The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1952-11-28
Just Among Ourselves
Psssins Comment Considered or lneensidsrsts

Advent comes again. Another new year begins
in the calendar of Mother Church 1t begins with
Joy, in anticipation of Christmas In all the seasonal
prayers and offices of Advent the Church begs God
to stir up in her children Joyous and holy longing
for the great feast of the Nativity, and happy
ergy in the service of Our Lord
The Church has no lament for the passing of
time; she utters words of sadness over vanished
youth lost opportunities, and halting age The
Church leaves to the pagan poet the cry of "Alas,
alas, the fleetng years glide by" She has occs.
sion for such utterances, for the Church is never
old. The Church is ageess. Nor are the opportuni-
ties she makes available lessened hopelessly
lost God gives Joy to her unaterable youth.
The Church makes time her ally in her untiring
efforts to get all to heaven. All seasons
her uses. Advent she employs TO glad appre-
citation of the faith in the hearts of the faithful
Christmas and Epiphany are made occasions Of
thanksgiving and new allegiance 10 God Lent is her
time TO urge us TO sorrow for sin Easter and Pente
cost are full of glory, and awaken hopes for
the happiness OF heaven.
Not cycles and seasons alone are employed by
the Church TO further her work no day is without
its saint--or more properly its multitude of saints
There is record called the Mdrtyrotogy from which
selection is read each day in the solemn chant
ing of the Divine Office it is partial list Of the
saints commemorated on that day For the Church
at large in general public way saints days
and feast days make up the liturgical year; where
there is mere terial day Tor day of the week),
no single saint isl especially commemorated and no
single feast observed but prayers said, the
less in Mass and Office to honor the Trinity the
Blessed Mother, and all the saints together
Even the day is not the minimum unit Of time
which the Church uses IN her socltude for our
welfare Every hour is utilized. The official prayer
of the Church is the Divine Office which is reced
daily by all priests and all persons who have taken
solemn vows in a religious community. And this of
fical prayer is divided into parts called "the
ieai hours" The events of the day and their times
nj occurring sanctified by Catholic practice:
morning PRAYER al rising meal prayers evening
prayer, the Angelus, the De Profundis.
However. il is especially of The seasonal devotion
Of Advent that are thinking now. This is devo.
tion that tolerates but does not consist Of outer
displays and celebrations Advent is not meant to
be harried time of shopping for gifts if il hap
pens to be such time, this is merely unforun-
ale circumstance of our modern custom And no Gus
tom, modern ancient, should be allowed to oh
scure TO replace the essential fact event which
the custom was originally means TO emphasize
Christmas is the day of "Chrst's Mass'-the day
upon which Holy Mass is offered in commemoration
OF the birth of God-made Man, All the feasts which
end in mas in English, have such origin.
Condemns is the day which candles are blessed
al Mass,-that is in ceremony Immediately pre-
cedng the Mass itself MichdclndS is the day on
which Mass is offered to God in honor of ST Michael
People not of our faith usually unconscious Of
tho fact that they speaking OF the sublime
rfce of the Mass when they speak of Christmas, but
that is what they arc doing, just the same.
The manner in which outer display and the ex-
cha of agnd he
bration of Christmas is unfortunate II is right and
reasonable that our religious JOY in the memory
of Chrsts coming should find expression in outer
we'll inner jubilation,-in song, and feasting
and the giving of tokens. But ii is neither right
reasonable that the outer iubilation should be SO
excessive and absorbing of attention that sight is
lost of what the jubilation is all about II is not
right that the coming Of Christ in poverty should be
made the occasion of excessive and foolish spending
and consequent worry about bills There is point
in making Christmas merely shopkeepers' wind
fell and bonanza, while il troubles and mpoveriSheS
Christian people.
II is reasonable to do bit of fussinp over baby,
and TO be pleased TO bring rich and delicate gar
ments 10 cothe it But II is unreasonable TO smother
tho child in endless wrappnRs of silks and laceS.
II is doubly and rebly regretsblc that the infant
forgotten and smothered in finery is the Infant of
Bethlehem II might help the Christmas External
lists TO remember that the Divine Child was Swadled
in ono simple strip of cloth, and laid in maneer
The great thing about Christmas is its true mean
ng Our Lords birthday. And the true way TO Gel
ebrate that day land to make ready during Advent
is by holding possession of or recovering. the grace
Of God For Catholics, Christmas is preemnently a
day for devout hearing of HOLY Mass and a worthy
receiving Of Holy Communion That the day should
be family day Of rejoicing is also good, but Incl
dental That il should be day of exchange of re
membranes gifts, is we'll enough provided there
is not too much elaboration and expense in the bus
mess. But the and center Of the celebration is
the conscious union of mans soul with God and
deyout partakine of Mass and Eucharist For Cath
olics. who knotr what Christmas means. there is nc
excuse If they make ii but the manifestation of gay
vorldliness.