January 1 — Christmas Day: Second Mass

Saviour of Israel to death ; — but, the faith of the Shepherds will not be shaken, and will find imitators in the wise and powerful ones of this world, who will come, at last, and bow down their reason to the Crib and the Cross.

What is it that has come over these poor Shepherds ? Christ has been born in their hearts ; he dwells in them by faith and love. They are our Fathers in the Church. They are our Models. Let us imitate them, and invite the Divine Infant to come into our souls, which we will so prepare for him, as that he may find nothing to prevent his entering. It is for our sakes, also, that the Angels speak ; it is to us, also, that they tell the glad tidings ; for, the Mystery, that has this Night been accomplished, is too grand to have the pastoral slopes of Bethlehem for its limits. — In order to honour the silent coming of the Saviour into the souls of men, the Priest is preparing to go to the altar, and a second time offer the spotless Lamb to the Father, who hath sent him. As the Shepherds fixed their eyes on the Crib, so let ours be on the Altar, where we are soon to behold the same Jesus, hidden under appearances, that are humbler even than the swathing-bands. These rustic swains enter into the Cave, not yet knowing Him, whom they are going to see ; but their hearts are quite ready for the revelation. Suddenly, they see the Infant ; and as they gaze upon him in speechless wondering, Jesus looks at them from his Crib, and smiles upon them : — they are changed men, full of light, and the Sun of Justice has made Day in their souls. It is to be the same with us : the words of the Prince of the Apostles are to be verified in us : the Light, that shineth in a dark place, has been our one desire and attention — now the Day will dawn, and the Day- Star arise in our hearts.

1 II. St. Pet. i. 19.

This long longed-for Aurora has come ! The divine Orient has risen upon us, to set now no more ; for, we are firmly resolved to keep from the night of sin, which his grace has destroyed. His mercy has made us to be children of light and children of the day} There must be no more sleep of death for us. We must watch in ceaseless vigilance, remembering how the Shepherds were keeping their watch, when the Angel came to speak to them, and Heaven opened over their heads. All the Chants of this Mass of the Aurora speak to us of the brightness of the Sun of Justice ; they must be sweet to us, as is to captives, long buried in the cold darkness of their dungeon, the ray of that morning, which is to set them free. See, Christians, how this God of Light shines upon us' from his Crib ! The face of his Mother is lit up with the immense brightness, on which she looks with all the fixedness of her contemplating love ; and Joseph, too, has the shining vivid on his features, which makes them more beautiful and venerable than we have ever seen them. Passing by the ungrateful Bethlehem, which deserves to be left in darkness — this same divine Light breaks upon the whole world beyond the Cave, and gradually enkindles within millions of hearts, a burning love for this glorious Sun of Justice, who delivers man from the labyrinth of his errors and passions, showing him, and giving him, the sublime end for which he was created.

In the veiy midst of her celebration of this mystery of the Birth of Jesus, the Church offers us another object of admiration and joy : — it is one of her own children. Whilst solemnising the divine Mystery of to-day's Feast, she commemorates, in this the second Mass, one of those glorious heroines, who preserved the Light of Christ within their souls, in

1 1. Thess. v. 5. spite of all the attacks made to rob them of it. Her name is Anastasia. This holy Widow of Eome suffered martyrdom under the persecution of Dioclesian, and had the privilege of being thus born to eternal life, on the Birth-Day of that Jesus, for whom she suffered death.

She had been married to a Pagan of the name of Publius ; himself also a Roman ; who, being irritated against her on account of her great charities to the Christians, treated her with every sort of cruelty. She endured all with admirable patience ; and when this heavy trial was removed from her by the death of her husband, she devoted herself to visiting and solacing the holy Confessors, who had been cast into the prisons of Rome, for the Faith. Being, at length, apprehended as a Christian, she was tied to a stake and burnt to death. Her Church, in Rome, which is built on the site where formerly stood her house, is the Station for this Second Mass. The Sovereign Pontiffs used formerly to say it here, and the ancient custom was observed, in our own times, by Pope Leo 12th.

