The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-21
RENEWAL OF GREAT MYSTERY
EACH YEAR-MIDNiGHT MASS
SPIRIT or FAITHFUL ON THIS
OCCASION.

Spirit OF FAITHF III ON THIS
OCCASION.
The Church is the Spouse of Christ;
no one is better fitted to tell the story
of His birth than she herself in the
beautiful and eloquent language of her
liturgy. With her wealth of ritual
and ceremony she tries to explain to
lis the unspeakable mystery of the In
carnau0n and to impress It's impor-
lance on our souls. On Christmas the
Church herself is the best preacher
and Holy Mass her best sermon, says
the Messenger of the Precious Blood
On this day we hear the Gloria in
Excelsis Deo," as we have often heard
it before But why has this mighty
hymn an unWonted ring and sweep on
Christmas day? Why does it seem
to be a new song on this day? Be
cause, of course, it is the Christmas
hymn par excellence 1t is the song
the angels sang when they came rush
ing forth multitudes from the heights
of heaven on the first Christmas night
to look upon the face OF the newborn
Babe, bringing along with them some
GLORY to God in the highest, and on
earth peace to men of good will" And
those sublime notes the Church has
taken. up and repeated through all the
ages, adding to the angels words:
I'VE praise Thee, we bless Thee, we
adore Thee! We thank Thee for Thy
great glory" And on Christmas, the
anniversary day, this song, after all
the centuries, rings out afresh through
the new Bethlehem, the House of
Bread" where the Goldman resides.
For is it not fact, that as we
bend low at the moment of consecra-
ton, we assist not merely in spirit
but indeed, at the renewal of the mys-
rives. The priest pronounces the
words over the wafer, the almighty
power of God called into action, and
Christ is born again. Mary's Child, the
Divine Babe, is Goldman, the Word
made flesh On the altar of the Catho-
lie Church we have the Eucharistic re-
birth of what the Virgin Mary gave to
the world in the lowly shrine of Beth
lehem = Christ's Flesh and Blood,
Christ's Humanity and Divinity.
Hence, the faithful hasten in the
early dawn of Christmas morning to
the new Bethlehem, the House of
Bread" they come in multitudes in
order to console the loneliness OF the
newborn God, Who, when He first
came, had none to keep Him company
but few shepherds; the rest of men
were too busy with worldly occupa-
tons and pleasures; they turned away
from their doors her who was about to
bring forth the Redeemer of the world.
Good Catholics, however, should and
do adorn the house which Christ
deigns to honor by His holy Presence;
they make rich His tabernacle among
US with gold, marble and precious
stones, with fine linen and costly dec
orations. They bring with them the
warmth of niety and zeal, to make
Him forget the GOODNESS of that drear
December night when the sharp winds
hOwled through the open cave, and the
breath Of dumb beasts alone sOftened
the intense chill of the air. To con-
trast the hardness of the barren
ground and the rough straw of the
manger a resting place is offered to
Christ in the pure hearts of the faith
ful-in the Christmas Communion. In
deed what an inspiring, what a sub
lime sight to behold dozens, scores,
hundreds and thousands of communi-
cants approaching the sacred banquet
table of Holy Communion on a Christ
mas morning!
The Three Holy Masses on Christmas
The liturgy of Christmas is peculiar
in that it provides for the three Masses
instead of one and allows the priest
on this day the privilege of thrice
offering the Holy Sacrifice. In the reg