The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-12-26
A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE.
Cardinal Gibbons.

hearSeS in accents OF love history
which precedes all time and will en-
dure throughout eternity AS if by
an instinct of our higher, spiritual
nature, there we'll up from the depths
OF our hearts emotions which chal-
lenge the power of human expression.
We seem to be lifted out Of the
sphere of natural endeaVor to put on
81 new life and TO stretch forward in
desire to a blessedness which though
not palpable, is eminently real.
If asked to explain the rapturOus
influence which controls us we have
no other words than the evangel of
Joy which the angel gave unto earth:
For this day is born unto you a Say
iour who is Christ the Lord We re-
jOice in anticipation of new out
pouring of Gods blessed light, for
the scope of the divine Infants mis-
sion is ito enlighten them who sit in
darkness and in the shadow of death;
to direct our feet into the way OF
peace" He is in our midst to food
the world with the light OF Gods
truth; to restore to us our lost birth
right of JOY; to set the discordant wall
of humanity to new harmonies; to
attune to the music of heavenly hope
hearts which for ages had been swept
by the Wild notes Of despair.
The message of Christmas morning
is as universal as it is personal and
present 1t is addressed to each man;
it is addressed to all men. 1t is des-
tined to shape private conduct and to
impress and mould the life Of society.
Divine in its content, it has an earth
" relation and significance. While
holding out q promise Of the greater
things which shall be revealed to us
hereafter, it is not without action in
time and influence upon the world
around us.
Indeed we live and move and have
our being in the midst of civiliza-
tion which is the legitimate offspring
of the religion of Christ.
The blessings resulting from our
Christian civilization are poured out
so regularly and so abundantly on
the intellectual, moral and social
world, like the sunlight and the air
of heaven and the fruits of the earth,
that they have ceased to excite any
surprise except to those who visit
lands where the religion of Christ is
little known. In order to realize ade-
quateIy our favored situation we
should transport ourselves in spirit
to te-Christian times and contrast
the conditions of the pagan world
with our own.
The religion of Christ imparts to
us net only a~~sasblime conception OF
God, but also rational idea Of man
and OF his relations to his Creator.
Before the coming Of Christ man was
a riddle and mystery to himself.
lie knew not whence he came nor
whittier he was going. He was crop
ing in the dark. All he knew for Ger.
tain was that lie was passing through
a brief phase of existence.
The past and the future we're en-.
veloped in a mist which the light Of
philosophy was unable to penetrate.
Our Redeemer has dispelled the
cloud and enlightened us regarding
our origin and destiny and the means
of attaining it. He has rescued man
from the frightful labyrinth of error
in which paganism had involved him.
The Gospel of Christ, first heralded
by angels, has brought not only light
to the intellect, but also comfort to
the heart. 1t has given us that
peace of God which surpasseth all I'm
derstanding;' the peace which
springs from the conscious posses
sion OF the truth Tt has taught us
how TO enjoy that little peace which
constitutes true happiness as far as
it is attainable in this life-peace with
God by the observance of His com
mandments; peace with our neigh
bors by the exercise of justice and
charity towards them, and peace with
ourselves by depressing our inordi
nate appetites and by keeping oul
passions subject to the law of reason
and our reason illumined and con
trolled by the law of God.
The message of Christmas day is
intended for all men, for all times
for all conditions Of existence. Chris
alone of all religious founders has the
courage to say to His disciples: go
teach all nations" Preach the Gospe
to every creature" You shall be wit
nesses to Me in Judea and Samari;
and even to the uttermost bounds o
the earth" BE not restrained in you
mission by national or state lines
Let My Gospel be as free and universe
as the air of heavens" THE cart
is the Lords and the fulness thereof.
"All mankind are the children of M
Father and My brethren. | embrac
all in my charity. Let the who'll
human race be your audience and tn
world be the theater of your labors.
These, then, are in broad outlin
some of the grand truths and consol
ing experiences which the glad It'd
ings of great joy" reveal in their III
folding. Only by steady adhesion t,
the principles therein contained ca
individuals and nations hope to shar
in that peace which has been prom
Used to men of good will. To yiolat
them is to reverse the order estal
lished by God, and disorder is tn
synonym of sin and strife.
On the other hand, as beauty is tn
splendor of order, so peace is tn
tranquility of order or joy in repos'
JI5bilo therefore We rai0ico in on