How admirable is this delicate considerateness of our holy Mother the Church ! Wishing to associate one of her Saints with the glory of this present Solemnity, on which the Virginity of Mary receives its triumphant recompense — it is a holy Widow, that is chosen for this signal honour ; that it might hereby be shown, how the Married State, though inferior in merit and holiness to the State of Virginity, is not excluded from the blessings, which the Birth of the Son of Mary merited for the world. There was a Virgin, St. Eugenia, that might so well have been selected; for, she suffered a glorious martyrdom, under Galerian, on this same feast, and in the same City, as did the wife of Publius : but no — the preference is given to Anastasia, the Widow. This choice of the Church — which is dictated by her hea- venly wisdom, and by the love she has for all her children — forcibly reminds us of a beautiful passage in one of St. Augustine's Sermons for Christmas Day :

" Exult, O ye Virgins of Christ ! for the Mother of " Christ is your companion. You could not be his "Mother; but, for his sake, you would be Virgins: " He that is not born of you, is born to you. And " yet, you remember his words : Whosoever shall do " the will of my Father, is my brother, and sister, " and mother} Now, have you not done the will of " his Father ?

" Exult, 0 ye Widows of Christ ! for ye have " vowed a holy continency to Him, that made Vir- " ginity fruitful. And thou, too, O nuptial chastity ! " you, I mean, that are faithful in the married state, " you also may exult ; for what you lose in the body, " you do not lose in your hearts. * * Let your soul " be virginal by its faith, for it is by her Faith that "the Church is a Virgin. * * Jesus is Truth, and " Peace, and Justice ; conceive him by your faith, " give him birth by your good works ; in order that " what the womb of Mary did in the Flesh of Jesus, " your heart may do in the law of Jesus. Believe " me, you yourselves are children of virginity, for are " you not the members of Christ ? Mary is Mother " of Jesus, who is our Head ; and the Church is the " mother of you who are his Members. Yes, the " Church is, like Mary, both Mother and Virgin : she " is Mother, by her tender charity ; and Virgin, by " the purity of her faith and holiness."2

But, the Holy Sacrifice is about to commence. The Introit tells us of the Birth of Jesus our Sun of Justice. The brightness of his first rising, is the presage of his mid-day splendour. Strength and Beauty are his. He is armed for victory, and his name is Prince of Peace.

1 St. Matth. xii. 50. s Ninth Sermon On our Lord's Nativity.

INTROIT.

A light shall shine upon us, this day ; because the Lord is born for us : and his name shall be the Wonderful One, God, the Prince of Peace, the Father of the world to come ; of whose reign there shall be no end.

Ps. The Lord hath reigned, he is clothed with beauty : the Lord is clothed with strength, and hath girded himself, "ff. Glory, &c. A light.

Lux fulgebit hodie super nos ; quia natus est nobis Dominus : et vocabitur Admirabilis, Deus, Princeps pacis, Pater futuri saeculi ; cujus regni non erit finis.

Ps. Dominus regnavit, decorem indutus est : indutus est Dominus fortitudinem, et praecinxit se. "ff. Gloria Patri. Lux fulgebit.

The prayer of the Church, in this the Mass of the Aurora, is the begging of God to pour upon our souls the rays of the Sun of Justice, that so we may become fruitful in works of Light, and be no more the slaves of darkness.

COLLECT.

Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that as we are enlightened by the new light of thy Word become flesh , we may show, in our actions, the effects of that faith, which shineth in our minds. Through the same, &c.

Da nobis, quaesumus, omnipotens Deus, ut qui nova incarnati Verbi tui luce perfundimur, hoc in nostro respondeat opere, quod per fidem fulget in mente. Per eumdem.

Commemoration of St. Anastasia.

Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that as we celebrate the solemnity of blessed Anastasia, thy Martyr, we may be sensible of the effects of her prayers to thee in our behalf. Through, &c.

