Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:15 Well, we've spoken to this before, but it comes up so often that it bears repeating. Everyone here is probably heard the claims that we're not really sure that Jesus was actually born in December 25th we don't actually know the real date of our Lord's birth. The reason we celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December, it's because ancient times, this is a pagan feast, and so the Church decided that rather than suppressing the pig and feast, it'd be easier just to substitute with a feast of our Lord's birth. While that's Hogwash, I'll get into great detail on that tomorrow at 1130 mass, but we know exactly when our Lord's born. It's an immemorial tradition of the church in Rome. I'll give the details tomorrow, not tonight. We have gone at a great deal deal before on why those claims are wrong, but it's really easy to demonstrate. Anyone here can do it.
Speaker 1 01:05 You can just repeat a simple experiment I do. Almost every year I called up a good friend of mine who has seven kids and I asked her three questions. First question. Hey Denise, do you remember the birthday of your oldest child? Answer. She's laughing and she answers them. One of those tones. That means something like only a man could ask a question that dumb, but since I'm a public preach, she's too polite to tell me that. Well, sure I do. Second question, do you remember the time the child was born? Yes, I do. Third Question. Do you remember what the weather was like? Answer, yes I do. So far I haven't met a mother that couldn't answer those questions. It's essential bet. If I called any one of you moms here, you could each give the same answers to those three questions, right? Of course. What mother could forget the birthday of her eldest child, the blessed Virgin Mary is the perfect mother. Are we supposed to believe that she forgot when Christ our Lord was born? Does anyone really think that the blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of God for God,
Speaker 1 02:29 the woman created by God himself to be as mother would freak at his birthday? It's a no brainer. Our Lady knew when Christ was born. Saint Peter actually knew our lady the other. He went to Rome to other apostles, actually knew our lady Saint Luke, who's Gospel we just wrote, actually a read from actually knew our lady so far. Lord hadn't told the apostles. They could just ask our lady. One thing's for sure they didn't make out the date of Christmas justice substitute for some Pagan Party. There's absolutely no reason to doubt the date of Christmas. Our Lord was born at midnight on December 25th, 2014 years ago. Today. This is a historical religion now that we have the date, let's turn to some other historical matters which we've heard before, but they bear repeating on this great feast in his history of wrong cast his deal. Now, this is a pagan historian records that in 38 BC, a font of oil bubbled up from the ground right in imperial, Rome, herself, and that that oil bubbled up in so much from the spring that it actually flowed down into the Tiber river.
Speaker 1 03:44 St Jerome wrote that the Jewish community in Rome interpreted this as a sign that God's grace would soon flow into the world. That that Jewish community, Rome understood this as a prophecy of the grace would flaw to all the nations from the Messiah, from the Christ. Remember Messiah is a Hebrew word and cry. Greek. Christ is the Greek word, which both mean the one anointed with oil. So the miraculous flow of oil is also believed to re have reoccurred on the night of Christ's birth. In fact, if you're ever in Rome and you visit the beautiful church of Saint Marie, Santa Maria and <inaudible>, you look up in the sanctuary and the pistol side, you can see the actual place where that font of oil bubbled up. There's a screen, it's carved out a marvelous sense. Fonz, Oli, years ago, the first time was there. I was standing there going, why would there be a fount of oil heroes is looking at beyond what does this mean?
Speaker 1 04:40 Because I didn't know about this at the time. But then you look up and all of a sudden you can see these ancient latching scriptures and there's mosaics of the very event there and you can figure out what's going on cause he can see the oil running down into the Tiber in the mosaic. Because of that spring of oil, long before the church there was built. This is a meeting spot for the first Roman Catholics. Shortly before our birth, our Lord send a vision of the emperor Augustus. The very emperor ordered the census of the world that brought her lady and Saint Joseph to Bethlehem. On that December night. We just heard about that in tonight's Gospel and his vision, Augusta Caesar saw virgin standing in an altar in a dazzling light and holding a baby in her arms and he heard a voice set which said, this is the altar of the son of God.
Speaker 1 05:30 If you're ever in Rome, you can visit a Church of Santa Maria and air it. Shelly built on the very site where the emperor had that vision. The scene with the Emperor Augustus is actually painted in the arches over the main altar. So in spite of the fact that the world had been in the choking death, grew up of the ancient serpent, our Lord, since on signs ahead to the nations to here, Harold is coming. I could give many more, but I don't want to keep you here that long. Let's take a closer look at the details surrounding the birth of our Lord. We'll follow the gospel. We'll make some remarks on the way. The Gospel is St Luke Chapter two and it came to pass in those days that went out, a decree from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This enrolling was furred made first made by Surooney's to governor's Syria and all went to be a, rolled everyone into his own city.
