The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-01-04
Given in the Cathedral of ST. Paul on
the Sunday Within the Octave of
Christmas.

To my old-time friends of the Cathe
dral parish, to all the children of the
Diocese of St. Paul, l say from my
heart-A blessed and happy Christ
mas! May the Infant of Bethlehem,
God Incarnate, make you His own,
and spread over your souls, in rich
abundance, the gifts of faith, hope
and charity, which it was His mission
to lavish upon as many as received
Him-giving to those who do receive
Him the power to be made the Sons
of God, to them that believe in His
name"
To the world of men the annually
recurring festival of Christmas is a
day of unusual gladness and rejoicing.
None there are, who, in one manner
or other, are insensible to the hap
piness, personal and social of which
it is the harbinger. Once in the ages,
manifestly, something did occur, won
drous in the history of the race, the
echoes of which never died away
something of momentous meaning to
humanity, into the influences OF which
it has so woven the threads OF its
Hfe-course, that from them it never
will be torn asunder.
Yes-once in the ages something
did occur, wondrous in history, most
meaningful to humanity. Once in the
ages the message went forth from the
skies This day is born to you
Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in
the City of David"
"This day is born to you a Saviour.
The full meaning of the message |
fain would tell the world of men. By
many it is not understood, and, as
around us years go by, less and less
is it understood. "He was in the
world. and the world was made by
Him. and the world knew Him not.
He came unto His own, and His own
received Him not" True today, as
Of yore the words of the Evangelist:
more true, alas. today even than of
yore.
Jesus the Saviour, the Redeemer.
To-day is born to you Saviour"
So spoke the angels: so later spoke
Jesus Himself To be the Saviour
of men, to redeem men from sin, to
reconstruct in souls the image and
likeness of God, to open to them the
gateways of eternal felicity-this is
the mission of Jesus, this the purpose
of the Incarnation-this the divine
truth which we must apprehend in all
it's bearings, if Christmas is to be
fully understood, if it's joyousness is
to be fully ours.
The quest of Jesus was the quest
of souls. The evil depressing souls
is siBw-Bebellion against the laws of
God Geseparateness from the love and
the mercy of God. To deliver souls
from sin was the work of Jesus. For
He shall save His people from their
sins''-it was said of Him to the
Virgin Mother For this is the blood
of the New Testament" said Jesus
himself in prediction of His cruci-
fixion, which shall be shed for many
unto the remission of sins" And in
St. Paul we read: But God COM
mandeth his charity towards us: be-
cause when as yet we were sinners,
Christ died for us; much more, there
fore being now justified by His
Jlood, shall we be saved by His life. "
Jesus was the Saviour, the Redeemer,
the Sanctifier The highest gift in
the hands of the Infinite God, whereby
to enrich men, is the salvation of
their souls: and that is the gift made
to them by Jesus: it is the best-the
y gift most needed by men, most worthy
n of Gods munificence. What doth it
profit a man to gain the whole world,
should he lose his own soul?" The
things of earth, so far as they may
be required, were put at the disposal
of men by the Creator: to men to
make use herein of their own in.
genuity and industry. The things OF
Heaven are beyond the unaided reach
of men: to their help therein the Sor
of God came down from Heaven. The
Whole career of Jesus was directed
to tke one great work, the salvation
cs xUUls-and to that work alone. AS
Saviour and Redeemer must we ac
cept Him ELSE we build up to our
ST. res a Jesus, who is not the Jesus
Bethlehem the Jesus of the
Fst Christmas Day.
Jesus, the Teacher of Supernatural
Truth.
Jesus came as the teacher-the
herald Of the truths of the Super.
natural life. He taught. as He should
have taught, if men were to know
who He was, what salvation He of.
fered, upon what conditions and
through what agencies it was to be
acquired. For three years He was
the teacher: and His tarrying among
men coming to a close, He instituted
an apostleship to perpetuate His
teachings, saying to its members:
Preach the Gospel to every crea.
ture;" Teach all nations, teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever
have commanded unto you He
taught as one having authority" He
was the Master BY His works He
had proven His right to teach: "Ii
do not the works Of my Father