Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Well, before we get to the sermon, I'll deal with unfortunately, common problem. I'll talk about this. This sermon will be different in each mask, but this part won't be because it just, it comes up so often that I feel the need to deal with it. I talked about it last year. Everybody's probably heard the claims that we're not exactly sure that Christ our Lord was actually born on December 25th. We don't really know the exact date of jesus' birth. And the reason that we celebrate Christmas on this day is because in ancient times, this is a pagan feast. And so the church decided that rather than suppress the peg and feast, it'd be easier just to substitute with the feast of our Lord's birth. This is all nonsense. Let's clear it up once and for all, where did the church get the idea that Christ our Lord was born on December 25th.
Speaker 0 00:00:47 Start with Pope Saint Telus us the first he's Pope from around one 26 to one 36. So he's the Bishop of Rome that time he ordered it from henceforth. There should be three masses set on the day that intimidate of our Lord when at midnight, when it Dawn and one after sunrise as one commentator points out, quote, this goes to show that the Roman tradition runs right up to the time. The apostles. There's no mention of the date on which this festival at Christmas was then held, but the Roman church never knew any other date than the 25th of December. It will be observed that the pulp does not Institute the festival of Christmas. It existed before his time. We're not brought fairly inside of the days when saints, Peter and Paul preached Christ and him crucified to the Romans. There might easily have been living in the pontificate of Telus for us, men who had seen and converse with Saint Peter himself.
Speaker 0 00:01:42 The first vicar of Christ on earth close quote, the ancient Christian author Tertullian. He lived from one 60 to two 20 Ady writes of the census of Augustus. And speaking of that says, quote, the Roman archives contain the sense of Augustus, which is the most faithful witness of the nativity of our Lord close quote, enter tooling assures us that the records contain the name of the most blessed Virgin. Mary quote in the Roman census is described. Mary from home was born Christ, close quote, Saint Hippolyte or Rome he's martyred around two 36 writes quote, the first advent of our Lord in the flesh when he was born in Bethlehem was December 25th close quote, the great doctor, the church, Saint Augusta. Now he testifies to the fact that the date of Christmas has definite tradition in his day, but he also used the fact that Christmas on December 25th, as a proof that our Lord was conceived in a month of March quote for that month of March Christ was conceived and died, which has shown by the most well known feast day of his birth close quote, besides appealing to the tradition that church Santa Gustin also appeals to the ancient Roman records, which still existed in his day.
Speaker 0 00:02:54 Quote. We have evidence in whose concert ship. The council's basically a very prominent government officials at the time of Sentigast in the Lord's birth. Rather, they were appointed by the emperor. Anyway, we have evidence in whose concert ship and on what day the Virgin Mary gave birth to Christ close quote in the East in a sermon preached in three 86. The great doctor of the church st. John Chris systems States, quote, it is not yet 10 years since his day Christmas on the 25th of December was clearly known to us, but has been familiar from the beginning to those who dwell in the West. We have got the date from those who dwell in wrong and who have accurate information on his point for they who live there. Who long before celebrated the day in courts with age, the tradition communicate the knowledge of it to us close quote in st.
Speaker 0 00:03:40 John Krista, not only appeals to the tradition of the church in Rome, but he also appeals to the ancient Roman records quote. He has a mind to read the public records that are kept in Rome can easily learn the exact time of this enrollment close quote. So we know the time when our Bullard was born, it's an immemorial tradition of the church in Rome. So these claims that we don't really know the exact date of Christ, the Lord's birth are just plain wrong, but it's easier to demonstrate than that. Anybody can do this by repeating a little experiment, which I've done any number of times. I just did the other day to somebody here, but instead of picking on them, 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?
Speaker 0 00:04:30 Well, she's laughing. And she answered in one of those female tones. It means something like only a man would be stupid enough to answer a question like this question, but she's way too polite to so that cause I'm priest. Anyway, she says, why should 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? Yes, I did. So far. I have yet to read a mother that can answer those questions and it's essential. Bet. If I called on any of the mothers here, you could each give the same answers to those three questions. What mother could possibly forget the birth of her oldest child? The blessed Virgin Mary is the perfect woman. Are we supposed to believe that she forgot when Jesus was born? Does anybody really think that our lady forgot?
