Vigilia Nativitatis Domini Nostri et Salvatoris Iesus Christi

Amici, Americani, Compatriotae,

Felix Nativitas! Merry Christmas! Earlier this evening I attended the Vigil Mass of the Nativity at Our Lady of Grace in Lancaster, SC. The Scripture readings included the following:

• A New Name for Zion in Isaiah 62:1-5
• The Establishment of the Davidic Covenant in Psalm 89:4-29
• St. Paul's Address to the Synogogue at Antioch in Pisidia in Acts 13:16-25
• The Birth of Jesus in Matthew 1:18-25

After the Gospel reading, Father Kirby invited all the young children to come up to the front and sit at where the altar rail would be, facing the congregation. What Jesus said in Matthew 19:14 came to my mind:

Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.

Father Kirby then proceeded to ask the children various questions:

• Who was at the first Christmas? The children answered, "Mary, Jesus' Mother, and Joseph, his foster father."
• Where is Mary? The children pointed to Mary's statue at the Manger scene.
• Where is Joseph? The children pointed again to the Manger scene.
• Who else was there? The children answered, "The Angels and the Shepherds. And the Wise Men are coming too."
• And who else besides people? The children answered, "Sheep and donkeys."

Finally the greatest question came:

Where is Jesus?

The children promptly pointed above the Tabernacle where Jesus Body in the Consecrated Hosts lay:

Crucifix above the Tabernacle
Our Lady of Grace
Lancaster, SC

Father Kirby laughed and pointed to the baby Jesus who is to lay in the Manger. He then asked:

• Why did Jesus come? The children answered, "To save us from our sins."
• And why did Jesus do that? The children said, "Because He loves us."

Father then turned to the congregation and said, "There is nothing more I can add in my homily. Jesus came to a darkened world in turmoil to save us from our sins because He loved us. That is the Christmas message."

As a dear orthodox Anglican friend responded on Facebook where I initially discussed this:

• Christ has died.
• Christ is risen.
• Christ will come again.

Prophetia Adventiciae Infantis Christi a Pagano Poeta Romano Publio Virgilio Marone

Amici, Romani, Compatriotae,

The pagan Roman Poet Publius Virgilius Maro who lived from 70 to 19 BC recorded a prophecy of the coming of the Christ Child in his Fourth Eclogue. Details are given in Christ the Greatest Black Swan: The Unexpected Expected Messiah at The American Catholic blog.

Publius Virgilius Maro
Poeta Romano

The original text is provided below:

Sicelides Musae, paulo maiora canamus.

non omnis arbusta iuvant humilesque myricae;

si canimus silvas, silvae sint consule dignae.

Ultima Cumaei venit iam carminis aetas;

magnus ab integro saeclorum nascitur ordo.               5

iam redit et Virgo, redeunt Saturnia regna,

iam nova progenies caelo demittitur alto.

tu modo nascenti puero, quo ferrea primum

desinet ac toto surget gens aurea mundo,

casta fave Lucina; tuus iam regnat Apollo.               10

Teque adeo decus hoc aevi, te consule, inibit,

Pollio, et incipient magni procedere menses;

te duce, si qua manent sceleris vestigia nostri,

inrita perpetua solvent formidine terras.

ille deum vitam accipiet divisque videbit               15

permixtos heroas et ipse videbitur illis

pacatumque reget patriis virtutibus orbem.

At tibi prima, puer, nullo munuscula cultu

errantis hederas passim cum baccare tellus

mixtaque ridenti colocasia fundet acantho.               20

ipsae lacte domum referent distenta capellae

ubera nec magnos metuent armenta leones;

ipsa tibi blandos fundent cunabula flores.

occidet et serpens et fallax herba veneni

occidet; Assyrium vulgo nascetur amomum.               25

At simul heroum laudes et facta parentis

iam legere et quae sit poteris cognoscere virtus,

molli paulatim flavescet campus arista

incultisque rubens pendebit sentibus uva

et durae quercus sudabunt roscida mella.               30

Pauca tamen suberunt priscae vestigia fraudis,

quae temptare Thetin ratibus, quae cingere muris

oppida, quae iubeant telluri infindere sulcos.

alter erit tum Tiphys et altera quae vehat Argo

delectos heroas; erunt etiam altera bella               35

atque iterum ad Troiam magnus mittetur Achilles.

Hinc, ubi iam firmata virum te fecerit aetas,

cedet et ipse mari vector nec nautica pinus

mutabit merces; omnis feret omnia tellus.

non rastros patietur humus, non vinea falcem,               40

robustus quoque iam tauris iuga solvet arator;

nec varios discet mentiri lana colores,

ipse sed in pratis aries iam suave rubenti

murice, iam croceo mutabit vellera luto,

sponte sua sandyx pascentis vestiet agnos.               45

'Talia saecla' suis dixerunt 'currite' fusis

concordes stabili fatorum numine Parcae.

Adgredere o magnos—aderit iam tempus—honores,

cara deum suboles, magnum Iovis incrementum.

aspice convexo nutantem pondere mundum,               50

terrasque tractusque maris caelumque profundum;

aspice, venturo laetantur ut omnia saeclo.

O mihi tum longae maneat pars ultima vitae,

spiritus et quantum sat erit tua dicere facta:

non me carminibus vincat nec Thracius Orpheus               55

nec Linus, huic mater quamvis atque huic pater adsit,

Orphei Calliopea, Lino formosus Apollo.

Pan etiam, Arcadia mecum si iudice certet,

Pan etiam Arcadia dicat se iudice victum.

Incipe, parve puer, risu cognoscere matrem;               60

matri longa decem tulerunt fastidia menses.

incipe, parve puer. qui non risere parenti,

nec deus hunc mensa dea nec dignata cubili est.