The record-union., 1897-12-19
The BABE OF BETHLEHEM.
(Written for the Record Union by Mon
signor t. j. Capel)
THE GOLDMAN.

III lHUSe DAYS there went out decree
from Caesar Augustus, that the whole
world should be enrolled. And all Went
to be enrolled, every one to his own
city; and Joseph also went up out of the
city of Nazareth into the city of David
which is called Bethlehem; because he
was of the house and family of David
to be enrolled with Mary, his espoused
wife, who was with child. And it came
TO pass that when they were there, tbs
days We're accomplished that she should
be delivered. And she brought forth
her first-born Son and wrapped Him
up in swaddling clothes, and laid Him
in manger, because there was nc
room for him in the inn
| In these brief words is told the birth
| OF God the Son in human flesh TC
| understand in part, for the human mind
can never fully comprehend the inef-
fable mystery of the Incarnation, the
central and fundamental truth of the
| faith and hope of the Christian heart
1t is necessary to remember that the
| person and life of the newborn child
began In the moment Of its conception
in the chaste womb of the Virgin Mary
| The Angel Gabriel was sent by God
TO a Virgin espoused to man whose
name was Joseph of the house of Da-
vid; and the name of the Virgin was
Mary" Having allayed the fear con-
! sequent on his visit. and having an
sWered the prudent inquiry of this
blessed among women" the heavenly
messenger announced Behold. thou
shalt conceive in thy womb. and shalt
| bring forth a Son; and thou shalt call
Ghost shall come upon thee, and the
power of the Most High shall over
SHADOW thee. And therefore also the
Holy One which shall be born of thee
shall be called the Son of God" When
Mary was thus assured that the mys-
| terry was to be accomplished by the
operation of the Holy Ghost. without
detrlment to her virginal chastity. she
gives her consent: Behold. the hand
maid of the Lord; be it done to me ac-
| cordlng to thy word" independent
| testimony to this miraculous cOncep-
| tlon is given few months later. when
Mary was found with child of the Holy
Ghost, Joseph, knowing naught of the
wonder wrought in his espoused wife
| was minded to put her away privately
an angel declared to him in sleep: 10
seph, son of David. fear not to take
| unto thee Mary thy wife, for that
which is conceived in her is of the Holy
Ghost. And she shall bring forth a
Son, and thou shalt call His name Je-
sus; for He shall save his people from
| their sins
In the moment of conception by the
operation of the Third Person of the
Blessed Trinity without the interven-
| ton OF man, there was formed of the
! blood of Mary in her chaste womb a
| body descending, as was eternally de-
| creed of the seed of Abraham, of the
| tribe of Juda, and of the race of Da-
vid
| In the very instant of conception
there was infused into the miraculously
formed body a perfect rational human
soul created by God Thus was com
pleted the manhood of Christine COM
pound Of human soul and of human
| body.
! This perfect human nature of man
| had not the support of its own human
personality. For at one and the same
moment of conception the blood, the
flesh, the soul, all in a word that be-
longs essentially to man, were severally
united to the Divine Nature in the Per
| son of the Son of God So that the
Sacred Humanity of Christ gloriously
deprived of it's human personality sub
sisted in the personality of the Second
| Person of the adorable Trinity.
| The Divine Word made flesh is there
fore one person in two natures, that OF
the Godhead, that of the Manhood.
These natures were neither commingled
| nor confused, each remained distinct
with it's own properties, but forever
inseparable in the Son of God. Hence
| forth and through ages Of ages He
| is to be adored by the angelic host and
by mankind as the Goldman. OF His
| Divine Person we may predicate the
attributes of God and the attributes Of
man. His actions, whether done by
one nature, or by the other, or by
| both combined, are done by the Son
of God. From the conception till the
birth in Bethlehem, Mary was the
tabernacle of the Living God. In her
was Christ, and Christ is God The
yet unborn child of Mary is the Son
of God. And she is truly and really
the Mother Of God Not that she begot
the Divine Nature of Christ,
but because that Divine Ma
ture was united in the very
moment Of conception to the human
nature in the Person of the Son of
God. This prerogative of the Blessed
Virgin was declared by the General
Council of the Church at Ephesus four
teen and a half centuries ago to safe
guard the doctrine that in Jesus Christ
there are two natures, but one Divine
ic Af1i4l.
God has ever since been the test of the
orthodox belief in the Incarnation.
Let US, bearing we'll in mind what
has been said. enter the cave of
Bethlehem The Babe in swaddling
clothes lying in the manger is Christ
the Lord He is the only begotten Son
of God of the substance of His Father
| begotten before all ages He is the
man of the substance of His Mother
born in the fullness of time He is the
Christ who being in the form of God.
| thought it not robbery to be equal to
God, but debased Himself. taking the
form of a servant. being made to the
likeness of men and in fashion found
as man." Come. let us adore. For.
| in the words of the Evangelical
| Prophet: "A Child is born to us: and
| Son is given to us; and the Govern
ment is on His shoulder; and His name
shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,
God the Mighty, the Father of the
world to come, the Prince of Peace. .
1t is He at whose baptism and a second
time at the TRANSPORTATION God the
| Father by a voice from heaven de-
clared; This is my we'll beloved Son. y
1t is who proclaimed to the Jews: Il
! ana the Father are one: and again