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Rev.
Fr. Leonard Goffine's
The Church's Year
CHRISTMAS
EVE
"Let us
therefore make him a little chamber, and put a little bed in it
for him and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick, that when he
cometh to us, he may abide there" (IV Kings 4:13). Such
was the Sunamite woman's regard for the prophet Eliseus, that she
would make such preparations for his entertainment! Will we do as
much for Christ who is ready to come to us? Take pains, O Christian,
to occupy this night in pious thoughts, and aspirations, for the
love of God and for the good of your own soul, making yourself worthy
to receive the graces which He is ready when He comes, to give you.
Think how Mary, who was near her time, and Joseph her spouse obedient
to the Imperial command, and perfectly submissive to the will of
God, journeyed with the greatest inconvenience to Bethlehem, and
when, because of the multitude of people, they found no place to
receive them they took refuge, as God willed it, in a most miserable
stable, at the extreme end of the town. What love does not the Savior
deserve, who for love of us so humbled Himself!
COLLECT
O God, who makest us rejoice in the yearly expectation of the feast
of our redemption: grant, that we who cheerfully receive Thy only-begotten
Son as a Redeemer, may behold without fear the same Lord Jesus Christ,
coming as our judge. Through our Lord.
CHRISTMAS
DAY
What
is Christmas Day?
It is the day
on which Christ Jesus, our Redeemer, was born of the Blessed Virgin
in a stable at Bethlehem.
Why
is this festival called "the Holy Night"?
Because this
night has been especially blessed and sanctified by the holy, mysterious
birth of the Redeemer of the world.
Why
do priests say three Masses on this day?
In commemoration
of the threefold birth of the Redeemer: of His birth from all eternity
in the bosom of His Heavenly Father; of His birth in the fullness
of time; and of His spiritual birth in the hearts of the faithful
who, by lively faith in Him, receive the power to become children
of God (Jn. 1:12).
Why
is the first Mass said at midnight?
Because Christ,
the true light which came into the world to enlighten those who
sat in darkness and the shadow of death, that is, of unbelief and
of sin (Lk. 1:79), was born at night, and because the divine birth
is incomprehensible to us.
Why
is the next Mass said at daybreak, and the third after sunrise?
To signify
that the birth of Christ, expelling the darkness of ignorance and
infidelity, brought us the clear daylight of the knowledge of God,
and that the spiritual birth of Christ can take place at any time
in the pure soul.
When
does this spiritual birth take place?
It takes place
when the soul, having been cleansed from all sin, makes the firm,
unalterable resolution to die to the world and all carnal desires,
and arouses in itself the ardent desire henceforth to live only
for Christ, and, by His grace, to practice all virtues.
INSTRUCTION
ON THE FIRST MASS
The Introit
of this Mass reminds us of the eternal birth of Christ, the Lord.
INTROIT
The Lord hath said to me: Thou art my Son, this
day (that is, from all eternity) have I begotten thee (Ps. 2:7).
Why have the Gentiles raged, and the people devised vain things
(Ps. 2:1)? Glory be to the Father.
COLLECT
O God, who hast made this most sacred night to shine forth with
the brightness of the true light: grant, we beseech Thee, that we
may enjoy His happiness in heaven, the mystery of whose light we
have known upon earth. Through our Lord.
EPISTLE
(Tit. 2:11-15). Dearly beloved, the grace of God our Savior hath
appeared to all men, instructing us, that denying ungodliness and
worldly desires, we should live soberly, and justly, and godly in
this world, looking for the blessed hope and coming of the great
God and our Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he
might redeem us from all iniquity, and might cleanse to himself
a people acceptable, a pursuer of good works. These things speak,
and exhort, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In
what special manner has the grace and goodness of God been manifested
to us?
In the incarnation
and birth of Christ, His Son, whom, in His infinite love, He has
made like unto us, our brother and our teacher, by whom we have
become children of God, and co-heirs of His kingdom.
What does Christ
by His incarnation desire to teach us especially?
That we should
put aside all unrighteousness, all infidelity and injustice, and
endeavor to become like unto Him, who, except in sin, has become
altogether like unto us. But especially that we repress the desires
of lust, wealth, and honor, and not rest until we have rooted them
from our hearts.
How
do we live soberly, justly, and godly?
We live soberly,
when we fulfill all duties towards ourselves; justly, when we fulfill
all duties towards our neighbor; and godly, when we fulfill all
duties to God.
ASPIRATION
Blessed art Thou, O new-born Savior,
who hast descended from on high to teach
me the ways of justice, hast become man
and equal to me. In return for this goodness
of Thine, I renounce all evil, all sinful
desires, words, and deeds. In return for
Thy love, I will ever uproot from my heart
all carnal desires, and always live soberly,
justly, and godly; do Thou by Thy grace,
strengthen me in this resolve.