Speaker 0 00:05:22 Does anybody really think that the blessed Virgin Mary, as in the mother of God, the woman created by God himself to be as mother for God, his birthday, it's a no brainer. Our lady knew when Jesus was born and if people have been paying attention, the apostles knew our lady st. Peter newer lady, she's living with st. John. If our Lord hadn't already told the apostles, they could have just asked or lady one, thing's for sure they didn't make up the date of Christmas just to substitute for some pagan party, she would have corrected them. There's absolutely no reason to Delta data Christian. Our Lord was born at midnight and December 25th, 2011 years ago. Today, this is a historical religion. Now that we have the date, let's go to the sermon tonight. We'll take a closer look at the midnight mass gospel we'll read along and make comments, insert comments as we go.
Speaker 0 00:06:26 So I'll start by reading the gospel gospel of Saint Luke chapter two. 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 Cerenia as 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 at the house and family of David to be enrolled with Mary's 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 firstborn son. Now let's pause and take a moment to talk about just how she brought forth her firstborn son, Sandra Guston, summarize of the teaching of the church here, quote, she was a Virgin before the birth, during the birth and after the birth close quote, Santa Gustin, father, Bishop dr.
Speaker 0 00:07:26 The church, the great domestic theologian father gurgle grudge merely echoes Saint Augusta. When he States the teaching of the church regarding our lady's perpetual virginity 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. And if there were any doubt left the first ladder and council at six 49 under Pope Saint Martin taught infallibly quote, if anyone does not properly and truly confess in a cord with the Holy fathers, but in a true and proper sense, the Holy mother of God and every Virgin immaculate Mary in this last age, not with human seed, but of the Holy spirit properly and truly conceive the divine word himself, who was born of God, the father before 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 close quote.
Speaker 0 00:08:32 All right. So what does all this mean with regard to the birth of our Lord? It means that in the first place, just as Christ our Lord on Easter Sunday passed through that sealed tomb without opening it. So on Christmas, he passed out of the womb of his mother into the world without deprived her of her virginity, the great French preacher, Bishop boss way describes the Lord's birth quote. He comes forth like a shaft of light, like a Ray of the sun. His mother wonders to see him appear all at once. This confinement is as free of cries as it is of pain and force. Miraculously conceived is born more miraculously still. And the saints have found is being born even more wonderful than is being conceived, close quote. We should keep in mind that the fact that our lady is a Mac conceived means that she was spared the punishment of original sin that other woman suffer, which is the pains of childbirth boss way mentions this.
Speaker 0 00:09:33 We can hear the same point, explained a little more clearly by that great father and dr. Church st. Gregory of Nissa quote, his mother burden was light the birth immaculate the delivery without paying the nativity without defama, for as Eve who bought her guilt and grafted death into our nature was contempt to bring forth in pain. It was fitting that she who brought life into the world. Our lady would accomplish her delivery with joy close. Cool. So the points that we should take away from here in the first place, the perpetual virginity of our lady, which means that our lady was a Virgin and conceiving our savior and giving birth to him and which as we heard was in itself miraculous. And she remained a Virgin her whole life through and second to, because of her immaculate conception, our lady suffered no pain whatsoever and bringing forth our lore.
Speaker 0 00:10:29 Now, mothers, although it's true that she didn't suffer and bringing forth our Lord, she didn't get off lightly because she suffered terribly giving spiritual birth to all the rest of us, especially at the foot of the cross. When she cooperated with her son and bringing forth the church on first Saturdays, we actually make communions of reparation for certain offenses, and blasphemies committed against immaculate heart of Mary, including blasphemies, which attack her immaculate conception. Things like stating that she would suffer pain during childbirth or blast muse against her perpetual virginity. Now giving a catastrophic state of catechesis in the past 40 some years, it's not too surprising that some Catholics might've fallen into these errors besides a terrible catechesis, many Catholics may have picked up these blasphemous ideas by innocent watching, things like that, that terrible movie, that activity story, and other fills in that genre let's return to the gospel, Luke seven, seven, and she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes.