Speaker 1 06:24 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 at the House and family of David to be enrolled with Mary's espoused wife was with child and it came to pass it when they were there. Her days were accomplished that she should be delivered and she brought forth her firstborn son. So a pause and take a moment to talk about just how she brought forth her firstborn son. Sentigast in summarizes the teaching. The church here, and I quote from the great doctor, she was a virgin before the birth, during the birth and after the birth. Close quote, Santa Gustin, Bishop, father and doctor, the church, the great to mystic theologian, Father Reginald Gurgle of grunge merely echo Synagis to when he states the teaching the church regarding our lady's perpetual virginity.
Speaker 1 07:13 And I quote, the Church teaches three truths concerning Mary's virginity, that she was a virgin and conceiving our savior, that she was a virgin and giving him birth and that she remained a virgin her whole life through close quote, as if there were still any doubt that Lateran council at six 49 on her pope, Saint Martin, I taught in fall. Be quote, if anyone does not properly and truly confess in accord with the holy fathers, did in the true and proper sense the holy mother of God and ever virgin and Macklin Mary in this last age, not with human seed, but as the Holy Spirit properly and truly conceived the divine word himself, who was born of God, the father before all ages, and that she gave him birth without any detriment to her virginity, which remained in viable even after his birth. Let him be anathema, closed quote.
Speaker 1 08:05 So what does all this mean with regard to how our lady gave birth to our Lord? It means in the first place that just as Christ on Easter Sunday pass through the sealed tomb without opening it. Remember the angels open it up later on. So now he passes out of the womb of his mother and into the world without depriving her of her virginity. We should also keep in mind that because of her Maca conception or lady was spirited, the punishment of suffering pains during childbirth, which is briefly explained by the great father and Dr. Church, Saint Gregory of Nissa. And I quote from him, his mother's burden was light, the birth immaculate to delivery without pain than activity without defilement, for as Eve who by her guilt in grafted death into her nature was condemned to bring forth in pain. It was fitting that you brought life into the world.
Speaker 1 08:57 Our Lady would accomplish her delivery with joy, clothes code. It is the constant, uninterrupted tradition that when our Lord was born, our Lord passed out of her like light through a window pane and that our ladies delivery was totally painless. The teaching of the catechism, the council of Trent makes this clear. I quote, the conception of the savior is above all the laws of nature and his birth is no less so. It is divine and what is absolutely astounding. What surpasses every thought and every word is that he was born of his mother thought causing the least injured your virginity justice. Later on he left his tomb without breaking the seal. Which clothes did or just as he entered the house, the doors being shut, whether disciples were gathered or to cake comparison from ordinary happenings just as the rays of the sun pass to the crystal without breaking or damaging it so too, but in an f ineffably more marvelous manner.
Speaker 1 09:56 Jesus Christ left the womb of his mother without in the least violating her virginity were therefore perfectly right in honoring her a perpetual virginity and a perfect integrity. Close quote, the catechism of the Council of Trent to the points who want to take away from this are first the perpetual virginity of our lady, which means our lady was a virgin, conceiving our savior. She was a version and giving them birth, a birth which as we heard was itself miraculous and she remained a virgin through her own life through second, because of her maca conception, our lady suffered no pain whatsoever and bringing forth our Lord. But your mothers sometimes they take umbrage from this. It's true that she didn't suffer any pain and bringing forth our Lord, but she suffered unspeakable pains and giving spiritual birth to all the rest of us, which is what happened at the foot of the cross when she cooperated with her son and bringing forth the church.
Speaker 1 10:52 Okay, so her suffering has no suffering to compare from it. She was buried in the birth of our Lord, but she wasn't spirit anything in the birth of the church. And as we've pointed out before on the first Saturdays where actually making communities of reparation for certain offenses and blasphemies committed against some Mac, that heart of Mary, including blasts Muse against her Mac conception, like stating that our lady suffered pain during childbirth, her blast music answer perpetual virginity. Now given the catastrophic state of catechesis over the past 40 or 50 years, it's sad, but not too surprising that many Catholics might've fallen into these heirs. And besides the terrible catechesis, many path Catholics may have well picked up these horrifically blasts whose ideas by innocently watching the movie, the Nativity story and other plastic was filth in this John Rum. Let's return to the Gospel. Luke seven seven and she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes.
