TRUE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT


by Rev. Edward J. Sutfin


Copyright 1955 by St. Meinrad Archabbey, Inc.
St. Meinrad, Indiana 
GRAIL PUBLICATIONS


NIHIL OBSTAT:
FRANCIS J. REINE, S.T.D.
Censor librorum

IMPRIMATUR:
+ PAUL C. SCHULTE, D.D
Archbishop of Indianapolis

September 25, 1955



TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD

CHAPTER 1
     The First Sunday in Advent
     St. Nicholas
     The Immaculate Conception

CHAPTER 2
     The Second Sunday in Advent
     St. Lucy

CHAPTER 3
     The Third Sunday in Advent
     The "O" Antiphons

CHAPTER 4
     Ember Days and the Fourth Sunday in Advent
     Ember Wednesday (Missa Aurea)
     Ember Friday
     Ember Saturday
     The Fourth Sunday in Advent

CHAPTER 5 
     The Vigil and Feast of the Nativity of the Savior 
     The Vigil of the Nativity (Christmas Eve) 
     The Feast of the Nativity (Christmas Day) 

CHAPTER 6
     The Court of the King-Savior
     St. Stephen 
     St. John the Apostle 
     The Holy Innocents 

CHAPTER 7
     The Feast of the Circumcision and the Holy Name of Jesus

CHAPTER 8
     The Epiphany
     The Twelfth Night (January 5)
     The Feast of the Epiphany (January 6)
     First Sunday After Epiphany: Feast of the Holy Family
     Commemoration of The Baptism of Our Lord

CHAPTER 9
     The Feast of the Purification: Candlemas Day 

CHAPTER 10
     Other Feasts during the Year which belong to the Cycle
     The Annunciation
     St. John the Baptist
     The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin and the Holy Name of Mary

APPENDIX I
     Liturgical Synthesis 

APPENDIX II
     A Christmas Jesse Tree: The Christmas Sky

APPENDIX III
     Liturgical Usage of Scripture during the Cycle

GLOSSARY

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY




FOREWORD

IT is a pleasant experience to be requested by educators to 
assist them in teaching the liturgy to children. The occasion for 
the writing of these notes was the Ursuline Educational 
Conference which took place at Mount Merici Academy in 
Waterville, Maine, on February 23, 1953. I am deeply indebted to 
Mother Gonzaga L'Heureux and to Reverend Mother Therese Walsh for 
their encouragement and enthusiasm.

Many of the suggestions contained in these notes may appear to be 
alien to our present-day American mentality. The treasury of 
world literature and custom, however, should be more appreciated 
in our country than in any other country in the world, for our 
nation is made up of nearly every race and culture. Obviously, 
coordination and integration is necessary in order to synthesize 
our own cosmopolitan approach. It would be impossible to execute 
all of the suggestions which are offered here. Our purpose has 
been principally to develop the fundamental dogmatic background 
of the Christmas Liturgy, and then to suggest ideas of every sort 
by which the spirit of the Church may be brought to children. The 
application of one or many of these ideas must depend upon the 
home, school and cultural circumstances in which they are tried.

Even in Europe many charming folk traditions have been abandoned. 
Our own ancestors often felt forced to adopt the customs and 
language of the new world too eagerly. Folk-lore in the recent 
past was regarded by many Americans as old fashioned and crude. 
Today, we are beginning to realize that the vivid and lively 
traditions of Europe are necessary in building up our own 
culture. Children find in folk-lore a natural, unsophisticated 
outlet of expression. We speak of our children as the hope of our 
nation. Allow them to profit by liturgy and folk tradition, and 
they shall integrate a truly American culture which is both 
contemporary and open-minded to history and to the world at 
large. The Church always finds old and new treasures of grace in 
her storehouse of scripture and tradition. We must take every 
means of helping our children to find them.

Three other educators have constantly been in mind while writing 
these notes: My first grade teacher, Sister Mary Joan O.P., who 
has done such admirable work upon the grade school curriculum at 
the Catholic University of America; Miss Alma Savage of New York 
City, who is the literary mother of so many American children; 
and Miss Sara B. O'Neill, whose devotion to children, the liturgy 
and Catholic books has helped so greatly to bring the fullness of 
Christ to Catholics in our country.

EDWARD J. SUTFIN
MARIAWALD,
(Our Lady of the Snows, 1955)



CHAPTER 1: THE FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT

(Station at St. Mary Major)

THE Collect Prayer of the first Sunday in Advent is an 
impassioned plea which arouses family and school from the 
lethargy of "just ordinary days." It begins, "Stir up Thy power, 
we beseech Thee, O Lord, and come!" What a change and what a stir 
the realization that we have come upon the first Sunday in Advent 
makes within the soul! The warmth of new life and of a new year 
courses through our veins, and everything inspires us with hope, 
longing and excitement.

Therese Mueller, in "Our Children's Year of Grace," gives us some 
idea of what should inspire Christian parents at the opening of 
Advent: "With the beginning of a new year of grace, we parents 
face the responsibility of keeping our children in close touch 
with Mother Church, for she shows us the way to a fuller 
understanding of the sacred mysteries of our religion, wisely 
represented in the course of the liturgical seasons. Then let us 
use in the 'mother school' or 'home school' everything that helps 
our children to understand and to penetrate deeper into their 
faith. There must be no exclusion of the little ones, for they 
are still so near to the wisdom of paradise that they often 
express things in simple ways more clearly than we do with many 
words. So we tell the children that Advent means arrival, coming, 
and emphasize that it stands first of all for the approach of the 
promised Messias, and secondly for the return of the ascended 
Christ at the end of the world. Both thoughts are expressed in 
the liturgy of the Advent and Christmas season, including the 
feast of the Epiphany, which not only celebrates the revelation 
of the divinity of Christ...but also the final revelation of his 
Kingship in the last judgment."1

During the week before the beginning of Advent, the father of the 
family has to stir himself from his easy chair and take the 
children out into the forest. Even if the family lives in a big 
city, he has to make a trip to his friend the florist, or to one 
of his friends who has a larger garden or a patch of woodland. 
Evergreens of some sort must be gathered for the Advent wreath. 
Because his boys are good scouts, they all choose branches which 
will not harm the trees nor mar their beauty. Besides the Advent 
wreath, a few extra branches should be gleaned in order to 
decorate the Jerusalem of their home. Are not the pine cones 
which they gather on the forest floor a wonderful reminder of the 
need of new life?

Mother must make a shopping expedition with her daughters; and 
what a job it is to find some violet ribbon, not too dark, not 
too gay, but just the right hue to express the longing of the 
Advent season. Then the candles must be obtained. Perhaps these 
could be sought at church, for blessed candles lend solemnity to 
the occasion and remind us of the pure beeswax which symbolizes 
the wholesome and pure body of the resurrected Saviour. Of 
course, we could buy several other things now, but it is so much 
more fun to make several trips to the stores. This way each 
succeeding feast of the season becomes a "special occasion."

On the Saturday evening before the first Sunday, the family 
gathers to put the wreath together. The children learn that the 
circle of the wreath represents eternity, or the unceasing flow 
of the sun following its prescribed course; the four candles 
divide the time, representing the "four thousand" years of 
waiting for the arrival of the Saviour. When all is in readiness, 
the wreath is suspended at some prominent place in the house, or 
else it may be placed upon a table which serves as a family 
altar. Then the family prepares for the Sunday Mass. "The King, 
the Saviour, will come, let us adore Him" (Invitatory for 
Matins).

The first spiritual preparation of the family centers about a 
full understanding of Holy Mass, of the three comings of our 
Lord: as the child at Bethlehem, as the Judge at the end of the 
world, and in sanctifying grace each day, provided we stay away 
from sin, and remain always ready to offer Him the thanksgiving 
which is the Mass and to incorporate ourselves into Him at Holy 
Communion. At the end of this preparation, or at the Sunday 
dinner, the father of the family begins the family prayer with 
the blessing of the wreath, and the oration for the First Sunday. 
In the light of the single candle the children lift up their 
voices in an Advent song.

We may scarcely neglect the importance of music in the education 
of the children, and we should do well to educate their tastes by 
good music with verses which are theologically sound. Perhaps it 
would be for the best if we were to forget many of the songs 
which we as adults know and love, and place the musical education 
of our children upon a basis as objective as possible. If we 
remember the "Motu Proprio" of Pius X and the various documents 
of Mother Church on the subject of religious music, we shall 
wisely apply their sound counsel to the musical education of our 
children. Instead of having the children learn "Jingle Bells," 
"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas," "Santa Claus Is Coming to 
Town" and the like, let us turn to better and more appropriate 
melodies and verses. The children will hear enough of all the 
paganized versions of Christmas songs from mid-November on--the 
stores and shops assure that. Further, it is not yet the time, 
when we have come to the First Sunday of Advent, to be singing 
Christmas songs. We shall sing these when Christmas arrives.

There are four songs which are appropriate and readily available 
for early Advent. The first one is, of course, the "Rorate Coeli" 
(well-translated into a singable English version, available from 
St. John's Abbey, Collegeville, Minn.) The longing of the ancient 
world for the coming of the Saviour, expressed in the words of 
Isaias, is adequately voiced in this love song. Learn it well, 
and the children will look forward to this hymn as the beginning 
of the joyous Christmastide.

The Vesper hymn of Advent is even more simple and appealing to 
children:

     "Creator of the stars of night,
     Thy people's everlasting light, 
     Jesus, Redeemer, save us all
     And hear Thy servants when they call...."

Indeed, this Vesper hymn pertains to the very liturgy itself, and 
along with the "Alma Redemptoris Mater" should become the theme 
song of Advent. The latter antiphon may be sung on the simple or 
the solemn tone. Some children seem to prefer the solemn one, and 
you may well imagine the joy in Mary's heart when-she hears 
children singing "Loving Mother of the Redeemer!" An old German 
mediaeval carol may be added to our list, a splendid little 
Advent song based on an ancient legend: "Maria Walks amid the 
Thorn." The recurrent "Kyrie eleison" will help to teach the 
children the Advent-like quality of the Kyrie at Holy Mass--the 
longing appeal to the mercy of the Trinity through the 
Incarnation and Redemption. May Isaias and our Blessed Mother be 
the heart and soul of our children's Advent carols!

Life is not so simple, however, once Advent has begun. As 
Florence Berger remarks in "Cooking for Christ": "At the very 
First Sunday of Advent, we women hear the warning to get busy; 
'Stir up Thy power, we beseech Thee, O Lord, and come!' It is the 
time to hurry home and stir up your plum puddings. In England 
even today this is known as 'Stir-up Sunday.' The more you can 
stir a pudding the better. Each member of the family should come 
and give a good stir. Plum puddings are deliberate affairs. It 
takes a bit of gathering and garnering before we begin. Look over 
your favorite recipe for plum pudding.... Let it make the 
children long for it during the entire Advent. If Advent is not a 
season for Christmas parties, it is at least a season to mortify 
the soul by good smells."2

Before our discussion of the first week of Advent becomes too 
extensive, let's consider some appropriate readings for the 
season. There are few better than the Scripture readings of 
Isaias according to the Roman Breviary, the Rorate Mass of the 
Blessed Virgin during Advent, the text of the Sundays of Advent 
in the Missal, the "Christmas cycle" of Pius Parsch in "Das Jahr 
des Heiles," or of Abbot Gueranger in "The Liturgical Year." A 
hidden treasure chest of inspirations and ideas may be discovered 
by digging about and uncovering the contents of these volumes. In 
addition, there are many collections of Christmas stories, some 
of which are associated with Advent. Perhaps you may choose the 
story of "The Other Wise Man" by Henry Van Dyke But of all the 
stories, none are comparable to the liturgy itself, and Pius 
Parsch does wonderfully well in offering it to our twentieth 
century. The great advantage of his work lies in the fact that he 
centers our attention upon Holy Mass, the Divine Office and the 
Ritual. With these, and a profound understanding and imagination 
of our own, we cannot lead the children far astray.

One last comment. Children in the Middle Ages were taught the 
Psalter instead of being obliged to memorize so many useless 
ditties such as "Little Orphan Annie." The Advent psalms are 
psalms 24, 79, 84 and 18. It must be admitted that the psalm of 
the first week in Advent, psalm 24, is indeed a little difficult 
for children to understand. But after all, this psalm is the 
constant refrain of the First Sunday in Advent. Learn about it 
yourself, meditate upon it a while, and then see if it is really 
so difficult that you cannot interest children in its beauty.


ST. NICHOLAS (December 6)

Even though we resolve not to celebrate Christmas parties during 
the season of Advent, Mother Church always seems to find some 
reason or other to rejoice even during her most solemn 
penitential seasons. The Spouse just cannot be unhappy and 
joyless as long as the Bridegroom is present each day at Holy 
Mass. Even during Holy Week we hear of the "happy fault" of Adam, 
the "blessed Passion" of Christ, and the Cross becomes a symbol 
of triumph, the joy of Christians. Almost at the very outset of 
Advent, we gather the children together on the eve of St. 
Nicholas to celebrate the feast of this famous bishop.

St. Nicholas is the patron of many different groups of people, 
and for hundreds of years has been a popular saint in the East 
and in the West, greatly venerated as a wonder-worker. He is the 
patron of mariners, bankers, pawn-brokers, scholars and thieves! 
One legend tells of an occasion when the saints were gathered in 
heaven to converse and drink a little wine together. St. Basil 
filled the golden cups from a golden jug, and while all were 
engaged in conversation, it was noticed that St. Nicholas was 
nodding. One of the blessed nudged him until he awoke, and asked 
the cause for his slumbers. "Well, you see," he told them, "the 
enemy has raised a fearful storm in the Aegean. My body was 
dozing, perhaps, but my spirit was bringing the ships safe to 
shore."