GOSPEL
(Lk. 2:1-14). At that time there went forth a decree
from Caesar Augustus, that the whole world should be enrolled. This
enrolling was first made by Cyrinus, the governor of Syria. And
all went to be enrolled, every one into his own city. And Joseph
also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth into Judea,
to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was
of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary his espoused
wife, who was with child. And it came to pass, that when they were
there, her days were accomplished, that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him up in
swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no
room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds
watching, and keeping the night-watches over their flock. And behold,
an Angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone
round them; and they feared with a great fear. And the Angel said
to them: Fear not: for behold I bring you good tidings of great
joy, that shall be to all the people: for this day is born to you
a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this
shall be a sign unto you: You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling
clothes, and laid in a manger. And suddenly there was with the Angel
a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying: Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good-will.
Why,
at the time of Augustus, were all the Roman subjects enrolled?
This happened
by a special ordinance of God, that by this enrollment Mary and
Joseph should be obliged to go to Bethlehem, that it might be made
known to the world that Christ was really born at Bethlehem, of
the tribe of Juda, and the house of David, and that He was the Messiah
who had been foretold by the prophets (Mich. 5:2).
Let us learn
from this how the providence of God directs all things according
to His will, and consider the obedience which Mary rendered to the
command of a heathen emperor, or rather to God who caused the command.
Why
is Christ called the "first-born" of Mary?
Because she
gave birth to no child before Him; she bore none after Him, He was
the only son of Mary, as He was the only-begotten Son of the Heavenly
Father.
Why
was Christ born in such poverty?
To teach us
not by words but by example that which He afterwards so often preached
and forcibly taught, namely: the love of poverty, the practice of
humility and patience with contempt of the world, and also to confound
by His humble birth the foolish wisdom of the world which seeks
only honors, pleasures and riches.
Why was the
birth of Christ announced to poor shepherds, and not to King Herod
and the chief priests?
That it might
be known that God loves to dwell with poor, simple, pious, faithful
people, such as the shepherds were, and reveals Himself to those
who are little in their own eyes (Mt. 11:25), while He despises
the proud and leaves them over to their own spiritual blindness.
Let us learn
from this to acquire simplicity and humility, and despise pride
and cunning, that God may reveal Himself to us by His interior inspirations.
What
is meant by the angelic song of praise: "Glory be to God on
high"?
By this song
of praise which the priests usually say in the Mass is meant that
the greatest praise and the most heartfelt thanks are due to God
for having sent His Son into the world; and that those who have
the good will to glorify God by all their actions, will receive
peace, that is, all happiness, blessings, and salvation.
Rejoice with
the angels over the birth of the Savior, return thanks to God, and
honor Him alone in all things, that you may have that peace: peace
with God, peace with yourself and peace with all men.
Learn also
from the angels, who rejoiced in the graces which man would receive
from the birth of Christ, to rejoice, and thank God for the favors
which He gives your neighbor, and by rejoicing participate in them.
INSTRUCTION
ON THE SECOND MASS
In the Introit
of this Mass the Church makes use of the words of Isaias:
INTROIT
A light shall shine upon us this day: for our Lord is born to
us: and he shall be called Wonderful, God, the Prince of peace,
the Father of the world to come; of whose reign there shall be no
end (Is. 9). The Lord hath reigned, he is clothed with beauty: the
Lord is clothed with strength, and hath girded himself. Glory be
to the Father.
COLLECT
Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who are filled
with the new light of Thy incarnate Word, may show forth in our
works what by faith shineth in our minds. Through our Lord.
EPISTLE
(Tit. 3:4-7). Dearly beloved, the goodness
and kindness of God our Savior hath appeared:
not by the works of justice which we have
done, but according to his mercy he saved
us by the layer of regeneration, and renovation
of the Holy Ghost, whom he hath poured
forth upon us abundantly through Jesus
Christ our Savior: that,
being justified by his grace, we may be
heirs according to hope of life everlasting,
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
To
whom do we owe our salvation?
Not to ourselves,
nor any good works we may have performed, but entirely to the mercy
of God who from all eternity decreed our redemption, and sent His
only-begotten Son into this world to accomplish it; which redemption
is bestowed upon us in baptism, where we are washed from the stain
of sin, and by the rich infusion of the Holy Ghost born again, heirs
of eternal life.
Why,
then, had God no mercy on the fallen angels?
To
this question St. John of Damascus replies:
"We must know here that the fall
was to the angels what death is to man;
for the angels there was no repentance
after the fall, as for man there is no
repentance after death" (De fid.
orthod. lib.2. c.4). In eternity there
is no available contrition and penance,
so God showed no mercy to the fallen angels.
Let us learn from this, to make ourselves
participators in the mercy of God, by
contrition and penance while there is
yet time.