Speaker 1 11:54 The swaddling clothes are still in existence and the are seven 86 Charlemagne bill the chapel. It's the Palatine Chapel. It's now part of the cathedral on Arkin and he placed many important relics from the holy land in Rome. That chapel, including the swaddling clothes of the baby cheeses on the website of the Cathedral. You can see a picture of the swaddling clothes returned the Gospel and she brought forth her firstborn son, wrapped him up in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them. In the end, Saint Justin martyr, he was a native of Palestine. He was born within 40 miles of Bethlehem in the year 100 just about the time that Saint John The apostle died. So here we have a man who's a witness to the belief of the earliest Christians in and around Bethlehem, the neighborhood in which he comes from, many of whom had known and heard the preaching apostles themselves. Saint Justin Martyr wrote quote. Since Joseph could not find any lodging the village, he took up his quarters in a certain cave near the village and it was while they were there that Mary gave birth to the Christ and laid him in a major close quote and near one 32 the emperor Hadrian desecrated the holy places by building pagan shrines of each one of them.
Speaker 1 13:10 But as one author points out, this serves the useful purpose of making marketing holy places very precisely until the end of the persecutions and liberation. The church by Constantine the year three 13 that great doctor, the church, the venerable Bede, he lived from the late six hundreds to the seven hundreds also notes that on that first Christmas night right there in the cave that was being used as a stable and miraculous spring of water began to flow, which was still visible in his day. St Jerome, who from three 86 to four 24 34 full years lived and studied in a cave in Bethlem, close to the cave in which our Lord was born. Also writes to the manger. I quote from the great doctor St Jerome I to miserable sinner that I am having a kind of worthy to kiss the manger in which the Lord cried as a baby.
Speaker 1 14:00 And the year six 40 the Muslim armies captured Drew's some of the surrounding territory during the reign of Pope Theater or the first he himself was a native of Jerusalem and he ruled, he was in the papacy from six 42 to six 49 some relics from the cave are brought to Rome for safekeeping. These were five boards made of Sycamore Wood that have been part of the manger there now in a bill, beautiful reliquary in the crypt under the main alter, the basilica St Mary Major in Rome. If you ever go there, they're easy to see. The reliquary is, is big, beautiful silver and gold car. It's kind of a bowl shape thing. It's got a lid, which has a really beautiful statue of the Christ child leaning a little bit over on his left side with his right hand up to give a bit blessing. So this little chubby little statue of the Christ child, he's, he's blessing you.
Speaker 1 14:46 And there's Christa windows in the reliquary and you can look through those windows and see boards from the manger. It's really easy to see them. It's right under the main alter it at Saint Mary. Major secret code right there. What about the ox and the ass? St Jerome, St Greg <inaudible> and St Greg and this all fathers and doctors, the church stay to the prophecy of Isaiah s about the Ochsner on his own and asked annoys me. Masters Crib was literally fulfilled that night in the stable as both an oxidant ass looked on upon the creator of Heaven Earth, our little Lord cheeses all wrapped up in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Just as we see in our scene here, we're turning to the gospel. Luke seven eight and there were in that same country, shepherds watching, keeping the night watches over their flock. Both Genesis 35 21 in Micah four eight speak of a watch tower near Bethlehem that was used by shepherds to keep watch over the flocks.
Speaker 1 15:41 It's called the flock tower, an ancient Jewish commentary on this very passage. Genesis 35 21 records. The belief that the Messiah was to be revealed from that very tower near Bethlehem, the flock tower. Of course, the fact of the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, was clearly prophesied in the Old Testament. In fact, some 800 years before Lord's birth, the Prophet Micah speaks clearly about the small village of Bethlehem quote. And now Beth on the freighter, or a little one among the thousands of Judah out of the shall he come forth unto me. That is to be the ruler in Israel. And his going forth is from the beginning, from the days of eternity. Close quote. Now in this regard, we'll read a few fascinating passages from a commentary written about 150, 160 years ago by rabbinic student who later became an anchor and ministers. So this is, uh, uh, was a Jew that converted to Anglicanism and I quote, Jewish tradition may here prove both illustrative and helpful that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem was a settled conviction equally so was the belief that he's about to be revealed from Migdal Aider the tower of the flock.
