The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-26

has been Obliged to cOndemn-that So
called modernism In religion which CON
tradicts the divinely-revealed truths which
the Savior born in Bethlehem pfomul-
gated to the world? What is their mean
ing but that those who hold them know
not Christ. Modern thought, In so far as
it Ignores the living God and the divine
personality of Jesus Christ. in so far as il
denies the Inspiration Of the Bible, the
divine institution of the church, the eff
ticacy OF the sacraments and the unchang-
ing truth of the doctrines OF the church,
is a Reputation of Christ. Such thought,
such progress, knows Him not.
And shall We join the ranks Of those
who ia the name OF modern progress would
undo the work of ages, and uproot from
the hearts of men the love and reverence
which the sublime teachings Of Christ in
spire and embrace as the highest product
of human genius and human wisdom. those
principles which ignore both God and His
Son, Christ? What does the Holy Father
proclaim to the world in his ~encyelical let
ter other than the creed professed by the
Christian church from its very foundation?
God is neither the unknown nor the
unknowable. This world was created by
Him. His providence still governs 1t.
Christ is God incarnate, divine and human.
perfect God and perfect man. Coming on
earth to redeem, to teach. to save man
kind, He proved His divine message by
His miracles, by His resurrection from the
dead. He folnded His church and gave
her His own authority. He is with her in
her teaching to preserve her from error.
He instituted all the sacraments and gave
them their divine efficacy. As the truth
of God is Interchangeable, so likewise are
the dogmas IF the church-they are but the
outward expression of that truth. Reli-
gion linking man with God is based upon
objective realities-God and Christ.
To-day we commemorate the first act
in the great drama of which the divine
Child is the central figure. He is born
into the world which He came to redeem
and save, and all who love Him and wor-
ship Him. who believe that they are some
thing higher and nobler than the beasts
Of the fields or mere matter, who CHERISH
the hope and seek the grace that
descendS from heaven, are invited to
rally round the banner planted by
Pi.s x on the fortress of the lily
proclaim their allegiance TO that Christ
and by fervent acts of faith and hope and
love, so to prepare their hearts that the
divine Babe of Bethlehem may be born
therein. He comes today to us in poverty,
lowliness and suffering. one drop of His
blood. one prayer, one sigh, from His
Sacred Heart, one act of humiliation,
would nave been more than enough to
redeem numberless worlds. But by n mir
acle OF His love He has given US all-all
His blood, all His life.
What gratitude shall we show Him for
a benefit so great as that which today
brings to us? st. Paul, writing TO Titus,
says: The grace of God our Savior hath
appeared to all men, instructing us and
denying un-Godliness and worldly desires;
we should live soberly, justly and piously
IN THIS MOrId, WOrklnR Tor the blessed nope
and the coming of the glory of the great
God and of our Savior, Jesus Christ
Here three beautiful virtues are sug-
gested to us for our practise as a sign Of
gratitude for so great a benefit. The first
concerns ourselves, the second our neigh
bors, the third God. With reference to
ourselves we should practise Christian So
briefly; that is, we should rid ourselves Of
excessive attachment to creatures, TO
pleasures, TO. riches, to the delights of
this deeeitful world, looking steadily. to
Gnd nnF lFFnlfnr 1tJp pnAnnUanf Al last
end, and so regulate all our actions that
they may be In perfect conformity with
Gods holy law.
Toward our neighbor we should be
just, doing him no injury in his property,
his reputation, his life, treating him with
hrotherly affection, showing compassion
necessities, forgiving from the heart all
injuries as God has pardoned all our Of
lenses, and though We are enemies aud
sinners, yet He so loved us as to send
His only begotten Son to satisfy our
debts.
Regarding God. we should live piously.
ANA TINS implies that we recognize that 1t
is 10 Him. TO His liberality and clemency,
we owe life, our faculties, our possessions,
all the gifts of Nature and Of grace; that
we often think of Him just as we are His
special care every moment of our life. And
that We give TO Him the service. the rev
erence. the worship que to Him as the
supreme and absolute Lord of the Uni
verse.
II VI INT I1DutIl MOiil are Gbilktlll
TO look TO this earth as their origin, to see
in the brute beast their first progenitor
and to glory in such ancestry. and to live
lives worthy OF such a belief, of the earth
earthly. sunk in s%ensuality and vice, Mt
least We cling TO the faith that centres
around the Babe of Bethlehem; viii recog-
nize our dignity and look to heaven which
gave us existence and life. to Him who
made lis by His grace partaken Of the
divlne nature: at least we, by the grace OF
the Redeemer purified from the ~vileness
of sin, will never forget who it is that has
made us members of His mystical body,
has freed us from the powers of darkness
and transferred US unto the light of the
Kingdom of God. has rescued us from the
slavery of Satan by paying with His d.
vine blood the price of our redemption.
THUS only can we realize the full i'm
port OF the words OF the gospel; Behold, /
bring to you good tidings OF great joy, tor
today Is born to you a Savior who is
Christ tho Lord Thus only may we prove
our gratitude TO the God who became In
carnate for love OF us and merit from the
newly born Child a share of that peace
which the angel announced on that holy
night to men OF good will as n pledge and
a foretaste of the peace and Happiness OF
heaven"
Bishop o'Connor OBLIGATED at pontlfcai
vespers in the Cathedral at $3.50 o'clock.
Father Whclan was arcnpriest. Father
Kiernan deacon and Father Brennan sub
deacon. and the Rev. Thomas A. Wallace
eA1lA u A&tAiDtt1EH IL oil ilNA
quartet sang 80 Salutsris" and the sane
tuary choir of boys all the other vesper
hymns.
The Right Rev. Abbot Hilary. d. D., o.
S. b., though very feeble, pontincated
at two high masses, one at 5 o'clock.
the other at ID o'clock. in st. Mary's
Church. at High and William streets, yes
to-day morning. Father Polycarp. o. s.
b., subprior OF st, Mary's Abbey and
rector of the church, was archpriest. The
deacons OF honor were the Very Rev. Prior
Ernst. o. S. B.. and Father Maurus, O..
s. Is. Father Henry. o. s.. b.. was dea-
con and Father Edward, o. S. b.. sub
deacon of the mass. Father Benedict. O..
S. 3D., was master of ceremonies. Father
Polycarp preached the sermon at the last
mass. Abbot Hilary gave his blessing to
the people.
At 3 o'clock In The afternoon there was
pontitical vespers and benedietion 'os the
blessed sacrament, Abbot Hilary oflciat-
ed. He was assisted by the priests who
assisted him Mt the two pontidcal masses.
Just before tho benedlction be blessed the
people, Tho grand altar and the sanctu-
ary were brilliantly illuminated by more
than 200 electric lights. Just before the
blessed sacrament was exposed dozens of
electric lights on the altar flashed out.
Then the gold and white vestments of
the abbot and the priests and the new
and beautiful decorations in the sanctuary
and on each side of and above the taber-