The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-12-27
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that crib, but Child so beautiful,
radiant in the splendor of heavenly
light. Now that He is born there, the
grotto has lost it's gloom, and is be-
come a very Paradise. Let us enter
then, why should we fear?
Jesus is born; He is born for all
alike, for all who care to love Him.
The words of the Canticle of Can
ticles describe Him we'll: Il am the
flower of the field and the lily of the
valley" He calls Himself the lily of
the lowly valley to make us under
stand that just as He was born in a
manner so humble and lowly, so also
the humble and lowly are dear and
welcome to Him. Precisely for this
reason the angel was not sent to
announce the birth of Christ to
mighty Caesar or proud Herod On
the contrary, the angel was sent to
the humble and to the shepherds.
Furthermore, He calls Himself the
flower of the field" because such
flowers are common and may be
plucked by each passer-by Flowers
enclosed in gardens are we'll guarded
by hedges and walls and no one is
allowed to come and snatch them
away. Whereas the flower in the
meadow is open to all; any one at
all who pleases may stoop down and
pick it up. Just such flower Our
Lord wished to be, flower for ALL
Then come, let us enter! There are
no guards to turn us away. Kings
retire within their palaces and the
gateways are picketed with soldiers.
1t is not an easy matter to secure an
audience with the great ones of earth.
To enjoy a brief interview with them
one must beg and bow and wait. Often
are they sent away and hidden to
return some other day. But Jesus
Christ will not act so. He has selected
this grotto, has assumed the form of
child, just to invite and encourage
all to come and seek Him. The cave
remains open, no sentinels are sta
toned there, all are welcome to come
and speak to their God and King.
And who could refrain from enter.
ing? See there upon the wretched
straw, in the deserted crib, see the
Little Infant weeping. How beautiful
He is: wreathed in halo of light
breathing love divine. Those eyes
divine thrill our very hearts with
emotion, those silent lips express
volumes of infinite love- The very
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cold floor becomes instinct with
eloquence and appeal to us to love Oul
God Who loved us so much as this
They urge us to love Our God so oe
serving of infinite love, Who has come
down from beyond the starry heights
Who has become a child and chile
so poor, just to give us an idea O
the love He bears, and what suffering
He is ready to embrace to win oul
love at last.
Were we to steal closer and asl
Him: "Ah pretty child, whose chile
art Thou?" He would answer: 'Set
My Mother here knelling by My side
so beautiful and pure" And were W.
to ask: And tell me, pray, who ma,
Thy Father be-? Then the amaZln
answer would come soft and firm
my Father is God" What, God TIL
Father, and how can that be? S
) poor, so unimposing, who would recos
, nize God in Thee, who would respec
: Thee as God?" Poor and lowly il
} deed, yet faith will reveal all M
Majesty, and proclaim all Who
am, and will induce these men to love
whom | came to redeem and inf1am
with My love. l am not come t
make Myself feared, but to sue TO
love- For this am l reduced to thi
condition of a helpless child, that 20
may see by this abasement how stron
! is the love l bear you"