Speaker 1 16:54 This Migdal aide or was not the watched her for ordinary flocks, which pastured on the baron sheep gone to be on Bethlehem, but lay close to the town on the road to Jerusalem, the flocks, which pastor there were destined for temple sacrifices accordingly, the shepherd to watched over them. We're not ordinary shepherds. These flocks layout all the year around thus Jewish tradition in some dim manner, apprehended the first revelation of Messiah from that watch tower where shepherd's watch the tempo flocks, all the around of the deep symbolic significance of such a coincidence. It is needless to speak. It was then on that wintery night of the 25th of December, the shepherds watch the flocks destined for sacrificial services and the very place consecrated by tradition as that, where the Messiah was to be first revealed close quote Alford iter shine. In other words, the Jews actually expected the messiah to Breve reeled at that precise place and Saint Jerome was, we've just heard, actually lived there, confirms that indeed that was exactly the place where the angel announced the shepherds.
Speaker 1 18:02 The tidy is a great joy. St Helena, the mother of constant built a church, the Church of the holy angels on that very site returning to the Gospel. Luke two nine and falling and behold, an angel Lord stood by them and the brightness of God's shown rod about them and they feared with a great fear. And Angel said, I'm in fear not for. Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy that you'll be all the people for this day is born to a savior who is Christ the Lord in the city of David, and this shall be a sign on to you. You shall find it. Infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. And Sunday was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God and saying glory to God in the highest on earth. Peace to men of goodwill. So who was the angel that knots, the shepherds, the good tidings of great joy of the birth of Savior, Lord Christ, our Lord, the fathers and doctors, the church tell us it's the Archangel Gabriel <inaudible> states the arching Archangel Gabriel was a special angel incarnation assigned by God to make all the solemn announcements connected with the birth of our Lord, starting with the prophecies of the incarnation, given some five centuries before to the Prophet Daniel, why was there suddenly a whole host of other angels present?
Speaker 1 19:20 The fathers teach that each nation has its own guardian angel, and his main job is to guide the people that nation in the ways of holiness and righteousness. And the father is also teach that before the coming of Christ, the gentile nations increasingly rechecked the knowledge of the true God which they had learned from their ancestor Noah. And because of this rejection of God, The Guardian Angels of those nations had a terrible time just trying to prevent their people from falling farther and farther into sin, idolatry and outright devil worship. So on that cold, quiet Christmas night in Bethlehem, when the Guardian angels of the nations saw the little Lord Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in the manger, they immediately realized that their Lord and God had stooped down to earth and come to the aid of not only the Hebrew people, but to the aid of all the nations on the earth, that he'd come to help his angels, that he'd come to make it finally possible to turn their poor, confused people away from the road to hell and onto the path of righteousness.
Speaker 1 20:29 And so when the Guardian angels of the nations and the Guardian angels of our ancestors realized all that they gathered in that brilliant choir, the dark starry sky over Bethlehem, and they broke the stillness, that quiet Christmas night with their choice song of thanksgiving, praising God for stooping down to Earth to help us, angels and men. So you have the angels of God astonished and overjoyed and thankful. Does the Lord himself would come as a Bape to save us poor, miserable, sinful men. And so we can picture the whole scene, the world and the dead of night to the dark of winter. Lying there, choke in the darkness of sin will over the night sky and Bethlehem, the angels sing with joy. The shepherds are new in close by Saint Joseph and our lady, the ox and the ass are looking on and our little Lord cheeses is lying in the manger. God became man to save us.
Speaker 1 21:37 The word became flesh to dwell amongst us. Tonight. Let's unite ourselves in a spirit of profound thanksgiving to this holy sacrifice, thanksgiving to such a good God who became a little bitty baby to say poor, miserable, sinful man like ourselves from hurling in the hell, a good God who shown us the path of righteousness by giving us this priceless gift of the true faith, the faith without which is impossible to please him. Tonight. Let's turn to little baby cheeses and thank him for this wonderful gift of faith and beg him for the grace to live and to die in the holy faith. And during this holy Christmas season, let's really try to keep that prayer in our heart. The prayer sung out by the Guardian, angels of the Nations, glory to God and highest and peace on earth to man of goodwill. Merry Christmas.
Speaker 0 22:47 Okay.
