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Sixth Day within the Octave of Christmas
 by Fr. Prosper Gueranger, 1868


This is the only day, within the Christmas Octave, which is not a Saint's Feast. During the Octaves of the Epiphany, Easter, and Pentecost, the Church is so absorbed in the respective mysteries, that she puts off everything that could share her attention; whereas, during this of Christmas, there is only one day which does not celebrate the memory of some glorious Saint, and our Infant Jesus is surrounded by a choir of heroes who loved and served him. Thus, the Church, or, more correctly, God--for God is the first author of the Cycle of the Year--shows us how the Incarnate Word, who came to save mankind, desires to give mankind confidence by this His adorable familiarity. We have already shown that the Birth of our Lord took place on a Sunday, the Day on which, in the beginning of the world, God created Light. We shall find, later on, that His Resurrection, also, was on a Sunday. This the first day of creation, and the first of the week, was consecrated, by the old Pagans, to the Sun: with us Christians, it is most sacred and holy, on account of the two risings of our divine Sun of Justice--His Birth and His Resurrection. Whilst the solemnity of Easter is always kept on a Sunday, that of Christmas falls, by turns, on each of the days of the week--we have already had this difference explained to us by the Holy Fathers:--but, the mystery of Jesus' Birth is more aptly and strongly expressed, when its anniversary falls on a Sunday. Other years, when the coincidence does not happen, the Faithful will, at least, be led by their Christian instincts, to give especial honour to the Day, within the Octave, which falls on the Sunday. The Church has honoured it with a proper Mass and Office, and we of course insert them.



MASS


It was at Midnight, that the Lord delivered His people from bondage, by the Passage of His destroying Angel over the land of the Egyptians: so, also, was it in the still hour of midnight, that Jesus, the Angel of the Great Counsel, came down from His royal throne, bringing mercy to our earth. It is just, that whilst commemorating this second Passage, the Church should sing the praises of her Emmanuel, who comes, clad in His strength and beauty, to take possession of His Kingdom.

On this the sixth day since the Birth of our Emmanuel, let us consider how the Divine Infant lies in the Crib of a Stable, and is warmed by the breath of the Ox and the Ass, as Isaias had foretold: The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel hath not known me (Is i. 3). Thus does the great God enter that world, which His own hands have created! The dwellings of men are refused Him, for man has a hard heart for His God, and an indifference which is a real contempt. The only shelter He can find to be born in, is a Stable; and that necessitates His coming into the world in the company of poor dumb brutes.

At all events, these animals are his own work. When He created the irrational world of living things, he subjected it, as the inferior part of creation, to Man; and Man was to ennoble it, by referring it to the Creator. When Adam sinned, this subjection, this harmony, was broken. The Apostle teaches us, that the brute creation is not insensible to the degradation thus forced upon it by sinful Man (Rom. viii. 19, 20). It obeys him with reluctance; it not unfrequently rebels against and deservedly punishes him; and on the day of judgment, it will take the side of its Creator, and avenge itself of that wickedness, of which Man has made it the unwilling instrument (Wisd. v. 21).

In the mystery of His Birth, the Son of God visits this part of His creation; men refused to receive Him, and He accepts the hospitality of the dwelling of brutes. It is from their dwelling that He begins the divine career of the Three-and-Thirty years. The first human beings He invites into the company of His blessed Mother and His dear St. Joseph, the first He admits into the Stable to see and adore Himself, are Shepherds, who were busy watching their flocks, and whose simple hearts have not been corrupted by the atmosphere of cities.

The Ox--which, as we learn from Ezechiel (Ezech. i. 10) and St. John (Apoc. iv. 7), is one of the symbolic creatures standing round God's throne--is the figure of the sacrifices of the Old Law. The blood of oxen has flowed in torrents upon the altar of the Temple: it was the imperfect and material offering prescribed to be made to God, until He should send the True Victim. The Infant Jesus, who lies in the Crib, is that Victim, and St. Paul tells us what He says to His Eternal Father: Sacrifices, and Oblations, and h0Ɩ0cαųsts for sin, thow wouldst not have, neither are they pleasing to thee; behold, I come ()Heb. x. 8,9).

The Prophet Zachary (Zach. ix. 9, quoted by St. Matth. xxi. 5), foretelling the peaceful triumph of the Meek King, says that He will make His entry into Sion riding upon an Ass. We shall assist, further on in the year, at the accomplishment of this prophecy. Now that we are at Bethlehem, in our Christmas mystery, let us observe how the heavenly Father places His Divine Son between the instrument of His peaceful triumph, and the symbol of His Sacrifice on Calvary.



Prayer:


Ah! dear Jesus! Creator of heaven and earth-- how strange is this Thy entrance into Thine own world! The whole universe should have given Thee a welcome of love and adoration--and yet, what motionless indifference! Not one house to take Thee in! Men buried in sleep! And when Marry had placed Thee in the Crib, thy first sight was that of two poor animals, the slaves of him who proudly rejected Thee! Yet, this sight did not displease Thee --for, Thou dost not despise the work of Thy hands. What afflicts Thy loving Heart, is the presence of sin in our souls, the sight of that enemy of Thine, which has so often caused Thee to suffer. Oh! hateful sin! we renounce it, and wish, dear Jesus, to acknowledge Thee for our Lord and Master, as did the Ox and the Ass. We will unite in that hymn of praise, which creation is ever sending up to Thee, by henceforth adding to it the homage of our adoration and gratitude; nay, we will lend speech to nature, and give it soul, and sanctify it, by referring all creatures to Thy service.






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