniversary of Christ's birth, In the year 354,
A. ID. About this time ST. Cyril of Jerusa-
lem succeeded in obtaining from Pope Julian
LIST an order for ascerlaining, If possible, the
exact day of Chrs,'s Nativity. The great
theologians Of the time set TO work and they
established the day which now prevails.
Though this date is now universally accept
ed, at first there was diversity of practice. In
Egypt April Goth and May Goth were observ
ed. In Palestine and the East generally, the
9TH of January was kept while in the West
ern Church the present day was observed
About the first part of the fifth century, how
ever, the East accepted the Western feast
day, and it became universal.
The outline of the reasons for supposing
the 25th oil December TO be the true date is
this:
Most probably Zachariss took the place
of the High Priest upon the great
day olatonemeDt, which fell that year on
September 23d. 1t was while he was offlci-
rrirg AS High Priest, within The veil, that he
was informed by the message of an angel that
lie should have son. This would place the
bir,b of 81. J i'm BaEt st On J1ne Gath. AS
he was six months older than our Lord, who
was his cousin after the flesh, it places the
Nativity Of Christ upon December the 25th.
This is the one great anniversary, the one
Birthday. that belongs 10 the whole world
Peoples aad nations have their own especial
days .! glad or solemn remembrance their
own heroes whose birth and lives they proud
ly recall to mind as the changing year brings
again the days made memorable by great
deeds but this one day of all the year is the
whole worlds festival, the birthday of One
who came, not to single nation only, not to
single tribe or race, but to all nations and
kipdreds and tongues, 10 teach, 10 guide to
deliver them, and whose coming, TO which
the whole world had looked forward, is the
central event in history to which The whole
world looks back-the beginning of all that
to-day is most precious in knowledge, 10
thought, in culture, in faith and hope and
love
sion and in cottage, throughout this broad
land and wherever the name of Him who
was born on this day has been carried,
young and old, rich ADD poor, have been look
ing forward and making ready for Christmas,
the day when the whole world, in form and
spirit however varied and diverse brings its
loving tribute to the humble manger at Beth
lehem.
We live it is said, in an age of doubt I; but
where are our doubts on Christmas Day
,'Behold, | bring you good tidings of great
JOY, which shall be to all people For unto
you is born this day in the city of David
saviour, which is Christ the Lord" This is
the angels message to the watching shep-
herds, who hnsenel to see and adore the
wondrous Babe AS the Mag of old brought
their gold and frankincense and myrrh TO
lay at His feet, so now, not only the poor
and lowly, but the wisdom and wealth ofthe
world bow down in thankful acknowledge
ment of this, Gods unspeakable Gift.
Let us try to recall the man-Christ Jesus
as lie Appeared to those about Him, nearly
nineteen centuries ago. The son Of a modest
Jewish maiden married to an humble car
pener. Born in poverty, reared in obscurity |
at one of the poorest villages of Judea, there
is nothing in what we know of His early
life, except Il prccCcious interest in the teach
ings of the Rabbis aud In the services of the |
Temple, to indicate unusual gifts or aspira-
tions. This we see from the question of His |
neighbors, when suddenly at the age of thirty
years, He emerged from obscurity and as
sumed the character ofan authoritative teach
er. whence hath this Man knowledge p; is
not this the carpenters son ?" they ask. Men |
looked on Him at first as mad, and yet such |
was the vitality OF the religion He proclaimed |
that it took root and spread abroad, not in Ju-
dea only, but wherever it was carried, and rev.
olutionized the whole life and history of the |
world. Unlike other teachers who, before or
since, obtained influence over men, He dis.
cards all the motives that others have found |
most potent, and insists that his followers
shall cast aside every earthly impulse, every
merely human motive, and accept as the con-
trolling force of their lives the law of love
and sef.sacrfice, True, He promises rest
and peace, but not in such earthly sense as
that men would eagerly grasp it. lie warned
them of sufferiugs md trials.
Let us take what view we will of Christ ;
let us regard Him ms a simply human teacher
aud The marvel remairs nay, becomes great.
err But is it not more than this? Does not
The enthusiasm OF the days celebration tes,i-
~ something .dcep down in the worlds
heart that speaks ola joy and hope beyond
The power OF any human teacher TO bestow
Whence lines the happiness of Christmas
tue which makes it the crown of all 1.-The year,
lit be net that the song of lac angels re-
sounding through the ages, still echoes across
the earth, ana that the Star which the wise
men saw in the East, still leads all willing
hearts, as it led them of old, to the place
where the young Child lay?
1t was the Shepherds not the wise men. IN
whom the angels appeared, and it was they
who came first to Bethlehem After them
came the Magi with their gifts. And so it
has been ever since. 30 all mankind" was
the glad lidings, but the poor and humble
were chpscn to receive it first and to them
before all others, does Christmas Day still
bring It's mtssage Of peace and love. Let US
not be ashamed TO kneel with the shepherds
at the manger let us not fail to bring our
gifts with the kings. The sacrifices we can
make for Gods little ones are the gifts we
may bring to Him; the humble spirit with
which we listen 10 the heavenly message is
the alteration we all may offer to the Babe of
Bethlehem. 1t is amessage of peace and
goodwill, OF love and self.sacrfce and as
we listen to it, and heed it, and as our hearts
respond to the angels song, so shall the day
he n porh and oil of, a., , NIn,.,,