The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-26
MASSES AT ST. PETERS
OVER THREE HUNDRED WENT
 FORWARD FOR COMMUNION.
High Mass Was Celebrated Yesterday at lO,3O, at Which Sermon Was Preached by Fath-
 CT Eaton.

CT Eaton.
 The many masses celebrated at St. Peters Church yesterday were attend ed by large and earnest congregations
 Rev. Father Savage offciated at the o'clock service, at which the Sanc- tuary Boys Society sang as process sional and recessional the sublime "adeste." This feature was an at- tractive and devotional one, rendered more so by the charming contrast fur nished by the red soutanes and sur plices with the tasteful decorations of the altars.
 Over 300 men and women ap- preached the Sacraments of Confession and Communion the energies of three priests being severely taxed in their efforts to minister to the demands of the people in this respect. Compli- ments and good wishes were extended to the faithful at all the masses. and after the last mass separate receptions were rendered to the choir and the altar boys.
 The 10:3o mass as a high mass and was followed by benediction. Father Eaton was the celebrant and preached. His text was. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will" (St. Luke ii.14.)
 To-day. my brethren. we honor the festival of the nativity, a feast that keeps alive the memory of the coming of tour Savicr and Redeemer Jesus Christ. Nineteen hundred years ago in a humble cave of Bethlehem was born to us the man-God who was ex- pected by the Jews and Gentiles and whose coming marked an era in the of the world. The promise of a Redeemer was. not confined to the period immediately preceding the birth of Christ. Coeval with the fall of man it first saw light in Paradise. Because thou hast done this said the Lord to the tempter after the sin of our first parents, I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush | thy head and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel This was the promise of one to come, of one porn of woman. who should repair the evil caused by sin and destroy the power of hell. It was this promise that was renewed two thousand years later to faithful Abraham by the same good God. when He declared to him that the Messiah should be one of his descendants and that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed, and 1t was this promise that inspired the ancient prophets, being the one bright ray to Gods creation when all around was dark and cold. The prophets had fore told with startling vividness the time and circumstances of the coming of the Savior, and the Jews, who had not lost the knowledge of the true and liv- ing God cherished this hope to fallen man preserving under a merciful Prov idenoe. with jealous care the priceless treasure of redemption. With lapse | of time the prophecies became more | clear. until it was declared that He. Who was to come should be born in Bethlehem of a virgin of the royal | house of David. Behold a virgin shall | be called Emmanuel-God with us.' These were to be the immediate cir cumstances of the birth of Gods Di- | vine Son, and that the time of which | we speak was the allotted one of Heaven Is shown by che fact that the | prophecies were being fulfilled. The seventy weeks of years foretold by Daniel were nearing their completion: the Temple was still standing, and the Jews had lost their independence while the corruption of the nations | demanded of necessity a revelation to save them from destruction Men
 had wandered far from God, and there
 fore sounded in succession every depth
 Of human misery and degradation. The state absorbed their energies but that vast assimilation could give no sooth- | ing balm to tortured souls. Restless and dissatisfied they furnished matter for the eaustic criticism of many g.
 self-deluded satirist, while from the chaos of doomed philosophy un-
 bridled passions and corrupted morals arose cry that found an echo in the great heart of God Eternal and Omnip- | otent-thes anguished cry for mercy. The time was ripe indeed when forth from Rome-imperial, mighty Rome | went forth the edict of a vanity-lovjng
 emperor. Rome was everywhere. State and empire fell before her
 mighty captains and victorious legions.
 Naughty Juda bent the knee, as well as conquered Carthage, and even OCT
 the entrance to Gods own Temple the
 Roman eagle perched in silent mock
 cry. Proud of his vast dominions Au-
 gustus loved display, and wished for
 a new enrolment of his subjects
 Each to his own ancestral home the | Roman subjects thronged with varied 1 feelings, and many a little place be- | came at such time a scene of throng 1 and bustle. Such was Bethlehem the
 least among the townsA of Juda. but
 whose fame the ages were to sing. To
 Bethlehem did Joseph and Mary, in | the designs of an all-wise Providence. I
 days they travelled through the cold and perilous regions of the Galileans.
 ignored among the rich processions ana gaudy caravans of more l prosperous companions. At last the little town is sighted and it's streets are thronged with eager foot steps, but the Holy Joseph and his | virgin spouse excite no comment or no interest. o Bethlehem, hadst thou but known! Bethlehem, pearl of Juda, precious jewel, beloved of God | from His lofty throne of glory. If ia of thee that a prophet has said ::
 Thou art least among the towns of Juda: and yet from thee He shall spring who Is to reign over Israel" Vert thou Eut conscious of the great | event that was to happen. thou wouldst not have repulsed the Holy Family from thy inns and crowded | houses! The pleading voice of Joseph was repeatedly met with cruel taunt. until at last footsore. weary anu sor. rowing he sought with patient Mary l the shelter of kindly cave, and here | in the cold and silence of a winters night, with no luxury save the breath of sympathetic animals his bed a manager where the oxen fed his pallet broken straw, his princelv raj ment swaddling clothes, was born tha Great Redeemer. the King of Kings who to save us assumed and glorified our nature. The word was made flesh and dwelt among us." History tells us that when men. lost in wonder at inc profound peace the world rcioiced in