He is especially the saint of children, and is known in various 
countries as Santa Claus, Kris Kringle and Pelznickel. Servants 
have been invented to accompany him and to deal with those 
children who have been disobedient and naughty. Since St. 
Nicholas is considered too kind to give scoldings and 
punishments, in Austria it is Krampus, in Germany Knecht 
Ruprecht, and in Holland Black Peter who goes along with him 
armed with a stout switch, while St. Nicholas merely hands gifts 
to the children without even noticing the bad little boys and 
girls. A very old legend tells of his kindness to three daughters 
of a poor nobleman. Since they had no dowry, they were to be sold 
into slavery. St. Nicholas learned of this and on three 
successive nights dropped a bag of gold for them down the 
chimney. This is said to explain the three balls over the shops 
of pawnbrokers, and why St. Nicholas drops his gifts for children 
down the chimney.

Nicholas was born at Patara in Lycia in the third century. His 
parents, who had been growing old without having a child, are 
said to have obtained him by force of prayer. Nicholas, losing 
his father and mother at an early age, devoted his life to the 
poor and afflicted of every kind. Late in his life, after he had 
been made Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey) 
Nicholas suffered imprisonment for his faith. He died tranquilly 
in his episcopal city pronouncing the words, "Into Thy hands, O 
Lord, I commend my spirit"--words which have become the short 
responsory of Compline. Since 1087 his relics have been preserved 
at Bari in Italy.

Devotion to St. Nicholas began in his native Asia Minor, and was 
brought to Russia by an emperor who was witness to his miraculous 
works. The devotion spread through Lapland and into Scandinavia, 
thence to all Europe and across to the New World. In early times, 
Nicholas was pictured as a kind, lean, ascetic bishop, but in 
America he became fat and jolly. His miter turned into a winter 
bonnet, his vestments became a snow suit. He retained his 
reindeer from Lapland, his love for chimneys from his own Asia 
Minor, and his love of children from all time.

A French legend relates that Our Lady once gave him the whole of 
the province of Lorraine as a reward for his kindness. As the 
children of that province hang up their stockings, they say:

          "Saint Nicholas, mon bon patron,
          Envoyez-moi quelqu'chose de bon."

In Holland, St. Nicholas puts in an appearance on the eve of his 
feast, accompanied by Black Peter. As the children sing, the door 
flies open and candies and nuts begin to fly all over the floor. 
After the jolly saint leaves, hot punch, chocolate and boiled 
chestnuts with butter and sugar are served. The following morning 
children find their shoes filled with candy hearts spice cakes, 
letter bankets (candies or cake bearing the child's initials), 
ginger cakes, or taii-taii in patterns of birds and fish, and 
even in the form of the saint.

In Switzerland, St. Nicholas parades the streets with his arms 
full of red apples, cookies and prunes for the children. In 
Austria and Germany he throws gilded nuts in at the door while 
Krampus or Rupprecht may throw in a few birch twigs. In Poland, 
if there is a red sunset on Saint Nicholas' day, it is said to be 
because angels are busy baking the saint's honey cakes.

With this much background of legend and adventure, all sorts of 
ideas could be brought to the fore for a celebration and party 
for the children on the eve or on the feast of St. Nicholas 
Ordinarily, it would be well to have the party on the vigil as a 
preparation for the Mass of St. Nicholas on the following day. 
After Mass the children could return home to find their stockings 
filled with all sorts of good things. The person who takes the 
part of St. Nicholas should really look like a bishop, and 
preferably be dressed in the costume of an early Oriental bishop. 
What a wonderful opportunity to study ecclesiastical attire in 
the early Church as mothers and friends make vestments for St. 
Nicholas and the costume of his servant! Each child may be 
addressed personally by name by the bishop, praised for his good 
deeds, given a little gift. The party could continue with 
appropriate games and songs, with the story of St. Nicholas, and 
explanations of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. There is no 
longer any need for mothers and fathers to delude their children 
with nonsense about mythical Santas in outlandish snowsuits. Let 
us christianize our children's lives by retaining veracity and 
reality and substituting for Santa Claus the lean and kind 
ascetic bishop St. Nicholas. For inspiration and variety a little 
imagination and a prayer to St. Nicholas will do the trick. 
Perhaps at the party a prayer could be offered for the poor and 
orphan children of the world.

As far as songs and poems are concerned, we remember well the 
poem of Clement C. Moore, "A Visit From St. Nicholas" ("'Twas the 
night before Christmas, when all through the house...."); also 
the song "Jolly Old St. Nicholas, lend your ear this way...."; 
and in French the "Legende de St. Nicholas."

Recipes for the feast are never wanting. Florence Berger's 
"Cooking for Christ," mentioned above, and Katherine Burton and 
Helmut Ripperger's "Feast Day Cookbook" supply the need for 
"speculatius," "ciastka miodowe" (honey cakes), and "rozijnon 
hoekies" (raisin cookies). A little "bishopwyn" for the cold 
vigil makes the parents glow with happiness. "Dutch Treat," an 
Advent cooky, goes well with that.


THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

With such a glorious feast as this during the month of December, 
we are almost tempted to give up all hope of doing much penance 
during the season of Advent. On December 8 we celebrate the 
wondrous moment when the Blessed Virgin began her existence in 
this world. At the same time we celebrate the sublime privilege 
by which Mary, alone among all human beings and in virtue of the 
future merits of Christ, was preserved at the very first moment 
of conception from the stain of original sin. It is true, of 
course, that in origin and in principle this great feast does not 
have any relationship with the time of Advent. It was fixed on 
December 8 in order to separate the feast by nine months from the 
date of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin on September 8. 
However, in celebrating this feast we may easily enter into the 
spirit of Christmastide, for the feast is like the dawn of the 
Sun of Christmas. Mary is our hope, guide, and mother along the 
path of salvation.

The vigil of the Immaculate Conception is an opportune time to 
introduce the children to the practice of lighting a special 
Advent candle in Mary's honor. The Advent candle expresses 
symbolically the words of Isaias, "There shall come forth a rod 
out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of this 
root." A beautiful candle is placed in a candleholder, which is 
covered with a white silk cloth tied together with ribbon. The 
candle is then placed before an image, statue or ikon of our Lady 
before which the family prays to the Mother of God. This ancient 
custom preaches its lesson with an eloquent simplicity which is 
comprehensible to little children. The covered candleholder 
represents the rod out of the root of Jesse, Our Lady, from whose 
womb will come the Saviour of the world. The candle represents 
Christ, the Light of the World, who shall come to dispel all 
darkness and stain of sin. In conjunction with this little 
ceremony, one of the family could tell of the purity and 
childlike simplicity of our Blessed Mother, and of how she came 
to be the mother of us all.

Some of the prophetic lessons of Isaias could also be read, along 
with Gertrude von le Fort's poem to Our Lady of Advent, from 
"Hymns to the Church." The singing of the "Alma Redemptoris 
Mater," or the beautiful "Tota Pulchra Es" of Dom Pothierwould be 
a suitable conclusion for the little ceremony.

Several remarks may be added concerning the hymns which we teach 
children in honor of Our Lady. Much bad taste, musical and 
theological, has entered into the praises of Our Lady. It would 
indeed be wise always to teach children only the best, and that 
which is always truthful and in accord with reality. Would we 
dare to compare "Macula non est in te," "Mother Dear, O Pray for 
Me," "On This Day, O Beautiful Mother," or "Bring Flowers of the 
Rarest," with the "Ave, Maris Stella" (sung in English, perhaps; 
but you will find that the children easily come to love and 
understand the Latin); the "Ave Maria," as edited by Solesmes; 
the sequence "Inviolata"; the hymn "Maria Mater Gratiae," or the 
"Tota Pulchra Es" of Dom Pothier?

Mother Church recommends the "Ave Maris Stella," which is the 
vesper hymn of the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Compare 
the theology of this hymn with the sentimental ballads which are 
customarily taught to children in honor of their heavenly Mother 
and Mediatrix:

          Ave, Star of ocean, 
          Child divine who bearest, 
          Mother, ever Virgin, 
          Heaven's portal fairest.

          Taking that sweet Ave 
          Erst by Gabriel spoken, 
          Eva's name reversing, 
          Be of peace the token.

          Break the sinner's fetters, 
          Light to blind restoring, 
          All our ills dispelling, 
          Every boon imploring.

          Show thyself a mother 
          In thy supplication, 
          He will hear who chose thee 
          At His Incarnation.

          Maid all maids excelling, 
          Passing meek and lowly, 
          Win for sinners pardon, 
          Make us chaste and holy.

          As we onward journey 
          Aid our weak endeavor, 
          Till we gaze on Jesus 
          And rejoice forever.

          Father, Son, and Spirit, 
          Three in One confessing, 
          Give we equal glory 
          Equal praise and blessing.

                         --Ethelstan Riley translation

Should we desire other hymns in honor of the Immaculate 
Conception, we may choose such hymns and carols as "A Child Is 
Born in Bethlehem," or the superb German Advent carol "Behold, a 
Branch Is Growing." The latter, a fifteenth-century carol 
harmonized by Praetorius, is given below:

          Behold a branch is growing 
          Of loveliest form and grace. 
          As prophets sung, foreknowing; 
          It springs from Jesse's race.
               And bears one little flower. 
          In midst of coldest winter, 
          At deepest midnight hour.
          Isaiah hath foretold it
          In words of promise sure, 
          And Mary's arms enfold it, 
          A Virgin meek and pure.
               Through God's eternal will, 
          This Child to her is given 
          At midnight calm and still.

Even the cook is not allowed respite during the octave of the 
Immaculate Conception, for it is time to make Moravian "Spritz" 
for the children. Ordinarily these gingerbread cookies are made 
for the vigil of the Immaculate Conception since Mary, too, "gave 
forth sweet smell like cinnamon and aromatic balm and yielded a 
sweet odor like the best myrrh." These cookies are loaded with 
fine, aromatic spices, tempting the appetites of any child of 
Mary. The spirit of mortification enters in readily, for the 
cookies must stand for ten days in the refrigerator before 
baking, and are then shaped into Christmas figures, especially 
hearts and liturgical symbols. Later on in the season, when we 
come to Candlemas, we could cut the cookies into the form of 
candles and turtle-doves.

The Immaculate Conception is the Patroness of the United States. 
How often our Holy Father has stated in recent years that the 
hope of peace in the world does not lie in force of arms, but 
rather in prayers and recourse to the intercession of Our Lady. 
The octave of the Immaculate Conception furnishes an admirable 
occasion for a renewal of true love for our country. Children 
should be reminded that the part played by the Church in the 
development of the United States was a very important one. The 
flag could be raised over the school building each day during the 
octave, and after the pledge of allegiance, it would be most 
appropriate to sing a hymn in honor of our Patroness. The whole 
week should foster in the minds and hearts of the children a true 
conception of the meaning of piety, for piety is essentially the 
devotion and love of the child for his parents and homeland. It 
should never be forgotten, moreover, that St. Thomas Aquinas 
associates the virtue of piety with religion as a part of the 
cardinal virtue of justice.



ENDNOTES

1. p. 9. 

2. p. 3.



CHAPTER 2: THE SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT

(Station at the Holy Cross of Jerusalem)

THE theme of this Sunday and of the entire week is the 
preparation of the Spouse and her city, Jerusalem, for the coming 
of the Bridegroom, the Saviour, at Christmas and the Epiphany. 
This is the week during which the children should be made 
enthusiastic about preparation for the Christmas decorations of 
their home. A teacher, mother or father with a little imagination 
may introduce the children to a little archeology. The youngsters 
could be told how, long, long ago people lived in Asia, and how 
with succeeding ages and civilizations and new peoples, cities 
became covered with dust, and other people built cities upon the 
foundations of the old. The stational church of today is the 
Basilica of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem, which always meant to 
the Romans their own city of Jerusalem. This most ancient city 
was that of the Jews, where Our Lord Himself began His divine 
mission of salvation. The Jerusalem of Christianity, the Holy 
Church, has supplanted this city with the new Jerusalem of the 
law of charity. Today the Saviour is to come into the Church, 
into the Jerusalem of the Christians. Upon the rock of the Church 
is built the heavenly Jerusalem which shall be the permanent home 
of the blessed. But the Saviour wishes also to come into a fourth 
Jerusalem, that of our souls and it is especially important that 
we decorate and adorn this last Jerusalem for the coming of the 
Redeemer.

At the Epiphany the Church announces a message of great joy: "Be 
lighted, O Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord is risen upon 
thee." This is the purpose of all Christmas decorations Today, in 
order to receive the visit of the Great King we must prepare 
ourselves in the Jerusalem of our souls. The Church tells us 
today to "awaken our hearts in order to prepare the ways for Thy 
unique Son, that we may serve Him with purified heart" (Oration). 
The proper of the entire Mass of the Second Sunday in Advent 
centers about this preparation, which takes place in the Church 
and in the souls of all Christians: "Rise up and stand upon the 
heights, O Jerusalem, and see the joy which comes from Thy God!" 
(Communion).

The theological content of the preparation of the city and the 
"ways" may easily be conveyed to children. Let the home or the 
classroom become their "Jerusalem." It must then be swept and 
kept very dean, and must be beautifully decorated The home and 
the classroom become a symbol of the interior preparation of 
their souls for the coming of the Christ Child. At home, the 
children prepare a backdrop for their crib in the living room, 
with a silhouette of Jerusalem in the distance; at school, a 
corner of the blackboard could be decorated with a sketch of the 
city. A few garlands of evergreen decorated with ribbons and pine 
cones and other floral adjuncts may be added as the children 
endeavor to prepare themselves more and more for Christmas.

It is high time this week to be thinking of the construction of 
the crib and its figures, and of the ornamentation of the 
Christmas tree.

