The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-12-24
them, that intended to destroy the
faith itself, and whose authors vainly
thought they had succeeded.
Like Bethlehem of Old,

thought they had succeeded.
Like Bethlehem of Old.
But the faith survived in Ireland
and Christmas in It's essence survived
with it. The laws of the prosecutor
aimed at the destruction of all things
Catholic; but it singled out for spe-
cial prescription the Holy Sacrifice Of
the Mass. The Catholic religion was
for the time banished, outlawed. The
&C! ration Of the Mass was especially
per allied. For 276 years the Mass
~'as prescribed, and yet the Mass new
er ceased to be offered. The people re-
tired to the hillsides, to the glens, and
To underground caverns and there Oft
en- before the dawn assembled around
the altar whereon the Holy Sacrifice
of the Mass was offered.
In those years the Christmas Mid
night Mass was, therefore, the great
central observance; and it remains so
today in Ireland as it does not in any
other country. Some readers may re-
member the picture which Carleton
in his "Wiiiy Reilly" draws of a Mass
in the penal days celebrated in an un-
derground cavern. How could a
Christmas come nearer to the literal
repetition OF Bethlehem than Mid.
night Mass in Ireland under such
conditions? The central fact Of
Christmas is the presence of God the
Saviour in the flesh. Here the peo-
pie had Him present upon the altar.
1t was to cavern in the rock that
the Blessed Mother and Joseph re-
tired, because there was no room
for them in the inn." Here the Cath
olic people retired because they were
hunted from the towns and even from
the face of the earth, but they had
the Saviour present with them all,
visible to the eyes of faith. The
shepherds did not see the God-head,
but believed the word that was given
them from heaven and adored Him
present on the altar.
It is not strange, therefore, that in
Ireland the early Mass on Christmas
day is the great central fact Of the
celebration. Three hundred years
during which 1t was their only con-
ISOLATION have trained the people to
this. In the country districts it Is
now celebrated, not Mt midnight, but
in the very early morning. But to
the young, especially In this northern
latitude, 5 o'clock on the 25th Of De.
cember is equivalent to midnight.
Lighting Of the Christmas Candle.
: Another Catholic observance of 3
very spiritual nature survived In Ire.
land and seem to be distinctly Irish.
This is the lighting Of the Christmas
candle, a custom which l have not
found in other countries and which
il seems was handed down through
the long and dark night of perse-
ii.
Christmas eve a large decorated can
die is lighted in honor Of the Infant
Jesus who came as Saviour at mid
night. The candle represents Him
the "Light Of the World" or 1t re-
minds the household Of the star that
calls the wise men to adore Him. 1t
is kept burning throughout the night
and at midnight the whole family
gather around it, say the rosary or
other prayers and adore the Infant
Saviour the Light Of the World, who
at this hour was born Of the Virgin
en- the first Christmas.
or course there are other customs
less spiritual. / intend to speak only
Of those that are peculiarly Irish. I
have in mind rural Ireland only. In
the cities (and the cities of Ireland
are very few modern Christmas Gus
toms are, just as in America and 9TH
er countries, all to great extent
things of pure convention. Those
customs in English speaking coun'
tries rather recall what was once
when England was Catholic. They
are not reality any more. They rep
resent Christmas that Is picked out
of modern Christmas literature, a
Christmas that is past and gone, a
Christmas of Yule-logs, wassail, boar
heads and carol singers.
| rk> nh;Ianonh>r Ro,orke