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THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
Text and Photographs by
ELSA CHANEY
Layout and Designs by
JEANNE HEIBERG
THE LITURGICAL PRESS
COLLEGEVILLE + MINNESOTA
"THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS BOOK" is complete in itself, giving
ideas for the celebration of Christmastide in the home, the
parish, school, and apostolic groups.
In addition, however, a companion "THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
KIT" is also available, which provides actual materials for a
variety of "things to make" for children young and old.
Text and art for both book and kit are the work of "The
Grailville Writing Center," Loveland, Ohio.
Nihil obstat: John Eidenschink, O.S.B., J.C.D., Censor deputatus.
Imprimi potest: + Baldwin Dworschak O.S.B., D.D., Abbot of St.
John's Abbey. Imprimatur: + Peter W. Bartholome, D.D., Bishop of
St. Cloud. May 25, 1955.
Copyright 1955 by The Order of St. Benedict, Inc. Collegeville,
Minnesota.
CONTENTS
THE TWELVE DAYS
PART 1 Last Days of Advent
"Blow Ye the Trumpet"
The Heart and Center of the Christmas Mystery
The "O Antiphons"
Christmas Novena
"Make Ready the Way of the Lord"
Preparing the Gifts
Christmas Decorations
Christmas Greens
The Tree Decorations
Christmas Crib
Christmas Cookery
PART 2 The Vigil of Christmas
"Be Ye Lifted Up"
"In the Morning You Shall See His
Glory"
Decorating the Tree
Blessing of a Christmas Tree
The Christmas Wreath
Christmas Eve Supper
No Room in the Inn
Enthroning the Child
Christmas Eve Prayers
The Exchange of Gifts
PART 3 Christmas Day
Christmas Theme Song
The Christmas Masses
Christmas Music and Stories
Christmas Drama for the Home
The Christ-Candle
The Christ-Guest
Christmas Meal Prayers
PART 4 Christmas to Epiphany
The Days Between Christmas and Epiphany
Christmas Night Prayers at the Crib
St. Stephen's Day
St. John's Day
The Holy Innocents
New Year's Eve
New Year's Day
PART 5 Epiphany
"Be Enlightened"
The Meaning of Epiphany
Epiphany in the Parish
Epiphany in the Home
Epiphany in the Apostolic Group
"The Wise Men"--An Epiphany
Legend
A Christmas Play
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
THE TWELVE DAYS
So bright is the radiance of the Light which has come at
Christmas, so awesome is the mystery we celebrate, that a single
day's observance barely initiates us into the meaning of the
feast. Nor does the Church consider stopping with one day's
rejoicing as she celebrates the birth of the Savior. Although the
commercial world is taking down its trees and tinsel on December
26 to make way for the January white sales, the Church is only
beginning a full twelve days of "high feasting" which will reach
their climax and zenith on January 6. Then, in the regal splendor
of Epiphany, we see another facet of the Incarnation, a facet
which completes the Christmas mystery: the tiny Baby born on
Christmas night is in reality the King of the whole world. All
the expressions of our Advent longing, our pleas for the King and
Ruler, "God, the Mighty, Wonderful, the Prince of Peace," may
seem extravagant if we keep only December 25 as a feast day and
forget the Epiphany, the real fulfillment of Advent expectation
for a royal and kingly Savior.
Each year, then, Christians are given two great feast days plus
the full season of Christmastide during which the Church would
have us savor the mystery of the Incarnation in all its
implications. She wants us to absorb it through study and
meditation, to re-live it through her liturgy, and finally to
begin to make it a part of our everyday lives--so that the Light
of Christ which has been given to us may shine out to all those
around us--to our family, our neighborhood, our associates in
school or office, and out into the larger communities of national
and international life.
Today Catholics are becoming increasingly interested in
celebrating the Christmas season more fully--not only as
completely as possible at the altar--but in their homes and
communities, and in the apostolic and parish groups to which they
may belong. They feel that through carrying out customs and
observances centered in the liturgy, they will be able to
penetrate more deeply into the meaning of the Incarnation.
Those who have begun to observe the Advent season as a time of
spiritual preparation for Christmas will be especially interested
in a plan for celebrating The Twelve Days. To prolong the
celebration of a feast in a fitting way is almost as much of an
art as to prepare for it. Mother Church takes our human nature
into account when she gives us an Advent season followed not only
by twelve days of high feasting but a whole season extending to
February 2, the Feast of Candlemas.
It is in answer to the need for concrete suggestions for the
celebration of Christmastide that "The Twelve Days of Christmas"
is presented. This book tries to capture something of the
fullness of the Christmas season as it is observed at Grailville
and in an increasing number of young families with whom we are in
contact. Some of the sources for these ideas and customs are
original--life lived with the Church is dynamic, and forms of
recreation and festivity begin to develop spontaneously with the
liturgy as their source and inspiration. We have also built on
many national traditions in our Christmas celebration--but most
of them could truly be called "international," for the same
customs keep recurring with slight variations in many different
cultures. Many of the observances have already been assimilated
to American family and community life in some sections of the
country. All are capable of being adapted to the American scene.
Because this is meant to be something other than a "Christmas in
many lands" book, there are few lengthy histories of those
customs which originate in other countries. Instead the booklet
tries to describe the vital, concrete, practical observances
which have grown up naturally in the life of the large Grailville
family, and are being used successfully in the smaller families
of former students now married, and in parish and apostolic
groups throughout the country.
"The Twelve Days of Christmas Book and Kit" are intended to give
you ideas for your own fuller, more meaningful celebration of the
Christmas season. May you be inspired to translate and adapt some
of these suggestions to your own circumstances. May whatever you
choose to do spring from a firm, enlightened inner conviction and
the fire of love without which even the most meaningful Christmas
customs can degenerate into mere "show." And may the observances
lead you and yours to a greater understanding and a deeper
penetration of the great Christian mysteries which the customs
represent in word and symbol and song.
COME REJOICING
FAITHFUL MEN, WITH GLADNESS SINGING
ALLELUIA!
MONARCHS' MONARCH
FROM A HOLY MAIDEN SPRINGING
MIGHTY WONDER!
--St. Bernard's Nativity Sequence
Christmas is the intimate family feast. As families re-unite to
observe the birth of Christ, celebrations and activities are
naturally centered in the home. The customs and religious prac-
tices given here for the first days of Christmas are, therefore,
intended mainly for the home and family.
But with Epiphany, the feast of Christ's manifestation and
showing-forth, we will go out from the circle of the family to
show forth the light we have received to all those around us.
Suggestions will be given for the observance of the feast of
Epiphany in the parish and community, the school and the
apostolic group, as well as in the home.
1. LAST DAYS OF ADVENT
"The Lord Is Nigh"
Blow ye the trumpet in Sion,
for the day of the Lord is nigh:
behold, He shall come to save us,
Alleluia, Alleluia!
--Theme Song for the Last Days of Advent
from Vespers for the Fourth Sunday
{Opposite is a simple little "theme song" for the days im-
mediately preceding Christmas. Other such songs or antiphons are
included throughout "The Twelve Days of Christmas Book." It is
suggested that they be sung before grace at meal times, at family
night prayers and during the special ceremonies, and throughout
the day. Children love to sing these little songs and learn them
easily.}
THE HEART AND CENTER OF THE CHRISTMAS MYSTERY
If each successive Christmas season is to plunge us ever more
deeply into the mysteries of Christ, it is necessary that all our
celebrations and customs be an overflow of our participation in
the holy Sacrifice of the altar. Moreover, all these family
customs and observances in the school, parish, and apostolic
group, should lead us back to the Mass and to a more meaningful
participation in this great central Act of our lives where we
meet Christ and grow in grace.
We meet Christ, too, in the Divine Office, the official prayer of
the Church, which an increasing number of families and lay
apostolic groups today are adopting and adapting as their family
and community prayer. The Divine Office with its readings,
psalms, hymns and prayers extends the theme and spirit of the
Mass through the whole day, enveloping us in the particular
mystery which the Church is celebrating.
For the Church not only re-presents the great mysteries of Christ
in the holy Sacrifice of the Mass and in the Divine Office--but
she allows us actually to re-live these mysteries through our
participation in her prayer. Her feasts are not merely an
historical commemoration of the life of Christ; they are not
merely an example to inspire us--they are the re-living of the
whole work of Christ on earth by His Mystical Body.
Pope Pius XII explains in "Mediator Dei": "The liturgical year
devotedly fostered and accompanied by the Church, is not a cold
and lifeless representation of the events of the past, or a
simple and bare record of a former age. It is rather Christ
Himself who is ever living in His Church...His mysteries are ever
present and active; they still influence us because each mystery
brings its own special grace for our salvation."
How can we "live the Mass" more deeply during these Twelve Days
of Christmas so that our participation in the holy Sacrifice can
lead to the unfolding of Christ's life in us? One way to begin is
through reading and studying and praying the Propers of the
Masses for Christmastide. The Proper prayers of these Masses are
rich, deep, and full of meaning. If they are meditated upon and
absorbed, they have the power to form our minds, feed our souls,
transform our lives. Throughout this book, the Masses of the
Christmas season are emphasized as the foundation for the
family's celebration--the heart and center of any observances in
parish, school, or apostolic group.
As an introduction to the Divine Office in English for family
prayer, the antiphons and psalms and lessons of the Christmastide
office have been included wherever possible in this booklet. The
Christmas Novena, for example, is patterned after Matins;
Christmas Night Prayers before the crib are an abbreviated form
of Compline.
It is with the Mass and the Office that we must begin our
celebration of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Once the genuine
keynote, the true and deep theme of the feastday is struck in the
morning's observance at the altar and carried through the day in
the Hours of the Office, we can be sure that our family customs
and our celebrations in community, parish, and apostolic group
will be a true "living with the Church" and will help to
transform us "unto the measure of the age of the fullness of
Christ."
THE "O ANTIPHONS"
CROWN OF ADVENT PREPARATION
The theme of the Advent season has been one of joyous expectancy
as the Church, in vigilant preparation, waited and watched for
the first signs of the coming of the Lord. The very name Advent,
and the Masses of the four Sundays with their urgent plea to
Christ to "hasten and delay not" have reminded us that we are
awaiting His coming in grace at Christmas, and in glory at the
end of time.
On the evening of December 17 the last and most intensive phase
of Advent preparation begins. On this evening is inaugurated the
first of the Great "O's" of Advent. The "O Antiphons" are seven
jewels of liturgical song, one for each day until Christmas Eve.
They seem to sum up all our Advent longing as they paint in vivid
terms the wretched condition of mankind and his need of a Savior.
Addressing Christ with seven magnificent titles, they beg Him
with mounting impatience to come to save His people.
The "O Antiphons" are intoned with special solemnity in
monasteries at the Vesper Hour, before and after our Lady's great
song of thanksgiving, the Magnificat, which is sung every evening
as the climax of this Hour of the Divine Office. But in recent
years families interested in the liturgy have discovered these
gems of poetry and have used them as part of their family evening
prayers, sometimes in conjunction with the "O Antiphon House."
This is a little house which can be bought or constructed simply;
it has seven sealed windows, each masking an appropriate symbol
for the different "O Antiphons," and an eighth window hiding the
Christmas scene. These windows are opened one by one each day at
the singing of the antiphon. "The Twelve Days of Christmas Kit"
contains an "O Antiphon" Tower which the children can cut out and
put together. The "O Antiphons" in an English translation follow.
O WISDOM, who came from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from
end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly: come,
and teach us the way of prudence.
O LORD AND RULER of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in
the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai:
come, and redeem us with outstretched arm.
O ROOT OF JESSE, who stands for an ensign of the people, before
whom kings shall keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall
make supplication: come to deliver us, and tarry not.
O KEY OF DAVID, and Sceptre of the House of Israel, who opens and
no man shuts; who shuts and no man opens: come, and bring forth
the captive from his prison, he who sits in darkness and in the
shadow of death.
O DAWN OF THE EAST, brightness of the light eternal, and Sun of
Justice: come, and enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the
shadow of death.
O KING OF THE GENTILES and their desired One, the Cornerstone
that makes both one: come, and deliver man, whom You formed out
of the dust of the earth.
O EMMANUEL, God with us, our King and Lawgiver, the expected of
the nations and their Savior: come to save us, O Lord our God.
Because the idea of making a Novena on the last nine days of
Advent appeals to many families, a traditional "Christmas Novena"
is presented here, adapted and shortened for family use. Drawing
on the rich texts of the Advent season, the Novena also includes
the proper "O Antiphon," sung before and after the Magnificat
each day. The Novena begins on December 16.
FATHER: Our Father, Hail Mary (silently).
O Lord, open my lips.
ALL: And my mouth shall proclaim Your praise.
FATHER: O God, come to my assistance.
ALL: O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the
Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. *
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall
be, * world without end. Amen. Alleluia.
FATHER: The Lord our Coming King, hasten to adore.
ALL: The Lord our Coming King, hasten to adore.
ELDEST CHILD:
Rejoice, O daughter of Sion, and exult, O daughter
of Jerusalem! Behold the Lord shall come, and in that
day there shall be a great light and the mountains
shall bring forth sweetness, and the hills shall flow
with milk and honey.
ALL: The Lord our Coming King, hasten to adore.
ELDEST CHILD: Behold, He that is God and man shall come forth
from the house of David, His father, to sit upon
His throne, and you shall see Him and your heart
shall rejoice.
ALL: Hasten to adore.
ELDEST CHILD: Behold, the Lord shall come, our protector, the
Holy One of Israel, bearing on His Head the crown
of a kingdom.