The crib should be different each year. It may easily become a 
family or classroom project, and each individual should 
contribute something to this community enterprise. All the 
talents of the girls and boys for carving, sewing, designing, 
construction and the like should be utilized in the making of 
this little home-like representation. The children should be 
inflamed with the same love and the same enthusiasm which led St. 
Francis of Assisi to popularize the crib. Cheap statuary must 
cautiously be avoided since everything contributes to the 
formation of the child: his "being" is proportionately diminished 
by anything in any respect inferior. This does not mean that the 
most rare and expensive figurines should be purchased for the 
crib. Far from it. For if the statues are bought, even though 
they may be exquisite in art and craftsmanship, they are not the 
product of the creative spirit of the children. As the great St. 
Thomas would put it, the child should be encouraged in every 
manner to exercise his right as "second cause." It is the glory 
of rational creation that it is able to exercise its causality 
with the materials which are used in co-operation with the 
Creator of his soul. Therefore allow the children to construct 
their own crib--a new one each year.

The office of the teacher, according to St. Augustine in his "De 
Magistro," consists in one of two things: (1) to allow the First 
Cause to operate freely, or (2) to provide the occasion for the 
student to learn directly from the created things themselves. The 
parent or the teacher would do well to describe the city of 
Jerusalem and of Bethlehem to the children. Accompany the 
description with all the aids of visual education, such as 
slides, pictures, paintings, or movies. Art begins with a real 
foundation in things. The symbolic value of art and purity of 
form, however, should never be neglected in the formation of the 
child. The teacher should present the children with samples, 
either pictures or real objects, of excellent models of cribs. 
Even the most modern and most cleverly imaginative forms should 
not be neglected. Perhaps even the rather charming and humorous 
sets made by Lambert-Rucki would appeal to the children.1 After 
this, the teacher should allow free reign to the operation of 
grace, imagination and craftsmanship in the children, guiding 
them suavely only according to their needs.

Honorable mention must be made of certain figures which are often 
left out of crib sets. Where is Isaias, the great prophet of 
Advent? Where is St. John the Baptist, whose spirit of penance 
and preparation overshadows the whole season? It is remarkable 
that after all this time the suite of the Great King never seems 
to surround the Saviour: St. Stephen, St. John the Evangelist, 
the Holy Innocents, St. Anna and St. Simeon! Depending upon the 
ingenuity of the children and their teachers, as well as the size 
of the crib, all these figures should enter at the proper season 
to offer their homage and gifts at the foot of the Incarnate 
Lamb.

It is evident, moreover, that not all the figures that appear in 
the Christmas cycle should appear at the crib simultaneously, 
except perhaps during the octave of the Epiphany. From this 
Sunday on, or as soon as the crib is completed, the various 
personages who appear during the cycle make their entry at the 
children's crib as they prepare the crib for the coming of the 
Son, the boys may be taught to imagine that they are either 
Isaias or St. John the Baptist; the girls may imitate our Blessed 
Lady.

In the spirit of the season of Advent the children should also be 
preparing their own visit to the crib, bearing their own 
spiritual or material gifts in homage to the Lord. The greatest 
gift is the spiritual glorification of the Saviour by an act of 
adoration, thanksgiving and gratitude. This is done chiefly by 
the offering of the greatest act of thanksgiving, the Holy 
Sacrifice of the Mass each day. At Mass, reality replaces the 
external and the symbolic. Other gifts concern love of neighbor 
as well as acts and objects offered at Holy Mass which represent 
any or all the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. The teacher 
must always, in season and out of season, lead children to 
understand that the gift is brought to the Saviour in the reality 
of His sacrificial Banquet, and that the crib is but a poor, 
human exteriorization of what takes place upon the altar of God. 
What a crime it is to divert the attention of children from the 
altar of sacrifice to the crib to such an extent that the first 
thing which caches their eye upon entering church is the crib 
rather than the altar or the Eucharistic Host! Great care must be 
taken to make the children understand that the crib is a homey 
little reminder of the altar.

Need anything be said at all concerning the charlatanism of an 
angel at the crib, who bows his head to say "thank you" as the 
pennies of babies are brought to the Christ Child? Pictures and 
stories from missionary society publications about children and 
orphans in many lands foster the spirit of the Association of the 
Holy Childhood. It is so very wonderful to children to see how 
other little children from far-away lands celebrate the coming of 
the Infant Saviour. Could anything more easily be employed to 
teach children the mark of the universality of the Church?

The next exterior object which customarily decorates the 
Jerusalem of our homes and school is the Christmas tree. During 
the second week in Advent, those who go into the woods to cut 
their own tree should be off to a picnic into the forest. City 
children, for practical reasons, are perhaps obliged to purchase 
their trees a little later on. Our concern at this time, however, 
is rather for the future decoration of the tree. The ornaments of 
the tree as well as the figurines and design of the crib should 
be made by the children themselves and changed each year, so that 
creative imagination may be developed and not stagnate. A little 
competition at school, with suitable little prizes in impeccably 
good taste and quality, might stimulate zeal.

Fundamentally there are two major elements associated with the 
Christmas tree. First, there is the tree itself, which preferably 
should be a living evergreen. (It is sad indeed that trees, at 
least in rural communities are not left with the roots on and 
later replanted). The second element is that of the lights, which 
are the most glamorous decoration of the tree. We realize, of 
course, that the Christmas tree is a relatively modern seasonal 
decoration and that its symbolism may have had pagan beginnings. 
With things as they are, however, the tree may be "baptized" as a 
symbol of the Tree of Life, who is Christ Himself; and the lights 
become symbols of the Light of the World. Holy Mass is divided 
into two distinct parts: the fore-Mass or the Mass of the 
Catechumens where the Light (PHOS) of faith is sought; and the 
Mass of the Faithful, where we are given life (ZOE) by becoming 
incorporated into Christ, the living Vine, the Tree of Life. The 
Christmas tree then becomes a symbol of Holy Mass!

Since the Mass is symbolized by the Christmas tree, we may carry 
our symbolism even further. Christ is the Tree of Life (Genesis 
2,9; Apocalypse 22,2), and His Incarnation brings youth and 
springtime to the Jerusalem of our souls. A "Chi-Rho," the 
ancient Greek symbol for Christ, may very appropriately be placed 
either at the top or in the midst of the tree. What other 
decorations would most suitably be prepared by truly Christian 
children for their Christmas tree? Let the children surprise you.

Regina Laudis, a Benedictine foundation in Bethlehem, Conn., has 
offered the public in recent years some very appropriate 
decorations based principally upon the "O antiphons." They are 
made of plywood, gilded and decorated with gayly colored symbols. 
This idea could very easily and inexpensively be extended even to 
manufactured ornaments, let alone original "creations" of the 
children. For example, if we were to adopt the designs for the "O 
antiphons" which were executed by Gerald Bonnette in "Worship," 
(December, 1952) ordinary tree globes from the five-and-ten-cent 
store could be painted with these symbols. On each of the last 
nine days before Christmas Eve, a new ornament could be added to 
the tree as the antiphon is sung. Other appropriate symbols are 
the "Morning Star" (Ps. 109, 3), Or the Lamb of God. Myriads of 
symbols, designs and shapes must replace the tawdry and 
meaningless ornaments with which we ordinarily allow our trees to 
be decorated. Would not an ornament in the form of a rose 
symbolize the martyr Stephen, a lily the virginity of St. John 
the Apostle, and violet ornaments, edged with white, the 
multitude of the Holy Innocents? If inexpensive ornaments could 
not be made, or purchased and retouched, then the girls could 
busy themselves in the kitchen making goodies and candies 
appropriately wrapped so as to represent the various symbols of 
the season. Candy canes could represent the staffs of the twelve 
Apostles, apples could become martyrs, marshmallows the Holy 
Innocents. Cookies in the form of crowns, keys, stars and candles 
could become "O antiphons." Indeed, it is time for the children 
to busy themselves with the ornaments for their very own 
Christmas tree! The tree will be part of their decoration of the 
home Jerusalem, and not a surprise party brought in by Santa 
Claus.

At Sunday dinner, or perhaps the evening before the Second Sunday 
in Advent as the Mass of the Sunday is prepared together with the 
children, the second candle on the Advent wreath, along with the 
first,  is lighted. The oration of the Mass is read as the family 
prayer. Psalm 79, the psalm of the week, could be memorized at 
least in part with the father and the rest of the family 
alternately reciting the verses:

          "Give ear, O shepherd of Israel, thou who leadest 
               Joseph like a flock.
          Thou who sittest above the Cherubim, shine forth 
               before Ephraim, and Benjamin, and Manasses. 
          Arouse thy strength and come to save us.
          O God, restore us and cause Thy face to shine, 
               that we may be saved...."

In speaking of the Third Sunday in Advent we shall treat more 
extensively of the second element of the "preparation of the 
ways" which lead to the city.


ST. LUCY (December 13) 

With the feast of the valiant virgin-martyr, Lucy, we arrive at 
another increase of the light of Christ, which shines across the 
entire season of Advent. St. Lucy's name is privileged to be in 
the canon of Holy Mass, along with the other "winter" virgins, 
Cecilia, Agnes and Agatha. These four virginal lights illuminate 
the season of physical darkness. Lucy succeeded in imitating 
Mary's purity in her own life, and her feast is in perfect 
harmony with the octave of the Immaculate Virgin. She was a 
virgin of Syracuse in Sicily, noted for her love of the poor and 
for her virginity. What a wonderful handmaid of Our Lady during 
the octave of the Immaculate Conception!

The Gospel of the feast is imbued with the spirit of Advent. It 
offers three parables of Jerusalem, the kingdom of God. The 
kingdom is like a hidden treasure or a priceless pearl, for which 
we sell all that we own; the Church is like a net which catches 
all sorts of fish, which, at the second coming of Christ, the 
Advent at the end of time, are separated--the good from the bad. 
Our Advent preparation for the coming of Christ by grace at 
Christmas is a reminder of that final coming, or "parousia" when 
we shall remain in eternal possession of Christ in His kingdom.

The feast of St. Lucy is a beautiful one, especially for little 
girls. Somehow or other, despite his great kindness for the three 
girls, St. Nicholas seems to be of special interest to boys. Now 
the girls are not neglected in being offered such a wonderful 
model and patron as St. Lucy. In Sweden, Lucy's feast is the 
opening of the Christmas season, and is celebrated with gay 
singing and dancing. Lively children would really find folk 
dancing very vigorous and interesting at their parties (cf. 
Bibliography for books on folk dancing). Games may abound, and 
the queen of the feast who is chosen each year to represent St. 
Lucy is crowned with a garland studded with several candles! 
Since little girls are supposed to take a particular fancy to 
kittens, a special recipe for the feast is to be found in "St. 
Lucy's cats." Yellow buns are shaped into the form of cats, 
having eyes of black raisins, and these are the specialty of the 
day. In "Cooking for Christ," Mrs. Berger makes a rather 
interesting comment about her own experience in making St. Lucy's 
cats:

"Since I was the one who wanted a cat in the first place, I bake 
Saint Lucy's cats and feel like an old witch. It was an ancient 
superstition, you know, that if you wanted to get rid of someone 
or something you told the witch. She would make an image or 
effigy of the hated one out of dough. After scorching him nicely 
in the bonfire, she would eat him and charge you a pretty penny. 
This is where our gingerbread men came from."2 (What a wonderful 
day to tell the children the story of Hansel and Gretel!)

If a party may be held on this day, it would be a real feast for 
the little girls of the classroom or family. A tableau could be 
presented with Our Lady as the center of attraction. She could be 
surrounded by the winter virgins, as well as many others, such as 
St. Catherine, St. Bibiana, St. Barbara, St. Anastasia, St. 
Prisca, St. Martina, and St. Scholastica. This is an excellent 
occasion for girls to learn about their own patron saints, and 
perhaps each girl could tell a story of her patron and the 
meaning of her name. This could be in the form of a tableau, or 
pantomime, or silhouette, or even a guessing game. After a prayer 
in honor of St. Lucy (taken from the Mass of her feast), the 
queen of the feast then distributes her cats St. Cecilia sings a 
song, St. Catherine distributes taffy kisses as they do in French 
Canada. St. Agnes serves her lamb cakes, and St. Agatha is the 
good hostess and helpmate of her sister virgin St. Lucy. Lucy 
herself is the lady in waiting to whom Our Lady would have the 
children honor on her feast day.



ENDNOTES

1. Cf. "L'Art d'Eglise," 1951-1952, n. 2, p. 128; St. Andre, 
Bruges, Belgium.

2. Cf. "Cooking for Christ," p. 10.



CHAPTER 3: THE THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT

(Station at St. Peter's)

THIS Sunday introduces us into the second half of the season of 
Advent, and at the opening of Matins our anxiety and joy are 
given impetus: "The Lord is already near. Come, let us adore 
Him!" (Invitatory) The entire week is one of the richest of the 
entire year of grace, for during this week fall the magnificent 
Ember Days and the beginning of the "O antiphons."

All of us are children this Sunday, for we are unable to restrain 
our impatience at the coming of the Saviour. Our joy urges us to 
celebrate in the great basilica of St. Peter, so that all mankind 
may share it with us. The penitential violet of Advent is changed 
to rose, and at the Gospel even the Precursor announces to the 
city that "He is in our midst." Christ the Lord is even today 
present through grace, as He will be with us forever in glory.

In our explanation of the Second Sunday in Advent we spoke of the 
meaning of Jerusalem; today we speak of the "preparation of the 
ways." Last Sunday the city was alerted to make itself ready for 
the arrival of the King of Peace; today His scout and messenger 
arrives to announce that He is almost there. ("The Life of 
Christ" by Ricciotti, and one by Willam contain splendid 
background material, based upon reality useful for this Sunday.) 
The children should be led in spirit into the far-off  Orient, 
where there are deep blue skies and starry nights, and where 
caravans from distant lands enter the oasis across the deserts 
and wildernesses. Whenever a great potentate is to visit one of 
the cities, there is great preparation, and the city is decorated 
and embellished. Rare foods and spices are brought in: all 
reflects the perfume of the Oriental night. The people of the 
East, moreover, go even further in their preparations. A long, 
straight, triumphal road is constructed in order that the caravan 
of the potentate may arrive in splendor for the very first view 
of the great city. The preparation of this road requires the 
efforts and gifts of the entire city. It must be straight and 
wide, the valleys must be filled in, and the mountains and hills 
leveled off. Spiritually this means that our love must turn 
directly to God and we must not be distressed by the temptations 
of creation--pleasure, riches or power. The valleys are our sins 
of omission, our shirking of homework, our catechism, the duties 
in our state in life. The hills and mountains are the sins of 
commission, our actually doing wrong by swearing, disobedience, 
fighting and gossip. The messenger, St. John the Baptist, comes 
as a herald of the King, in order that we may hasten to finish 
our immediate preparations for the great reception in the city.