Da, quaesumus, omnipotens Deus, ut qui beatae Anastasiae, Martyris tuae, solemnia colimus, ejus apud te patrocinia sentiamus. Per Dominum.

EPISTLE.

Lectio Epistolae beati Pauli Lesson of the Epistle of Saint Apostoli ad Titum. Paul the Apostle to Titus.

Cap. III. Ch. III.

Charissime : apparuit be- Most dearly beloved : the nignitas et humanitas Sal- goodness and kindness of God vatoris nostri Dei : non ex our Saviour appeared : not by operibus justitiae, quae feci- the works of justice, which we mus nos ; sed secundum su- have done, but according to am misericorcliam salvos nos his mercy, he saved us, by the fecit per lavacrum regenera- laver of regeneration and reno- tionis, et renovationis Spi- vation of the Holy Ghost, ritus Sancti, quern effudit whom he hath poured forth in nos abunde per Jesum upon us abundantly, through

Christum Salvatorem nos- Jesus Christ our Saviour : that trum : ut justificati gratia being justified by his grace, ipsius, hseredes simus secun- we may be heirs according to dum spem vitse aeternae, in hope of life everlasting,

Christo Jesu Domino nos- through Jesus Christ our tro. Lord.

This Sun which has appeared on our earth, is God our Saviour, full of tenderest mercy. We were far off from God, and were sitting in the shades of death — the rays of the divine Light had to reach down to us in the deep abyss of our sins ; and now, praise be to this Infinite Mercy ! we are set free, and, with our freedom, have received regeneration, justification, and heirship to eternal life. Who shall henceforth separate us from the love of this Infant Jesus ? Is it possible, that we ourselves can ever frustrate the designs of that love, by rendering all that it has done for us useless, and becoming once more the slaves of darkness and death ? May God forbid it I and grant us grace to maintain our hope of everlasting life, which the Mystery of our Redemption has purchased for us.

GRADUAL.

Benedictus qui venit in Blessed be he that cometh

CHKISTMAS BAY: SECOND MASS. in the name of the Lord : the Lord is our God, and he hath shone upon us.

$". This is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful in our eyes.

Alleluia, alleluia.

"ft. The Lord hath reigned, he is clothed with beauty : the Lord is clothed with strength, and hath girded himself with might. Alleluia. nomine Domini : Deus Dominus, et illuxit nobis.

$". A Domino factum est istud, et est mirabile in oculis nostris.

Alleluia, alleluia.

$". Dominus regnavit, decoreminduit : induitDomiminus fortitudinem, et praecinxit se virtute. Alleluia.

Sequel of the holy Gospel according to Luke.

Oh. ii.

At that time : The Shepherds said one to another : Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this word, that has come to pass, which the Lord hath showed to us. And they came with haste ; and they found Mary and Joseph, and the Infant lying in a manger. And seeing, they understood of the word, that had been spoken to them, concerning this Child. And all that heard, wondered ; and at those things that were told them by the Shepherds. But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart. And the Shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Lucam.

Cap. II.

In illo tempore : Pastores loquebantur ad invicem : Transeamus usque Bethlehem, et videamus hoc verbum quod factum est, quod Dominus ostendit nobis. Et venerunt festinantes ; et invenerunt Mariam et Joseph, et infantem positum in prsesepio. Videntes autem cognoverunt de verbo quod dictum erat illis de puero hoc. Et omnes qui audierunt, mirati sunt, et de his quse dicta erant a pastoribus ad ipsos. Maria autem conservabat omnia verba hsec, conferens in corde suo. Et reversi sunt pastores glorificantes et laudantes Deum in omnibus quae audierant et viderant, sicut dictum est ad illos.