ALL: The Lord our Coming King, hasten to adore.
ELDEST CHILD: The Lord will descend as rain on the field. His
justice shall rise in those days and abundance of
peace; and all the kings of the earth shall adore
Him, all nations shall serve Him.
ALL: Hasten to adore.
ELDEST CHILD: A Child shall be born to us and He shall be called
the God of strength. Bethlehem, city of the Highest
God, out from you shall go forth the Ruler of Israel,
and peace will be on the earth, when He shall have come.
ALL: The Lord our Coming King, hasten to adore.
ELDEST CHILD: Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the
Holy Spirit.
ALL: Hasten to adore.
ELDEST CHILD: The Lord, our Coming King,
ALL: Hasten to adore.
ALL SING:
A thrilling voice by Jordan rings
Rebuking guilt and darksome things;
Vain dreams of sin and visions fly
Christ in his might shines forth on high.
Now let each earth bound soul arise
That sunk in guilt and wounded lies;
See the new stars refulgent ray
Shall chase disease and sin away.
ALL SING: Blow ye the trumpet in Sion,
for the day of the Lord is nigh;
behold, He will come to save us,
alleluia, alleluia!
FATHER: Let the heavens rejoice and the earth exult; *
praise the Lord, you mountains.
ALL: Let the mountains break forth into gladness *
and the hills with justice.
FATHER: For the Lord shall come, * and to His poor
He shall show mercy.
ALL: Drop down dew, you heavens, from above *
and let the clouds rain the Just One;
FATHER: Let the earth be opened * and bud forth the Savior.
ALL: Be mindful of us, O Lord, * and visit us in Your
salvation.
FATHER: Show to us, O Lord, Your mercy * and grant us Your
salvation.
ALL: Come, O Lord; in peace visit us * that with a perfect
heart we may rejoice before You.
FATHER: Come, O Lord, do not tarry; * do away with the offences
of Your people.
ALL: Come and show to us Your countenance, O Lord; * You sit
upon the Cherubim.
FATHER: Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the Holy
Spirit.
ALL: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall
be, * world without end. Amen.
ALL SING: Blow ye the trumpet in Sion, for the day of the Lord is
nigh; behold, He will come to save us, alleluia, alleluia!
MOTHER OR ELDEST CHILD:
Lesson from Isaias the Prophet. The land that was desolate and
impassable shall be glad, and the wilderness shall rejoice and
shall flourish like the lily. It shall bud forth and blossom, and
shall rejoice with joy and praise; the glory of Libanus is given
to it, the beauty of Carmel and Saron. They shall see the glory
of the Lord and the beauty of our God. Strengthen the feeble
hands, and confirm the weak knees. Say to the faint-hearted: Take
courage and fear not. Behold, God himself will come and save you.
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the
deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart,
and the tongue of the dumb shall be free; for waters are broken
out in the desert and streams in the wilderness. And that which
was dry land, shall become a pool, and the thirsty land, springs
of water.
ALL: Thanks be to God.
Sing or pray the "O Antiphon" for the day, beginning with "O
Wisdom" on December 17 (see page 17). On December 16, the first
day of the Novena, the following is said:
Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and His
Name shall be called Emmanuel, alleluia, alleluia.
FATHER: My soul magnifies the Lord, * and my spirit rejoices in
God my Savior.
ALL: Because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid, *
for behold, henceforth all generations shall call me
blessed.
FATHER: Because he who is mighty has done great things for me, *
and holy is his name;
ALL: And his mercy is from generation to generation * toward
those who fear him.
FATHER: He has shown might with his arm; * he has scattered the
proud in the conceit of their heart.
ALL: He has put down the mighty from their thrones * and has
exalted the lowly.
FATHER: The hungry he has filled with good things * and the rich
he has sent empty away.
ALL: He has given help to Israel his servant, * mindful of
his mercy--
FATHER: As he promised our fathers--* toward Abraham and his
descendants forever.
ALL: Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the Holy
Spirit.
FATHER: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, *
world without end. Amen.
ALL: Repeat Antiphon of the day.
FATHER: O Lord, hear my prayer.
ALL: And let my cry come to You.
FATHER: Let us pray. Stir up Thy power and come, we pray Thee, O
Lord, and with great might help us; may our deliverance,
which our sins impede, be hastened by the help of Thy
grace and the forgiveness of Thy mercy. Who lives and
reigns forever and ever.
FATHER: Let us bless the Lord.
ALL: Thanks be to God.
FATHER: May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy
ofGod rest in peace.
ALL: Amen.
"MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD"
What of the necessary material preparations for the family
Christmas observance? If these last days of Advent are to be the
crown of our spiritual preparation, how can we manage to preserve
their spirit and still attend to the many material details which
must be completed before the holydays?
Today there is a growing movement among families across the
country to de-emphasize the glamor and glitter of the commercial
Christmas and to judge the appropriateness of all the family
preparations in the light of Bethlehem's simplicity. In the
context of the Child in the manger, the artificial frills drop
naturally by the wayside, leaving the genuine, the truly
beautiful--only what can be readily integrated with the spiritual
preparation. The cleaning, holiday cooking, preparation of the
festive decorations and the holiday outfits all can, with
ingenuity and forethought, be linked to the Advent call of
"making ready the way of the Lord." If frequent Mass and Advent
prayer are put first, all the rest falls into proper order, and
becomes a charming and reverent game of getting ready for the
Christ-Child.
More and more schools, too, are postponing elaborate preparations
for parties and Christmas presentations to the Epiphany season.
As this idea grows, parents and teachers will be able to
complement each other's efforts to make Advent a real preparation
for the Christmas mystery.
PREPARING THE GIFTS
How can this integration of the spiritual and the material be
accomplished practically? One of the most obvious places to begin
is with gift giving. Our American custom of generous giving at
Christmas can be linked most appropriately to the generosity of
the Father who gives His Son to us. Parents can help their
children reflect this spirit in preparing gifts for relatives and
friends. Children may, theoretically, know the meaning of the
gift exchange at Christmas; yet it is sometimes hard for them to
grasp that the presents they buy in the department store even if
they have saved up their pennies to purchase them--can represent
the gift of themselves. Many families are encouraging their chil-
dren to make their own gifts, and some of the long Advent
evenings are happily occupied with Susie's sewing of aprons and
pot-holders, while Johnny fashions bookends or wooden tea trays
under father's watchful eye in the basement. In employing their
ingenuity and creativeness to prepare their Christmas gifts, the
children not only gain an understanding of gift-giving but also
realize a sense of achievement which no purchased gift could give
them.
Nor are the poor to be forgotten. Preparing gifts of food and
clothing can also be a means of helping the children to an
outgoing spirit and a concern for others at this time...so that
they do not concentrate exclusively on what they themselves are
going to "get" for Christmas. The final touches on the Christmas
baskets--and their delivery--make fine projects for the vigil
morning.
CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS
An increasing number of families are discovering another
effective means towards restoring the true spirit of Christmas in
making as many of the decorations as possible together--the tree
decorations, the table centerpiece, the festive dress for window
and mantelpiece. We decorate the home to reflect outwardly the
inner spiritual joy of the family at Christ's coming, and if
everyone has had a hand in creating the decorations, the idea
behind their use is understood more easily. And the children can
learn much through the experience--not only the satisfaction and
joy of working with their hands but valuable lessons in the
meaning of the coming feasts.
CHRISTMAS GREENS
When one thinks of Christmas decorations, one thinks first
perhaps of the Christmas greens which represent the everlasting
life the Incarnation has won for mankind. Many beautiful effects
can be obtained from the simple, naturally decorative sprays of
evergreen, and the children love to work with the spicy, piney
branches.
Put evergreens up as a background for the Christmas crib; make
sprays for the windows with evergreen, pine cones and red ribbon;
make gay Christmas pompons of greens on a potato ball base to
hang from ceiling and light fixtures. And best of all, make the
traditional round Christmas wreaths of evergreen for the windows
and front door, twining the sprays on wire coat hanger bases, and
explaining to the children the significance of the circle as the
sign of eternity. Directions for making a number of evergreen
decorations are contained on a separate sheet in "The Twelve Days
of Christmas Kit." If the family has had an outing the previous
fall to gather such treasures as pine cones and milkweed pods,
they will have some auxiliary materials ready.
Christmas cards which begin to arrive at this time can be used as
effective and colorful decorations, symbols of the love that
binds us to relatives and friends in a special way at this time
of year. Place them on the tree; string them on thick yarn and
hang them on a stairway, or tack them to mounting board and
display them in the living room.
THE TREE DECORATIONS
Tree decorations are another appealing family project. For the
smaller children, there are on the market today simple cardboard
tree decorations, gaily colored and ready to punch or cut out. In
one family nearby, the little boys could not stop talking about
"their decorations," even though they had done nothing more
complicated than punching them out and hanging them on the tree.
For older children there are limitless possibilities, and lately
the popular household magazines have been full of ideas on "how
to make" home decorations, as even the secular world becomes
surfeited with the artificial and sophisticated baubles and longs
for a "good, old-fashioned Christmas."
"The Twelve Days of Christmas Kit" contains patterns and
directions for a set of meaningful, striking tree decorations to
cut out and assemble. When these decorations are hung on the
Christmas tree, it is transformed into the "family tree" of
Christ, since each decoration is a symbol either of an ancestor
of Christ, an Old Testament type, or a prophecy foretelling His
coming.
Thus there are decorations like Noe's Ark, since Noe was a savior
and the father of a new race, prefiguring Christ, the Savior who
fathers a race of new men in the supernatural order, sheltering
them in the ark of the Church. There is the "Sun of Justice," a
favorite figure of the psalmist; there is the flower rising up
from the root of Jesse, as Isaias had foretold in his prophecy of
the Incarnation, and a dozen others. The "Jesse tree" as this
very special Christmas tree is sometimes called, is becoming
increasingly popular, and the making of the symbolic decorations
is an opportunity for a meaningful, instructive family project.
The illustrations at the left give an idea of these Jesse tree
symbols. A brief explanation of each one is contained in the
"Kit."
CHRISTMAS CRIB
Making the crib figures is another family project to consider.
Figures of modelling clay; Mary, Joseph and the Child carved in
Ivory soap, or even cardboard cutouts which the children can make
are just a few of the possible mediums. What if good St. Joseph
smiles a bit hideously from behind his beard, or if our Lady has
a definite cross-eyed look as in one crib on proud display--in a
home where a wise mother and father did not try to improve on
their children's efforts. To these children their crib was more
beautiful than the most elaborate carvings, and they set the
figures lovingly in place with the conviction that their work had
given honor to the Christ-Child.
A full set of crib figures to paint and punch out are printed on
sheets of thin cardboard in "The Twelve Days of Christmas Kit."
They are folded back to give a three-dimensional effect. (Full
directions are printed on the pattern sheets.)
CHRISTMAS COOKERY
Most families have already established traditional menus and
dishes for the Christmas season, so only a few recipes will be
included in this book. The leading home magazines today are full
of many good ideas for Christmas cookery, and they are easily
available. Christmas is the ideal time to introduce the
traditional dishes of other lands, especially those foods which
are linked with the religious significance of the feast. Florence
Berger's "Cooking for Christ" gives some excellent recipes along
these lines.
Mrs. Berger also makes an interesting observation on holiday
cookery. She points out that we, as American Catholics, can
choose the best of the cultures of all nations and make them ours
in Christ. "We can call the songs, the stories, the dances and
the foods of all peoples our own," she writes, "because in our
American heritage there is blood and bone and spirit of these
different men and women."
Ideally, everyone in the family has a share in the Christmas
cooking. The children help by shelling nuts, patting down and
cutting out cookie dough into different shapes or sprinkling
sugar trim on freshly-baked cookies. Even Father likes to mix the
candied fruit with his favorite fruit cake dough and flavor it
with his best brandy.
Christian peoples of all lands have special bread for this
season's feasting. It is no accident that bread plays a sig-
nificant part in the Christmas festivities since Christ was born
in Bethlehem, which means "house of bread." Bread, too,
symbolizes God's gift to us, the holy Eucharist, which is
possible only because Christ became man. So from Bethlehem stems
"the living Bread which comes down from Heaven." The Christmas
spirit of unity and love is ex pressed in people breaking bread
together--the loaf which was one and whole is given, received and
shared by all present. Below are several recipes for bread which
are particularly suitable for Christmas.
STOLLEN
Stollen is a German sweet bread whose shape when baked resembles
the swaddling clothes of the Infant in the manger. This effect is
heightened by covering the Stollen with a thin white sugar
frosting, flavored and decorated with candied fruit.
Dissolve teaspoon of sugar and yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm water.
Cover. Combine 3 cups flour, salt, nutmeg and sugar. Add scalded
milk (cool to lukewarm before adding). Add melted butter. Add
yeast mixture, beat thoroughly. Cover and let rise for 30
minutes. Now add remaining 3 cups of flour, one cup at a time.
Knead until smooth.
Put bread dough on board and knead in the following fruit
mixture:
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup citron
1/4 cup candied cherries
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
Cut the dough into three equal strips and braid them together.
Bake in moderate oven for 45 minutes.
CHRISTMAS FRUIT BREAD
Christmas fruit bread is a rich, dark date and nut loaf--an
excellent substitute for fruit cake if you didn't manage to make
any in time to age for the Christmas season. Many countries have
fruit bread in one form or another for this season.
5 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons soda
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup raw sugar
2 cups brown sugar OR
1 cup molasses
3 cups sour milk
1-1/2 cups chopped dates
1-1/2 cups raisins
1 cup chopped nuts
2 tablespoons shortening
Combine sifted flour, soda and salt. Add dates, raisins and nuts,
mix thoroughly. In separate bowl beat eggs, add sugar. Beat well.