On the Saturday evening before this Sunday, or at the Sunday 
dinner, we gather together with the family to light the third 
candle on the Advent wreath. The brighter the lighting becomes, 
the more impatient we become for the arrival of the Redeemer. The 
most appropriate prayer for the evening is psalm 81, for at the 
Sunday Mass it constitutes the dominant chant sung at the 
Introit, the Offertory and the Communion. This psalm of 
redemption should become an old friend during Advent, for on the 
First Sunday in Advent we heard it at the Alleluia and at the 
Communion. On the Second Sunday we heard it again at the 
Offertory, and we shall hear it once again during the night of 
Christmas:

     "Show us, O Lord, Thy mercy, and grant us Thy salvation....
     Mercy and faithfulness shall unite; justice and peace shall 
          embrace.
     Faithfulness shall sprout from the earth, and justice shall 
          look down from heaven.
     The Lord will also give prosperity, and our land shall yield 
          its produce.
     Justice shall go before Him, and salvation in His 
          footsteps."

                                        --Frey translation


THE "O ANTIPHONS"

December 17! This day always falls during the third week in 
Advent, and the children will be very busy that night. That 
evening the family gathers to put up the Christmas tree and to 
begin to decorate it, for at the Vesper hour of December 17 the 
Church surrounds the Canticle of our Blessed Mother with the 
first of the "O antiphons." These are the final preparation and 
the most ardent appeal of Holy Mother Church for the coming of 
her Bridegroom. They serve as the introductory theme and 
conclusion to Mary's hymn of praise.

Let us begin with the Christmas tree. After the tree has been 
firmly set up and the lights arranged, the program of the evening 
begins with the blessing of the tree. The blessing, which may be 
found inside the cover of the "Leaflet Missal" for the Christmas 
Masses, may be led by the parents or by the children. The 
blessing, even though it is not to be found in the "Ritual," has 
a character very much in accord with the customary form of the 
blessing of objects. Psalm 95 has been chosen for the blessing 
because of the verses which are used as antiphon: "Then shall all 
the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for He is 
come." After this psalm has been antiphonated by the family, one 
of the children reads a lesson from the prophet Ezechiel:


"Thus saith the Lord God: I myself will take the top of the high 
cedar, and will set it: I will crop off a tender twig from the 
top of the branches thereof, and I will plant it on a mountain 
high and eminent. On the high mountains of Israel will I plant 
it, and it shall become a great cedar: and all birds shall dwell 
under it, and every fowl shall make its nest under the shadows of 
the branches thereof. And all the trees of the country shall know 
that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, and exalted the 
low tree: and have dried up the green tree, and have caused the 
dry tree to flourish. I the Lord have spoken, and have done it." 
(17, 22-24)


After the customary verses and responses, the oration recalls the 
need for us to be incorporated into the Mystical Body: "Holy 
Lord, Father almighty, eternal God, who hast caused Thy Son, Our 
Lord Jesus Christ, to be planted like a tree of life in Thy 
Church by being born of the most holy Virgin Mary, bless, we 
beseech Thee, this tree that all who see it may be filled with a 
holy desire to be ingrafted as living branches into the same Lord 
Jesus Christ...." Once the tree has been blessed, one of the 
children may place the Chi-Rho at the top or in the center of the 
tree in order to symbolize Christ as the Tree of Life into which 
all must be grafted. After this, the Advent candle in honor of 
our Blessed Mother is placed before the tree. Light and Life 
become the theme of the season: Holy Mass is the core and center 
of our Christmas celebration.

As an evening prayer, it is very appropriate for the family to 
sing the Magnificat of Our Lady, repeating before and after it on 
each successive evening the appropriate "O antiphon" as one of 
the children places upon the Christmas tree an ornament decorated 
with a symbol of the antiphon. In each of these antiphons, the 
ardent imploring of the Old Testament and of the pagan world for 
the Redeemer is manifest; they are the "Rorate coeli" of 
humanity. In each of them, there is a progression of thought. In 
the first antiphon (O Wisdom) we see the Son of God in His 
eternal life before all creation; in the second, third and fourth 
(O Adonai, O Root of Jesse, O Key of David), we see Him in the 
Old Law; in the fifth (O Orient) we see Him in the natural 
created world; in the sixth (O King of the Gentiles), we see Him 
as the Redeemer of the pagan world; and in the seventh and last 
(O Emmanuel), we see Him as "God with us," the Redeemer who is 
come, who gives us Light and Life in Holy Mass and the promise of 
eternal glory at His Second Coming.

After the singing of the Magnificat with its appropriate "O 
antiphon," the family concludes with the singing of an 
appropriate Advent song possibly emphasizing the "Rorate coeli" 
on the seventeenth, "Behold a Branch Is Growing" on the 
nineteenth, "Emmanuel" for the twenty-third. Perhaps a single 
song would be easier for the family, and if so the "Veni, 
Emmanuel" from the Westminster Hymnal should be chosen, since its 
seven verses are arranged in such manner that each verse 
correlates with one of the great antiphons. On the shortest day 
of the year, December 21, when darkness lies longest over the 
land, the children could be told how the Church sings to the 
Expected One: "O Orient, splendor of eternal light, Sun of 
Justice: come, and shine with Thy light upon those who sit in 
darkness and in the shadow of death."

Florence Berger offers a word concerning the culinary "treats" of 
the "O antiphon" days:


"Another old custom which we revived is giving family treats. In 
the monasteries long years ago, the different monks furnished 
extra treats on these days before Christ's birthday. The gardener 
gave the community some of his finest dried or preserved fruits 
on December 19 when he called on Christ: "O Root of Jesse, come 
to deliver us and tarry not." The cellarer unlocked the best wine 
for his treat as he called: "O Key of David, come, and come 
quickly." Finally, on December 23, the abbot gave his extra gift 
to the brothers. Expense accounts which are still extant show how 
generous and extensive a list of foods were used on the abbot's 
'O Day.'

"Each one in our family keeps his gift a deep, dark secret until 
suppertime. We begin with the smallest child. Her treat may be 
only a graham cracker for dessert. Freddie cracked and picked 
some black walnuts for us. All pounding didn't give it away 
because little boys are so often pounding. Ann made some Advent 
wreath cookies and used up all the cinnamon drops for decoration 
on the cookies, her face and her fingers. Mary made a big 
casserole of baked beans and we couldn't quite decide whether she 
was treating herself or the family. Finally, it was Mother's 
turn, and then, at last Father's turn to produce something really 
outstanding. At dessert time Father rose from the table without a 
word, put on his hat and coat without a smile, and left us 
sitting at the table with our mouths open in amazement. After 
five minutes which seemed like hours he stomped back into the 
house--with a big bowl of snow ice cream. The squeals of delight 
would have pleased an abbot."1


The twenty-first of December, feast of St. Thomas, is celebrated 
by charity to the poor and by the baking of pies. In 
Gloucestershire, England, the poor went "a-Thomasing" for gifts; 
in the Tyrol, it is pie day. "A great meat pie is baked for the 
whole family. It is marked with the Cross and sprinkled with holy 
water. Along with the great pie in the hot oven are smaller pies-
-one for each maid-servant in the house. When the crusts are 
golden brown, the pies are cooled and frozen. This is very easy 
to do in the bitter Tyrolean winters. Each maid takes her pie 
home to her family. On the feast of the Epiphany, the pies are 
thawed, reheated and eaten. The father of the house makes quite a 
ceremony of cutting the Christmas pie which is baked in a 
rectangular pan to resemble the manger."2 French Canada has 
continued this custom with the familiar "Tourquiere." Noel and 
"le Jour de l'An" would never be the same without those wonderful 
meat pies.



ENDNOTES

1. Ibid., p. 12.

2. Ibid, p. 13.



CHAPTER 4: EMBER DAYS AND THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT

THE Ember Days mark a very pronounced advance in preparation for 
Christmas. We were told that the King shall come. Jerusalem is 
made ready, and the ways are made straight. By grace He is in our 
midst. Today the Church teaches us that the King will first 
arrive in human form: He will assume the humble garment of our 
human nature. The Masses of the winter Ember Days and of the 
Fourth Sunday of Advent present us with the antecedents of the 
birth and coming of the Saviour.


EMBER WEDNESDAY

(Station at St. Mary Major)

In many respects, Ember Wednesday is the very heart of the season 
of Advent. The stational church brings us once again to the 
basilica of the crib and under the guidance of Mary as the 
central figure--after Christ--of the Christmas cycle. The theme 
of the Mass is one of thanksgiving for the harvest, a day of 
praise and thankfulness for the benefits of the past season. 
These material gifts, and especially the harvest of oil, are mere 
shadows of the real Gift who is to come. Our eyes turn at once to 
the golden mystery, the Incarnation of the Son of God in the womb 
of Mary. Despite all the wonderful gifts which God has bestowed 
upon us in the past, the joy of our hearts moves towards the 
perfect act of thanksgiving, Holy Mass, the continual Sacrifice 
of the Incarnate Saviour

The Mass of Ember Wednesday is known as the "Missa Aurea," or 
Golden Mass, because on this day the Church celebrates the 
"golden mystery" of the Faith: Mary's "fiat" at the Annunciation 
brought about the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Trinity 
in her womb. Throughout the ages, this Mass has been celebrated 
with great solemnity. In the Middle Ages, the great St. Bernard 
of Clairvaux preached his homilies on the Gospel of the day which 
begins with the words "Missus est." If it is at all possible, we 
should teach our children to observe this solemnity, first of all 
by participating as a family and parochial group at the solemn 
Mass of the day. Monsignor Hellriegel offers some very 
interesting material concerning the "golden Mass," and suggests 
an offering for the poor as an appropriate act of thanksgiving:


"Here at Holy Cross we celebrate, after proper instructions, this 
day with great solemnity. The sanctuary is adorned with many 
candle lights so that we may be more forcefully reminded of the 
Light that shone into darkness. All the children receive 
Communion in this Golden Mass, and while approaching the holy 
table they chant the significant Communion anthem, 'Behold a 
virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and His name shall be 
called Emmanuel.' Part of the celebration is an offering for the 
poor, which the children, all of them, the first graders 
included, make at the offertory of the Mass. Near the altar we 
erect two large tables, covered with linen and burning candles, 
on which the gifts are deposited. Every child offers something: 
some bring fruit or preserves, others canned food, and the poorer 
ones perhaps a potato or two; but all gifts are wrapped in white 
tissue paper and neatly bound with a red ribbon. It is a grateful 
giving to Him who, by His Incarnation, gives Himself to us. After 
Holy Mass these offerings receive a special blessing and are then 
carried from the altar of Christ, the Head, to the poor, the 
'feet of Christ,' as the early Church loved to call the indigent 
members of the community, in order to make their Christmas more 
joyful and blessed."1


This is indeed the day to collect all the "Christmas baskets" for 
the poor. It would seem that nobody was more fully imbued with 
"the Christmas spirit" than was Pope St. Leo the Great in the 
sermon which he gives us during the second nocturn of Matins of 
the Third Sunday of Advent.


"The season of the year with its customary devotions reminds us, 
dearly beloved, that it is our duty as shepherd of your souls to 
exhort you to the observance of the December fast. Now that all 
the fruits of the earth have been gathered in, it is most fitting 
that this sacrifice of abstinence should be offered to God, who 
has so bountifully bestowed them upon us. And what can be more 
useful to this end than fasting? For by its observance we draw 
near to God, we resist the devil, and overcome the temptations of 
sin. For fasting has always been food for the strong. Moreover, 
from abstinence proceed chaste thoughts, rational desires, and 
sound counsels; and by voluntary afflictions the flesh dies to 
its evil desires and the spirit is renewed in strength. But since 
fasting alone will not obtain health for our souls, let us add to 
our fasting, works of mercy to the poor. Let us spend in good 
works what we deny to indulgence. Let the abstinence of him who 
fasts become the banquet of the poor. Let us be zealous in the 
protection of widows, in the support of orphans, let us strive to 
comfort the afflicted, to reconcile those who are at variance. 
Let us receive the stranger, and help the oppressed, let us 
clothe the naked and care for the sick. And then may every one of 
us who shall have spent himself in offering this sacrifice of 
devotion to God the Author of all good, deserve to receive from 
Him the reward of the heavenly kingdom. On Wednesday and Friday, 
therefore, let us fast; on Saturday, however, let us celebrate 
the vigil at the tomb of the Apostle Peter, by whose merits may 
we be able to obtain what we ask through our Lord Jesus Christ, 
who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns forever 
and ever. Amen."2


Mother and father and teacher may easily explain the merits of 
"giving up" things for God and neighbor in thanksgiving; how to 
become courteous and thoughtful of others; how always to give 
good example; how to avoid "fights" and quarrels; how to share 
toys and gifts as well as self with the other children.

These gifts for the poor become even more sacred by being offered 
before the altar of God. Another quality of sacredness is added 
if we acquaint the children with the simple and beautiful 
blessings of many of those objects in the "Roman Ritual." Father 
Weller's translation of the blessings ("Roman Ritual," Vol. 3) 
makes them available in English to all the faithful. After the 
Offertory and the blessings, the children should indeed have 
their share in the distribution of the gifts. Priests, teachers 
and parents should help and guide them in discretion and charity.