Let us imitate trie earnestness of the Shepherds in their hastening to Jesus. No sooner do they hear the Angel's words, than they start for the holy Stable in Bethlehem. Once in the presence of the Divine Infant, they know him by the sign that had been given them by the Angel ; and Jesus is born in their souls by his grace. These happy men delight, now, in their poverty, for they find that He, too, is poor. They feel that they are united to him for ever, and their whole lives shall testify to the change that this December Night has worked in them. They do not keep the great event to themselves ; they tell every one about the Babe of Bethlehem, they become his Apostles, and their burning words fill their listeners with astonishment. Like them, let us glorify the great God, who, not satisfied with calling us to the admirable Light, has set it in the very centre of our hearts, by uniting us to himself. Let us often think of the Mysteries of this glorious Night, after the example of Mary, who keeps unceasingly in her most pure Heart the wonderful things that God has been accomplishing by her and in her.

During the Offertory of the sacred gifts, the Church extols the power of our Emmanuel, who, that he might reform this fallen world, humbled himself so far, as to have a few poor Shepherds for his courtiers, He whose Throne and Divinity are from eternity.

OFFERTORY.

Deus firmavit orbem terrse, qui non commovebitur : parata sedes tua, Deus, ex tunc ; a saeculo tu es.

God hath established the world, which shall not be moved : thy throne, 0 God, is prepared from of old ; thou art from everlasting.

SECRET.

Munera nostra, qusesu- May the offerings, 0 Lord, mus, Domine, Nativitatis we make, be agreeable to the hodiernse mysteriis apta mystery of this day's Birth, proveniant, et pacem nobis and always pour forth peace semper infundant : ut, sicut upon us : that as He, who, homo genitus idem refulsit though born Man, showed him- et Deus ; sic nobis haec self also God, so may this earthly substance give us that terrena substantia conferat which is divine. Through the quod divinum est. Pereumsame, &c. dem.

Commemoration

Graciously receive, 0 Lord, we beseech thee, our offerings, and grant, by the merits of blessed Anastasia, thy Martyr, that they may avail to our salvation. Through, <kc. of St. Anastasia.

Accipe, qusesumus, Domine, munera dignanter oblata : et beatas Anastasia?, martyris tuae, suffragantibus meritis, ad nostra? salutis auxilium provenire concede. Per Dominum.

After both Priest and people have communicated, the holy Church, all illumined with the sweet Light of her Spouse, to whom she has just been united, applies to herself the words, which the Prophet Zachary formerly addressed to her, when he announced the coming of the King, her Saviour.

COMMUNION.

Rejoice, 0 daughter of Sion • shout for joy, 0 daughter of Jerusalem : behold ! thy King will come to thee, the Holy One, and the Saviour of the world.

Exsulta, filia Sion ; lauda, filia Jerusalem : ecce Rex tuus venit Sanctus, et Salvator mundi.

POSTCOMMUNION.

May we, 0 Lord, always receive new Light from this Sacrament, which reneweth to us the memory of that wonderful Birth, which destroyed the old man. Through the same, doc.

Hujus nos, Domine, sacramenti semper novitas natalis instauret : cujus nativitas singularis humanam repulit vetustatem. Per eumdem Dominum.

Commemoration of St. Anastasia.

Thou hast fed, O Lord, thy family with these sacred oblations ; ever, therefore, comfort us with her intercession, whose feast we celebrate. Through, <kc.

Satiasti, Domine, familiam tuam muneribus sacris : ejus, quaesumus, interventione nos refove, cujus solemnia celebramus. Per Dominum.

The Mass of the Aurora ended, and the Birth of Grace having been honoured by this second immolation of the divine Immortal Victim — the Faithful retire from the Church, that they may refresh themselves by sleep, and so, be in readiness for the Third Mass.

Mary and Joseph are in the Stable of Bethlehem, watching near the Crib. The light which reflects from the new-born Babe, and which surpasses the brightness of the sun that is just rising, fills the Cave and shines on the rocks outside ; but, now that the Shepherds are gone, and the Angels are singing elsewhere, there is silence in the sacred grotto. As we lie down to take our rest, let us think upon the Divine Infant, and how he passes this his first night, in his humble Crib. That he may conform to the necessities of our human nature, which he has assumed, he closes his tender eye-lids, and sleep comes, because he so wills it, and lulls his senses to rest: — but, even while asleep, his heart watcheth, offering itself unceasingly for us. At times, he smiles on his Mother, who keeps her eyes fixed on him, loving him as She alone can love ; he prays to his Eternal Father, and implores pardon for guilty man ; he expiates for our pride by his own humiliations ; he shows himself to us as the model of the infancy we must now begin to practise. Let us ask him to give us of the merit which attaches to this his sleep ; that so, after having slept in peace, we may wake in his grace, and walk on, strenuously, in the path we have now entered.

