The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-21
THE LITURGY OF CHRISTMAS

ular order of things, the first Mass
should be celebrated at midnight, an
other at dawn and the third in the full
light of day For obvious reasons
| this order is not observed in all places
of our country. Christ had a birth
in the flesh; He is born by grac9 in
our souls; and there was a generation
in glory when before all time He came
forth from the Father. 1t is this three
fold generation that the Church re.
calls in the liturgN of the three Masses
Midnight seems the hour best fitted
to remind us of the temporal birth of
the Son of God. He was born in. the
dead of the night. Why? Was it be-
cause then all nature is flushed in
peace? Or was it to verify literally
the fact that when He came needless
men slept and sinful ones pursued
their works of evil? Or wastit to typi-
fly the black, gloomy shades which
covered the spiritual world and enVel-
oped mems souls? Yes, Ignorance,
idolatry, vice had obscuredF the heav-
ems. Only few glimmering stars
kept vigil over the divine crib. On
such night, at such an h our Bethle-
hems star first appeared ia the firma-
ment. It's light also guides the faith
full to church where they ZONE to wit
ness miracle not unlike that which it
announced.
But it was not enou{ h that God
should become incarnatc to redeem
us; our salvation depends on having
the merits of the Incarns ton and Re-
demption applied to our FOULS. There
is small profit in being sens of God in
the flesh if we are not Born and be-
come one with Him by grace. The
second Mass shadows forth this mys-
terious birth Let the Author of grace,
offered for and to us ON the altar,
come into our souls, anG henceforth
nothing under heaven can destroy our
union with God except sin committed
through personal malice. When we re-
ceive Holy Communion, We, so to
speak, incorporate God; we become
Sacred Flesh and Blood is made our
| food and drink Here, as we'll as in
Bethlehems grotto, it may truly be
said that there is no nation that hath
| God so near to them as our God is near
| to u.s.
! By the hour of the third offering of
| the Holy Sacrifice the sun has mount
ed to the height of his glory which is
but an image of the King of Light
| born to us on Christmas day, whose
throne is set in the skies and whose
empire extends to the ends of the
earth, from generation unto genera
ton. This birth is neither at Bethle.
| hem, nor in mems souls. The royal
| lineage of Christ is derived from the
bosom of eternity. What human
tongue can speak of that mysterious
nativity, when the awfully solemn
voice of the Eternal broke the stiffness
| of eternity and spoke: Thou art my
Son, this day have begotten Thee.
will give Thee,jthe gentiles for Thy
! inheritance, and the utmost parts of
| the earth for Thy possession" How
truly does this third Mass, while com
memorating the eternal generation of
| the Son Of God by the Father, point
1 to our union with Him in His Fathers
house where there are many mansions,
and where He has gone to prepare q
place for us!
When holy Simeon had gazed upon
the Christ of the Lord" and held the
Divine Babe in his arms, he prayed
| thus Now Thou dost dismiss Thy
servant, o Lord, according to Thy
word in peace; because my eyes have
seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast
prepared before the face of all peo-
pies: a light to the revelation of the
gentiles, and the glory of Thy people
Israeli And so, when with the tie,
Missa est, the priest on Christmas dis
misses us, let us depart repeating a
heartfelt "Deo Gratias: Thanks be
to God" in peace with Him, in peace
with ourselves and in peace with the
entire world.