The students at Grailville offer some interesting suggestions for 
a re-enactment of the Gospel story of the Annunciation:


"As at Christmas, the Nativity is simply re-enacted in many 
Christian homes, why not on Ember Wednesday in preparation for 
Christmas re-enact the Gospel of the angelic message of 
Redemption? No scripts are needed, no elaborate costume, no long 
rehearsals. The family or group could gather together and in a 
prayerful spirit simply relive the words of the Gospel. The play 
could be in two parts: (1) Prophecy and (2) Fulfillment.

"The first part is the reading of Isaias from the (Lesson and 
Epistle of Wednesday) morning's Mass prophesying the virgin birth 
of Jesus Christ (Isaias, 2: 2-5 and 7: 10-15). This might be done 
to illustrate the foreshadowing of the advent of Christ in the 
Old Testament. The song 'O Come, O Come Emmanuel' could be sung 
as an interim. In the next part of the presentation the 
fulfillment takes place. As a reader speaks the words of the 
Gospel (Luke 1: 26-38) Mary is seen praying in her chamber, and 
the angel appears to her. The play could be concluded with 
everyone singing 'A Rose Sprang Up Unheeded' or another Advent 
song."3


This little tableau could easily be performed either at school or 
at home in the evening.

As dinnertime approaches, it is often difficult to find an 
appropriate menu for a fast day. This need not be the case for 
this Ember Wednesday, for we recall that on the feast of the 
Annunciation the Swedish people serve excellent waffles. We could 
anticipate the Vaffeldagen by about three months and make a 
fitting fast day repast. It would be more than we could expect to 
be able to use the little heart-shaped irons which Swedish ladies 
have to make the waffles an even more enticing delight.

After dinner, with the singing of the "Magnificat" and the "O 
antiphon," we may teach the children the last great Advent psalm, 
number 18 since it fits in so perfectly with the Mass of the day. 
The Introit of Ember Wednesday and the fourth Sunday of Advent 
both employ this beautiful psalm:

     "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament 
          proclaims the work of His hands
     There He has set up His tabernacle for the sun, which goes 
          forth like a bridegroom from his chamber and rejoices 
          like a giant, to run the course.
     From one end of the heaven is its rising, and its course ends 
          at the other, nothing is hidden from its heat."

                              --Frey translation

No more appropriate day could be chosen, however, to explain to 
the children the beautiful custom of the recitation of the 
Angelus. All of this beautiful prayer is taken from the liturgy 
of Advent, and especially from the Golden Mass. The first two 
versicles and responses are taken directly from the Gospel of 
Ember Wednesday; the third versicle and response are taken from 
the Last Gospel of St. John. The oration at the end is the Post-
communion prayer of the Mass "Rorate," which is the Mass of Our 
Lady on Saturdays in Advent, and is really a simplification of 
the Ember Wednesday Mass. The evening Angelus, which is recited 
in honor of the Incarnation, is the most ancient of all. It began 
long, long ago with the recitation of three orations by the monks 
after Compline. Later on, the Hail Mary was introduced as an 
antiphon, and three "Aves" in honor of the Incarnation became 
popular at least by the thirteenth century. In a Franciscan 
decree (1263 or 1269), the faithful were encouraged to follow the 
monastic custom of reciting three Hail Marys after evening prayer 
in honor of the Incarnation of Our Lord; for it was currently 
believed that it was at this time that the Virgin Mary was 
greeted by the Angel Gabriel. There was a special ringing of 
bells during the recitation of the prayer. Our present method of 
having the bells rung during the Angelus proceeded from this 
custom.

The children should be told the history and meaning of this 
ancient custom of reciting the Angelus in honor of Christ and Our 
Lady in the hope that, once they have understood its meaning 
well, they will adopt this little custom for a lifetime. As they 
add on another "O antiphon" symbol to the tree at evening prayers 
tonight, they could string some golden tinsel around the tree in 
honor of the Golden Mass, and also add on a few little bells to 
remind them of the evening Angelus in honor of the Incarnation of 
their Saviour. It would be a splendid family tradition if the 
whole family could assemble each day for the recitation of the 
Angelus, especially at eveningtide. Each member could take turns 
at reciting the prayers and ringing the bell.

Together with this new knowledge about the Angelus, the children 
should be taught a little more about the beautiful Angelical 
Salutation, and how this greeting became our familiar prayer. We 
recall that the first part of this beautiful prayer is in memory 
of the Annunciation: "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with 
thee; blessed art thou among women" (Luke 1:28). The next part is 
taken from the scene of the Visitation: "Blessed is the fruit of 
thy womb" (Luke 1:42): the greeting of St. Elizabeth. The 
remainder was composed by the Church as a prayer for sinners. It 
is really remarkable how much our beloved Hail Mary is associated 
with the prayer life of the medieval Church. As devotion to Mary 
developed, the "Ave" began to be used frequently in the Divine 
Office as an antiphon, and in Holy Mass at the Offertory (cf. our 
present Offertory at the Mass of the Fourth Sunday in Advent).

Given this background of the Angelus and the Hail Mary, our 
children may be brought to understand that the most authentic 
sources of our prayers and devotions are always to be found in 
Holy Mass and in the Divine Office.


EMBER FRIDAY

(Station at the Twelve Apostles)

The theme of Ember Friday follows closely upon that of the Golden 
Mass: the second mystery of the Incarnation was that of the 
visitation of Our Lady to St. Elizabeth If a single word could be 
made to express the spirit of the day, it would be the word 
"Christopher." We honor our Blessed Mother as the Christ-bearer 
"par excellence," and we ourselves endeavor always to bear Him 
with us in a soul filled with the purity of sanctifying grace.

The church of reconciliation is the stational Church of the 
Twelve Holy Apostles. The penitents of the city of Rome received 
absolution there on Holy Thursday. On the Fridays of each of the 
Ember Weeks of the year we are called upon to expiate and to do 
penance for the sins committed in the past quarter year. The 
Church of the Twelve Holy Apostles is the only church in Rome 
constructed in the style of the Greeks, and it was always 
considered as a symbol of the union of all peoples, Eastern and 
Western, in Christ through the sacrament of Baptism. The 
spiritual renewal and unity of faith expressed in the Mass today 
lead all immediately to preparation for the coming of the 
Saviour. We are purified and repent of our sins as a preparation 
for the visit of Christ at Christmastide. As the Blessed Mother 
brings the quickening grace of her Son to St. Elizabeth and to 
St. John the Baptist, so we are taught to increase His grace in 
our souls in order that we may carry the sanctifying power of 
that Life into the world.

On Ember Friday, the children could present a tableau of the 
Visitation in much the same manner as that of the Annunciation. 
The prophecy of Isaias in the Lesson at Holy Mass could be 
explained, and this would be particularly appropriate for the 
older children, who may soon be receiving the sacrament of 
Confirmation. The gifts of the Holy Spirit repose in plenitude 
upon the flower that springs from the Root of Jesse. The 
fulfillment, it would be shown, is in the visitation of Mary with 
her Son. Centering our playlet about the "Hail Mary" and the 
meaning of being Christophers, we shall find that this is an 
appropriate occasion to tell the children the legend of St. 
Christopher, and why he is the patron of those who travel. For 
the older children, it would not be too early to let them read 
some of the literature of the Christopher movement. It is time 
for them to learn what it means to act as confirmed adult 
Christians who possess the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and who are 
called upon to carry Christ into the world. The Advent candle is 
the center of attraction in the home today. It impresses the 
meaning of being a Christopher very simply and very forcefully 
upon the mind of the child. Mary is our best model if we would 
increase in grace and become bearers of Christ to others. St. 
John the Baptist is our model of penance and the preparation of 
the ways.

Besides the other customs which we have mentioned in association 
with evening prayer and the Angelus, this is the seasonable 
moment to begin our caroling. The children should bring Christ to 
others by means of song, which is really an exterior expression 
of love and piety. From now on, Advent songs may be sung from 
home to home, and the children could be taught many wonderful and 
doctrinally sound carols which would impress the meaning of 
Advent and of the coming of the Saviour upon their neighbors.


EMBER SATURDAY

(Station at St. Peter's)

The celebration of this last Ember Day constitutes a resume of 
all that has been developed in the Advent season. The Mass is 
quite different in character from the themes of Wednesday and 
Friday, which had an intimate and familiar flavor appealing to 
the imagination and to the senses of the children. Today the 
universal Church celebrates a solemn vigil in the great basilica 
of St. Peter's. The symbol of the passage from darkness into 
light is quite apparent throughout the Mass, especially in view 
of the fact that this Mass was formerly celebrated as the 
conclusion of the Saturday night vigils. It was on this day that 
the ancient Church held the rite of ordinations in preparation 
for the Christ Mass. Priests were ordained as shepherds of the 
Church commissioned by Christ to guard over His flock until He 
shall come, especially in His second coming at the end of time.

It is somewhat more difficult to suggest appropriate material by 
means of which the children could be brought to realize the 
significance of this solemn watch. Probably the point to 
emphasize would be the virtue of piety, as we explain to them the 
nature of filial love toward the Church and toward parents. If 
the cathedral church of the diocese is nearby, a little 
pilgrimage may be organized to this see of the apostle, which is 
their own St. Peter's. At least a visit to the parish church 
should be part of the program of the day, and perhaps a little 
gift could be made to the pastor in gratitude to the shepherd of 
their spiritual life and in remembrance of his ordination to the 
priesthood.

This evening the children may be allowed to stay up a little 
later than usual. There should be a little more serious note 
about the occasion, recalling the Gospel of the First Sunday of 
Advent, with its rather fearful descriptions of the last days and 
the coming of Christ at the end of time. For if Christ comes at 
Christmas, the purpose of His incarnation was our redemption from 
sin. He is present to us at Holy Mass and by means of the 
sacraments, and especially through the other-Christs who serve as 
shepherds and ministers of His flock. Finally, when all of the 
many centuries have passed, He will come once more to bring us to 
our heavenly home forever. A gay note, however, enters into all 
the seriousness of the evening. The Gospel tells us in the person 
of St. John the Baptist that Christmas is almost here: "Make 
ready the way of the Lord, make straight His paths. Every valley 
shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought 
low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways 
smooth; and all mankind shall see the salvation of God" (Luke 3: 
5-6).


THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT

(Station at the Twelve Apostles)

Today's Mass is really a celebration of the Advent Ember Days for 
those people who were unable to come to church during the 
preceding week. Formerly the Saturday Ember Day Mass was actually 
celebrated early Sunday morning, and the Mass of this Sunday is 
now a composite of the Masses of the Ember Days.

With the lighting of the fourth and last candle on the Advent 
wreath, the children are made to realize that the Saviour is 
almost at the gate of their souls. Jerusalem awaits the great 
King and Saviour in silent and awed expectancy. With the singing 
of the Magnificat and the "O antiphon" of the day, a little 
pageant could be organized to suggest the Mass of this Sunday. 
The first figure (Introit) represents the first two weeks of 
Advent, the long and ardent awaiting of the ancient world. The 
second figure represent St. John the Baptist, who sounds the 
joyous trumpet announcing the arrival of "Him who is to follow", 
it is he who leads the Groom (Christ) to the Spouse (the Church), 
as we read in the Gospel. The third and final figure is our 
Blessed Lady. The Hail Mary of the Offertory tells us that the 
period of preparation is drawing to a close. During all the Mass 
of the Faithful, it is Mary who is our shepherd and guide. On 
Sunday evening, Marian Advent hymns and carols remind home and 
neighborhood that our hearts must be made ready for the coming of 
Christ. The valleys must be filled and the hills leveled. What an 
apostolic reminder of the need for a good confession before 
Christmas! That is why the stational church of this Sunday is the 
Basilica of Reconciliation. By means of the divinely instituted 
powers given to the shepherds of the flock, the sacrament of 
Penance makes us ready for the coming of the Redeemer. The purity 
and simplicity of the children may remind their elders that in 
order to enter heaven they must become as little children.

Now that Advent is almost completed and the children are truly 
prepared for rejoicing upon the heights of the Christmas-Epiphany 
feasts, they should begin the preparation of their seasonal 
greeting cards. Since the fullness of the Advent preparation is 
achieved on the Feast of the Epiphany rather than on Christmas, 
it is more in the spirit of the Church to send cards 
representative of the themes of the Epiphany. We all realize very 
well that the custom of sending Christmas cards has received 
commercially inspired encouragement, which often impedes our 
celebration of the solemnities of Advent because of social 
obligations. This may be averted somewhat by placing our emphasis 
upon the liturgically greater feast.

The children could very easily carve upon linoleum blocks simple 
symbols which represent the major themes of the Epiphany of the 
Saviour and they could hand print their own cards. The antiphon 
to the Benedictus of Lauds of the feast of Epiphany (or the 
antiphon of the Magnificat of second Vespers) could be used as a 
text for the cards: "This day hath the Church been joined to her 
heavenly Spouse, for Christ hath cleansed her crimes in the 
Jordan; with gifts the Magi hasten to the royal nuptials, and the 
guests are gladdened with wine made from water, alleluia." The 
symbols and drawings made by the children may be varied in many 
possible combinations, and free rein given to the artistic 
talents of the child. The result of making these cards on the 
days that follow would be for the child an increase of interest 
and knowledge of the mind of the Church, a development of his own 
talent and imagination with a corresponding possibility of an 
increase in grace. For the recipient it would be a highly 
personalized and spiritually inspirational Christmas card.



ENDNOTES

1. "Orate Fratres," Vol. xvi, Nov. 30, 1941. 

2. "Liturgical Readings," 3rd Sunday in Advent. 

3. "Advent Ember Days," p. 8.



