79 CHRISTMAS DAY. Glory be to the Prince of Peace, Who reigneth over all the earth. When the days were accomplished, Mary brought forth her First-born Son. The Word was made Flesh, and dwelt among us. Whom saw ye, O shepherds? Say ye, tell us Who hath appeared upon earth? We beheld the Child, and a Choir of Angels singing unto our LORD and SAVIOUR. Alleluia. Alleluia. Unto us a Child has been born this day; and His Name shall be called, The Mighty GOD. Alleluia. Alleluia. Glory be to GOD in the highest, and on earth peace; good will towards men. Alleluia. Amen. "Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' S. Cyprian saith that the Word Incarnate made His first entrance into the world a pattern of our first entrance into the Christian religion, that His disciples might enter by the way He entered, exercising those virtues which He exercised. To this end He left all that the world most loves and seeks, and sought after all that which the world abhors and flies. And as He came into the world not to do His own will, but the will of Him that sent Him, He would be born in that place which His FATHER ordained, and be born obeying, as He died obeying; that all of us might learn to obey. O Blessed JESUS, my LORD and SAVIOUR, make my life to consist in doing Thy will, keep Thou my coming in and going out, and all whatsoever I do, and guide me in Thy footsteps, now and ever. Amen. He was lying in a manger, He Whose greatness could not be contained by the Heaven of heavens. O Eternal Word Incarnate, how soon the world begins to reject Thee, Thou Who hast come to redeem that world! O come and make Thy dwelling-place in my heart! Thou hast said, Behold, I stand at the door and knock; come, knock, call, and I will open unto Thee, that Thou mayest come in and dwell with Thy servant for ever. O my most sweet and Sovereign LORD, how can I duly thank Thee for thus vouchsafing to take upon Thee man's nature, and to come as a Child in extreme poverty to redeem me? O that I could worship Thee, the Child JESUS, with the humility and lowliness of babes and sucklings, in whose Be mouths Thou hast perfected praise. hold, I here present myself in spirit before Thy Divine Majesty, and offer to Thee all that I am and have, wholly to Thy service for ever. Accept, O LORD, the desires of my heart, and give me grace to fulfil them. O most adorable Babe, gracious in Thy humility; the more Thou art despised for me, the more worthy Thou art to be loved. and the more Thou art humbled, so much the more exalted; for in Thy humiliations Thou showest forth the greatness of Thy boundless Love towards man. O that I could love Thee as Thou deservest! O that I could abase and humble myself as I de-. serve! Let me learn of Thee to humble myself, that by Thy mercy I may one day be exalted with Thee in heaven. Hearken to the voice of thy SAVIOUR as He cries, "Behold, I come to do Thy will, O GOD." "Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and except ye become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Hearken likewise to the voice of the Heavenly Host, as they praise and glorify their GOD, hidden beneath the veil of flesh; Holy, holy, holy art Thou, LORD GOD of Hosts, the earth is full of Thy glory," even while Thou liest in that poor stable, wrapped in swaddling clothes. G O King of Glory, lift up my heart to the highest, that I may glorify Thy Name on earth, as Thy angels glorify It in heaven. Whatever I shall say or do, let it be to Thy glory, without seeking mine own; and from my mouth may this word never depart; Glory be to GOD, Three and One; glory to the FATHER, and to the SON, and to the HOLY GHOST. Glory to the FATHER for having given me His SON; glory to the SON, for having become man for my redemption; and glory to the HOLY GHOST, from Whose love this work did proceed. Amen. .It is written, “Let all the Angels of GOD worship Him." O my GoD, I adore Thee with them, and with them I sing, Glory be to Thee in this poor manger of Thine; and I desire that all the world may sing it to Thee in Thy Church, that by all Thou mayest be glorified, world without end. Amen. LORD, have mercy. LORD, have mercy. Infant JESUS, One with the FATHER and the HOLY GHOST, Have mercy on us. Infant JESUS, Power of GOD; Have mer cy on us. Infant JESUS, Eternal Word, yet making Thyself dumb; Infant JESUS, LORD of heaven and earth, yet weeping in the manger; Infant JESUS, clothed with glory, yet wrapped in swaddling bands; Infant JESUS, King of kings, and LORD of Lords, yet housed in a stable; Infant JESUS, strong in weakness; Infant JESUS, Author of the blessings of heaven; Infant JESUS, Repairer of the evils, of earth; From the bondage of sin, From the wiles of the devil, Have mercy on us. Infant JESUS, deliver us. Through Thy most humble Birth, Infant JESUS, deliver us. We give Thee thanks, most Loving JEsus, because for our sake Thou didst choose to be born in a poor stable at midnight, and in the midst of winter to be wrapped in swaddling clothes, laid in a manger, and fed at Thy mother's breast. Grant, Blessed LORD, that we may become like little child |