Alternate milk and dry ingredients to sugar mixture, then melted
shortening. Pour into loaf pans, three-quarters full. Let stand
15 minutes. Bake in moderate oven for 50 to 60 minutes. This
recipe makes three loaves of fruit bread.
PIEROGI
A Polish dish used to celebrate festive occasions is Pierogi.
Pierogi is not a bread, but uses an unleavened dough as a
covering for a delicious surprise within.
First boil potatoes and mash; add salt, pepper and a plain cheese
or cottage cheese and mix together.
Make a batter of unleavened dough, knead it, and roll it out like
a sheet about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out circular pieces with a
glass about three or four inches in diameter. Place a tablespoon
of the potato mixture on each circular; fold, and pinch ends
together to form a crescent shape. Place one by one in boiling
salt water for about 10 minutes. Stir constantly so the Pierogi
will not stick together. Take out of water--the salted water can
be used for another batch if necessary. Melt butter, with onions
if desired, and pour over the Pierogi so that they will not stick
together. After setting the Pierogi out on a plate, they can be
garnished with a bit of parsley or green celery leaves. A
traditional dish for the Christmas Eve supper.
2. THE VIGIL OF CHRISTMAS
"In the Morning You Shall See His Glory"
Be ye lifted up, O Eternal Gates,
and King of Glory shall enter in.
--Theme Song for the Vigil of Christmas
from the Offertory of the Vigil Mass
With the vigil Mass Advent seems to draw to a close. Our weeks of
longing and waiting are replaced by an assured confidence that
"This Day you shall know that the Lord will come and save us; and
in the morning you shall see His glory" (Introit of the vigil
Mass). A hushed tone of cheerfulness pervades this day of vigil,
subdued only by the holy fast which the Church gives us to
prepare for the "day of rejoicing." The spirit of the Mass
induces a spirit of silence--the family responds to the joyful
restraint of the Church with a great hush of expectancy. Even the
children will sense the peace which surrounds the awaited
festivities if an air of serenity and stillness fills the house.
The natural excitement which overtakes the children as the Great
Event draws near can often be calmed by giving each child a
special task for the day, explaining that this is his way to
prepare for the Christ-Child: helping with the final dusting and
sweeping, shining shoes for the family, getting the clothes
ready. This is the day, too, for decorating and distributing the
boxes for the poor. Where there are older children, they can
undertake this delightful task with only a final check by the
mother.
If most of the material preparations are completed before the
vigil--the shopping, cooking, gift-wrapping, etc.--we can more
easily give our attention to celebrating some of the many
Christmas Eve customs through which we can enter more fully into
the spirit of this holy night. The observances and practices for
this vigil are so numerous that it would be an exceptional family
which could manage to carry out even all of those given here. But
a careful choice of two or three will be a powerful aid towards
drawing the children's interest and enthusiasm to the real heart
of the Christmas celebration: the Child in the manger. All the
customs given below are intended not as ends in themselves, but
to prepare the family for a fuller participation in the mysteries
of this most holy night, at the altar of the Midnight Mass where
Christ is truly born again.
DECORATING THE TREE
The children love to help decorate the tree, and this is a fine
occupation for the vigil afternoon. Or if the family prefers to
wait until the evening, the tree-decorating becomes a festive
family project. Families living close to the spirit of the
liturgical season do not, on any account, set up the tree and the
other decorations ahead of time. They do not want to spoil the
last lovely days of Advent longing and expectation by starting
Christmas too early. Instead, they attune their family life to
the rhythm of Mother Church and heed her wise psychology:
"Prepare well," she says, "and then you will doubly enjoy the
twelve full days of feasting which your Mother gives you."
The decorating of the tree is an opportunity for the mother to
explain its symbolism. In medieval times the evergreen tree was
used in one of the Mystery plays about the Garden of Paradise--a
fir tree was hung with apples, and represented the tree of Eden
by which Adam and Eve fell. When the Mystery plays were banned
from Church, the tree began to appear in homes at Christmastide,
and gradually became the symbol of Christ, the true tree of Life.
In some places it was even hung with wafers, representing the
holy Eucharist. Thus, says Father Weiser in "The Christmas Book,"
the tree which had borne the fruit of sin for Adam and Eve, now
bore the saving fruit of the Sacrament, symbolized by the wafers.
But the original symbolism of the tree decorations is obscured
today--the wafers gave way to all kinds of pastries cut in
appropriate shapes...stars, angels, bells; other fruits were hung
side by side with the meaningful apples, and gradually since real
fruits spoiled on the tree, they were replaced by the shiny glass
Christmas balls, decorations which bear only a slight resemblance
to fruits. The candles signifying Christ, the Light of the world,
are almost universally set aside in favor of the safer electric
lights--still in the shape of flames, but perhaps not often
connected with their original meaning.
But rich as is its symbolism, the tree is still only the
"background" for the Bethlehem scene, which should be given the
most prominent place. An overly-elaborate tree set in the place
of honor and a cheap plaster crib set relegated to the second
best spot, inevitably educate children in a wrong sense of
values.
In other homes the children do not see the tree until it is
decorated. A special "Christmas room" is set aside which no one
is allowed to enter all day. Behind closed doors, mother and
father "help the Christ-Child" decorate the tree and prepare the
crib under it. It is not until evening that the children are
called to the room. Then they view for the first time the
beautiful tree, resplendent in all its colors and ornaments.
Mrs. Therese Mueller, commenting on her own family's Christmas
traditions, points up the importance of preserving this element
of surprise, particularly in the case of small children. "It is
poor psychology to anticipate Christmas," she writes, "to break
up the great climax into all kinds of little climaxes, until on
the feast itself we are bored and tired of it all...even of the
tree, lighted prematurely for small occasions instead of being a
sudden symbolic revelation of the fullness of light in the Holy
Night."
BLESSING OF A CHRISTMAS TREE
Sometime in the evening the tree is blessed by the father of the
family, and afterwards the festive lights are lit for the first
time. The following form may be used for the blessing.
FATHER: O God, come to my assistance.
ALL: O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father
and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the
beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
FATHER: Then shall all the trees of the forest exult before the
Lord, for He comes.
ALL: Sing to the Lord a new song; * sing to the Lord, all you
lands.
FATHER: Sing to the Lord; bless his name; * announce his
salvation day after day.
ALL: Tell his glory among the nations; * among all peoples,
his wondrous deeds.
FATHER: For great is the Lord and highly to be praised; *
awesome is he, beyond all gods.
ALL: Splendor and majesty go before him; * praise and
grandeur are in his sanctuary.
FATHER: Give to the Lord, you families of nations, give to the
Lord glory and praise; * give to the Lord the glory due
his name!
ALL: Bring gifts, and enter His courts; * worship the Lord in
holy attire.
FATHER: Tremble before him, all the earth; * say among the
nations: the Lord is king.
ALL: Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the
sea and what fills it resound; * let the plains be joyful
and all that is in them!
FATHER: Then shall all the trees of the forest exult before the
Lord, for he comes; * for he comes to rule the earth.
ALL: He shall rule the world with justice * and the peoples
with his constancy.
FATHER: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy
Spirit.
ALL: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, *
world without end. Amen.
FATHER: Then shall all the trees of the forest exult before the
Lord, for He comes.
MOTHER: Lesson from Isaias the Prophet. Thus saith the Lord: The
land that was desolate and impassable shall be glad, and the
wilderness shall rejoice and shall flourish like the lily. It
shall bud forth and blossom, and shall rejoice with joy and
praise: the glory of Libanus is given to it: the beauty of Car-
mel, and Saron, they shall see the glory of the Lord and the
beauty of our God.
ALL: Thanks be to God.
FATHER: And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of
Jesse
ALL: And a flower shall rise up out of his root.
FATHER: O Lord, hear my prayer.
ALL: And let my cry come to You.
FATHER: Let us pray. O God, who hast made this most holy night
to shine forth with the brightness of the True Light, deign to
bless this tree (sprinkles it with holy water) which we adorn
with lights in honor of Him who has come to enlighten us who sit
in darkness and in the shadow of death. And grant that we upon
whom is poured the new light of Thy Word made flesh may show
forth in our actions that which by faith shines in our minds.
Through Christ our Lord.
ALL: Amen.
Besides the historical explanation given above, there are of
course many beautiful legends and much symbolism behind the
Christmas tree. The Christmas tree is a sign of the great Tree of
the Cross; it is noble because it is by a tree that the whole
world has been redeemed. The splendor of the Christmas tree
reminds us of the redemption of even the material creation by
Christ--and recalls the lovely legend that all the trees on earth
blossomed forth on Christmas night. And the evergreen is
traditional for the Christmas tree, for it reminds us of the
everlasting life that Christ won through His Incarnation, Death,
and Resurrection.
THE CHRISTMAS WREATH
If there is an Advent wreath in the home, it now takes on a new
character. The purple streamers are replaced by Christmas red--a
symbol that our preparation is now over and the time to rejoice
is at hand. The candles on the wreath no longer remain purple or
white, but take on the festive color, and above the evergreen
boughs are seen the long red tapers that will be lighted at
breakfast on Christmas morning.
CHRISTMAS EVE SUPPER
After a day of fast and abstinence--the spirit of which is kept
by the children through simple one-dish meals and no nibbling on
the Christmas goodies in-between--the Christmas Eve supper often
assumes a festive air, especially in families where Christmas Eve
is the traditional time to lay the Child in the manger and open
the gifts. The supper table is beautifully set, but includes a
handful of straw in the center, covered by a white cloth--a
symbol of the manger. On this is placed a plate containing a
large round piece of unleavened bread, a sign of Christ the
living Bread come down from heaven to be born in Bethlehem, "The
house of bread." The father of the family tells the meaning of
the wafer--how the One Bread of Life makes us one in Him and in
love of each other, and then he might read the Church's blessing
for bread before he breaks and shares the wafer with each member
of the family: "O Lord Jesus Christ, bread of angels, living
bread unto eternal life, bless this bread as You blessed the five
loaves in the wilderness, that all who eat it with reverence may
through it attain the corporal and spiritual health they desire."
After this, a special meal follows. If the family desires, the
unleavened bread may be substituted by any of the Christmas
breads made in the home.
NO ROOM IN THE INN
The nine days before the feast of Christmas have a very special
character in many Latin and Latin-American countries. Each
evening the parish or neighborhood group meets together and,
bearing statues of Mary and Joseph, the people proceed through
the streets with their pastor at the head. Stopping at all the
"inns" (homes and even shops), they ask for admittance. Each
night they are refused until, on Christmas Eve, they are allowed
to enter the last inn (the Church, in some sections) where the
crib has been prepared. With great rejoicing the Child is laid in
the manger.
The Las Posadas, as it is called, is a custom easily adapted to
the family. On Christmas Eve the family gathers--perhaps before
dinner if the family wants to enthrone the Christ-Child in the
crib later on in the evening--and two of the children carry the
crib statues of Mary and Joseph. As the family follows, the
children walk from room to room, knocking at each door, and at
each they are told by some member of the family stationed within
the closed room that there is "no room in the inn." At last the
procession reaches the living room, where it is allowed to enter
and the children place Mary and Joseph in the stable.
Where two or three families who are trying to live with the
Church are close by, this beautiful custom is worked out in a
more dramatic way. As soon as it is dusk, one couple or a boy and
girl of high school age dress as Mary and Joseph. Carrying
lanterns, they lead the procession from house to house, knocking
on each door and inquiring for room. The same answer is heard,
"No room in the inn." At the last "inn" the innkeeper offers his
stable (the garage) to the holy couple, and the procession
follows Mary and Joseph to the door. Joseph enters, sees that
there is straw and a manger, and beckons Mary to come. Before the
"live" Bethlehem scene, all stand while one person reads the
Gospel from the Midnight Mass. Children especially enjoy this
"journey to Bethlehem"--and as they are rejected from the many
inns, they sense the hardships Mary and Joseph underwent in that
first journey--and in the stable they feel the nearness of the
Child who is born poor to make us rich.
When we carry out "No Room in the Inn" at Grailville, the
families and children from nearby join in our procession, and we
make it a real journey by setting off down the road to the
neighboring houses.
ENTHRONING THE CHILD
Our Advent expectation is drawing quickly to a close! During the
stillness of this holy night, the long-awaited Savior shall
appear. In families where the children have experienced the
longing of the past four weeks, the birth of Christ is a vivid
reality. Many of these families have adopted the custom of laying
the Christ-Child in the crib with a special procession and
ceremony on Christmas Eve.
The family gathers together in one room of the house, and the
youngest child is given the statue of the Christ-Child to carry
to the crib. Earlier his mother has told him what a privilege it
is to bear the Child, and often during the day he has been
reminded of his responsibility to be good in order to live up to
this honor. He leads the procession through the house, flanked by
an older brother and sister bearing lighted candles. Appropriate
Christmas carols are sung as the procession makes its way towards
the living room.
When the family reaches the living room, all stand around the
crib while the father reads the solemn proclamation of the birth
of Christ from the Roman Martyrology. The proclamation and a
suggested form of Christmas Eve prayers are given on the
following pages. The blessing of the crib, becoming popular in
many families, is included.
CHRISTMAS EVE PRAYERS
"While all things were in quiet silence, and the night was in the
midst of her course, Your almighty Word, O Lord, came down from
heaven from Your Royal Throne" (Introit for Sunday within the
Octave of Christmas).