GOSPEL
(Lk. 2:15-20). At that time the shepherds said one
to another: Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this word
that is come to pass, which the Lord hath showed to us. And they
came with haste; and they found Mary and Joseph, and the infant
lying in a manger. And seeing they understood of the word that had
been spoken to them concerning this child. And all that heard wondered,
and at those things that were told them by the shepherds. But Mary
kept all these words, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds
returned, glorifying and praising God, for all the things they had
heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
INSTRUCTION
I. The shepherds
follow at once the voice of God which calls them to the manger;
they exhort one another to do so; they seek the Redeemer and happily
find Him; they make Him known to others, and heartily thank God
for the grace given them.
Let us follow
the inspirations of God with ready obedience; let us exhort one
another to virtue by our good example and edifying conversation;
let us make good use of the knowledge given us by God, give it to
others, and praise God for the same.
II.
Mary kept all these words, spoken about
her Son, and pondered them in her heart.
Let us learn from her to prepare food
for our souls by
careful meditation on the divine truths
that are made known to us: so that we
may be preserved and strengthened in spiritual
life.
INSTRUCTION
ON THE THIRD MASS
The Introit
of this Mass reminds us of the spiritual birth of Christ, by which
He is spiritually born in us:
INTROIT
A child is born to us, and a Son is given
to us; whose government is upon his shoulder;
and his name shall
be called the Angel of great counsel (Is.
9). Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle:
for he bath done wonderful things (Ps.
97). Glory be to the Father.
COLLECT
Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that the new birth
of Thine only-begotten Son in the flesh may deliver us who are held
by the old bondage under the yoke of sin. Through our Lord.
EPISTLE
(Heb. 1:1-12). God, who diversely and
many ways, spoke in times past to the
fathers by the prophets, last of all,
in these days hath spoken to us by his
Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all
things, by whom also he made the world.
Who being the brightness of his glory,
and the figure of his substance, and upholding
all things by the word of his power, making
purgation of sins, sitteth on the right
hand of the majesty on high: being made
so much better than the angels, as he
hath inherited a more excellent name than
they. For to which of the angels hath
he said at any time: Thou art my son,
today have I begotten thee? And again,
I will be to him a father, and he shall
be to me a son? And again when he bringeth
in the first-begotten into the world,
he saith: And let all the angels of God
adore him. And to the angels indeed he
saith: He that maketh his angels spirits,
and his ministers a flame of fire. But
to the Son: Thy throne, O God, is for
ever and ever: a scepter of justice is
the scepter of thy kingdom. Thou hast
loved justice, and hated iniquity: therefore,
God, thy God, hath anointed thee with
the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
And: Thou in the beginning, O Lord, didst
found the earth; and the works of thy
hands are the heavens. They shall perish,
but thou shalt continue; and they shall
all grow old as a garment, and as a vesture
shalt thou change them, and they shall
be changed; but thou art the self-same,
and thy years shall not fail.
INSTRUCTION
The greatness of Christ Jesus, the dignity of His divinity and
humanity, the love and goodness of His Heavenly Father, who has
given Him to us as our teacher, could not be more gloriously described
than in this epistle. Learn from it how much you are obliged, because
of this, to serve God, to be grateful to Him, and to follow Christ
who governs heaven and earth; and whom the angels serve.
ASPIRATION
I thank Thee, a thousand times, O Heavenly Father, that
Thou hast spoken to us through Thy only-begotten Son, in whom Thou
art well pleased. With my whole heart, O Father of Merry, will I
listen to Him, and be obedient to all His instructions.
GOSPEL
(Jn. l:1-14). In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him, and without him was made nothing that
was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men; and
the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend
it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. This man
came for a witness, to bear witness of the light, that all men might
believe through him. He was not the light, but was to bear witness
of the light. That was the true light, which enlighteneth every
man that cometh into this world. He was in the world, and the world
was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own,
and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them
he gave power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in
his name. Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us (and we saw his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten
of the Father), full of grace and truth.
What
does St. John mean by the Word?
That the Son
of God, who was begotten and brought forth like a word of the mouth
from the Father, but in a manner incomprehensible and inscrutable
to us, is one with the Father in the divine nature, but different
from Him in person; He is also called the Word of the Father, because
through Him the Father has spoken and made known the divine will
(Heb. 1:2; Mt. 17:5).
What
is meet by- In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God?
When all things
had their beginning the Son of God already was, not made or created,
but born of the Father from eternity, with whom and in whom He therefore
existed from all eternity. St. John here teaches the divinity, the
eternity, and the equality of Christ with the Father.
What
is meantt by: All things were made by
Him?
That the Son
of God, Himself true God, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, has
made all things, visible and invisible.
What
is meant by: In Him was the life?