CHAPTER 5: THE VIGIL AND FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF THE SAVIOUR

(December 24-25)

OF all the feasts throughout the year the celebration of 
Christmas Day and Christmas Eve are the most popular of all, both 
for children and for adults. There are more traditions and 
customs associated with Christmas in all Christian countries than 
with any other feast. It is true, of course, that the logical 
culmination of Advent is attained with the Epiphany; the season 
of preparation, however, truly ends with the Nativity. The 
celebration of these two feasts may be explained only upon an 
historical basis. Christmas is the Occidental celebration of the 
Nativity of the Lord, and the Epiphany is the Christmas of the 
Orient. There is a very important difference to be noted between 
the two great Paschal feasts and the two great Christmas feasts. 
In the Easter cycle, Pentecost, with the mission of the 
Paraclete, represents an organic development in the work of our 
salvation; in the Christmas cycle, Christmas and the Epiphany 
center about an identical theme: the Incarnation of the Second 
Person of the Trinity as Saviour and King of Kings. The East 
adopted Christmas from the West; the Occident received the feast 
of the Epiphany from the Orient. These two Christmas feasts are a 
venerable spiritual monument of the union of the Church in East 
and West. In the Roman rite, the third, or Day-Mass, of Christmas 
is really a Mass of Manifestation or Epiphany. The Station at St. 
Peter's is the same station as that of the Epiphany and the Mass 
is intended to be truly one manifestation of the new-born Saviour 
to the City and to the World.

To Christians of the Western world, Christmas always seems to be 
more important than the Epiphany, despite the fact that the 
latter feast is of higher rank. It is very true that Advent, and 
the period of waiting and preparation are concluded with the 
feast of Christmas. The texts of the liturgy indicate this by 
saying that "Tomorrow original sin shall be destroyed," and 
"Open, ye Eternal Gates, that the King of Glory may enter in." 
The realization of the glorious visit of the great King which 
dominates the whole of Advent is not accomplished, however until 
the feast of the Epiphany. The East has enlarged our perspective 
of the spiritual meaning of the Incarnation. We are elevated 
above the historical fact related by the Gospels to a perspective 
of the kingship of Christ, which dominates all time and space. At 
Christmas, we may be said to be reborn with Christ as the Sun of 
the Nativity rises over the town of Bethlehem; at the Epiphany, 
we celebrate the mystical wedding of the King with His Spouse, 
the Church: the glory of the Lord shines forth in noontide 
splendor over Jerusalem. On the feast of Christmas, Christ is 
born to us in the intimacy of the family represented by Mary and 
the shepherds; at the Epiphany, He manifests to the entire world 
His glory and His kingship, which are represented by the 
adoration of the Magi, the baptism in the Jordan, and the 
marriage feast of Cana.

It is necessary, furthermore, before offering suggestions for the 
celebration of Christmas in our cities and homes, to note some of 
the historical developments of a truly Christian conception of 
the holiday season. A readily available source of information for 
families concerning the history of Christmas and its tradition is 
to be found in "The Christmas Book" by Francis X. Weiser, S.J. 
There is no historical record nor even a well-founded tradition 
which gives the date of the birth of Christ. The date of December 
25 was established about the year 320, and the Popes seem to have 
chosen the twenty-fifth day of December principally to divert the 
attention of the people from the celebration of a pagan feast of 
the Mithras cult which was called the "Birthday of the 
Unconquered Sun" (Natalis Solis Invicti). This does not in any 
manner indicate that Christmas is merely a "christianized" pagan 
feast, for Christians of that time realized with St. John 
Chrysostom: "The pagans call December 25 the Birthday of the 
Unconquered. Who is indeed so unconquered as Our Lord?... or, if 
they say that it is the birthday of the Sun, He is the Sun of 
Justice."1

Throughout the Middle Ages, Christmas came to be celebrated more 
and more. Especially during the period from the twelfth to the 
sixteenth centuries all the arts and crafts of the Christian 
nations were made serviceable to the festivities associated with 
the Nativity of the Saviour. Plays and songs, carols and dances, 
spices and flowers, images and statues--all creation was made to 
serve the celebration of the feast. The foundation of all these 
customs and traditions was always Holy Mass--the Christ-Mass--the 
Divine Office and the sacramentals. In many countries of Europe a 
sharp change in the Christmas solemnities came with the 
Reformation during the sixteenth century. The spiritual and 
scriptural foundation of the liturgy, including the Mass itself, 
was ridiculed and forbidden. The Calvinists and Puritans in 
particular condemned all religious celebration of the feast, and 
when the "new" method of celebrating Christmas was revived it 
tended to become only a more or less pagan feast of good-natured 
and humanitarian reveling. The attempt was particularly 
successful in England, and post-Reformation English attitudes 
concerning Christmas have affected most of our own notions 
concerning the celebration of the holidays.

When the Puritans came to political power in England, they 
immediately proceeded to outlaw Christmas. It was their 
contention that no feast of human institution should ever outrank 
the Sabbath (Sunday). Since Christmas was the most important of 
the non-Sunday festivals, it was abolished altogether. The first 
ordinances issued forbidding church services and civic 
festivities on Christmas came in 1642, finally, on June 3, 1647, 
Parliament enacted a ruling that the feast should no longer be 
observed under pain of punishment. Riots and strife broke out 
among the people, but the government stood firm and even broke up 
celebrations by force of arms, though the punishments were not 
too severely inflicted. With the restoration of the monarchy in 
1660, the observance of the "old" Christmas returned with a "new" 
attitude. The religious observance of Christmas was almost 
entirely replaced by amusement and reveling over plum pudding, 
goose, capon, minced pie and roast beef, with decorations of 
mistletoe, holly and ivy, and the yule log. Two of the best 
exemplifications of this "new Christmas without Christ" are to be 
found in the "Christmas Stories" of Charles Dickens, and the 
"Sketch Book" of Washington Irving. We must admit that our 
present-day celebration of Christmas is greatly affected by these 
works. The only thing that may be said in favor of these well-
written books is that they do contain interesting stories 
upholding a spirit of good will to men and of generosity to the 
poor. Christ the Saviour and the King of Kings is indeed very 
remote in the background.

The unfortunate zeal of the Puritans has certainly influenced the 
American celebration of Christmas. It is very difficult in our 
day to realize that Christmas was outlawed in New England until 
the second half of the last century. As late as 1870, classes 
were held in the public schools of Boston on Christmas day, and 
any truant pupil was gravely punished or even publicly dismissed 
from school. Through the influx of German, Irish and French 
immigrants, together with the multiple immigrations from all the 
European nations, Christmas has been more fully restored within 
the last seventy years in this country. Two currents are now 
manifest: the pagan, good-natured humanitarian sort of 
celebration represented upon Christmas cards by sleigh bells, 
Santa Claus, peppermint sticks and the like; and the Christian 
spiritual and traditional customs originating from medieval 
Christian Europe. In view of the objective principles found in 
the liturgy of Holy Mass, the Divine Office and the sacramentals, 
we shall try to outline certain ancient and modern customs which 
are truly Christian in foundation and based upon Christian 
Doctrine and practice.


THE VIGIL OF THE NATIVITY

(December 24: Station at St. Mary Major)

Christmas Eve is unique among all vigils. Joyous anticipation 
fills the hearts of both child and adult, and all the Christian 
world has tried to express this sentiment in a superabundance of 
images, customs and traditions. It would be impossible to 
consider all of them. Not only nations but even individual 
families have devised splendid little customs to celebrate 
Christmas. Let us first of all outline briefly the spiritual 
foundation for these customs as it is found in the Mass, Office 
and Martyrology of Christmas Eve.

The entire liturgy of Christmas Eve is consecrated to the 
anticipation of the certain and sure arrival of the Saviour: 
"Today you shall know that the Lord shall come and tomorrow you 
shall see His glory" (Invitatory of Matins for the Vigil of the 
Nativity). Throughout Advent we have seen how the preparation for 
Jesus' coming became more and more precise. Isaias, John the 
Baptist and the Virgin Mother appeared throughout the season 
announcing and foretelling the coming of the King. We learn today 
that Christ according to His human nature is born at Bethlehem of 
the House of David of the Virgin Mary, and that according to His 
divine nature He is conceived of the Spirit of holiness, the Son 
of God and the Second Person of the Trinity.

The certitude of His coming is made clear in two images. The 
first is that of the closed gate of paradise. Since our first 
parents were cast forth from the earthly paradise the gate has 
been closed and a cherubim stands guard with flaming sword. The 
Redeemer alone is able to open this door and enter in. On 
Christmas Eve we stand before the gate of paradise, and it is for 
this reason that psalm 23 is the theme of the vigil:

          "Lift up your gates, O princes,
          Open wide, eternal gates,
          That the King of Glory may enter in...."

The Introit, Offertory, and Communion of the Mass are entirely 
consecrated to this image. The second image is that of the 
Blessed Mother. The last historical development of the season of 
Advent is expressed in the Gospel of today. The great suffering 
and doubt of St. Joseph concerning his spouse is allayed by the 
reassurance of an angel. He who is to be born is not of Joseph 
but truly of the Holy Spirit: "She shall conceive a child and you 
shall give Him the name of Jesus (Saviour), for He shall ransom 
His people of their sins."

Since the Vigil of Christmas is a fast day it is only normal that 
the odor of cooking throughout the house all day long should 
accentuate our anticipation of the feast. Where is the victory 
where there is no fight? Even the children should be restrained 
from nibbling at all the delicacies reserved for Christmas. In 
our country this day of fast and abstinence is quite difficult. 
It is truly in the spirit of Advent, and it requires the patience 
of Job not to celebrate ahead of time. Popular custom has made 
Christmas Eve a feast day, since the majority of people tend to 
have parties, exchange presents, and carry on general feasting 
throughout the eve. Is it asking too much to request the penance 
of resisting over-anxiety? The anxiety should be there, and so 
should the spirit of joyful anticipation, but Mother Church still 
demands a final mortification before we taste of the heavenly 
joys of Christmas. Perhaps Christmas night would not fall so flat 
in many families if Christmas Eve were observed as a true vigil. 
It is our last preparatory offering to the Christ-Child, who 
accepted the humiliation of the stable at Bethlehem.

Culinary art has exceeded itself at this season. Since tomorrow 
is the feast, the greater portion of the cooking must be done in 
advance. "Cooking for Christ" and the "Feast Day Cookbook" should 
be consulted in detail. Swiss "krabeli," Greek "malachrino" 
(spice cake), and German "lebkuchen" and "stollen" would delight 
the hearts of all. The very shape of "stollen" is supposed to 
represent the Christ Child, and the folds on top of the loaf 
swaddling clothes. "Lebkuchen" or life cake is an excellent 
reminder of the Bread of Life. Among English recipes are to be 
found everything from boar's head to plum pudding, with accent 
upon hot buttered rum and eggnog.

Since the vigil is a fast day, fish is in order. Whereas in 
Brittany the codfish takes the honors of the day, American custom 
associates piping hot oyster stew with Christmas Eve. Sponge cake 
or an Italian cream tart would make an excellent dessert, quickly 
prepared by the older girls. The Polish Christmas Eve supper, 
called the "wigilia," is perhaps the most complicated culinary 
celebration of the vigil. "In the homes of that country," the 
"Feast Day Cook Book" tells us, "stalks of grain are placed in 
the four corners of the dining room with a prayer for plenty in 
the years to come. Then bits of hay, symbolic of the manger in 
Bethlehem, are strewn beneath the tablecloth, which must be hand 
woven. The youngest child is set to watch for the first star of 
the evening, and when it appears he runs to tell the rest of the 
family. Then supper begins, as tradition has ordered it, with the 
breaking of the "oplatek," a semi-transparent unleavened wafer 
made in an iron mold and stamped with scenes of the Nativity. 
Each one at the table breaks off a piece and eats it as a symbol 
of their unity in Christ...."2 The soups are three in number, 
followed by three fish dishes accompanied by noodles, cabbage and 
dumplings. The desserts are also three, one of which is always a 
fruit compote with twelve dried fruits symbolic of the Twelve 
Apostles. At the end of the supper, carols are sung and presents 
are exchanged. The remainder of the food is often given to the 
animals in the hope that all living things may prosper by the 
food served in memory of Our Lord's first night on earth.


"In Austria on Christmas Eve, every house is filled with the 
aroma of "fruchtbrot" as it receives the visit of the 
"anglockler" or bell-ringers, who go from place to place singing 
carols, sometimes two of their number impersonating Mary and 
Joseph seeking shelter at the inn. In Germany the Christmas 
observances go back to the start of Advent, when a wreath is 
hung, usually from the ceiling of the dining room, and to it a 
silver star is added each day, and each week a red candle. Also 
in advance is prepared the "Christstollen" (a long loaf of bread 
made with dried fruits and citron) as well as the "lebkuchen" and 
the marzipan, regarded as important holiday foods. On Christmas 
Eve the family gathers beneath the Advent wreath and sings 
carols. Then the Christmas tree is lighted and the gifts are 
distributed."3


The opening of the eternal gates through which the King of Glory 
may enter is indicated by the wreath on the door of our homes at 
Christmastide. The Advent wreath, which accompanied the family 
throughout the season of preparation may be taken down. The 
violet ribbons are removed, and it is gloriously decorated with 
white and gold. It is then placed upon the door as a symbol of 
the welcome of Christ into our city, our home and our hearts. On 
Christmas Eve the whole house should be strewn with garlands and 
made ready for the Light of the World. The crib is set in a 
special place of honor, for tonight the central figure of the 
Nativity scene is to arrive.