FATHER: From the Roman Martyrology:
In the twenty-fourth day of the month of December;
In the year five-thousand one-hundred and ninety-nine from the
creation of the world, when in the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth;
In the year two-thousand nine-hundred and fifty-seven from the
flood;
In the year two-thousand and fifty-one from the birth of Abraham;
In the year one-thousand five-hundred and ten from the going
forth of the people of Israel out of Egypt under Moses;
In the year one-thousand and thirty-two from the anointing of
David as king;
In the sixty-fifth week according to the prophecy of Daniel;
In the one-hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad;
In the year seven-hundred and fifty-two from the foundation of
the city of Rome;
In the forty-second year of the reign of the Emperor Octavian
Augustus;
In the sixth age of the world, while the whole earth was at
peace--
JESUS CHRIST
eternal God and the Son of the eternal Father, willing to
consecrate the world by His gracious coming, having been con-
ceived of the Holy Ghost, and the nine months of His conception
being now accomplished, (all kneel) was born in Bethlehem of
Judah of the Virgin Mary, made man. The birthday of our Lord
Jesus Christ, according to the flesh.
ALL: Thanks be to God.
(The Child is now placed in the crib by the youngest child, while
all sing the following antiphon.)
ALL SING: This day Christ is born; this day the Savior hath
appeared; this day angels are singing on earth, archangels are
rejoicing. This day the just are glad and say, Glory to God in
high heaven, alleluia.
ALL: (All pray Psalm 109, one of the great Messianic psalms.)
The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand * till I make
your enemies your footstool."
The scepter of your power the Lord will stretch forth from Sion:
* "Rule in the midst of your enemies.
Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy
splendor; * before the day-star, like the dew, I have begotten
you."
The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent: * "You are a priest
forever, according to the order of Melchisedech."
The Lord is at your right hand; * he will crush kings on the day
of his wrath.
He will do judgment on the nations, heaping up corpses; * he will
crush heads over the wide earth.
From the brook by the wayside he will drink; * therefore will he
lift up his head.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, * world
without end. Amen.
ALL SING: This day Christ is born; this day the Savior hath
appeared; this day angels are singing on earth, archangels are
rejoicing: This day the just are glad and say, Glory to God in
high heaven, alleluia.
MOTHER or ELDEST CHILD reads the Gospel from the Christmas Mass
at Midnight.
ALL: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men
of good will. We praise Thee. We bless Thee. We adore
Thee. We glorify Thee. We give Thee thanks for Thy great
glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.
O Lord, the Only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. O Lord God,
Lamb of God, Son of the Father. Thou who takest away the
sins of the world, have mercy on us. Thou who sittest at
the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For Thou
only are holy. Thou only art the Lord. Thou only Jesus
Christ, art most high.
With the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
FATHER: O Lord, hear my prayer.
ALL: And let my cry come to You.
FATHER: Let us pray. O God, who made this most holy night to
shine forth with the brightness of the true Light, grant
we beseech Thee, that we who have known the mystery of
His light on earth, may attain the enjoyment of His
happiness in heaven. Who lives and reigns with Thee
forever and ever.
(The last window of the Advent Tower, masking the Christmas scene
could be opened here.)
Crib Blessing--Optional
FATHER: Bless, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, this crib (he
sprinkles it with holy water) which we have prepared in
honor of the new birth in the flesh of Thine only begotten
Son, that all who devoutly contemplate in this image the
mystery of His Incarnation, may be filled with the light
of His glory. Who lives and reigns with Thee forever and
ever.
ALL: Amen.
FATHER intones a familiar Christmas carol to end--appropriately
"Silent Night" or "O Come, All Ye Faithful."
THE EXCHANGE OF GIFTS
Almost every family has unconsciously or consciously established
a traditional time for opening the gifts. The gift exchange is
always a "family event"--no one ever thinks of opening his gifts
alone. This is an occasion when all are united, and there is
community rejoicing over every present.
Christmas Eve is an appropriate time for the exchange of gifts,
after the Christ-Child has been placed in the manger, and the
special prayers before the crib--and a round of Christmas carols-
-are over. If the gifts are given out before the Midnight Mass,
the children can concentrate more easily on the great mystery
which is celebrated, when the Greatest Gift is given to all
alike, even those who have received no material expression of
Christmas love. And then, too, Christmas Day with its two
additional Masses can be devoted more to the contemplation of the
Christmas mystery and the demands of Christmas hospitality.
But other families like to wait until the return from Midnight
Mass, when gifts are opened before the family retires for the
rest of the night. Christmas morning remains the rule in still
other homes as the time for the gift exchange.
In some homes, parents suggest that the children immediately
choose one of their favorite gifts to be given to the poor, as a
special sacrifice of gratitude to the Christ-Child--but a
sacrifice done with a radiant face and a joyous spirit. Christmas
gifts of clothing also provide opportunity for parents to
introduce or encourage the lovely family custom of first wearing
the new clothes to Church--as a sign of our gratitude for God's
goodness and overflowing generosity towards us.
There has been great interest lately in the question of just who
should bring the gifts at Christmas. Many families feel that the
over-emphasis on Santa Claus greatly detracts from the central
mystery of the feast, and they either make known the fact that
the parents themselves are the givers, or in many families, the
children are told that the Christ-Child Himself has bestowed the
presents. Others restore the stately bishop's mitre and crosier
to Santa Claus, and good St. Nicholas is the one who brings the
children's toys and gifts--perhaps after a preliminary visit to
see how the children are behaving on the eve of his feastday,
December 5.
Now if religious customs like the above are carried out, the
family gift-giving falls naturally into a subordinate place and
is more easily given a spiritual significance. If the family
decides to do away with Santa Claus, the richness of the
religious home celebrations will more than satisfy the children.
And if Santa Claus stays, he will play a lesser role in the
celebration, a role more in keeping with the real meaning of the
feast.
3. CHRISTMAS DAY
"This Day Christ Is Born"
This day Christ is born:
This day the savior hath appeared:
This day Angels are singing on earth,
Archangels are rejoicing:
This day the just are glad and say,
Glory to God in high heaven, Alleluia.
--Theme Song for Christmas Day
the Magnificat antiphon from Vespers
THE CHRISTMAS MASSES
Christmas Day begins in a very special way with the Midnight
Mass. Having this first of the Christmas Masses in the middle of
the night is an old custom in the Church and is full of
significance. In the first place it corresponds with the
traditional belief that Christ was born at midnight. Secondly,
from the material darkness around us, we are reminded of the
spiritual darkness in the world which only Christ the Light can
dispel.
The Midnight Mass is surrounded by family traditions which vary
according to national heritage or personal preference. There is,
for instance, one delightful way of waking the younger children
for Mass. Some member of the family dressed as an angel and
carrying a lighted candle, goes to each bed and sings a carol.
After Mass many people share a special breakfast with their
family. The French are especially fond of this night meal or
reveillon, and serve their own traditional dishes. Other families
place the Christ-Child in the crib on their return, and often the
head of the family reads the Gospel aloud at the crib or at the
breakfast table. This time after Mass also lends itself to the
singing of carols and the quiet re-explanation of the Christmas
story which children never tire of hearing.
The second Mass of Christmas Day is the Mass at dawn,
traditionally called the Shepherds' Mass. Just as the shepherds
went eagerly to the crib to adore the Lord and to receive His
great gift of light, so we also go to the altar where the same
Lord comes just as truly to us. The theme of light is prominent
in this Mass. Outside, the natural light is increasing. In
Bethlehem the Light is manifested to a few more men. Over and
over in the Mass texts light is mentioned: The Introit begins, "A
Light shall shine upon us this day; for the Lord is born to us."
These words can be read again at home, perhaps at the lighting of
the Christ-Candle. (See The Christ-Candle for explanation of the
candle.)
Because the feast of Christmas is so great, the Church does not
stop rejoicing after one or even two special Masses. She
continues her worship with a third, the Mass of the Day. In this
Mass, our attention is directed towards the divinity of the Child
born in Bethlehem. We rejoice in His governing power and wisdom
in the Introit. The Epistle refers us back to the Midnight Mass
with the passage: "Thou art My Son, today have I begotten Thee."
The progressive manifestation of Christ continues. From swaddling
clothes and a lowly stable we move to might and majesty, throne
and sceptre. From the adoration of Mary and Joseph and a few
shepherds, we go to the adoration of all the earth. The great
feast of Christ's manifestation, the Epiphany, is foreshadowed in
the Gradual and Communion when we say, "All the ends of the earth
have seen the salvation of our God."
It is natural that Christian families, in the spirit of the
Masses, feel a desire to continue expressing their joy throughout
the whole of Christmas Day. This expression takes varied forms.
CHRISTMAS MUSIC AND STORIES
In some homes Christmas carols are never heard until the Eve of
the feast--instead, the poignant Advent music which seems to
convey the spirit of the season in its melodies is sung until the
vigil day. And then the Christmas carols are fresh and new. Even
those families not accustomed to sing together find the Christmas
music an excellent beginning for family song.
Most carols can be sung by the whole family, but it is a good
custom for older children to prepare and present a program of the
more difficult or less common ones. This is a wonderful
opportunity, too, for those members of the family who play a
musical instrument to make a contribution by accompanying the
singers, presenting a special solo or joining one another to
produce a grand ensemble.
Nearly every family has several favorite Christmas stories which
are cherished. Children always enjoy hearing again familiar
legends and stories, especially towards the end of an exciting
Christmas Day. Some families like to build up their repertoire of
Christmas literature by trying out one or two new stories or
poems each year. There are an increasing number of excellent
Christmas stories available today in libraries and bookstores.
Some suggestions are listed below and on the following pages.
"Dulci Donum," from "The Wind In The Willows," by Kenneth Graham.
Christmas spirit on the river bank from one of the best animal
books for children ever written.
"The Crib of Bo'Bossu," from "The Long Christmas," by Ruth
Sawyer. Viking Press, New York, 1941. A French tale of a
hunchback whose heart is set on carving a beautiful crib for our
Lady's Child. Good to read with the children around the crib.
"The Gold of Bernardino," from "The Long Christmas." An ancient
legend telling how the first crib scene came to be placed in a
Spanish church. Charming in its simplicity--and perfect for
reading aloud the night the Christmas crib is set up, for it
explains the significance of offering ourselves to the Child.
"The Voyages of Wee Red Cap," from "The Long Christmas." An Irish
fairy tale to be read on the Eve of St. Stephen, when the "wee
folk" show an Irish "Scrooge" how to shake loose from his gold.
"The Shepherds," from "The Long Christmas." Across the skies on
that holy night rings the sound of combat as Archangel Michael
defeats Satan, and a little Spanish boy leads the shepherds to
Bethlehem.
"Legend of the Christmas Rose," by Selma Lagerlof, from "The
World's Greatest Christmas Stories," ed. Eric Posselt.
Prentice-Hall, New York, 1950. The well-known Swedish legend
about the forest that is transformed at the miraculous hour of
Christ's birth.
"Which of the Nine?" by Maurus Jokai, from "The World's Greatest
Christmas Stories." How can a poor shoemaker decide to give away
one of his children? Why, even the songs they sing are more
precious than all the gold in the world. Could be read to set the
mood for an evening of singing together.
"The Oak of Geismar," by Henry van Dyke, from "Christmastide,"
ed. William J. Roehrenbeck. Stephen Daye Press, New York, 1948.
How the Gospel and the green fir tree were brought to the
heathens of Germany in the eighth century by a band of English
pilgrims.
"The Noel Candle," by Clement C. Moore, from "Christmastide." The
custom of lighting a candle in the window on Christmas Eve may
have originated in this way.
"The Holy Night," by Selma Lagerlof, from "Christmastide." Like
the shepherd, we too could see the angels that fly down from
heaven on Christmas Eve if we only had the right kind of eyes.
"The Ox and the Ass at the Manger," by Jules Supervielle, from
"The Greatest Bible Stories," ed. Anne Freemantle. Stephen Daye
Press, New York, 1951. A completely charming character study of
the two most envied animals in history.
"The Nativity of Our Lord," from "The Golden Legend," by Jacobus
de Voragine. Longmans, Green and Co., New York, 1948. An example
of the freshness and simplicity of medieval devotion.
"Where Love Is, There God Is Also," by Leo Tolstoy, from "What
Men Live By." Pantheon Books, New York, 1944. The story of a poor
shoemaker who wondered what he would do if the Lord came to be
his guest.
"Christmas on the Village Square," by Henri Gheon. A Christmas
presentation by a band of gypsies. Delightful for an informal
reading.
CHRISTMAS DRAMA FOR THE HOME
In some families, the events of the Christmas story are
dramatized. For instance, the message of the Shepherds' Mass
lends itself easily to drama. The family gathers around the crib
and sings a few carols. Then the father reads the Gospel of this
Mass aloud. As he says the words, "Let us go over to Bethlehem
and see the Word that is come to pass," each child comes forward
with a shepherd figure and places it ceremoniously at the crib.
There is another charming custom which by all means should not be
forgotten on Christmas Day. This is the beginning of the Wise
Men's journey to Bethlehem. The three kings start out separately
in far countries, perhaps even in such remote places as the
children's bedrooms. From there they continue to advance each
day, assisted by the children, on their hazardous journey over
bookcases and mantelpieces--not forgetting their dramatic meeting
in the hall about halfway to Bethlehem. At last, on Epiphany,
they will arrive in all their splendor to pay homage at the crib.
At another time during the day, many families re-emphasize the
central fact of Christmas by acting out St. Luke's Gospel. The
living room becomes a stage with more imagination than effort--
and with a few odds and ends of material and old draperies the
family and guests are transformed into the chosen group
surrounding the Redeemer. Even the new Christmas dolls and
animals can have parts to play.
