Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-20

A,nelA + become children again at the
Ol0H : festival sszS.s of christmas: i is s.; a
WV time of good cheer, sweet lei
,owship. kindly friendship. when the
rich remember the poor, the well the
sick: when the brotherhood OF man ana
the fatherhood of God are united around
the Christ Child, writes Rev. Edward
Whittier Caswell in the Methodist.
Christmas is our earthly paradise,
where we live most like heavenly
company, rejoicing and singing and
feasting around the glory Of the divine
Savior.
Christmas is a family festival, because
it celebrates the birth Of child who
was born in poverty, needing to be
clothed, fed, warmed and comforted
other church festivals celebrate the
crucifxion, the resurrection, the ascen-
sion, the pentecostal power of the God
Man. but Christmas is comradeship in
the home It contributes to the exl-
tation of the family life, where loving
hearts come together with songs. merry
making, feasting aRd gifts OF affection.
Over all this festival Is the conscious
ness that the glory of the infinite God
slumbers in the Holy Child, one day to
burst forth in His manhood, the light of
the world and the hope of men.
Christmas carols are the simple melo-
apparent effort of genuine thankfulneSS
and devotion around the cradle OF the
Child. Among some or the authors
which j have consulted in the Following
selections is that of Clement A Miles,
who recently issued most interesting
book entitled christmas in Ritual and
Tradition
St Bernard. in the twelfth century,
wrote beautifully:
Come rejoicing
Eait hf,,l
Alleluys!
Monarch's Monarch.
From holy maiden springing,
Mighty wonder:
Angel Of the Counsel here
Sun from star. He doth appear
Born OF maiden;
He sun who knows night,
She whose paler light
Fadeth never.
The Franciscan Christmas spirit was
voiced by Jacapone:
She with left hand grading.
Rocked and hushed her boy,
And with molly lullabies
Quoted her toy.
Little angels all around
Danced and carols flung;
Making verselets sweet and true,
still of love they sung.
Full of beauty stood the mother,
BY the manger blest DER other,
Where her little One she lays
For her inmost souls citation,
In its fervid jubilation.
Thrills with ecstasy of praise.
The sacrament of soul salvation is found
in many of these songs of mystic sim
plicity. John Tauler, in the fourteenth
century, wrote:
Must die with Him TO evil
And rise TO righteousness,
That with Christ he tee may share
Eternal life and bliss.
Luthers hymn to his son Hans, an ex-
tended poem. is along the same train:
o my dear heart. young Jesus sweet,
Prepare Thy cradle III my spirit.
And | shall rock Thee in Bly heart,
And never mair from Thee depart.
The next stanza is from Tersteegen:
Faithful Emmanuel. let me Thy glores be telling;
Come, my Savior, be born, In mine inmoSt
heart dwelling
In abide.
Maze with Thee unified
Where the fe-fountain is yelling.
In the seventeenth century, Angelus
Silesius wrote:
Though Christ 4 thousand times
In Bethlehem BE- born
If He's born in thee.
Thy soul is still fororn.
Phillips Brooks joins this sacred choir
with his beautiful Bethlehem poem:
o holy Child OF Bethlehem.
Descend TO US, pray:
Cast out sin, and enter in
Be born in today.