Speaker 0 00:11:33 These swaddling clothes are still in existence. Charlemagne made Aachen Germany, the capital of the Holy Roman empire. And in the year seven 86, built a Palatine chapel. It's now part of the cathedral VOC, and he collected many important relics from the Holy land and Rome to place this chapel, including the swaddling clothes of the baby. Jesus. These relics have been exposed for the devotion of the faithful every seven years. They sit them out. Once every seven years, they've been doing that since the 14th century, the next exposition will be in 2014 return to the gospel. And she brought forth her firstborn son wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the end Saint Justin martyr. He's a native of Palestine. He was born within 50 miles of Bethlehem in the year, 100, just about the time that st John the apostle died.
Speaker 0 00:12:24 So here we have a man who was himself, a witness to the belief of the earliest Christians in and around Bethlehem. Many of whom had known and heard the preaching of the POS of themselves. Saint Justin martyr writes 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 manger COEs quilt, and near one 32, the emperor Hadrian desecrated, the Holy places by building pagan, shrines over all of them. As one author points out to serve a very useful port purpose of making the Holy place. It's very marking of the Holy place places very precisely until the end of the persecution and liberation, the church by Constantine and the year three 13 during most of the 34 years that Saint Jerome lived in Bethlehem.
Speaker 0 00:13:13 He lived there from three 86 to four 20. He lived in, studied in a cave close to that, close to the one that our Lord was born in quote from the time of Hadrian to the reign of Constantine, a period of about a hundred, 180 years, the spot which had written us, the resurrection was occupied by a figure of Jupiter on the rock with a cross. It stood our marble statue of Venus was set up by the heathen and became an object of worship. The original persecutors, indeed supposed the by polluting our Holy places. They would deprive us of our faith in the passion and the resurrection, even my own Bethlehem as it is now that most venerable spot in the whole world was overshadowed by a Grove of Tammuz that is of Adonis and in the very cave where the infant crisis editor's earliest cry, the lover of Venus was bewailed close quote st.
Speaker 0 00:14:04 Jerome doctor, the church st. Jerome also wrote to the manger quote, I too miserable center that I am have an account of worthy kiss, the manger, which the Lord cried as a babe close quote. Apparently during his time it was removed for later on. He wrote quote, if I could only see that manger in which the Lord lay now as if to honor the Christ, we have removed the poor one and placed their silver one. However, for me, the one which was removed is more precious, close quotes, st. Jerome and year six 40. The Muslim is swept into Jerusalem, the surrounding environs and during the reign of Pope theater, the first he himself was a native of Jerusalem and he rolled from six 42 to six 49. During his reign, some relics from the cave were bought to Rome for safety. They were five boards made out of Sycamore wood that had been part of the manger.
Speaker 0 00:14:52 They're now in a beautiful Relic query. That's found in the crypt underneath the main alter st. Mary major. If you go there, you can go down below it, the Relic core, it's like a big silver bowl with a on the top. It's silver with golden angels. And on the top, it's this scene with a golden statue of our Lord, a little baby. And he's kind of rolled up a little bit on his left side. And he's right. Raised his right hand, a little chubby little baby, given a blessing right there, but on the sides of the Macquarie have crystal windows. So you can look through the windows. It's easy. You can just look right through the windows and see the boards in there. You can get different angles and all that. So you can look right through them and see the boards right there. And that's in st.
Speaker 0 00:15:35 Mary major returning to the gospel. And they were in the same country, shepherds watching and keeping the Nightwatch is over their flock. Of course, the fact that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem was clearly prophesied in the old Testament. In fact, some 800 years before our Lord's birth, the prophet Micah says, Micah spoke clearly about the small village of Bethlehem in this regard. And now Beth I'm afraid are a little one among the thousands of Judah out of these, 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 out of Bethlehem, shall he come forth? That is to be the ruler of Israel and his going forth is from the beginning. From the days of eternity, that's not all Genesis 35, 21 speaks of a Watchtower near Bethlehem that was used by shepherds to keep watch over the flocks.