The Gospel forms the basis of the play. One person reads the
story slowly and with care while the others act what is being
read. No one can lay down rules about how the actors should go
about doing this. In one family the "cast" may like to mime the
Gospel; in another, the narrator may be adept at spontaneous
dialogue. Still others may like to work from a simple script, and
for these, a short play is given at the end of this book. This
play has been worked out with narration, dialogue and music--
chant selections for school production, familiar carol
substitutes for the home. When done in the family, it is
important to draw all present into the play. In this way, there
will be no awkwardness because there will be no "audience" to
satisfy. And then, those who join in will be able really to enter
into the simple actions and to make an adoration of it.
For more ambitious families or parish and apostolic groups,
effective prayer-dramas can be worked out on the whole history of
salvation as the Church sets it before us in the Advent-Christmas
liturgy. Beginning with the fall in Genesis, a script can be
built around the great prophecies of Christ's coming, reaching a
first climax in John the Baptist, and culminating in the
Christmas and Epiphany texts from Mass and Office.
THE CHRIST-CANDLE
The candle, a widely recognized symbol of Christ the Light, has a
definite place in the celebration of Christmas and is used in
different ways. Some families have a large Christ-Candle which
they light on each of the Twelve Days of Christmas at a special
family function. The Christ-Candle is often placed on the center
of the family dining table and lighted during the meals as a
reminder that Christ is present as the members share food
together. In other homes the Candle is placed near the crib, to
be lighted during prayers and when the family gathers for
singing.
Candles are very prominent on Christmas Day. This was possibly
true even at the first Christmas when, because of the feast of
the Dedication, the Jewish people were burning candles in their
homes. In medieval times Irish Christians began the custom of
placing a lighted candle in the window to show that the stranger
was welcome to enter in the name of Christ and share in the
Christmas abundance. Parents can make clearer the symbolism of
leaving a candle in the window by keeping a plate of Christmas
cookies and a hot drink ready for any modern-day wayfarers who
may knock at the door, as well as for friends and neighbors.
THE CHRIST-GUEST
Christmas dinner in most homes is a joyous occasion, expressive
of Christian family love and unity. It affords a special
opportunity for sharing this love with our neighbor in the person
of a "Christ-guest." This can be a foreign student, an elderly
person from the Old Age Home or any acquaintance who is not
included in a family dinner of his own. The spirit of receiving
all guests as Christ makes Christmas parties and celebrations
more meaningful and more in accord with the marvel of God having
loved us so much that He sent His Only-begotten Son to dwell with
us.
CHRISTMAS MEAL PRAYERS
When the family gathers for meals on Christmas Day and throughout
Christmastide, it is a natural time to reecho the great fact:
"This day Christ is born!" Many families find that special meal
prayers which repeat the beautiful texts from the Christmas
Masses and Office are a great help in keeping the Christmas theme
in mind and in meditating on its meaning. Meal prayers can be as
simple as the reading of one of the Christmas collects from the
missal, together with the traditional grace.
"The Twelve Days of Christmas Kit" contains Christmas Meal
Prayers printed on sheets of cardboard. Five cards--with prayers
for breakfast, dinner and supper--are included so that several
members of the family and guests may have a copy.
4. DAYS BETWEEN
Christmas and Epiphany
THE DAYS BETWEEN CHRISTMAS AND EPIPHANY
These are days when the great notes struck on the feast of
Christmas echo and re-echo in our ears until the Epiphany gathers
them into a great golden chord. Some of these days have their own
liturgical character, like St. Stephen or St. John; others are
strongly marked by the secular calendar, like New Year's Day.
Special observances for specific days are given on the following
pages, but that does not mean that the other days do not count.
For example, carolling and story telling belong to the whole
Christmas season. Hospitality and giving to others also must
continue if true Christmas joy is to remain. An outing to which
friends are invited or a party that includes a round of carolling
become perhaps even more appropriate with the approach of
Epiphany.
Then there are the other feasts which can only be mentioned in
passing here: St. Thomas a Becket (the young married couples in
Loveland have a tradition of giving T. S. Eliot's "Murder in the
Cathedral" on his day); the feast of the Circumcision with its
Mass still full of the wonders of the holy Birth; the feast of
the Holy Name.
CHRISTMAS NIGHT PRAYERS AT THE CRIB
Special night prayers around the crib keep the Christmas spirit
alive even when nothing else is on schedule. If the Wise Men are
making their journey to Bethlehem through the house, their
resting places may be fixed just before night prayers begin. The
Christ-Candle is also lit to begin the prayers, which might run
something like the following.
NIGHT PRAYERS
FATHER: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
ALL: Amen.
FATHER: Our help is in the Name of the Lord.
ALL: Who made heaven and earth.
FATHER: Let us think over whether our actions during the day
have done honor to the Christ-Child (pause).
Let us ask forgiveness for what we have not done as we
should.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name; Thy
kingdom come: Thy Will be done on earth as it is in
heaven.
ALL: Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our
trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
evil.
ALL SING: This day Christ is born; this day the Savior has
appeared; this day angels are singing on earth, archangels
are rejoicing. This day the just are glad and say,
Glory to God in high heaven, alleluia.
ALL PRAY: (Psalm 133 from Compline, the Church's night prayer.)
Come, bless the Lord, * all you servants of the Lord.
Who stand in the house of the Lord * during the hours
of the night.
Lift up your hands toward the sanctuary * and bless the
Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Sion, * the maker of heaven
and earth.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the Holy
Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, *
world without end. Amen.
ALL SING: (Repeat antiphon preceding psalm.)
MOTHER OR ELDEST CHILD:
(Lesson from Jeremias): You are in our midst, Lord, and Your holy
Name has been invoked upon us. Do not forsake us, O Lord our God.
ALL: Thanks be to God.
FATHER: Into Your hands, O Lord, * I commend my spirit.
ALL: Into Your hands, O Lord, * I commend my spirit.
FATHER: For You have redeemed us, O Lord, God of truth.
ALL: I commend my spirit.
FATHER: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy
Spirit.
ALL: Into Your hands, O Lord, * I commend my spirit.
FATHER: Keep us, O Lord, as the apple of Your eye.
ALL: Shelter us under the shadow of Your wings.
FATHER: Now, Lord, you may dismiss your servant, in peace,
according to your word. For my eyes have seen your
salvation, which you have set before all nations as a
light of revelation for the Gentiles and the glory of
your people Israel. Glory be to the Father and to the
Son and to the Holy Spirit.
ALL: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, *
world without end. Amen.
FATHER: O Lord, hear my prayer.
ALL: And let my cry come to You.
FATHER: Let us pray. Visit this dwelling, we beseech Thee, O Lord,
and drive far from it all snares of the enemy. Let Thy holy
Angels dwell herein, who may keep us in peace, and let Thy
blessing be always upon us. Through Christ our Lord.
ALL: Amen.
FATHER: Let us remember the saints who come with us today to
show their love for the Christ-Child.
(The Collect or some other appropriate part of the Mass of the
day is read.)
Let us now sing a carol to the Christ-Child so that He
may rest peacefully with us this night.
Night prayers end with a favorite carol.
ST. STEPHEN'S DAY
St. Stephen's Day immediately follows Christmas, and the Church
rejoices in this first testimony by blood to the fact of the
Incarnation. Children love the Gospel story about St. Stephen,
who for love of God was stoned to death while praying for his
enemies. It is also becoming a practice on St. Stephen's Day to
pray particularly for our enemies, and it is appropriate to
remember the persecuted Church throughout the world and all the
people who, like Stephen, are being afflicted for their faith.
St. Stephen was one of the first "social workers" in the Church,
and it was his task to organize meals to feed the poor. In
remembrance of Stephen's work for the needy, the British people
used to collect money throughout the year in little clay boxes.
On the feast of St. Stephen or "Boxing day" as it is called in
Britain, these boxes were broken and the money was distributed to
the poor.
In some homes and communities a box is labelled and set beside
the Christmas tree. Members of the family, in gratitude for their
Christmas blessings, choose one of their gifts for the "St.
Stephen's Box"--clothing and other useful articles which are sent
abroad to the poor or to a mission country.
As the family gathers around the lighted Christmas tree in the
evening to eat minced meat pie dessert, the mother or father
reads the story of Good King Wenceslaus who "looked out on the
Feast of Stephen" and who enjoyed eating his minced meat pie
after sharing his meal with a poor peasant family. The story is
delightfully told in "More Six O'Clock Saints" by Joan Windham,
and can easily be acted out by the children. Afterwards all join
in singing Christmas carols. especially "Good King Wenceslaus."
ST. JOHN'S DAY
An age old tradition connected with St. John's Day, December 27,
springs from the legend of the poisoned wine he was served by the
disciples of an enemy. He made the sign of the cross over the cup
and drank it without harm. In remembrance, wine that is
officially blessed after the morning Mass on St. John's Day may
be taken home and drunk with special ceremony. In the absence of
the priest's blessing, the father of the family may read at the
table one or more of the prayers from the ritual--for example,
the following:
Let us pray. Holy Lord, Father Almighty, eternal God! You willed
that Your Son, equal to You in agelessness and substance should
descend from heaven and in the fulness of time be born of the
most holy Virgin Mary. Thus He could seek the lost and wayward
sheep and carry it on His shoulders to the sheepfold, and could
cure the man fallen among robbers of his wounds by pouring in oil
and wine. Deign now to bless and sanctify this wine which You
produced for man's drink. Whoever drinks of it on this holy
feast, grant him life in body and soul. By Your goodness, let it
be to him strength to prosper him on the way, that his journey
may come to a blessed end. Through the same Christ our Lord.
ALL: Amen.
The wine is poured into a glass by the father, who drinks and
passes it first to the mother, and then around the table to
children and guests, in commemoration of the disciple of love. A
greeting showing that it is love that binds the family together
goes round with the cup: "Drink to the love of St. John, the
Apostle." "And where love is, there is God," responds the next
member of the family, taking the cup and drinking.
THE HOLY INNOCENTS
The Feast of the Holy Innocents is fittingly celebrated soon
after Christmas Day since the Holy Innocents stood in the place
of the Child Jesus and saved Him from death by their own shedding
of blood. Parents have an opportunity to explain that the Holy
Innocents are the special patrons of small children; they help
them to please the Infant by obeying their parents, loving their
playmates, sharing their toys.
After morning Mass it is becoming customary in some communities
for the children to gather around the crib in the parish church
for the special blessing of children by the parish priest. If
this is not possible, then the family gathers in the evening
around the crib, and the father leads everyone present in the Our
Father. Then he says the versicle, "O Lord, hear my prayer," and
all respond, "And let my cry come unto You." The father proceeds
with this prayer, taken from the blessing for children:
Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, once You embraced and placed
Your hands upon the little children who came to You, and said:
"Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, and their angels always see
the face of my Father!" Look now with fatherly eyes on the
innocence of these children and their parents' devotion, and
bless them this day through our ministry. (The father signs the
forehead of each child with the sign of the cross.)
In Your grace and goodness let them advance continually, longing
for You, loving You, fearing You, keeping Your commandments. Then
they will surely come to their destined home, through You, Savior
of the world. Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
All answer, "Amen."
Then the father says to the children: "May God bless you. And may
He keep your hearts and minds--the Father, Son and the Holy
Spirit."
All answer, "Amen."
The father then sprinkles the children with holy water. (The
Church's official blessing of children is included in the Roman
Ritual.)
This feast day, when the father blesses the children with holy
water and signs their foreheads with the sign of the cross,
reminds us that the father of the family stands at the head of
the "little church" which is the home. In this capacity, he has
the privilege of blessing the children not only today, but every
day. Perhaps the ceremony suggested above could inaugurate the
custom of the father blessing the children each evening at family
night prayers.
Since the feast of the Holy Innocents particularly concerns young
children, the youngest child in the family is today given special
privileges. He chooses the dessert for the family dinner, for
example; he leads the family in Christmas carols, turns on the
Christmas tree lights for the evening's festivities or performs
other functions held in honor in the home.
A delightful centerpiece for the family table today can be made
by surrounding the large Christ-Candle with smaller white candles
representing the Holy Innocents.
The number of small candles might be as many as there are
children in the family. Each child is allowed to light one small
candle from the flame of the Christ-Candle, signifying that
inasmuch as he received his life from Christ, he will live and if
need be die for Christ just as the Holy Innocents did. The
following round may be sung by the children.
Light of Christ, let me be a tiny flame reflecting thee.
NEW YEAR'S EVE
New Year's Eve is celebrated in almost every country, for people
universally recognize it as an appropriate time for relatives and
old acquaintances to meet and participate in the festivities of
dancing, singing and feasting.
Nowadays, most Americans are inclined to spend this eve away from
home. Would it not be possible to "baptize" the New Year's Eve
observance by restoring corporate celebration--where families
could gather together, and both old and young find entertainment
adapted to their age and interests?
Before the party breaks into "Auld Lang Syne," everyone could
join in an Hour of Watching and prayer, peacefully and hopefully
affirming their new resolutions to God. The booklet, "New Life
for New Year's Eve," contains an "Hour of Watching" for the last
hour of the old year, a prayer-hour which can be used in the
parish or adapted for the home celebration. (Available from
Grailville Writing Center, Loveland, Ohio.)
NEW YEAR'S DAY
Very often countries that are not at all related observe feasts
in the same manner. The traditions for New Year's Day illustrate
vividly that although people differ in nationality, they are
basically alike.