It means: The
Son of God is the origin and fountain of the spiritual life of our
souls upon earth, and of the glorious life in eternity. To give
this true life to us, He became man, whereby we are born again,
newly created, as it were, from the death of sin to the life of
grace and righteousness.
Why
is this life the light of men?
Because this
true life of the soul which Christ has obtained for us, consists
in the ever increasing knowledge of God and his salvation, which
knowledge also comes from Christ, either externally through holy
words and examples, or inwardly by divine inspiration.
How
did the light shine in darkness?
The Son of
God has given the necessary grace to find the true faith to mankind.
He still imparts to all men the necessary light, especially by His
holy Word which is preached to them, but the hardened sinners reject
it, because they wish not to hear of faith and repentance.
How
did St. John the Baptist bear witness of the light?
By announcing
the Savior to the world, and even pointing Him out when He appeared.
Who
receive Christ?
Those who walk
in the light of His grace, co-operate with it, and so become the
children of God.
How
are we to understand: The Word was made flesh?
We are to understand
by it that the Word was not changed into human nature, but that
He became incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was
made man, thus uniting in Himself two natures, the divine and the
human. So Christ is true God, and at the same time true man, therefore
God-Man; consequently there are in Christ two wills, the divine
and the human. In His humanity He is less than the Father (Jn. 14:28),
in His divinity He is equal to the Father On. 10:30); His humanity
filled Him with a natural terror of His sufferings, but His divinity
was perfectly united with the will of His Heavenly Father, and
could pray: Not my will, but thine be done.
ASPIRATION
O God, our Heavenly Father, Who this
night has given to us sinners, in the
form of a child from the immaculate womb
of Mary, Thine only-begotten Son as our
Mediator and Redeemer, we give Thee thanks
with heart and lips, and humbly beseech
Thee that Thou wilt never permit us to
forget such a grace, and that we may sustain
ourselves by it in all temptations; that
we may be ever grateful to Thee for it,
and until death praise, honor and serve
Thee in sanctity. Amen.
Whence comes
the custom of representing in our churches and houses the crib of
Bethlehem?
This custom
was introduced by St. Francis of Assisi who, having a particular
devotion to the Infant Jesus, was accustomed to represent to himself
in this way the stable and manger at Bethlehem the further to excite
his love; and as this pious practice is calculated to assist exceedingly
in the instruction of the unlearned, especially of children, it
was introduced into many congregations.
THE
SOCIETY OF THE HOLY CHILDHOOD FOR THE SALVATION OF HEATHEN CHILDREN
Many thousands
of heathen children die every year without baptism, and what is
most terrible, a great number of these unfortunate children die
the most miserable death, and thus perish, soul and body. In the
heathen countries, especially in China, a country that contains
more than three hundred million inhabitants, it is the horrible
custom of parents, when they have too many children, or when they
are sickly, weak, or deformed to expose them on the streets, or
to throw them with a weight around their neck into the water. On
the streets the poor little children die of hunger, or are devoured
by beasts, in the water their flesh becomes the food of fishes.
Many, especially girls, are picked up by the wicked heathens, carried
home, and so trained that when they grow up, they may enrich their
masters by prostitution. A multitude of others are strangled immediately
after birth, their bodies thrown into the water, or into the gutter.
No law forbids or punishes this horrible custom. No less than twenty
or thirty thousand of these unfortunate children are killed in one
year.
The missionaries
who preach the gospel to these heathens witnessed these cruelties
with terror without being able to do anything to abolish this awful
custom. To see these children die without baptism grieved them.
Some sought to gather, baptize and raise them. Good women were engaged
for this purpose. But how could the missionaries provide for so
many, how support those women who collected these unfortunate children?
They had no means. Necessary compelled them to turn to Christian
Europe. By touching letters they solicited alms for these little
unfortunates. Owing to the sad condition of these children the pious
bishop of Nancy, Forbin Janson, became the founder of the Society
of the Holy Child Jesus, inviting all children of his diocese to
form a Society of the Holy Childhood, under the patronage of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, for the benefit of the miserable heathen children,
giving alms out of love for the Infant Savior. All under twenty-one
years of age, were to belong to it forming clubs of twelve, in honor
of the twelve years of Christ's childhood; each member to contribute
one cent monthly; and to say one Hail Mary every day with the invocation:
"Holy Mary, pray for us and for the poor children of the heathens."
By means of the money thus collected, the missionaries were enabled
to save the heathen children from spiritual and corporal death.
The society has been in existence since 1841, and has already embraced
all Catholic countries; thousands of pious Christian children deprive
themselves of a portion of their food in order to save alms, thereby
performing a good work for the love of the child Jesus and the salvation
of the children of the heathens. Adults are admitted as honorary
members, and would it not be well, beloved reader, for you to join
it, and by prayers and alms aid in saving those little ones? This
would be indeed a good work, for which rich reward will be given
in heaven.
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