Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-01-03
Calnase
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank d. Witt Talmase. d. d.


sermon tender memories OF long past
Chrlstmases are recalled and the uni
verssl theme receives a new and bril-
liant setting, The text is Luke Il, 10.
But Mary kept all these things and
pondered them I'm her heart"
The life of Mary. the Virgin. up to the
period OF the angels visit had proba-
bly, been that OF the ordinary Jewish
girl. In her quiet, uneventful exist
ence there had suddenly come long
succession OF wonderful manifestations.
One great event came treading upon
the heels of another great event until
there seemed to be Il great army OF
them. Why she should be singled out
from all the rest Of the human race as
the chosen one of God she could not
understand. She was only n pure,
young. immature maiden. After these
manifestations came TO her she could
not fully appreciate their meaning
But she stored them away in her men,
DRY. She treasured them up. Other
people may have heard the story OF
that weary journey from Nazareth to
Bethlehem, of the crowded inn and the
birth in the stable, and, after word
or two of pity for the young mother,
would dismiss the story from their
minds. But not so the chief actor in
the scene. Mary never forgot any Of
those scenes which preceded and sue
ceeded the night Jesus was born. The
Bible distinctly affirms this. "But
Mary kept all these things and pom
dered them in her heart"
Now. the older we grow the more
our present Christmases link them
selves to the Christmases that are
past When our children gather about
the Christmas tree to get their toys
we think of the time when, with our
fathers and mothers and brothers and
sisters, we as children gathered about
the Christmas tree of the old home
stead. Thus i would have you Join
me in walk through the corridors of
the past and talk about the events Of
many Christmases that are gone as we
try to follow Mary, the mother of
Jesus. when as an old or middle aged
woman she lived over the wonderful
events which preceded and succeeded
the most important OF all Christmases,
when Jesus as little child lay In the
manger Of Bethlehem OF Judea.
With aching hands and bleeding feet
We dig and heap. lay stone on stone;
We bear the burden and the heat
OF the long day and wish 'twere done
Not TIL the hours OF light return
All we have built do we discern.
When Mary as a middle aged woman
wandered through the sacred halls of
memory and pondered over the Incl
dents which preceded the holiest of
Chrlstmases the first event crowding
upon her mind and heart must have
been the visitation OF the angel Ga
briei. who announced to her that she
was 10 be the mother of the Son of
God. She must again and again have
recalled how he looked. She must
again and again have lived over that
wonderful time when her own inno-
cence and purity We're amazed and
overwhelmed at the Significance of his
message. She knew that she was pure
IN body and in spirit, yet the strange
and marvellous statement was made
that she. virgin, was selected from
all women TO become the mother OF
the coming Messiah. oh, was there
ever news more momentous? Was
there ever fact more overwhelming?
The Angels Visit.
Have you ever tried TO picture this
angelic visitation; The more have
thought upon this scene the more real
istic ID has become to me. In the first
place, have always pictured Mary an
orphan Her father and mother are
dead. Her brothers and sisters are
scattered. She is about seventeen
years OF age. She has sweet, pure
face. ! do not believe even the in
spired genius of a Raphael or a MuriI-
10 or Botticelll or a Correggio has
half portrayed the purity and goodness
or her countenance. Then have
thought she had Il great wealth of
black hair and great black eyes. She
was at that age when the stranger
could not tell whether she was a
schoolgirl or young woman. She was
at what Is called the doubtful age of
womanhood.
Her work OF the day is finished. The
supper is finished. The dishes are all
washed and put away She goes to
her room and shuts the door and is
alone. Then picture her thinking
over her past life. She thinks of her
mother and father and wonders how
her little brother is getting along. AS
she thinks of the broken home of her
childhood she is sebbing as though her
heart would break. Suddenly she looks
up. There stands before her a beauti-
fui faced angel His garments are of
spotless white. He seems to be a man.
and yet she knows that he is II celestial
Visltor. Her great eyes widen in won
derment. Her lips part as though to
speak, but she utters not q word.
Ihere In the silence of the room she
drops upon her knees and says: "Mas-
ter, what is 1t? Hast thou news from
my dear ones in the other world ~
Then think the angel reaches forth
his hand and touches her and saws:
"Yes, Mary. My news is from the
other world. 1 bring to thee no mes.
sage from the dear ones who are gone
bring TO thee n message about the
one, the divine one, who is to cal
thee mother. The Messiah is soon tc
be born OF thee. The Son of God ia Il
be thy child, and thou shalt cali hi,
name Jesus. and he shall reign owe,
the house OF Jacob forever, and OF his
Kingdom there shall be no end" Can.
not you see her breast heave? Can
You not see her cheeks pale with emo
ton and then flush? Do you think
Mary could ever look back upon the
scenes of that first Christmas day
without picturing the scene where the