In Holland the children formally present for their parents a
recitation of a self-composed poem proclaiming new resolutions
for the coming year. In China the younger generations, and
especially all the married children, dress up in their best
attire and come to pay respects to their elders with gifts and
good wishes. And in French Canada, before sitting down to the New
Year's feast, the younger members of the family thank their
parents for the love and kindness they have received during the
past year, and wish them God's blessing.
Thus New Year's seems to be internationally parents' day. Some of
the customs related above would be most appropriate for the
American scene. For example, if parents would help children
"solemnize" their New Year's resolutions, perhaps they would be
taken more seriously. And New Year's, too, could be a day when
the children perform special services for their parents--
relieving mother in the kitchen, or preparing a favorite dish for
the father of the family.
5. FEAST OF EPIPHANY
"Arise, for Thy Light Is Come"
Be enlightened, be enlightened, O Jerusalem,
for thy light is come,
and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee,
Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary.
--Theme Song for the Feast of the Epiphany
taken from the Lesson, Epiphany Mass.
THE MEANING OF EPIPHANY
For many years in the English speaking world the feast of
Epiphany has been overshadowed by that of Christmas. But unless
we realize the significance of this great day, we see only one
side of the mystery of the Incarnation. Now after contemplating
the staggering fact that God has become a human child, we turn to
look at this mystery from the opposite angle and realize that
this seemingly helpless Child is, in fact, the omnipotent God,
the King and Ruler of the universe. The feast of Christ's
divinity completes the feast of His humanity. It fulfills all our
Advent longing for the King "who is come with great power and
majesty." We see that whereas Christmas is the family feast of
Christianity, Epiphany is the great "world feast of the Catholic
Church."
Epiphany is a complex feast. Originating in the Eastern Church
and formed by the mentality of a people whose thought processes
differ sharply from our own, the Epiphany is like a rich Oriental
tapestry in which the various themes are woven and interwoven--
now to be seen in their historical setting, again to be viewed
from a different vantage point in their deep mystical
significance. In this brief introduction four of the main ideas
of the Epiphany will be outlined.
Divine manifestation: The Epiphany takes its name from the Greek
"epiphania," which denotes the visit of a god to earth. The first
idea of the feast is the manifestation of Christ as the Son of
God. "Begotten before the daystar and before all ages, the Lord
our Savior is this day made manifest to the world." The feast
unites three events in the life of Christ when His divinity, as
it were, shines through His humanity: the adoration of the Magi;
the baptism of Christ in the Jordan; and the first miracle at the
wedding feast of Cana. Moreover, at Epiphany the Church looks
forward to the majestic coming of Christ on the "youngest day"
when His manifestation as God will be complete. The Gospels of
the baptism and the marriage at Cana are read on the Octave Day
and the Second Sunday after Epiphany, and later Sunday masses in
the Epiphany season continue to show the divine power of our Lord
in some of His most striking miracles.
Royal kingship: A second important idea in Epiphany is the
extension of Christ's kingship to the whole world. The revelation
of Christ to the three kings at Bethlehem is a symbol of His
revelation to the whole of the Gentile world. Epiphany presents
to us the calling of not merely a chosen few, but all nations to
Christianity.
Your Light is Come: Closely linked to both these themes of divine
manifestation and world kingship is a third idea running through
the Epiphany feast: that of light. During Advent, the world was
in darkness, and we prayed and waited in the spirit of the Jewish
nation which lived in expectation of the Coming Light during
thousands of years. At Christmas the Light shone forth, but
dimly, seen only by a few around the crib: Mary and Joseph and
the shepherds. But at Epiphany the Light bursts forth to all
nations and the prophecy is fulfilled: "The Gentiles shall walk
in Thy light, and kings in the brightness of Thy rising." The
mysterious star of Epiphany, "flashing like a flame," is still
another facet of the light-motif, a symbol capable of being
interpreted in a dozen different ways.
How much food for thought and reflection is contained in just
these three ideas, and what a significance they have for our own
time! Epiphany lifts our eyes from the family celebrations and
demands that we should include in our vision "all the ends of the
earth." It demands that, like the three wise men, we should have
the courage to follow the light of the star we have seen, however
hazardous the journey; that the light of our faith, like that of
the wise men, should be so strong that we are able to see and
recognize our Lord and Ruler in however unexpected a way He may
present Himself to us; and that having recognized Him, we should
bow down and adore Him, offering Him our total loyalty.
Moreover, Epiphany demands that like these kings we should return
to our own countries a different way, carrying to all those we
meet the light of Christ. "For behold, darkness shall cover the
earth," says the Epistle of the Epiphany Mass, "and a mist the
people: but the Lord shall arise upon Thee, and His glory shall
be seen upon Thee. And the Gentiles shall walk in Thy light..."
These words may be applied to us, upon whom the light of Christ
has indeed risen, and who have the responsibility to radiate that
light in the darkness of our own world. It is clear how much the
feast of Epiphany must mean to all who are engaged in the
apostolate and are striving to extend the kingdom of Christ.
The royal nuptials: Besides the important ideas outlined above,
there is still another great theme threaded through the Epiphany
feast--the theme of the royal nuptials, the wedding of Christ
with humanity. It is an idea on a completely different level from
the historical events which the Epiphany celebrates, yet
inextricably bound up with them; for example, the historical
marriage feast of Cana is used by the Church to suggest the
setting for Christ's nuptials with the Church; the wise men
represent not only the three Persian Magi adoring the Babe 2000
years ago at Bethlehem, but also the Gentile world hurrying to
the wedding feast at the end of time when mankind's nuptials with
the divine Bridegroom will be celebrated; the gold, frankincense
and myrrh are not only tokens for the little Baby King in the
stable, but royal wedding gifts for the mystical marriage feast
of heaven.
The Epiphany antiphon for the hour of Lauds brings out strikingly
this theme of the divine marriage of Christ with humanity, and at
the same time shows the deep mystical significance behind the
historical events surrounding the feast. Perhaps nowhere more
clearly than in this antiphon do we see that on Epiphany we do
not commemorate a set of historical facts as much as we celebrate
a great mystery: "This day the Church is joined to her heavenly
Spouse, for Christ has 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."
EPIPHANY IN THE PARISH
THE EPIPHANY MASS
Of course, the very center and focal point of the celebration
must be the Mass--and what a glorious Mass today's is! We are
almost overwhelmed by the majesty, the brilliance, power and
dominion of our King, to whom "the kings of Tharsis and the
islands, of Saba and Arabia" are offering gifts. We feel that we
ourselves are taking part in the fulfillment of the prophecy,
"The Gentiles shall walk in Thy light and kings in the brightness
of Thy rising."
If any Mass in the whole year should be celebrated with all
possible magnificence, with music and incense, it is surely
today's. And it is especially appropriate to have a beautiful
Missa Cantata in the parish with representatives of every family
present. Perhaps some active young people can assist the pastor
in encouraging a good attendance at a High Mass, and they might
also gather together a group to rehearse the singing. Copies of
the "Laudate Dominum" with the antiphon, "Christus vincet;
Christus regnat; Christus imperat," could be mimeographed so that
the entire congregation can join in singing praise to Christ.
The Epiphany Mass is like a great offertory procession, led by
the three Magi. This fact is emphasized in some parishes with a
special procession before Mass. Three representatives of the
parish bring up gold, frankincense and myrrh, together with the
bread and wine for the Offertory, while the choir chants special
antiphons from the Epiphany liturgy. (The gold can be represented
by gifts of old jewelry from parishioners, which can later be
sold for the benefit of the poor.)
At the altar, the gifts are presented to the officiating priest,
who may then read over them the special blessing the Church gives
for gold, incense and myrrh on this feast day (contained in
Father Weller's English translation of the Roman Ritual,
published by Bruce, Milwaukee, Wisconsin). Such a procession can
help all the people enter more fully into an understanding of the
Epiphany mystery, and its theme of offering adoration and praise
to God.
Because Epiphany falls on a weekday most of the time, it may not
be possible to arrange such a celebration in the parish--but in
school or college it should not be difficult to cooperate with
school authorities in planning a special observance of the
Epiphany feast, beginning with a sung High Mass in the morning.
But even if we cannot participate in a High or Sung Mass before
hurrying off to work or school, at least we can read through the
texts of the Mass the evening before, so that our minds and
hearts are suffused with the splendor of the feast and its rich
and deep significance for our life and work in the apostolate.
THE CRIB ENTHRONED
Throughout the days after Christmas the crib has remained set up
in the parish Church--or in the family living room, or meeting
place of the apostolic group--to center the thoughts of all on
the humble birth of the Child at Bethlehem. Now on the feast of
Epiphany the crib is transformed into a royal throne, so that all
who see it are reminded of Epiphany's message: "Behold, the Lord,
the Ruler is come: and the Kingdom is in His hand, and power and
dominion."
The decorating of the crib on the Eve of Epiphany is a wonderful
project for a parish young peoples' group or for the family. An
elaborate cloth of gold or red velvet lines the crib. Upon the
head of the Christ-Child is placed a kingly crown and in His hand
a golden sceptre. Around the crib are placed golden candlesticks
with tall candles that burn during the Epiphany Mass, or in the
case of the home crib, at family prayers. Thus with few changes
the crib becomes a regal throne, the little Child, a King. The
contrast between the peaceful coming at Christmas and the
triumphant world manifestation at Epiphany is eloquently
expressed. This simple custom does much to make the spirit of
Epiphany live in parish and family.
BLESSING OF EPIPHANY WATER AND CHALK
Some of the Fathers of the Church held the opinion that through
His baptism Christ hallowed all the waters of the earth;
therefore it became traditional to bless water on the vigil of
Epiphany. This water was used in the blessing of homes on the
following day.
This custom is being revived today in some parishes. The people
gather in the Church on the eve of Epiphany to prepare for the
coming feast and to take part in the ceremony of the blessing of
the water. Perhaps as a special project children in the classroom
or some other group in the parish could prepare holy water
containers for the parishioners, decorating small bottles with
Epiphany symbols and texts in enamel paint. Then each family
could take home one of these filled with the blessed water to use
on the following day.
Many pastors also bless pieces of chalk for each family to use in
inscribing the names of the three Magi over their doorways, as a
manifestation of their Christian faith and a protection against
the powers of evil. The prayer for the blessing of the chalk is
as follows:
O Lord God, bless this Thy creature chalk that it may be used for
the salvation of the human race. Through the invocation of Thy
most Holy Name grant that whoever shall take of this chalk and
write with it upon the doors of his house the names of Thy
saints, Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, may through their merits
and intercession receive health of body and protection of soul.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The blessing of water on the vigil of the Epiphany could well be
performed with full solemnity before the main altar. If this is
not possible and no priest is available, the prayers and hymns
might be used as a vigil preparation at home. The full text for
the blessing may be found in Volume three of Father Weller's
English translation of the Roman Ritual.
The liturgy of Epiphany, in all its regal splendor, can be a
powerful force in educating we modern day Americans in the real
meaning of the Incarnation. If we are looking for a remedy for
the sentimentality of our business-dominated celebration of
Christmas, it is in the Epiphany Mass and Office and in a full
observance of the feast that we shall find it.
EPIPHANY IN THE HOME
BLESSING OF THE HOME
From the altar the blessing of the Church extends itself on
Epiphany to the homes of the faithful. The custom of blessing the
home probably grew up on account of the words in the Gospel, "And
entering into the house, they found the Child with Mary, His
Mother, and falling down they adored Him." The priest blesses the
house if he can be present, but if not, the father of the family
may do so. He leads the family (and any guests who may have been
invited for the occasion) from room to room, blessing each and
inscribing the initials of the three Magi above the doors with
the chalk that has been previously blessed. The chalk blessing is
written as follows:
19 + C + M + B + 55
One small boy was so delighted with the ceremony that the first
time his home was blessed, he said, "Oh, Daddy, is it all over?"-
-and then the bright idea struck--"Couldn't we bless all the
closets, too?"
A full account of the ceremony and prayers in English are given
below. When we bless the houses at Grailville, copies are
mimeographed for everyone present so that they can join in the
prayers and singing. The house blessing for Epiphany is a
beautiful custom for families, and also for schools and apostolic
groups to revive, because it helps strengthen the bond of union
which should exist between altar and home.
THE BLESSING
On entering the home,
LEADER (Priest, if present, or father of the family):
Peace be to this house.
ALL: And to all who dwell herein.
ALL: From the east came the Magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord;
and opening their treasures they offered precious gifts: gold
for the great King, incense for the true God, and myrrh in
symbol of His burial.
ALL PRAY: The Magnificat.
During the Magnificat, the room is sprinkled with holy water and
incensed. After this is completed,
ALL: From the east came the Magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord;
and opening their treasures they offered precious gifts: gold
for the great King, incense for the true God, and myrrh in
symbol of His burial.
LEADER: Our Father...
And lead us not into temptation
ALL: But deliver us from evil.
LEADER: All they from Saba shall come
ALL: Bringing gold and frankincense.
LEADER: O Lord, hear my prayer.
ALL: And let my cry come to You.
LEADER: Let us pray. O God, who by the guidance of a star didst
on this day manifest Thine only-begotten Son to the Gentiles,
mercifully grant that we who know Thee by faith may also
attain the vision of Thy glorious majesty. Through
Christ our Lord.
ALL: Amen.
LEADER: Be enlightened, be enlightened, O Jerusalem, for thy
light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee--
Jesus Christ born of the Virgin Mary.
ALL: And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light and kings in the
splendor of thy rising, and the glory of the Lord has
risen upon thee.