The Jews celebrate their feast of lights (Hannukah) during the 
month of December in honor of the rededication of the Temple. 
Tonight we celebrate the arrival of the Messias who is the light 
and life of the world. The liturgy itself has preserved the 
symbolism of light as representative of the Redeemer, and this is 
most dramatically brought out in the blessing of the paschal 
candle at Easter. On Christmas Eve, a huge candle is set up in 
the home. It was often the custom to surround this candle with a 
laurel wreath, symbolic of victory over Satan, and then to keep 
the light burning throughout the holy night and every night 
during the festival season. Nearly every nation has adopted the 
Christmas candle. In Ireland the family lights a holly-bedecked 
candle and prays for the living and the dead. The Ukrainians 
place their candle in a loaf of bread, reminiscent of the Bread 
of Life and the Light of the Nations. In South America the candle 
is sometimes placed in a paper lantern decorated with Nativity 
scenes. In France the Christmas light often consisted in the 
molding of three individual candles into one at the base in order 
to give honor to the Most Holy Trinity. In Germany the Christmas 
candle was sometimes placed upon the "lichtstock," a wooden pole 
decorated with evergreens. The pyramid of candles which later 
became customary was replaced by the Christmas tree during the 
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

The Irish are particularly fond of placing a candle in the 
window. During the English persecutions priests were obliged to 
go into hiding, and it was the hope of every Irish family to have 
the refugee come into their home for the celebration of Mass on 
Christmas Eve. The candle in the window indicated his welcome 
into their home. When the English authorities requested an 
explanation of this custom the Irish simply explained that they 
lit the candles and kept the doors unlocked so that if Mary and 
Joseph were looking for a place to stay they knew that they would 
be welcome. This "superstition" was considered harmless by the 
English, and the Irish were often rewarded by the Real Presence 
of Christ at Holy Mass.

The Christmas fires burning on the peaks of the Alps in central 
Europe are a colorful sight. As Father Weiser writes: "Like 
flaming stars they hang in the dark heavens during Holy Night, 
burning brightly and silently as the farmers from around the 
mountainsides walk through the winter night down into the valley 
for midnight Mass. Each person carries a lantern, swinging it to 
and fro; the night seems alive with hundreds of glow worms 
converging towards the great light at the foot of the mountains--
the parish church--shining and sparkling, a 'Feast of Lights' 
indeed. No one who has witnessed this scene on Christmas Eve in 
Austria, Bavaria or Switzerland will ever forget it."4

This is the evening for the telling of Christmas stories to the 
children. The collection of Christmas stories in "Christmastide" 
by William J. Rohrenbeck would serve well both for tonight and 
throughout the holiday season. During the long evening before the 
midnight Mass a story could be read. The little Christmas Eve 
program available from Conception Abbey, Conception, Mo., with 
its readings from the Martyrology and the Gospel of St. Luke 
could be enacted. The last preparations of the Christmas tree and 
crib are made. The close association between the evergreen tree 
as the symbol of life, and the Christmas candle as the symbol of 
light should be retained. When the great Ansgar preached Christ 
to the Vikings he referred to the fir tree as a symbol of the 
faith, for "it was as high as hope, as wide as love, and bore the 
sign of the cross on every bough." Instead of exchanging presents 
and having a little feast during the evening, we should imitate 
the bountiful "Reveillon" breakfast after the midnight Mass. The 
fasting is over and the joys of Christmas are at hand; with the 
Giver of all gifts we extend our gifts and love to family and 
friends.

The singing of hymns and carols is the natural adornment of 
Christmas customs and stories at home. The great wealth of 
Christmas carols from many times and many lands should be 
discovered by American families. Most of these carols have a 
popular appeal and nearly all of the important ones have been 
translated into singable English. Many indeed are available in 
recordings, both in the original tongue and in English. For this 
reason we have omitted the mention of familiar American and 
English carols, as well as such hymns and carols as "Silent 
Night" and "Adeste Fideles"; these are all well known to American 
homes and shall indeed be fostered by our people. Ancient Latin 
and foreign carols broaden our understanding of Christmas. They 
are easily understood by children since they belong to the 
international treasury of folklore. The children may be given an 
early appreciation of the universality of the love which all 
nations have offered to the Infant Saviour.

The hymns which are nearest to the heart of the Church as the 
Bride of the heavenly Spouse are those which are found in her 
liturgical books. It would be very appropriate, for example, on 
this holy night to sing the Vesper antiphon, "Jerusalem gaude," 
followed by the Magnificat of our Blessed Lady on the solemn 
tone. The Vesper hymn "Jesu Redemptor omnium" reflects a movement 
of joyous peace which lies at the heart of Christmas. Some of the 
simpler elements from the Masses of Christmas are easily sung by 
children. This is clearly seen as we listen to the recordings of 
Father Hellriegel's choir of children. For example, the English 
version of the rhythmic fourteenth-century Latin carol called 
"Quem pastores laudavere" is pleasing to the pure minds of 
children.

It would be totally impossible to mention all of the carols which 
come from various countries in celebration of Christmas Eve. For 
Christmas Eve we recommend in particular the following carols: 
"Come, All Ye Shepherds" (Czech); "Behold a Branch Is Growing," 
"Sing, O Sing" (German); "Carol of the Children of Bethlehem" 
(Austrian): and the French carols "Bring Your Torches, Jeannette, 
Isabelle," "Whence, O Shepherd Maiden" (inspired by the 
responsory of the second nocturn of the Sunday within the octave 
of the Nativity), and "Oh, Publish the Glad Story."

This last-named song is often executed in Austria, France and the 
Spanish countries. Father Weiser describes it, saying: "It is a 
dramatic rendition of the Holy Family's fruitless efforts to find 
a shelter in Bethlehem. Joseph and Mary, tired and weary, knock 
at door after door, humbly asking for a place to stay. Realizing 
that they are poor, the owners refuse their request with harsh 
words, until the Holy Family finally decide to seek shelter in a 
stable. Usually the whole performance is sung and often it is 
followed by a happy ending showing a tableau of the cave with the 
Nativity scene.... A similar custom is the Spanish "Posada" (the 
Inn), traditional in South-American countries, especially Mexico. 
On an evening between December 16 and 24, several neighboring 
families gather in one house, where they prepare a shrine, 
handsomely decorated, and beside it a crib with all its 
traditional figures, but the manger is empty. At night a priest 
comes to the house, reads prayers and burns incense before the 
pictures of Mary and Joseph. Then a procession is formed, the two 
images carried at the head. The group moves through the house, 
reciting a litany and chanting hymns until it reaches a room on 
the top floor where a carol is sung in which St. Joseph begs for 
a shelter. The people stationed within the room respond, refusing 
St. Joseph's request as part of the carol. The procession then 
proceeds to the place where the altar has been prepared. Pictures 
of Joseph and Mary are put in the shrine, venerated with prayer 
and incense, and all those present are blessed by the priest. 
Thus the religious part of the "Posada" ends. Then comes a gay 
party for the adults consisting of games and refreshments, while 
the children are entertained with the "pinata." This is a fragile 
clay jar suspended from the ceiling and filled with candy and 
other goodies. The object is to break the jar with a stick so the 
contents spill and everybody rushes pell-mell for some of its 
treasures."5 Should you wish to try this type of Nativity play 
with your children, an Austrian version may be found in the 
"Trapp Family Book of Christmas Songs."6

Children love to sing and to light candles. They also love the 
ringing of bells, and they should be given every opportunity to 
do so with the arrival of the Saviour at midnight on Holy Night. 
In many churches the bells are rung during the solemn vigil which 
precedes the midnight Mass. In other places a concert of chimes 
and carillon music is rung from all the towers and steeples. 
There is a quaint medieval custom which is observed in some 
places in the British Isles. It is symbolic of the renewal of the 
life of grace which was brought about by the new Adam. One hour 
before midnight the big bell of the church begins to toll as if 
for a funeral. This continues for a whole hour, but at the stroke 
of twelve the joy of the world is expressed by a glorious ringing 
out of Christmas joy and redemption.

The temptation to speak of myriads of other interesting customs 
which solemnize the vigil is very great. Though a complete 
account here is impossible, it is our hope that these few 
suggestions may inflame the imagination of our American families 
and inspire them to go more deeply into the spiritual meaning and 
wealth of the Holy Night. Among the Slavic nations, for example, 
the small children are permitted by their parents to sleep on the 
floor in a bedding of hay and straw before the midnight Mass. 
While this practice is scarcely advisable in our own country--
where so many have no access to a rural environment anyway--
parents may wish to permit children to make some small sacrifice 
of comfort on this night of nights, in order to share in the 
humble circumstances of the Saviour's birth. After the midnight 
Mass, as they come home for the "reveillon" around the crib and 
the Christmas tree to receive their presents, their joy would be 
even greater, for they would have experienced some little 
reminder of the sufferings of the Christ Child. St. Gregory 
Nazianzen has vividly summarized this spirit of the Gospel and of 
St. Paul: "Let us be as Christ, for Christ is also as we. Let us 
become gods for His sake, for He also was made man for us. He 
took upon Himself what was poorer that He might give what was 
more glorious; He was made poor that we might be enriched by that 
poverty; He took the form of a servant that we might be set at 
liberty. He descended that we might be elevated.... Let everyone 
give all things; let him offer all things to Him who gave Himself 
as the price of redemption for us and as a recompense for our 
fault. But he can give nothing as great as when, rightly 
understanding this mystery he offers himself and becomes for the 
sake of Him everything which He has become for our sake." (Second 
nocturn of Easter Sunday.) 7


CHRISTMAS: THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY

(December 25)

During the past few centuries the only vigil which has been 
celebrated with the nocturnal Office and Holy Mass was that of 
Christmas. Happily our present Holy Father has decreed that the 
vigil of Easter should be restored to its proper place of supreme 
importance. These two feast are the only ones in the Roman rite 
which are fully celebrated by the people as a whole, and in 
consequence their importance should be emphasized more forcibly.

The ancient Church had made the night office a permanent 
institution. As Our Lord very often went up on to the mountain to 
pray during the night, so the Church offered her night watch for 
the "parousia" of the Saviour. Night was made for a prayer or 
meditation of love and not merely for sleep. In the spirit of the 
liturgy the nocturns of Matins in monastic houses are still 
assigned to the night. Many religious still rise from sleep in 
order to pray and watch with the Church. About ten thirty or 
eleven o'clock on Christmas Eve the bells are rung calling the 
monks to Matins of Christmas. It is a splendid privilege to be 
able to join them at the monastery in their bounteous celebration 
of the Nativity. It would, of course, be beyond our range here to 
explain in detail the ceremonies of Matins: this may be found in 
the works of Parsch and Graf concerning the Breviary.

In Germany a beautiful arrangement of the Christmas Gospel has 
been made on the tone of Christmas Matins ("Die Frohbotschaft der 
Geburt des Herrn"). It would be excellent if this could be 
translated and placed in the hands of American parents to be sung 
around the home crib before the family goes to the midnight Mass. 
The children in this country would at least enjoy some echo of 
the more complete spiritual celebration with which the Church 
receives her Bridegroom. The only substitute which we could 
recommend at present is a common reading or meditation on the 
birth of Christ as found in the readings and psalms of the Divine 
Office. Reading, however, is a rather remote substitute for 
children as it is likewise for adults. We prefer to do, to see, 
to hear and to sing ourselves.

The explanation of the reason for the celebration of three Masses 
on Christmas day is so very simple and clear in "Das Jahr des 
Heiles" of Pius Parsch that we feel obliged to translate. When 
this great work is translated completely into English, every 
family should read it frequently during Christmastide. It is 
replete with the Christmas spirit.


"The holy day of Christmas is characterized by a triple 
Eucharistic Sacrifice. The ancient Roman Church followed, in this 
matter, the example of the venerable Church of Jerusalem. The 
faithful there assembled during the night at the grotto of the 
Nativity in order to sanctify the hour of the birth of the Lord 
by the celebration of Holy Mass. At the end of this Mass they 
returned to Jerusalem. In the Church of the Resurrection in that 
city, what better means could they take than to celebrate 
Christmas with the shepherds? This was the second Mass. During 
the day they again assembled in church for the solemn Office of 
the feast. In this manner it became customary to celebrate three 
Masses on Christmas Day. This custom was initiated at Rome. The 
first Mass was celebrated during the night in the church of the 
crib at St. Mary Major (the stational church of St. Mary Major 
was considered to be the Bethlehem of the Roman people). The 
second Mass was celebrated in the Roman church of the 
Resurrection. The third Mass was celebrated at the basilica of 
St. Peter. This custom spread from Rome to the entire Occidental 
church. Since the time when priests of the Roman rite were 
permitted to celebrate Mass each day the custom became 
established that every priest might celebrate three Masses on 
Christmas Day.

"Three elements unite in each Mass: the divine Light, the 
corresponding time of the day or night, and the historic fact 
expressed in the Gospel for that hour. In the three Masses, there 
is a progressive development of the feast. The spirit of Advent 
is still noticeable in the first Mass. The God of Majesty, 
surrounded by light, manifests Himself. Luminous angels fly above 
the earth, and the Mother, the most pure Virgin, is the only 
earthly creature who approaches the divine Infant. Humanity is 
still waiting in the shadows of the night. The meaning of 
Christmas develops with the second Mass, which is celebrated at 
dawn at the rising of the sun. That divine Light which appeared 
mysteriously upon earth, clothed in the garments of night, rises 
for us like the sun. He is full of creative power and enters into 
relation with us as our Saviour. In the third Mass, the meaning 
of Christmas attains its perfect development: Jesus is manifested 
in all His power to all men.

"Christmas is a feast of light. This is evident from its very 
beginning. The date of December 25 is not the historical day of 
the birth of the Saviour (this day is unknown). This day of the 
winter solstice was chosen in order to supplant the pagan feast 
of the sun god ("sol invictus"), and to substitute a Christian 
feast on that day. Christ is the true God and Sun who combats the 
powers of darkness and overcomes them. This is the reason why the 
feast of His birth is well placed at the very moment when the sun 
begins its ascension. The thought of light, so touchingly 
expressed by the Christian people by their illuminated Christmas 
tree, is to be found in all three Masses The symbolism of light 
is particularly noteworthy at the midnight Mass; at the second 
Mass the rising sun offers a living symbol, and that is why the 
Introit sings out with joy: 'A Light shines for us today.' At the 
third Mass the symbol of Light is to be found in the Gospel 
itself: 'The Light shines in the darkness.'"8

The spirit of the Masses of Christmas may be expressed in the 
following division:

Midnight: The birth of the Son of God in Eternity by His 
procession from the Father. Mary alone, overshadowed by the Holy 
Spirit, witnesses and recognizes Him in His historic birth at 
Bethlehem.

