God, who deigned to begin, on this same day, the human life he had assumed,-the generous holocaust of these thousands of lives, laid down as witness to his having come into this world. Thus was glorified, in the year 303, our Emmanuel, who had come from heaven to dwell among us. Let us, after the example of the Church herself, join our homage to the Babe of Bethlehem with that offered him by these courageous Christians, whose fame the Liturgy will perpetuate even to the end of time. " Once more let us visit, in spirit, the dear Cave, where Mary and Joseph are loving, and nursing, and adoring, the Divine Infant. Let us, too, adore him, and ask his blessing. St. Bonaventure, with an unction worthy of his seraphic soul, thus expresses the sentiments which a Christian should have, on this Day, when admitted to the Crib of Jesus: "Do thou, also, kneel down-thou hast delayed too long. "Adore the Lord thy God, and then reverence his Mother, and salute, with much respect, the saintly "old man Joseph. After this, kiss the feet of the "Infant Jesus, laid as he is on his little bed, and ask "our Lady to give him to thee, or permit thee to take him up. Take him into thine arms, press him "to thy heart, and look well at his lovely face, and reverently kiss him, and show him confidently the delight thou takest in him. Thou mayest venture on all this, because it is for sinners that he came, "that he might save them: it was with sinners that "he so humbly conversed, and, at last, gave himself "to sinners, that he might be their food. I say, then, "that his gentle love will permit thee to treat him as affectionately as thou pleasest, and will not call it "too much freedom, but will set it down to thy "love." 66 Meditations on the Life of Christ, by St. Bonaventure. As a conclusion to our Feast, we give two favourite Pieces of the Middle-Ages, whereby our Fathers expressed their joy on this glorious Solemnity. The first is a Sequence, which is to be found in all the Roman-French Missals. For a long time, it was thought to have been written by St. Bernard: but, we have seen it in a Manuscript of the 11th century, and, consequently, it must have been written earlier than the date usually assigned to it. Lætabundus Exsultet fidelis chorus. Regem regum Sicut sidus radium, Cedrus alta Libani Conformatur hyssopo Valle nostra. Verbum ens Altissimi Corporari passum est, Carne sumpta. SEQUENCE. Esaias cecinit, Synagoga meminit; Numquam tamen desinit Esse cæca. Let the choir of all the faithful exult in their joy. Alleluia ! The Virgin's womb hath given us the King of Kings! O wonderful mystery! The Angel of the great Counsel is born of the Virgin, the Sun is born of a Star! The Sun knows no setting; the Star is ever shining, ever bright. As a star gives forth its ray, so does the Virgin her Child. The star loses naught of its purity by the ray it yields, so neither does the Virgin by her Child. The lofty cedar of Libanus comes down into our valley, making itself little as the hyssop. He that is the Word of the Most High God, deigns to take a body unto himself; he assumes our flesh. Isaias had foretold all this; and the Jews, though they knew the prophecy by heart, see not its accomplishment in this mystery. The Second Piece is a Sequence in honour of the most Holy Mother of God. It belongs to the 15th century. It is one of the many imitations of the Easter Sequence, Victima Paschali, which are to be found in many of the Missals of the 15th and 16th centuries. SEQUENCE. Let the Christian people hymn their praises to the Virgin Mary. Unhappy Eve was the cause of our ruin; but Mary brought forth a Son, who redeemed us sinners. Death and life were thus strangely reconciled: there reigns, now, God, the Son of Mary. Tell us, O Mary, Virgin most merciful and kind! How thou, the creature of Him that was born of thee, didst become his Mother? The Angel is witness, that was sent to me from heaven. He that is my hope was born of me his Mother: but the Jews will not believe. Virgini Mariæ laudes Intonent Christiani. Eva tristis abstulit; Sed Maria protulit Natum, qui redemit Peccatores. Mors et vita modulc Convenere mirando : Mariæ Filius Regnat Deus. Dic nobis, Maria, Virgo clemens et pia: Quomodo facta es genitrix, Cum tu sis plasma De te nascentis? Angelus est testis Ad me missus cœlestis. Natus est ex me spes mea; Sed incredula Manet Judæa. Credendum est magis soli Gabrieli Forti, Quam Judæorum Pravæ cohorti. Scimus Christum processisse Ex Maria vere : Tu nobis nate, Rex! miserere. Amen. Faith must be had, to Gabriel, the Power of God, rather than to the perverse Jewish tribe. We know that Christ was, in very truth, born of Mary: do thou, her Son! our King! have mercy on us. Amen. DECEMBER 26. SAINT STEPHEN, THE FIRST MARTYR. ST. PETER DAMIAN thus begins his Sermon for this Feast: * * * We are holding in our arms the Son of the "Virgin, and are honouring, with our caresses, this our Infant God. The holy Virgin has led us to the "dear Crib. The most beautiful of the Daughters of men has brought us to the most beautiful among the Sons of men,1 and the Blessed among women to him that is Blessed above all. She "tells us *that now the veils of prophecy are drawn aside, and the counsel of God is accomplished. Is there anything capable of dis"tracting us from this sweet Birth? On what else shall we fix our eyes? Lo! whilst Jesus is permitting us thus to caress him; whilst he is over"whelming us with the greatness of these mysteries, "and our hearts are riveted in admiration-there comes before us Stephen, full of grace and forti"tude, doing great wonders and signs among the people. Is it right, that we turn from our King, "to look on Stephen, his soldier? No-unless the King himself bid us do so. This our King, who "is Son of the King, rises * to assist at the glorious combat of his servant. * Let us go "with him, and contemplate this standard-bearer of "the Martyrs.' The Church gives us, in to-day's Office, this opening of a Sermon of St. Fulgentius for the Feast of St. Stephen: "Yesterday, we celebrated the temporal |