LEADER: Let us pray. Bless, O Lord God almighty, this home, that
in it there may be health, purity, the strength of victory,
humility, goodness and mercy, the fulfillment of Thy law, the
thanksgiving to God the Father and to the Son and to the
Holy Spirit. And may this blessing remain upon this home and
upon all who dwell herein. Through Christ our Lord.
ALL: Amen.
After the prayers of the blessing are recited, each room of the
home is sprinkled with Epiphany water and incensed. The initials
of the Magi are inscribed upon the doors with the blessed chalk.
A CHILDREN'S PARTY FOR TWELFTH NIGHT
The first idea that our celebrations within the family should try
to make vivid for the children is the visit of the three Magi.
These are such fascinating and mysterious figures, and the whole
episode is so dramatic that there are numerous ways in which this
can be done. Many families these days give an Epiphany or
"Twelfth Night" party at which the traditional dessert is a cake,
containing three beans or large nuts. The three people who find
the beans in their piece of cake, are hailed as the "Wise Men"
and immediately don the most gorgeous robes available. Colorful
old drapes become exotic regal apparel, and fine crowns are
fashioned from such prosaic materials as round oatmeal boxes
covered with aluminum foil. After that the "kings" rule the party
for the rest of the afternoon or evening. They choose the games,
supervise the refreshments and may demand special favors from
their subjects. It may be added that it is important that the
hostess plans a program beforehand, especially in the case of
small children. Simple place cards with texts from the Epiphany
Mass, and meal prayers which include the Epiphany collect, aid in
carrying out the theme.
PROCESSION TO THE ROYAL CRIB
Most important of the offices the three party Magi perform is the
bearing of the figures of the three Wise Men on the last stage of
their journey which started on Christmas and which ends today, as
they find the Child in the crib. The whole party can be made far
more meaningful for the children if this is carried out with
reverence and solemnity.
First, the children help "enthrone" the Christ-Child as described
earlier. Then all the children form in a procession, with the
three live Magi in the lead, each bearing the statue whom he
represents. The carol, "We Three Kings of Orient Are" provides
just the right rhythm for a royal procession, and if the kings
happen to be singers, each sings the verse about his particular
gift.
After the figures are in position, the rest of the children have
an opportunity to offer gifts. If they have not already had a
chance to give material gifts to the poor, this would be a
suitable time to do it. But if the children have already done
this on a previous occasion, they can begin to learn what it
means to give something of themselves for the service of Christ.
First, the mother explains to the children that the gold means
love; the frankincense, prayer; and the myrrh, suffering and
mortification. Then she makes a few definite suggestions, and
each child writes on a slip of paper a promise to do one act of
this kind. For example, "I will say an extra Hail Mary every day
for the next week for an African child my own age who has never
heard of Christ," or "I will let my sister play with my new doll
dishes." The pieces of paper are laid at the feet of the
Christ-Child during the procession.
It also helps the children to realize the scope of Christ's
kingdom if each one chooses as his own "kingdom" a different
country. As they do their homage to the Christ-Child, the
children tell Him where they come from--and then they pray for
that particular country very especially during the octave of the
Epiphany feast.
After the procession, the children gather round the crib, and two
of the older ones read alternate verses of a psalm as a
concluding prayer.
ALL PRAY: From the East came the Magi to Bethlehem to adore the
Lord; and opening their treasures they offered
precious gifts: gold for the great King, incense for the
true God, and myrrh in symbol of His burial.
1ST CHILD: May he rule from sea to sea, * and from the river
to the ends of the earth.
2ND CHILD: His foes shall bow before him, * and his enemies
shall lick the dust.
1ST CHILD: The kings of Tharsis and the Isles shall offer
gifts; * the kings of Arabia and Saba shall bring tribute.
2ND CHILD: All kings shall pay him homage, * all nations shall serve
him.
For he shall rescue the poor man when he cries out, *
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; * the lives
of the poor he shall save.
From fraud and violence he shall redeem them, * and
precious shall their blood be in his sight.
May he live to be given the gold of Arabia, and to be
prayed for continually * day by day shall they bless him.
May there be an abundance of grain upon the earth; on
the tops of the mountains the crops shall rustle like
Lebanon; * the city dwellers shall flourish like the
verdure of the fields.
May his Name be blessed forever; * as long as the sun his
Name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
* all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel who alone does
wondrous deeds.
And blessed forever be his glorious Name; * may the
whole earth be filled with his glory.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the
Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, *
world without end. Amen.
ALL: From the East came the Magi to Bethlehem to adore the
Lord; and opening their treasures they offered precious
gifts: gold for the great King, incense for the true God,
and myrrh in symbol of His burial.
YOUNG HOST or HOSTESS reads the Gospel for the feast of Epiphany.
ALL: Praise be to You, O Christ.
The mother or father then gives a short explanation of the "Our
Father" as the great missionary prayer, reminding the children
particularly of the meaning of the words, "Thy Kingdom come."
ALL PRAY: Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name;
Thy Kingdom come:
Thy Will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil. Amen.
Since this is the last of the "Twelve Days of Christmas" it would
be especially appropriate to end with carol singing around the
royal throne.
Needless to say, the Twelfth Night Party is not essential for
this simple re-enactment of the coming of the Wise Men; it could
easily be done just within the family circle and the parents
could give suitable tasks to the children.
EPIPHANY PLAYS FOR THE FAMILY AND COMMUNITY
As far back as the twelfth century, Epiphany seems to have been
the traditional time for plays, and indeed it is not surprising
that this should be so. Apart from the boundless dramatic
possibilities in the Epiphany theme, the drama has always been
one of the best mediums for conveying ideas, and therefore it is
very fitting that we should use it to carry the light of Christ
to those who are still in darkness.
The first Epiphany plays were done in church and were based on
the Gospel narrative--but gradually they grew wider and wider in
scope. In the same way, more ambitious families could extend the
simple processions suggested for the Twelfth Night party into
real plays to be acted for an audience. A mother who could find
the time to help the children of several families, a parish group
or a scout troop. write and produce such a play to be performed
on the 6th of January, would be doing an apostolic service to the
whole community. Such a play could be performed either in a home
for children, in a children's ward in the local hospital, in a
family where the children might not be celebrating Epiphany in
any special way or in a classroom where a number of children
would have an opportunity of seeing it.
It is surprising how many good ideas children produce about such
things as the characters of the three Magi, their homelands and
the circumstances in which they lived; how they knew of the
prophecies of the Messias; when they first saw the star; what
their friends thought of their scheme to follow it; where and how
they met each other; the meeting with Herod when he carefully
concealed his jealousy; the warning of the angel; and of course,
what actually took place when they arrived at the stable in
Bethlehem. The main danger to guard against in writing the play
will be a tendency on the part of the children to make dozens of
scenes, each of which lasts only a fraction of a minute. This can
be avoided by planning a limited number of scenes, for example,
three or four, and letting the audience know the other
interesting facts by including them in the conversations.
However, for those who feel that writing the play as well as
producing it is more than they can manage at this busy time of
the year, there are listed below several good Epiphany stories
which can easily be dramatized and one Epiphany play. An Epiphany
"Legend" which readily lends itself to simple dramatization is
given later.
"The Three Kings Ride," from "The Long Christmas," by Ruth
Sawyer. The Viking Press, New York, 1941. The legend about a
scoffing Roman centurion doomed to be an ageless wanderer through
the centuries until he will worship at the manger with the three
kings on the feast of Epiphany.
"The Triptych of the Three Kings," by Felix Timmermans, from "The
World's Greatest Christmas Stories." Ed., Eric Posselt.
Prentice-Hall, New York, 1950. A Christmas miracle in triplicate
as a lame shepherd, an eel-fisher and a bleary-eyed beggar begin
their customary begging expedition dressed as the three holy
kings. A story adults will enjoy.
"The Three Wise Men," by Henri Gheon. Sheed and Ward, New York,
1949. A whimsical Epiphany play easily prepared and acted. Could
also be read informally just before the Epiphany cake is cut and
the three kings begin their reign.
EPIPHANY IN THE APOSTOLIC GROUP
MASS IN AN EASTERN RITE
Seeing in Epiphany the climax of the Christmas season should come
quite naturally to the members of an apostolic group. The arrival
of the three Magi has since early times symbolized the conversion
of the entire world to Christ. The rich liturgy of the feast
suggests more than one possibility for a meaningful celebration
in an apostolic center, or in a parish or home where members of
an apostolic group may meet together. But every practical
application must spring from meditation and from renewed contact
with the mystery of the manifestation of Christ's divinity.
One way for gaining fresh insight into Christ's divine and royal
prerogatives is to attend, either on the feast or within the
octave, a celebration of the liturgy in an Eastern rite.
Attendance at Mass in an Eastern rite should be preceded by study
of the Eastern origins of our own Epiphany liturgy and the
mentality underlying it. Further study of the separated Eastern
churches would make a full and interesting day for an apostolic
group--a day which could have a missionary orientation.
THE KINGS' PARTY
The traditional King's party can also be adapted to a more mature
understanding of the nature of the feast. Plans for a "Twelfth
Night party" are given below, a party which can be a fresh means
of making Christ manifest among those who would not otherwise be
aware of the significance of this feast. The apostolic group
gives the party for non-Catholics, foreign students or even
Catholics unaware of the traditions of the feast--asking them
only to contribute something from their cultural wealth.
If the invitation to the party can not be made personally, a
written invitation might be worded something like this: "Did you
think Christmas was over?
Then come to our TWELFTH NIGHT PARTY. We promise you'll discover
something new!
Admission: One thing of beauty to share with us--poem, reading,
picture, song, record, dance--that you feel is a high point in
human expression."
The idea of the party is explained to the guests somewhat as
follows:
"This is the twelfth night of Christmas. You've all heard of
Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," but did you know what it was the
twelfth night of? Once upon a time the celebrating began with
Christmas, and lasted for twelve days--instead of beginning six
weeks before and petering out the day after. How it came to be
twelve days is a long story, and it's all rather mysterious even
to historians. But one thing is certain: the feast of Christmas
is the beginning, and January 6, the feast of the Epiphany or
Manifestation, is the climax. A lot of things we've heard will
make more sense when we know this--for example, many of the old
folk carols which talk about the birth of Christ on January 6th,
and especially the song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas.
"This song talks about giving presents and that is very
appropriate, for giving belongs to Christmas. Actually, it seems
a pity to concentrate all of our gift giving on the first day of
Christmas because that takes some of the surprise out of the rest
of them. We ought to keep right on for all twelve in one way or
another. The Epiphany is the climax of all gift-giving, because
it was on this day the three kings or Wise Men brought their
gifts to the Christ-Child in Bethlehem. At least, this is the day
we celebrate their gift-giving, allowing for a bit of poetic
license in the liturgy.
(The master of ceremonies asks someone to read the Gospel of the
Epiphany feast.)
"So now you see why you have all brought gifts, and gifts that
represent the most precious and lovely things that mankind has to
offer. The Magi didn't know anything about Jewish customs--they
brought what was most valued by them, and these gifts of gold,
frankincense and myrrh have become symbols of the most noble and
spiritual tribute that can be paid by man to God...gold
representing love; frankincense, worship and prayer, and myrrh,
the spiritual value of pain and suffering."
(Some of the "gifts" which the guests have brought might be
presented here; others are reserved for suppertime. The great
liturgical theme of the wedding feast is introduced at the supper
or refreshment time with some such words as these:)
"The feast of the Manifestation has more to it than just the Wise
Men, although we're not so familiar with the other ideas. The
Epiphany is the feast of Christ's showing-forth His divinity to
men, and this took place on various occasions. One that is always
associated with today's feast is our Lord's first miracle of
turning water into wine at the wedding feast. We can't have a
Twelfth Night party without remembering that. So we've laid out
our table like a wedding board, with an Epiphany cake in the
center. And since gifts belong to weddings, too, we can go right
on opening them."
(More of the presentations are made by the guests. Then the
Epiphany cake is cut, and the three "kings" revealed in the
traditional way; they rule the party for the rest of the evening.
At the end of the party, each king is asked to choose from among
the contributions the one he liked best. Then, in the name of
all, they may offer these gifts, perhaps in the following way.)
ALL stand or kneel behind the kings, around some designation of
Christ: a crib, cross, or perhaps simply facing east or looking
out the window at the stars.
KING I: We have seen His star in the east, and have come with
gifts to adore the Lord.
READER: Give to the Lord, you families of nations,
Give to the Lord glory and praise;
Give to the Lord the glory due his name!
Bring gifts, and enter his courts;
Worship the Lord in holy attire.
Tremble before him, all the earth;
Say among the nations: the Lord is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
He governs the peoples with equity.
KING II: We have seen His star in the east, and have come with
gifts to adore the Lord.
READER: Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea
and what fills it resound;
Let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult before the
Lord, for he comes;
For he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice,
And the peoples with his constancy.
KING III: We have seen His star in the east, and have come with
gifts to adore the Lord.
The procession to the crib and the prayer-ceremony described at
the conclusion of the children's Twelfth Night party also could
be adapted here for an older group.
READER: From the Collect of the Epiphany Mass: O God, who on this
day by the leading of a star didst manifest Thine only-begotten
Son to the Gentiles, mercifully grant that we who know Thee now
by faith, may be brought to the contemplation of the beauty of
Thy majesty. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
AN EPIPHANY DRAMA
The apostolic group will want to consider the possibility of an
Epiphany drama, to be included in such an Epiphany celebration as
the one described above, or to be given as an independent effort
in itself.
