The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-12-26
PAULIsTs' FIRST CHRISTMAS.
A Striking Sermon by Rev. E. B.
Brady, o. S. p.

The fortieth anniversary of the dedica-
ton of ST. Mary's Church on California
and Dupont streets took place yesterday.
The church was crowded to the doors, and
in the congregation were some worshipers
who attended the dedication forty years
ago. Very beautiful decorations designed
by Charles Wynne made the venerable in
terror take on holiday sarb. There were
graceful festoOns and wreaths around the
galleries, and masses of flowers and green
leaves upon the al,ars, all arranged in
excellent taste.
A solemn high mass was celebrated at
II o'clock by Rev. Eugene O'Growney. the
MaynoOth professor now visiting this city,
Rev. E. B. Brady was deacon and Rev. Il.
II. Wyman sub-deacOn. Mr.. Thomas
Kelly acted as mas er of ceremonies.
The sermon on Christmas, containing the
idea of Christmas throughout the ages.
was preached by Rev. E. b. Brady o. S.
P. the pastor of St. Mary's.
In his introduction reference was made
to the fact that Christmas, though the most
cherished and hOnored OF Christian re-
ligiOus feastS, is by no means the Oldest
festival. Easter was celebrated centuries
before, because it represented the triumph
of Christ. The fact of the resurrection
was appealed TO by the apostles as all-suT-
ficient proof of the divinity of Christ and
his religion. 1t was only after the Chris
tiaus came through the struggle with the
Roman empire that the festival of Christ
mas was ceie brated universally throughout
the Christian world
The matter OF date corresponds with the
date of the Hebrew calendar, and in the
second century tablets were seen in Rome
containing the Judean census of Joseph
and Mary inscribed thereon.
Through Christmas sermons and hom-
lFas nv nd OH
Of the church handed down TO us through
ages" continued Father Brady, I'VE are
enabled 10 trace back the spirit in which
the Christmas festival was kept from the
present day TO the first half Of the fourth
century"
For illustration the preacher quoted
from the Christmas sermon of st. Angus
tine delivered 400 years ago. Then after
having established the spirit in which
Christmas was kept he male point of tn g
wonderful proof of the unity of thought
and sentiment that has peryaded the
church all the way through, to find Christ
mas sermons addressed TO congregations in
Africa 400 years ago perfectly applicable
TO the present tone Of thought and feeling
in the Catholic church. Some of those
sermons, he said, could be preach d to any
CONGREGATION TODAY without altering a
single word, and they would not seem a
particle out of place.
The particular dispositions which these
great Christian teachers of the bygone
ages insisted upon as essential to the true
Christian celebration OF Christmas were
alteration, JOY, gratitude and love. The
first impulse OF every Christian soul in
presence of the mystery of the incarnation
Is alteration. JOY is manifested as a
feature of the celebration everywhere,
in the church, the world aud in
the home. Christmas bells have
rung out a joyous peal through
out all the centuries; then echoes
have passed along the shores of time and
filled the vast expansive ages. Christmas
has always been the harbinger of Joy TO
all men who have any faith in Jesus
Christ. After all. JOY ought to be Gem
bined with gratitude in every Christian
heart.
LET US observe our Christmas festival
in unison with the faithful OF all times
and places. Let there be alteration be-
fore the altar of God; joy in every Chris
tan heart and Christian home, and love
everywhere"
The Christmas celebration in the other
Catholic churches was similar in every
sense 10 that of the Cathedral, or St. Igpa-
titus, or ST. Mary's, with sublime music
lending Joyous strains to the words of the
mass, aud sanctuaries bedecked with the
seasons flowers ana eVergreeDs