Dawn: The birth of the Son of God upon earth by means of the 
Incarnation is recognized by the chosen people, represented by 
the shepherds. He becomes our redeemer, the Saviour and Head of 
His Mystical Body and Spouse, the Church.

Noonday: The birth of the King in majesty, the God-Man who is 
revealed as the Redeemer of all men and King of all creation. All 
mankind, by rebirth in grace, and in virtue of His victory over 
the kingdom of Satan, may wait in joy and expectancy for the 
opening of the eternal gates of heaven by the Lamb who was slain: 
the "parousia," or final coming of the Saviour at our death, and 
especially at the end of the world.

The celebration at home on Christmas Day should be filled with 
joy and rest, as is emphasized in the Matins for the feast: "Our 
Saviour is born today. Dearly beloved, let us rejoice! It would 
be unlawful to be sad today, when it is the birthday of Life: the 
birthday of that Life which, for us dying creatures, takes away 
the sting of death and brings the bright promise of eternal life 
hereafter. No one is shut out from a share in this happiness. All 
men have an equal share in the great cause of our joy, for Our 
Lord...is come to make all free."9 The great King for whom we 
have been preparing during the whole season of Advent has come, 
and we may no longer fast now that the Bridegroom is in our 
midst.

Christmas dinner is customarily the high point of the family 
celebration. It should be remembered that the feast is not the 
time for the mother of the family to spend long hours in the 
kitchen. The greater portion of the meal should have been 
prepared beforehand, and help in serving and dishwashing is a 
mark of the charity of all. The blessing for the meal should be 
taken directly from the "Ritual" today, and if possible, all 
could sing it.10

Community reading, caroling and folk-dancing are traditionally 
appropriate. We suggest that many ideas for the celebration of 
the holiday season may be found in "The Christmas Book."

It is interesting to learn how Christmas was celebrated in the 
Middle Ages, to read about the nativity plays, including even a 
sample of an Epiphany play as presented by the Huron and 
Algonquin Indians, and to glean information about all the flowers 
and decorations used everywhere at Christmastide--the holly, 
mistletoe, ivy, laurel, rosemary, bay, cherry and poinsettia. 
Many stories can be read to the children and a play may be 
enacted after the Christmas dinner.

In the event that Mother has received a poinsettia plant, the 
children could enact the legend telling why the Mexican people 
call this the "flower of the Holy Night." Father Weiser recounts 
it thus: "On a Christmas eve long ago a poor little boy went to 
church in great sadness because he had no gift to bring to the 
Holy Child. He dared not enter the church and, kneeling humbly on 
the ground outside the house of God, he prayed fervently, and 
assured Our Lord with tears how much he desired to offer Him some 
lovely present. 'But I am very poor and dread to approach You 
with empty hands.' When he finally rose from his knees he saw 
springing up at his feet a green plant with gorgeous blooms of 
dazzling red. His prayer had been answered; he broke some of the 
beautiful twigs from the plant and joyously entered the church to 
lay his gift at the foot of the Christ Child. Since then the 
plant has spread over the whole country; it blooms every year at 
Christmas time with such glorious abandon that men are filled 
with the true holiday spirit at the mere sight of the Christmas 
flower, symbolic of the Saviour's birth."11

Children and adults both enjoy caroling, either at home or going 
from house to house. Besides the customary American and English 
carols, we should suggest a few of the following ones. The hymn 
for Christmas Lauds, "O Solis Ortus," has been well-arranged for 
vernacular singing in "Hymns of the Church."12 Two Latin hymns 
have a catchy melody which children love: "Puer natus in 
Bethlehem,"13 and "Resonet in laudibus," an excellent fourteenth-
century carol which may be found in the "St. Gregory Hymnal." The 
latter melody is so popular and modern that some young people are 
reminded by it of the advertisement for Super Suds.

"The Trapp Family Book of Christmas Songs" is replete with songs 
and ideas. From it we recommend the following songs for Christmas 
Day: A "Child Is Born in Bethlehem," "We Whom Joyous Shepherd 
Praised" (a moving fourteenth-century Latin carol), "Maria on the 
Mountain" (a lullaby carol traditional in Germany), "The Darkness 
is Falling" (an Austrian carol which could serve as a Christmas 
night prayer for the children); and "Fum, Fum, Fum" (full of the 
rhythm of Christmas in Spain).

The word carol comes from the Greek word "choraulein," which is 
constructed from the two words "choros," the dance, and "aulein," 
to play the flute. The ancient Greeks and Romans danced in ring 
form. Their carols were brought in Roman times to Britain and 
Gaul. Even in medieval England a carol meant a ring-dance 
accompanied by singing: the children's game of ring-around-a-rosy 
very likely comes from the Middle Ages. Sweden and Austria still 
maintain the dance-carol. Gradually the meaning of the word carol 
came to be applied to the song itself rather than the dance. A 
carol usually pertains to folklore and is joyful and festive. 
However, in our day we apply the word carol to all Christmas 
songs, including many which are more solemn and should more 
appropriately be called hymns. The birthplace of the true 
Christmas carol was Italy. Besides the gift of the Christmas crib 
to the world, modern caroling may be ascribed to St. Francis of 
Assisi. From Italy the carol extended to Spain, France, and 
finally to all Europe. The earliest modern English carol was a 
lullaby-carol.

The old forms of the dance-carol persisted even in church itself, 
relates Father Weiser. "Dance carols, usually ring-dances 
accompanied by singing, were greatly favored in medieval times. 
The altar boys, for example, in the Cathedral of Seville, Spain, 
used to dance before the altar on Christmas and other feast days 
accompanied by song and the sound of castanets. In the Cathedral 
of York, England, until the end of the sixteenth century choir 
boys performed a dance in the aisle of the church after morning 
prayer on Christmas Day. In France it was customary to dance a 
"bergette" (shepherd's dance) in churches at Christmas time. 
Dancing in churches was prohibited by an ecclesiastical council 
at Toledo in 590, but the custom had become so much a part of the 
Christmas festivities that in some places dancing survived until 
the thirteenth and fourteenth century, and in England, right up 
to the Reformation (in Spain even longer)."14

It is for these reasons that we greatly favor caroling and folk-
dancing for the children during Christmastide. In the 
bibliography may be found several books on folk-dancing which 
will be very useful even to the amateur. Parents should wisely 
familiarize their children with simple folk dances and melodies 
before they become too spoiled by our modern tunes and dances, 
the greater portion of which do not compare in interest and 
culture with the earlier carols and dances. It must be remembered 
that folk-dancing and caroling really belong to the people, and 
in consequence they are essentially attractive to children and 
adults alike. They are, in addition to being of the people, 
usually based upon the folk celebration of the liturgical feast 
itself.

A final remark concerning caroling at Christmas is to encourage 
the reader to plumb the mysteries of yodeling. We are not all 
Swiss and Austrian and yodeling is not particularly easy. Yet it 
is a very popular form of music in mountainous countries, and one 
beloved by the people. Should you desire to try a little yodeling 
with the children, we recommend the Austrian yodel-carol from the 
Tyrol, "To Christ Our Lord We Raise This Song."15 The children 
will like it as if by instinct.

For those families who are more sophisticated in taste, or whose 
talents are not developed for self-expression, Christmas night 
often brings dull moments and a nostalgic loneliness. Very 
beautiful and inspiring substitutes for Christmas cheer may be 
found in concerts and recordings. It is desirable at this season 
to take the older children to a performance of Handel's "Messiah" 
or to listen to the Christmas compositions of Corelli and 
Vivaldi, for example. Children indeed should at an early age be 
introduced to refinement in music. Folk singing and dancing serve 
as foundation blocks to modern musical compositions. The 
movements of concertos, partitas, sonatas and various other 
musical forms are essentially dance forms whose origin is to be 
found in mediaeval folklore. Parents and teachers in our country 
may balance the self-expression of children in using their own 
talents with a graduated development of interest and 
understanding of more developed musical compositions. In music as 
in all the arts the classic is that which is the common heritage 
of all peoples, imitations and the exaggeration of rugged 
individualists soon pass away.

          "From lands that see the sun arise
          To earth's remotest boundaries,
          The Virgin-born today we sing
          The Son of Mary, Christ the King."

                    --Lauds for the Nativity16



ENDNOTES

1. St. John Chrysostom, "On the Solstice and Equinox," quoted in 
"Catholic Encyclopedia," Vol. III, pg. 727.

2, Burton-Ripperger, "Feast Day Cook Book," p. 155 ff.

3. Ibid., pp. 159-160.

4. "The Christmas Book," pp. 114-115.

5. Ibid., pp. 98-100.

6. "The Trapp Family Book of Christmas Songs," p. 77. 

7. From the Benedictine Office, "Liturgical Readings," St. 
Meinrad's Abbey. 

8. Parsch, Pius, "Das Jahr des Heiles," Vol. I, pp. 239-31. 

9. Homily of St. Leo from the second nocturn of Matins. 

10. Cf. Weller, "The Roman Ritual," Vol. III: "The Blessings." 

11. "The Christmas Book," pp. 133-134.

12. Dom Ermin Vitry, p. 11.

13. "Cantus," Fisher and Bros., N.Y., pp. 24-25.

14. "The Christmas Book," p. 71.

15. Weiser, "The Christmas Book," pp. 77-78.

16. J. M. Neale translation.



CHAPTER 6: THE COURT OF THE KING-SAVIOR


ST. STEPHEN (December 26)

(Station at St. Stephen's on Mt. Coelius)

ANCIENT tradition tells us that while Advent brought God to man 
through the Incarnation of the Word, so the twelve days between 
Christmas and the Epiphany were to bring man to God. On the very 
first day after Christmas we meet the first member of the suite 
of the Great King. The Saviour's immediate attendant is St. 
Stephen of Jerusalem, the first martyr, for there is no greater 
love for the newborn King than to lay down one's life for Him. 
Even though the Mass of the day indicates that this feast was 
originally independent of the Christmas cycle, the Divine Office 
unites this feast with Christmas in the most intimate fashion. 
The children, especially small boys, would be happy to hear the 
story of St. Stephen as it is written in Matins of his feast day:


"Yesterday we celebrated the temporal birth of our Eternal King; 
today we celebrate the triumphant passion of His soldier. For 
yesterday our King, clothed in the garb of our flesh and coming 
from the palace of the virginal womb, deigned to visit the world; 
today the soldier, leaving the tent of the body, has gone to 
heaven in triumph. The one, while preserving the majesty of the 
everlasting God, putting on the servile girdle of flesh, entered 
into the field of this world ready for the fray. The other, 
laying aside the perishable garment of the body, ascended to the 
palace of heaven to reign eternally. The One descended, veiled in 
flesh; the other ascended, crowned with blood.

"The latter ascended while the Jews were stoning him because the 
former descended while the angels were rejoicing. 'Glory to God 
in the highest,' sang the exulting angels yesterday; today 
rejoicing, they received Stephen into their company. Yesterday 
the Lord came forth from the womb of the Virgin; today the 
soldier of Christ has passed from the prison of the flesh.

"Yesterday Christ was wrapped in swathing bands for our sake; 
today Stephen is clothed by Him in the robe of immortality. 
Yesterday the narrow confines of the crib held the Infant Christ; 
today the immensity of heaven has received the triumphant 
Stephen. The Lord descended alone that He might raise up many; 
our King has humbled Himself that He might exalt His soldiers. It 
is necessary for us, nevertheless, brethren, to acknowledge with 
what arms Stephen was girded and able to overcome the cruelty of 
the Jews that thus he merited so happily to triumph.

"Stephen, therefore, that he might merit to obtain the crown his 
name signifies, had as his weapon charity, and by means of that 
he was completely victorious. Because of love for God, he did not 
flee the raging Jews: because of his love of neighbor he 
interceded for those stoning him. Because of love he convinced 
the erring of their errors, that they might be corrected; because 
of love, he prayed for those stoning him that they might not be 
punished. Supported by the strength of charity, he overcame Saul, 
who was so cruelly raging against him; and him whom he had as a 
persecutor on earth, he deserved to have as a companion in 
heaven." (St. Fulgentius, Third Sermon on St. Stephen)1


The charity of St. Stephen is the reason for the songs and 
customs which have become the traditional manner of celebrating 
his feast. The old English carol "Good King Wenceslaus" tells the 
children how King Wenceslaus went out on St. Stephen's day to 
bring charity to the poor . The snow was covered with the blood 
of his freezing feet: "Heat was in the very sod which the saint 
had printed." The good king knew that whatever he did to the 
least of his subjects he did for Christ in honor of the first 
holy martyr. In Yorkshire, England, large goose pies were made 
and distributed to the poor. Indeed, the feast was known as 
Boxing Day, since the earthen banks or boxes of the apprentices 
were filled with money gifts by their masters. This was the 
direct forerunner of the piggy bank. Would it not be appropriate 
if the children's piggy banks were painted red, or had a streak 
of red on them in memory of the charity of the martyr, Stephen? 
Mothers and fathers often buy banks for children to teach them 
saving. This is an excellent practice. Would it not be wise as 
well to teach them to be frugal with themselves in order to share 
their charity with their neighbor?

One of the oldest folk-songs of Sweden, "Saint Stephen was 
Riding" (Staffansvisa) is sung at Christmastide in honor of St. 
Stephen, telling the delightful "Miracle of the Cock." According 
to this story, Herod would not believe Stephen when he was told 
that "One greater than thou has been born this holy night." The 
proof of his words came when a roasted cock rose up out of the 
gravy and crowed as he had crowed at the break of day. "The 
"Staffan" of the song has the features of two entirely differe