At Grailville we have often worked out simple dramatizations of
the Epiphany Gospels which have proved very effective and
striking presentations. Sometimes the Epiphany play is in three
or four scenes, each dealing with a different manifestation of
Christ's divinity. The first scene is the coming of the Magi; the
second, the baptism in the Jordan; and the third, the marriage
feast at Cana; and perhaps a fourth scene showing Christ's coming
in glory on the last day through the symbolic parable of the ten
virgins who await the bridegroom's coming. The five foolish vir-
gins go off to buy oil for their lamps and are too late for the
wedding feast, but the five wise ones are admitted to the scene
of great rejoicing at the banquet.
Dialogue for such a presentation can be worked out quite easily,
but these scenes lend themselves especially well to
interpretative movement, and if this is used, it is often
sufficient to read directly from the Gospels.
Groups who feel that they are not capable of producing a polished
performance should consider the possibility of doing a play in
which there will be no audience. All the people present will be
involved--either acting, singing, reciting, dancing. They will
find such efforts very well worth while, for in actively
expressing these great ideas they will have made them their own
in a way that no amount of reading on the subject will
accomplish.
LAUNCHING A WORLD VISION PROGRAM
Taking the missionary implications of the feast a step further,
an active apostolic group might well decide to launch a whole
study program on the various spiritual forces fighting for the
allegiance of the world. An afternoon of study and discussion
could lead into a King's party, and be climaxed by a prayer hour
for all nations. Gifts offered to the Christ-Child could make the
intentions of the day concrete, taking the form of a definite
personal commitment to pray for, or give other specific aid to a
certain person or group of persons in one of the areas or beliefs
undertaken for study. (Detailed suggestions for working out a day
along these lines, as well as for an intensive study-program on
the world-wide implications of our Catholic faith, are given in
the booklet, "Towards A World Vision," a Study-Action guide.
(Available from: Grailville Writing Center, Loveland, Ohio.)
THE WISE MEN: An Epiphany Legend
Joseph's workshop was built on to the back of the cottage and the
sawdust used to blow under the door of the kitchen, no matter how
often Mary swept it. In the winter, Joseph was always busy with
the chairs he made for a local firm. He was paid scandalously
little for them by the firm, which then sold the chairs to an
antique dealer in Chicago. The dealer stained and scratched and
battered them very skillfully and sold them as genuine antique
wheelback chairs, proving their authenticity by the wormholes,
which he had previously made by riddling the chairs with shot.
However, Joseph knew nothing of what befell his chairs once they
had left his workshop.
He did more than make chairs; he was the carpenter and town
handyman. When the scales in Mrs. Evans shop were broken and the
old woman found with horror that she was giving too generous a
measure, it was Joseph who mended them; Joseph who repaired the
door hinges and the table legs; Joseph who mended fences and farm
wagons; Joseph who could put new handles on spades and hoes
quicker than any other man in the neighborhood.
The cottage used to resound with the hammering of the nails and
the drone of the sawing. Mary had long ceased to notice it and
the child had lived a whole year in the sound and had apparently
grown as used to it as His mother.
Life was as uneventful for them as for the rest of the people. It
was work--commonplace, monotonous work at that--varied by petty
worries, like the smoking chimney that couldn't be cleaned
because it cost money, or the speed with which Joseph's boots
wore out. And, more ominous, the ever recurring fear that Mrs.
Evans would suddenly refuse to give things on credit.
While this life was going on, the three wise men were making
their way together over the hills that surrounded the little
town. They came on foot, tired and bedraggled, led by the star.
One of them was rich, judged by the world's standards. He had
begun his journey in the comfort of a first-class compartment in
the streamliner out of San Francisco; he had crossed the country
in luxury, in search of the child.
The second had followed the star from a concert hall in London.
He was a singer; he had travelled carefully, frugally, with one
eye anxiously on his money, for a growing reputation and wealth
do not always go hand in hand.
But the third wise man was penniless. He had tramped and begged
his way across Europe, from Poland through Germany to France,
across the ocean to New York, and so to this town in the hills of
New England.
The three men followed the star. Along the rough track, past the
sprawling farm of Jonathan Cartwright, over the bridge, past the
railroad station and the first neat white cottages. They looked
around uncertainly. There was the general store, the post office,
a small row of dilapidated hovels of houses, and a little apart,
a cottage. It was a plain, commonplace New England cottage, with
a field stone fence around the trim garden plot. The smoke blew
gustily from the chimney. And here the star stopped and the wise
men never saw it again.
Here, then, was the king to be found. Strangely enough, the door
was not fastened. The poor man opened it gently and the others
gazed in over his shoulders.
It was absurdly unregal for the king they had travelled across
the world to see. For the woman standing there was laughing with
a baby who sat in a high chair. A blue plate rested on the tray
of the chair, and she was feeding Him with a small spoon. As they
entered, the woman looked up quickly, but without surprise; she
might have been expecting them. The child stared, immediately
forgetful of His dinner. His eyes followed Mary as she took the
blue plate and laid it on the kitchen table. Then she quietly
untied the bib from the child's neck, smoothed His hair, and left
Him sitting in the high chair. She said no single word to the
wise men, but she knelt suddenly before the chair and the men
fell on their knees with her.
The rich man fumbled in his pocket and dragged out a large box.
"Lord," he said, "what I bring you is only what you have lent me-
-gold. But you made it, you put it in the earth for us; you
allowed us to discover it. You have lent me so much, Lord--money
and influence and power. You have let me use all the resources of
the earth--timber and steel, coal and oil, wheat, silver and
iron. The gold that I give you speaks for all those things." As
he spoke he emptied the box on to the tray of the chair. Rare
coins, gold and silver, from every land under heaven lay heaped
there. Attracted by the glimmer of the gold, the child clasped
His fingers round the largest coin and, laughing silently,
dropped it on to the floor. It rolled over the floor and hid
itself under the dresser. The rich man put his hands over the
coins and said to the child: "All these I give back to you, for
they were yours in the beginning. My job is to see that they are
used in your honor."
"Lord," cried the singer, unrolling his music, "my only gift is
to praise you with the gifts you have given me." And his voice
fell softly on the ears of Mary and the child.
"Lift your hidden faces.
Ye who wept and prayed;
Leave your covert places,
Ye who were afraid.
Joyfully foregather
Sorrow now is done.
We have found a Father,
We have found a Son.
"You have given me gifts, Lord," he said, "and I bring them back
to you; help me to use them; help me to increase them, for they
are not things of my own. They are only lent me to use in your
service." And as he spoke Mary saw all the praise that was meant
for the child and that would never be used for Him, the talents
that would be turned against Him--the music, the singing, the
writing, the acting, the eloquence.
The third man had risen to his feet. He looked like a scarecrow;
his clothes in rags, his feet gaping through the holes in his
boots, his hair hanging over the collar of his threadbare coat.
"Dear Lord," he said softly, and he spoke in Polish--but by some
miracle they all understood him--"Dear Lord, I have nothing to
give you, only poverty and suffering, and I've walked over half
the world to give it to you. I don't come alone; I'm one of an
army who send you the same gift. I'm their ambassador," he said
quaintly, falling on his knees again and grasping the arm of the
baby's chair in his hands. "I'm here for everyone who suffers,
for the persecuted Jews, for my own country, for the broken
cities of Europe, for the battlefields of China and Korea and
Viet-nam." He clasped his hands together; they were black and
their nails broken. "It was wrong to say that I had nothing to
give you; nothing greater than suffering can be given. Take the
poverty of the homeless and the starving; the agony and pain in
all the hospitals in the world; take the suffering from the
concentration camps, the loneliness of the refugees; the anxiety
and terror of those who have been torn from their families and
driven from their homelands. Accept them all," he prayed.
And so the three wise men came with their gold, frankincense and
myrrh. And the child accepted everything they gave Him, the
power, the praise and the suffering, while His mother laid up
their words in her heart.
--Reprinted from Grail Bulletin.
A CHRISTMAS PLAY
Scene 1-The Annunciation
Play opens with chanting by the angels who are grouped across the
front of the stage. They sing the antiphon for second Vespers of
the feast of the Annunciation twice. During the second singing,
the angels step gracefully to the sides. As they step back, the
tableau of the Blessed Virgin receiving the salutation of Gabriel
is revealed. When the angels are in place, the choral choir
begins immediately the narration. The parts of the Angel Gabriel
and Mary may be narrated by the entire group, or spoken by
individual members of the choir.
ANGELS: Gabriel Angelus locutus est Mariae dicens: Ave
gratia plena: Dominus tecum: benedicta tu in
mulieribus. (Liber Usualis, p. 1417) or "Lo,
How a Rose Ere Blooming."
CHORAL And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent
CHOIR: from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a
virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph,
of the house of David; and the virgin's name was
Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her:
ANGEL GABRIEL: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;
Blessed art thou among women.
CHORAL CHOIR: Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and
thought with herself what manner of salutation this
should be. And the angel said to her:
ANGEL GABRIEL: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.
Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt
bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name
Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son
of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto
him the throne of David his father; and he shall
reign in the house of Jacob forever. And of his
kingdom there shall be no end.
CHORAL CHOIR: And Mary said to the angel:
MARY: How shall this be done, because I know not man?
CHORAL CHOIR: And the angel answering, said to her:
ANGEL GABRIEL: The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power
of the most High shall overshadow thee. And
therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee
shall be called the Son of God. And behold thy
cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in
her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that
is called barren: Because no word shall be
impossible with God.
CHORAL CHOIR: And Mary said:
MARY: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me
according to thy word.
ANGELS: (Advancing toward the front of stage as they sing)
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum, benedicta
tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris
tui, Jesus. ("Liber Usualis")
Scene 2-The Nativity
(Angels remain as a "living curtain" across the front of the
stage. During singing of "Ave Maria" and beginning of "Hodie"
figures in tableau are changed and Nativity scene is set.)
ANGELS: Hodie Christus natus est: hodie Salvator apparuit:
Hodie in terra canunt Angeli, laetantur Archangeli
Hodie exsultant justi, dicentes: Gloria in excelsis
Deo, alleluia. ("Liber" ) or "Gloria" chorus from the
"Angel's Song."
(Angels step back revealing crib scene--Mary, Joseph, and Infant.)
CHORAL CHOIR: And it came to pass, that in those days there went
out 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, everyone 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.
(Angels remain in place, but begin chanting. At this point,
shepherds enter and after kneeling to adore the Child, group
themselves around the crib. Sing: "Come, Ye Shepherds."
CHORAL CHOIR: 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 about
them; and they feared with a great fear.
And the angel said to them:
ANGEL: 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 Saviour, 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.
CHORAL CHOIR: 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." And it came to pass, after the
angels departed from them into heaven, the
shepherds said one to another:
SHEPHERD: Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this
word that is come to pass, which the Lord hath
showed to us.
CHORAL CHOIR: And they came with haste; and they found Mary
and Joseph, and the infant lying in the 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.
Scene 3-Adoration of the Kings
(Tableau and angels remain in place. Upon completion of narration
of Scene 2, angels chant communion verse from the Mass of
Epiphany. The verse is sung twice during which kings enter
carrying gifts. An effective touch with the gifts is to have them
wrapped as Christmas presents, tied with red ribbon. The kings
kneel, adore the Child, present the gifts to Mary, who places
them at the foot of the crib. They then rise and remain in an
attitude of contemplation during the narration.)
ANGELS: Vidimus stellam ejus in Oriente, et venimus cum
muneribus adorare Dominum. (Liber, p. 462) or
"We Three Kings of Orient Are."
CHORAL CHOIR: When Jesus therefore was born in Bethlehem of
Juda, in the days of King Herod, behold, there
came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying:
KINGS: Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we
have seen his star in the east, and are come to adore
him.
CHORAL CHOIR: And King Herod hearing this, was troubled, and all
Jerusalem with him. And assembling together all the
chief priests and the scribes of the people, he
inquired of them where Christ should be born. But
they said to him:
CHIEF PRIEST: In Bethlehem of Juda. For so it is written by the
prophet: "And thou Bethlehem the land of Juda art
not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of
thee shall come forth the captain that shall rule my
people Israel."
CHORAL CHOIR: Then Herod, privately calling the wise men, learned
diligently of them the time of the star which
appeared to them. And sending them into
Bethlehem, said:
HEROD: Go, and diligently inquire after the child, and when
you have found him, bring me word again, that I
also may come and adore him.
CHORAL CHOIR: Who having heard the king, went their way; and
behold the star which they had seen in the east,
went before them, until it came and stood over
where the child was. And seeing the star they
rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And entering into
the house, they found the child with Mary his
mother, and falling down they adored him; and
opening their treasures, they offered him gifts; gold,
frankincense, and myrrh. And having received an
answer in sleep that they should not return to
Herod, they went back another way into their
country.
(Play concludes with all singing a joyous Christmas carol.)
The author is grateful to the following who served on a special
committee, giving ideas and suggestions for "The Twelve Days of
Christmas Book":
Irene Chen, Hong Kong
Anne Hope, South Africa
Winnifred Kelly, Chicago
Alice Kraemer, California
Patricia Parlin, St. Paul
Eleanor Walker, New York
Grateful thanks is also extended to Mr. Harold Stout of
Cincinnati for his generous assistance in the photography program
at Grailville which made the Christmas Book pictures possible.
Photo on page 94 by Arthur Studio, Detroit, Michigan; photo on
page 117 by Drouth Studio, Cincinnati.
The young women of Grailville have written a series of booklets
on the celebration of the feasts of the Church year...in the home
and family, parish and apostolic group. Other titles available
(from Grailville, Loveland, Ohio) are:
