The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-26
MASSES AT ST. PETERS
SERMON BY FATHER o'1RIIN ON
 BIRTH or CHRIST.
Letters Read from Father savage. Who is in Rome Tslling of Pope's Health-Largs Con-
 gregations Present.

Four masses were held at St. Peters Roman Catholic Church on South Law renee Street yesterday morning in ceie- bration of the birth of Christ and each mass was attended by large congrega- tions.
 Notwithstanding the chilly atmosphere of the early morning a very large con gregation was present at the first mass at $ o'clock. The Hibernians of Montgom- cry attended In a body.
 The early mass was marked by a forci- ble and earnest sermon preached by Rev. | Father Hugh O'Brien, assistant rector of | St. Peters parish. on the significance or the coming of Christ to redeem the world and the vision of the shepherds of Bethle- | hem.
 The second mass was at 6:15 o'clock, | the third mass was at 7:3o o'clock ana | & high mass was celebrated at 10 o'clock. At each of these masses Father OBrten read a letter of Christmas greeting to the congregation from Rev. Father Dem | his Savage, rector of St Peters parish ! who has been travelling in Europe and Is at present in Rome.
 Father O'Brien in beginning his ser mon at the o'clock mass selected as his theme the words to the Snep- herds of Bethlehem: Fear not; behold bring you good udinss of great joy | that shall be unto all the people" Father OBrien pictured those who now | dwell in Jerusalem awaiting the coming | of the Messiah and then spoke of the vision of the Shepherds. the birth of Christ and his appearance in the manager. Concluding his sermon Father OBrten said:
 My dear friends, who can help admir- | ing the wonderful wisdom of God in chos- ing this way of sending His only begotten son amongst men. And who can help low ing that son, as He lies a helpless infant reft of the semblance of Heavens maJes- | ty and of the power that makes the angels full of awe and makes the devils trembie. And what c rich harvest of tender memories would ripen for mankind | from the seed sown in Bethlehem. He would gradually, as it were, make Him. | self known ip His own world He would | lay aside the manifestations of the knowi- | edge that would amaze and the majesty that would awe and the power that would terrify and the beauty that would dazzle. He would hide them all under the simple forms of babyhood and childhood and boyhood and youth.
 '.rhis was Gods plan: and according iy, when the shepherds passed up to Bethlehem they found the infant laid In a manager.
 Such my dear friends, is the spectacle that the church summons you to look upon today-the spectacle of a God-made man in the form of an infant She shall follow every stage of his Divine life, calling on us necessarily to love Him. know Him. adore Him and worship Him, drawing up nearer and nearer to Him that Ills precious Hfe-blood which he Is to give for us may not be shed in vain.
 To-day let us stoop by that lonely crib | In Bethlehem. Let us recall ourselves from the cares and distractions; yes, and | from the sins of our ordinary lives, to this scene that twenty long centuries have | not dimmed-that tho ages of ternity shall not dim-the vision of the child Jesus Let us become children again today and make our hearts young and pure and simple, that our infant God may enter in and bring. in all it's fuliness, those good tidings of great toy. Let us not make this season . time of debauch | and revelry. Such was well enough for the pagans who knew no other God than those of wood and stone. We are Chris uans. followers of Christ Let us come and adore him as the shepherds came, with simple minds and firm faith and hearts and souls to the infant Saviour. And this we cSn do if we have gone through that Baptism of Penance which John, the Baptist. preached to the rernis- sion of sins.
 Then with hearts full of love and souls free. at any rate from mortal sin, we l kneel today before this altar, where, in the reality and the lowliness of his sac- ramental presence, Jesus has made Beth lehem no longer a mere memory of the past, but a living reality, part of every day experience of our Catholic lives.
 Let us come. then. without fear. with the shepherds of Bethlehem. We shall ind Jesus here as truly as the shepherds found Hlm, as surely as we shall find Kim when o.T souls have passed to the glcry of heaven, and. coming like the shepherds, we shall find. as they found not only the child. but His mother and with that loyal devotion to Mary that belongs to Catholic hearts, we shall learn from His Mother and ours, how to love the infant Jesus.
 ''That this same infant Jesus may bring with him to you this day His choicest blessings in great abundance, that you may spend a most peaceful, happy. glad some Christmas, is my earnest prayer for each one of you today
 Especial musical programs were rem dered at each of the masses.
 The letter to Father O'Brien from Fa- ther Savage read at each of the services was dated in Rome. December I.
 Today at 12" wrote Father Savage. | ''I had the great pleasure or again seeing the Pope. There was an immense crowd gathered in the Hall of the Beatifcation-- a pilgrimage from Albano. His Holiness looked splendid and his voice was strong and clear, as he gave the benediction. He appeared to smile and looked pleased when he was cheered again and again both coming and going. His doctor tries to restrain him in giving audiences, but he says he likes 1t and that 1t does him good. And so he gives more audiences than usual and many are astonished at | it .
 T hope you will have this for Christ mas, and beg you to kindly greet all of the congregation for me on that day from the altar. if possible. I shall, deo volente. say three masses in St. Peters and one especial one shall be for St. Peters in Montgomery. and all its interests. After Christmas I shall put out for the front via Genoa. Lourdee Paris, London, Dub lin and Queenstown"
 The health of Father Savage continues good. He ia expected to reach Mont gomery on his return about February l. Cheap Rates via the Atlantic Coast
 Line for Christmas Holidays.
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