The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1961-12-22
LITURGY is A LANGUAGE
Mystery 81 Renewal

Now, Christianity is also an aWarenesS OF COD as
the author of the rhythm ON the seasons and OF lie
in those seasons. He holds the key to human teruhty
in his hand. He is the control of cyclone and flood ana
drought. The world is locked in the grip OF winter, ana
undergoes a resurrection in spring - at least In
Rome where our liturgy originated and IN North
America it also does these things.
THE WINTER SoLSTIcE means the low point
Of the suns benign influence followed by its annual
return to power. All this, however, the heather knew.
Their ritual, their feasts are often almost totally ades
quate to a divine-human relationship conceived as
pattern, plan: the cyclic repetition forever of happen
ings upon the earth and in the skies.
What is new in { Christianity, and in the Israelite
revelation of which it is the completion, is that God
breaks in on human history. First and foremost our
Faith is a historical event, the coming of the Son of
God in human frame and form: "in our flesh, is the
biblical phrase, which is to say in the fullness of our
nature.
Starting with the creation and concluding with
Christ's return in glory at the end, there is over the
ages a succession of real historical happenings of
which this one is central, in the sense that it is the
necessary prelude to the Paschal event, Abraham's
call was such a one, Moses desert leadership, John
the Baptists preaching.
CENTRAL EVENT
But central to them all and separating all human
history into before and latter is the event we cele-
brate each year on December 25th, Gods coming in
our flesh. Alone among the sacred books of mankind
-kuran, Bhagavadgita, UpaniShadS-the Christians
Bible is not a collection of doctrines or of moral
maxims but a story. 1t is a chronicle, a documentary
narrative of the wonderful works of God; and the
greatest marvel and warmest story of all is that His
Son, losing nothing of His divine status, became one
of us.
THERE HAS BEEN BELIEF in virgin ~goddesses
and virgin mothers and world-mothers since religious
history began. Mary is none of these. She is not a
symbol, a type, something which the Hebrew hope
demanded or Greek myStery-rite invented. She is a
Jewish girl to whom something happened. In a cave,
where animals were kept. In a geographic place that
can be visited-tonight.
This then is what we celebrate, in the memorial
of the Eucharist, on Christmas day. We proclaim an
occurrence in Bethlehem, following which nothing on
earth can ever be quite the same again.
JESUS CHRIST is the fulfillment of all things.
He is Alpha and Omega, the last end of the world and
the springtime of its youth. There is no superseding
Him. Humanity has no hope of anything higher or bet
ter than Him. There can be no human progress or
development comparable to what we already have in
Christ the Saviour.
The only work remaining is to see that all men
come into possession of the gift He secured for us:
new birth. st. Paul calls it a new genesis. When we
say Regeneration" the marvel and the newness
seems to go out of the word, somehow. Yet ours is an
absolute re-commencement.
The Spirit of God stirred over the waters at our
Baptism, and in this bath we were born, renewed. We
were not brought up in that malice, envy, hate"
that the pagans of st. Paups time experienced. Al
most at birth, most of us became new creatures. Our
role in life thenceforWard has been to live by sac
raments and to build up the body of Christ, so that
when He returns in glory, come to full stature, He
may turn all things over to His Father.
PERFECT JOY
With this we have named all the major elements
that go into our lives as Christians. There is perfect
Joy, because the goodness and kindness of our Saw
Jour has appeared. There is hope: not false optimism,
nor complimentary at being the true believers, but
hope. And there is the task we are called to.
The task is to lead others to the Mystery of
Christ through the ~life-giving sacraments and the
bread of the Word. 1t is the task of all who follow
Christ.
BEGINNING WIFE Christ's nativity the world is
free of the yoke of sin. The old servitude is gone. 1t
needs to know that. The people of God need something
to live for: not a cause like the evils of communist
repression in distant places, nor the terrible short
comings of all those who do not believe as we.
A beginning needs to be made at the beginning.
The people need to have their Sunday made a holy
day again. They need song in their churches and beau
ty in their lives. Their children need Joy in the
schools the Church conducts. There must be perfect
liberty of spirit with regard to ideas and all the arts.
Sons and daughters of the Church need enlight-
ment for their political behavior-in the broadeSt,
non-partisan sense-and strength and a sense of
Justice for their social behavior. All there things must
come with the marvel of new birth.
WE r NOT so FOOLISH as to suppose that
the Christian religion can bring about an earthly Para
disc. That is a Marxist dream, not a Catholic one.
The French priest who sings ballads with his
guitar, Anne Duval, dedicates one record of sacred
songs, ITO my mother, who was very poor all her
life. and who looked forward to no Paradise but that
of Jesus Christ"
What the Christian can do is anticipate the reign
of Christ in the messianic time by totally refashioning
one corner of the universe. In that place, peace and
Justice will reign, just as in the kingdom fulfilled
Christ the Saviour will rule.
Low FOR MEN
To do that work of renewal strong faith is need