First Sermon for Christmas Eve: On the Three Benefits Which We Owe to the Birth of Christ

« Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is born in Bethlehem of Juda.’’*

The voice of joy has been heard in our land, “ the voice of rejoicing and salvation in the tabernacles ”’ not “ of the just,” however, but of sinners. We have heard the “good word” the “consoling word,” the word full of sweetness and “worthy of all acceptation.” “Ye mountains, give praise with jubilation,” and let “all the trees of the forest clap their hands ” “ before the face of the Lord because He cometh.” ‘‘ Hear, O yè heavens, and give ear, O earth.” Let every creature, but especially thou, O man, be astonished and give praise to the Lord, because “ Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is born in Bethlehem of Juda.” Oh, what heart can be so flinty, what soul so insensible, as not to melt with love at hearing this announcement? What sweeter tidings could be published? What happier event could be proclaimed? Has the world ever before heard anything like this, or has news like this been ever told? “ Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is born in Bethlehem of Juda.” O short word of the “shortened Word,” but full of heavenly sweetness ! Truly love is here in labour, eager to pour out more plentifully the abundance of its mellifluous tenderness, and unable to find more adequate expression. For so perfect is the beauty and charm of this short verse that you cannot change a single iota without spoiling it. “ Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is born in Bethlehem of Juda.” O nativity spotless in sanctity, glory of the world, dear to man by reason of the greatness of the benefit it confers, inscrutable even to the angels because of the depth of its divine mystery, admirable to all in its novelty and unparalleled excellence! Nativity, which, to borrow the words of the Poet:

“ Had no precursor in the years before, And peerless shall remain for evermore.” *

O birth of Christ, alone unaccompanied by pain, alone pure and immaculate, not violating but consecrating the Mother’s integrity! O nativity, beyond nature, yet designed for the good of nature ; transcending nature | by thy miraculous excellence, restoring nature by the power of thy mystery! My brethren, “‘ who shall declare (this) generation?’’ The Angel announces it, the . power of the Most High overshadows it, the Holy Ghost descends upon it. A virgin believes, a virgin conceives by her faith, she brings forth as a virgin, and remains ever a virgin. Who can help wondering at all this? The Son of the Most High is born: God of God, begotten before the ages, is born to-day as a speechless Babe! Who can now wonder sufficiently ? And this nativity has not been in vain, not in vain has been the condescension of the Divine Majesty. * « Nec primam similem visa est, nec habere sequentem. ”—

The Irish poet Sedulius, Carmen Paschale, iii. 39, who is here speaking of the Blessed Virgin. —(Translator.)

“ Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is born in Bethlehem of Juda.” “ Awake and give praise, ye that dwell in the dust.” Behold the Lord cometh with salvation, He cometh with ointments, He cometh with glory. For Jesus cometh not without salvation, nor Christ without unction, nor without glory the Son of God, Who is Himself Salvation and Unction, Who is Himself Glory, according to what is written, “ A wise son is the glory of his father.” Happy the soul, which after tasting the fruit of His salvation, runs to the odour of His ointments, in order that she may see His glory, “ the glory as it were of the Only-Begotten of the Father.” Take courage all ye who have wandered away, because Jesus comes to seek and to save that which was lost. Ye that are sick be of good cheer, for Christ has come to anoint the contrite of heart with the unction of His mercy. Exult and beglad, ye who are ambitious of glory, since the Son of God has descended to you to make you co-heirs of His kingdom. Thus, O Lord, thus, I pray Thee, “ heal me and I shall be healed; save me and I shall be saved,” glorify me and I shall be glorious. Then shall I say with the Psalmist, “ Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let all that is within me bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget all He hath done for thee, Who forgiveth all thy iniquities, Who healeth all thy infirmities, Who satisfieth thy desire with good things.” As for me, my dearest brethren, I experience from these three things a threefold savour of sweetness in the announcement that “ Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is born.” For why do we call His name Jesus unless because “‘ He shall save His people from their sins?” And why has He willed to becalled Christ, unless because He “shall make the yoke to putrify at the presence of the oil?” And wherefore has the Son of God made Himself the Son of man if it be not-to make men the sons of God? Who shall oppose His will? It is Jesus “That justifieth, who is he that shall condemn?” It is Christ That healeth, who is he that shall hurt? It is the Son of God That raiseth us up, who is he that shall cast us down ?

Jesus is born: oh, rejoice all ye whomsoever the consciousness of sin foredooms to everlasting damnation ! For the mercy of Jesus is greater than any degree of malice, greater than any number of crimes. Christ is born: let gladness arise in every soul which is struggling with long-established habits of evil. For no spiritual malady, no matter how inveterate, shall be able to stand before the face of the unction of Christ. The Son of God is born: exult thou who art wont to aspire to greatness, because the Giver of great rewards is at hand. My brethren, “this is the Heir,” let us lovingly receive Him, “ that the inheritance may be ours.” For He Who hath given us His own Son, ‘‘ how hath He not also with Him given us all things? ” Let no one disbelieve it, let no one doubt it, for we are assured by a most trustworthy witness that “ the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us.” The only-begotten Son of God willed to share His sonship with us, “ that He might be the First-Born among many brethren.” And in order that weak and pusillanimous mortals might be left no excuse for doubting this, He first made Himself the Brother of man, and the Son of man, by truly taking upon Him our human nature.

“ Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is born in Bethlehem of Juda.” Notice the humility exhibited in the choice ee A a a a a of place. Not in Jerusalem, the city of the kings, is He born, but in Bethlehem, which is but “ a little one among the thousands of Juda.” O Bethlehem, heretofore little indeed, but now magnified by the Lord! Thou hast been made great by Him Who in thee has made Himself little from great. Exult, O Bethlehem, and through all thy streets let joyous alleluias be sung to-day! What city that ever hears of it will not envy thee that most venerable stable and the glory of that poor manger! Thy name is now famous throughout the whole world, and “all generations shall call (thee) blessed.” Everywhere, ‘glorious things are said of thee, O city of God.” Everywhere resounds the song of joy: ‘“‘A Man is born in her and the Same hath founded her, the Most High.”* Everywhere, I say, it is preached and proclaimed that “ Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is born in Bethlehem of Juda.” And not without purpose is the addition of the words, “of Juda,” by which we are reminded of the promise made to the fathers by the mouth of the Patriarch

Jacob, “ The sceptre shall not be taken away from Juda nor a ruler from his thigh till He come That is to be sent, and He shall be the expectation of nations.” For though “ salvation is of the Jews,” yet it reaches “to the farthest parts of the earth.” And the same Patriarch also prophesied, “Juda, thee shall thy brethren praise; thy hands shall be upon the necks of thy enemies.” These and other predictions which are nowhere recorded to have been verified of the typical Juda, we now see fulfilled in Christ. For He is ‘‘ the Lion of the tribe of Juda,” of Whom it is added, “ Juda is a lion’s whelp : to the prey, my Son, Thou art gone up.” A mighty Spoiler is Christ, Who “ before He knew to call His Father and Mother carried off the spoils of Samaria.” Christ is indeed a mighty Spoiler, Who “‘ ascending on high, led captivity captive.” He did not, however, take away anything from us, but rather “ gave gifts to men.” In this way, therefore, these and similar prophecies, which we perceive to be fulfilled in Christ, (of Whom also they were spoken), are recalled to our minds when we hear the announcement, “‘ Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is born in Bethlehem of Juda.” And there is no longer any necessity for us to inquire whether anything of good can come from Bethlehem.

As to what concerns us, my brethren, we learn how He desires to be received from the fact that He chose Bethlehem for His birthplace. Perhaps there were then some who thought that a magnificent palace should be made ready in which the King of glory might be honourably entertained. But it was not for earthly honour that the “almighty Word leapt down from heaven from (His) royal throne,” where “length of

= ae eS E E E EAEN days is in (His) Right Hand, and in (His) Left Hand riches and glory.” He possessed from everlasting an inexhaustible store of all such things in heaven. One treasure, however, He could not find there, namely, the treasure of poverty, of which there was on earth

‘an abundance and a superabundance, although man had no suspicion of its worth. It was, therefore, for the sake of this that the Son of God came down from His throne on high, in order to choose it for Himself and by His appreciation to teach us its value. Adorn, then, O Sion, adorn thy bridal couch: but let it bewith the ornaments of poverty and humility. These are the swathing-clothes which please Him best; these, as Mary bears witness, are the silks wherewith He delights to beclothed. Let us, therefore, “‘ sacrifice the abominations of the Egyptians to the Lord our God.”

Consider lastly, my brethren, that it is in Bethlehem of Juda Jesus is born, and study how each one of you may make himself a Bethlehem of Juda, for thus He will not disdain to be born in you also. Now Bethlehem means “the house of bread,” and Juda signifies “ praisè” or “ confession.” Consequently, if thou fillest thy soul with the food of holy doctrine ; if also thou faithfully and with all possible devotion—unworthy though it must ever be—receive that Living Bread ‘‘ Which cometh down from heaven and giveth life to the world ” (I mean the Body of the Lord Jesus) so that His glorified Flesh may repair and strengthen the “old bottle” of thy body, which thus fortified shall be able to hold the new wine poured into it ; if, finally, thou livest by faith and art never obliged to avow with tears that thou hast “ forgotten to eat thy bread ” : thou art now become a Bethlehem, and comparatively fit to receive the Lord, if yet confession be not wanting. Then let “ Judæa be thy sanctification,” “ put on praise and beauty,” the robes wherewith Christ would have His ministers clothed. The Apostle, lastly, commends these two things very briefly where he says, “ With the heart we believe unto justice and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” For justice in the heart is as bread in the house. That justice may becalled bread is clear from the words of Christ, ‘‘ Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall have their fill.” Let justice, therefore, be in thy heart, the justice which is of faith, for this alone “hath glory before God.” In thy mouth also have the confession which “is made unto salvation: ’’ so shalt thou be able to receive with confidence Him Who is born in Bethlehem of Juda, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

TAR a O e