Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-12-25
The Christmas Season.

est and noblest religious system that
time has known. Whether the Christ
mas be white or green. whether its
skies be blue or clouded. the day
brings rejoicing through all the world.
50 it has been while centuries have
come and gone, and while mankind
dwells upon the earth the star of
Eethlehcm will guide the feet of Faith
and the voice Of the Christmas angels.
proclaiming glory to God. peace on
earth and good will to men. will find
an echo in every d"vout heart.
It makes it'll" difference in the
spirit or significance of III" Christina :
,cl"bra ion that December -, is not. in
all probability the precise anniversary
# tn" event commemoratcd. 1t is the
Nativity which the christian world
celebrates. not December -. Easter
Joe; NOT los, anything in its associa
tiun from its variahl"n"sS in different
wears THAT tn" brit of Christ did not
certain from tn. fact that this is the
height uf tn" rain! season in Jutl'i
Nh"n neither iiocks nor shepherds
could h.tv" been at night in tn" fields
ii H",hi"hcm. From certain refer
rnr.s an argument has been made 4"
show that it occurred in oct 'i"r. Il
vaS not until th, 9Th century that
Enrtmb.r = WAS We'll agreed upon aS
'he day tn be celebrated as tho ami
,.,av hav, been the influ"nr" nt some
tradition. hui it is far NOR, likely
that III" dat" Was selected il The drSir"
to ..uplant the h"athcn revcls Of that
season: known III the Roman world
rs the festival Of The god Saturn. or
the Saturnalia This Saturnalia which
was :, week of untold excess"N and de-
;iaucher:. was probably a survival of
the older celebration of thu winter
s,lstice observed in all parts of the
ancient world. But instead of making
our Christmas less precious to US il
should make it dearer and more
significant that it not only COM
memorates the birth "f Christ. but
also has supplanted throughout the
civilized world the rites and revels of
the great heather festival Of ancient
times.
The world was ripe for a new
civilization and a new religion when
Christ was born. \ step in advance
was inevitable rs soon as a leader with
authority presented himself. The Es-
senes. a sect of the Jews. lived and
worshiped in simplicity never sur
passed. living aside from the cold
fanaticism generally prevalent. They
extracted from the Jewish Scriptures
principles 50 similar to those an
nounced by Christ as to be startling.
and they applied them to their daily
lives and to their fellow men with a
fidelity rare il any age or among any
people. Though few in number, they
represented a spirit which was widely
diffused in many countries.
Greece had outgrown its mythology.
and it's great philosophers had already
.rcped for trucr sense of religion.
Kornc. by deifying men while still
alive. had destroyed whatever faith re-
ma med in the ancient gods. People
we're pining for "A more credibl. con-
prevailed. This sentiment was
specially intense among the common
people rather than among the wealthy.
The latter naturally leaned to the ex-
isting powers and it was the interest
Of the powers to maintain established
forms. whether religious OF otherwise.
The humble birth Of Christ appealed.
therefore. to the common people rather
tnap to the wealthy and influential. 1t
vas easy FOR the former to understand
that 4 Saviour could be born even i'm a
stable. but not 80 easy for the great
To credit such miracle.
The surroundings appear to have
beer providcntially arranged to catch
,hc hearts Of the masses. and this be-
ginning of the simple story Of Christ.
wher it had filtered through the minds
ot the people must have eXerted pow
e:ful influence in multiplying CONVEX is.
There We're numerous prophets in the
vicinity of Jerusalem in those days,
showing the awakened religious con-
sCiousncss Of the people. They some
times mixed politics largely with relig-
ion. and for this reason n number of
them We're executed by the Roman au-
thori'ies. They, doubtless, paved the
way for the new revelation. 1t is I'M
tol tunatc that nothing is known either
or the infancy or early manhood of the
saviour. Books We're written at the
tine descriptive Of parts of His ordi-
nary career. but they were of such a
Geu'tfui character that the church
wisely rejected them. The flight into