Speaker 0 00:16:29 It's called the flock tower. That's Genesis 35 21, an ancient Jewish commentary on this passage, Genesis 35, 21 records. The belief that the Messiah was to be revealed from that very tower near Bethlehem, from this flock tower, I'll read a few cut and pasted patches from a commentary written 150 years ago by a rabbinic student who suddenly discovered that Christ was the Lord. And he dies as an Anglican priest. Okay. 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 a belief that he was to be revealed from Migdal aider. The tower of the flock. This tower of the flock was not the Watchtower for ordinary flocks, which pastured on the burn sheep ground beyond Bethlehem, but lay close to the town on the road to Jerusalem, the flocks, which pasture there were destined for temple sacrifices accordingly.
Speaker 0 00:17:28 The shepherds who watched over them were not ordinary shepherds. These flocks layout all the around thus Jewish tradition in some dim manner, apprehended. The first revelation of the Messiah from that rock tower, where shepherds watch the temple flocks all the year round of the deep symbolic significance of such a coincidence, his needless to speak. It was then on that wintry night of the 25th of December, the shepherds watched the flux destined for sacrificial services and the very place consecrated by tradition as that where the Messiah was to be first revealed, close, quote, Alfred, or shine. What about Catholic tradition and father Haydock his commentary on that same verse in scripture, Genesis 35, 21 reread that the flower tower was quote about a mile to the East of Bethlehem, where the angels appeared to nonce the birth of Christ Saint Helen, about the church there in honor of the angels closed quote, there was a Catholic and a Greek Orthodox church there today, returning the gospel and behold, an angel, the Lord stood by them and the brightness of God shown round about them.
Speaker 0 00:18:34 And they feared with a great fear. And angel said to them, fear, not for behold. I bring you good tidings of great joy. That shall be to all the people for this day is born to you, a savior who is Christ the Lord in the city of David. And this shall be a sign on to you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. And suddenly it was with an angel, a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God and saying glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace to men of Goodwill. What's going on here. Well, as you've seen before, the fathers teach that each nation has its own guardian angel. His main job is to guide the people that nation in the ways of holiness and righteousness fathers also teach them before the coming of Christ.
Speaker 0 00:19:20 The Gentile nations had increasingly rejected the knowledge of the true God, which they had learned originally from their ancestor Noah, because of their blatant 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. You save. This gives a clear description of the condition of fallen man, on that first Christmas quote in such a flood of evil, dangerous would first been set in charge of the nations could do nothing for their subjects because of man's own free choice of evil. The peoples each in its own way were driven on by evil spirits and fell into a frightful abyss of voices. Even the Jewish nation was drawn into their corruption. Now, since such great evils had fallen upon the whole earth since none of the angels able to prevent these evils.
Speaker 0 00:20:15 And since the race God loved was wallowing the depths of inequity. And since the activity, the demons continued increase day by day, the savior himself came to men and helped his angels in their work for the salvation of men. And then when he was seen by his own angels who were first set up as guardians over the nations, they immediately recognize their Lord coming to their aid and went to him. Joyously justice, sacred scripture says there was a multitude of the heavenly hosts, praising God and saying glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace to men of Goodwill close quote. So on that cold, quiet Christmas night in Bethlehem, when the guardian angels, the nations realized that the little Lord Jesus wrapped up in swaddling clothes lay the major had come to earth. They immediately realized that their Lord and God had stooped down to earth to come to the aid of not only the Hebrew people, but to the aid of all the nations on earth. Did he come to help his angels? Did he come to make it finally possible to turn their poor confused people away from the road to destruction on the path to heaven?
Speaker 0 00:21:27 So what are we seeing on this first Christmas? We're seeing an ambassador from heaven. We're seeing the second person or the most blessed Trinity come on a peace mission to his enemies. He came and peace to his enemies. He came on a mission of mercy, divine mercy for sinners. He came to bring peace on earth to men of Goodwill. That's the message of Christmas. That's the message of the major Merry Christmas.