1 Cant. v. 2.

CHRISTMAS MORNING.

BEFORE MASS.

The merry-pealing Bells have wakened us up, echoing to us the sweet burden of our Matin-Song, and inviting us to come once more and adore our Jesus, and assist at the Mass of the Day, which we call the Third Mass : Christ is born unto us ; come ! let us adore !

The sun is shining in the east — not, indeed, as he will in his summer's pride ; — still, brightly enough to tell us, that his triumph over winter has begun. Now, we say, the day will grow longer ! Under this emblem, let us see and adore our Sun of Justice, Jesus, our sweet Saviour, who has also begun, to-day, to run his triumphant course I1

Until the hour of Mass comes, let us keep up in our souls the spirit of this glorious Festival, by reading the following selections from the ancient Liturgies. They are full of joy and tender devotion, and tell us, of the triumph of Light, of the loveliness of the new-born Babe, and of the glory of the Virgin- Mother.

We will begin with these stanzas of Prudentius, the prince of Christian Poets : they are taken from his Hymn, which is thus headed : The Eighth of the Kalends of January : (VIII. Kal. Januarias.)

HYMN.

Why is it, that the Sun, Quid est, quod arctum cirwhich rises to-day, leaves his culum narrow path ] Is it not, that Sol jam recurrens deserit ?

1 Ps. xviii. 6.

CHEISTMAS.

Christusne terris nascitur Qui lucis auget tramitem ?

Heu, quani fugacem gratiam Festina volvebat dies ! Quam pene subductam fa- cem. Sensim recisa extinxerat !

Coelum nitescat lsetius, Gratetur et gaudens humus ; Scandit gradatim denuo Jubar priores lineas.

Te cuncta nascentem, puer, Sensere dura, et barbara, Victusque saxorum rigor Obduxit herbam cotibus.

Jam mella de scopulis fluunt, Jam stillat ilex arido Sudans amomum stipite ; Jam sunt myricis balsama.

0 sancta prsesepis tui, iEterne Rex, cunabula, Populisque per seclum sacra, Mutis et ipsis credita.

Jesus is born on our earth, Jesus, who comes to widen for us the way of Light 1

Ah ! how speedily did the rapid Day turn his sweet face from us ! how, each time, shorter was his stay, preparing us for total night !

But now, let the heavens wear brighter looks, and the glad earth be happy, for, the Sun begins, once more, to mount the longer path.

Dear Infant Jesus ! all things, however hard and se/iseless, feel that thou art born : the very stones relent, and verdure comes from rocks.

The flinty mountain-side drips now with honey ; the oak's stiff trunk now sweats its sappy tears ; and balsam oozes now from humblest shrub.

How holy is thy cradle-crib, 0 King eternal ! How sacred ever to mankind ! Nay, the very Ox and Ass stand over it as theirs !

Now let us listen to the several Churches, beginning with those of the East, as being nearest to the country where the great Event took place. First, comes the Church of Syria; her Chanter is St. Ephraim ; and he begins his song thus :

Nato Filio, lumen affulsit, et ex mundo tenebrse fugatse, illuminatusque est orbis ; laudes ergo referat Nato, qui ilium illuminavit.

Ortus est ex utero Virginis, eoque viso defecerunt umbrse : et tenebrae erroris ab eo expulsae ; orbisque

The Son of God is born — Light has shone forth, darkness has fled from the earth, and the world is enlightened ; let it praise the New-Born Babe, that gave it light.