CHRISTMAS EVE
“Sanctify yourselves today and be prepared; for tomorrow you shall see the glory of the Lord become manifest” (Office of Holy Church).
First Prelude: In spirit, enter the cave in which the Saviour of the world is to be born. See the Virgin Mother, in profoundest recollection and fervent prayer at the birth of her Divine Child. St. Joseph is kneeling apart, likewise silently wrapped in prayer.
Second Prelude: O my holy Mother, impart to me thy sentiments that I may worthily approach the manger of my Divine Saviour on this holy night, and fervently renew the immolation of my vows to our new-born King.
FIRST POINT
THE BLESSED VIRGIN PREPARES FOR THE BIRTH OF THE SAVIOUR
Consider how ardently the Blessed Virgin longed for the moment of the birth of her Divine Child! Her intimate union with the Lord and God of her heart, her desire to see and adore Him visibly in the flesh, her ardor to present her treasure to the world for the salvation of mankind, made her heart burn so vehemently that she could hardly suppress the fire of love. How lively was her faith, how firm and full of confidence her hope, how well prepared her heart! Obedience had led her into the lowly stable, and she deemed herself happy in being permitted to share such extreme poverty with the Lord of heaven and earth.
Oh, that it were vouchsafed us to take one glance into this pure, spotless heart, which from the first moment of its existence throbbed with love for God! Oh, that a spark of this love should transform our heart into a delightful abode for our dear Saviour, Who will soon enter it in Holy Communion! We will endeavor as far possible to make Mary’s sentiments our own, and rejoice in the thought that our dear Mother was the first who offered the Infant Saviour the gifts of poverty, chastity, obedience and holy love. It must be for us a source of joy still to find Mary at the crib, and thus to be able to unite our sacrifice with hers. Oh, the joy we give our Blessed Mother, St. Joseph and the holy angels by renewing our holy vows, and, as it were, uniting with them to tender the homage of our adoration to the new-born Saviour! Let us beg them to replenish our heart with holy affections, pious desires, and fervent resolutions, that Christ, at His advent, may find us worthy of the graces we need to carry out our renewed promises with unswerving fidelity.
SECOND POINT
OUR GIFTS TO THE INFANT SAVIOUR
How lovely has the Holy Ghost disposed the interchange of gifts with the Infant Saviour on the beautiful feast of Christmas! What a blessed exchange! Our Saviour gives us Himself, wholly, and we, too, give ourselves wholly to Him. After He has inundated our soul with graces during this novena, reanimated us, opened our eyes and filled our hearts with holy joy, we dare approach Him to renew the vows that we once made in the blessed hour of our profession. Let us remember that the renewal of our offering is no less pleasing to Jesus than was our first consecration; on the contrary, we manifest even greater fidelity and more ardent love today by the fervent renewing of our holy vows.
When we consecrated ourselves to God at the foot of the altar on the day of our profession we had but a faint knowledge of our obligations as religious. We simply followed the call of God and surrendered ourselves unreservedly to Him with lively faith and tender love. Now that we understand more fully the import of the sacrifice we made to God by pronouncing our holy vows, we honor Him in a greater degree by the renewal of these sacred promises, and our repeated cheerful oblations give glorious testimony that His yoke is sweet and His burden light.
Let us confidently approach our Divine Saviour, our beloved Bridegroom, in the Sacrament of His Love, and in spirit review all the proofs of His special love to the present moment. Let us revert to the day of our profession, to the day of our entrance into religion, to the days of youth, and even childhood; yes, let us look even into the ocean of eternity. When God, of old made the world, He thought of each one of us, foresaw our trials, our sacrifices and sufferings, and disposed all with infinite love for our salvation. The love of Jesus is immutable, immeasurable and incomprehensible. Must we not exclaim: “What shall I render to the Lord for all the things that He hath rendered to me?” (Ps. 115). And if, in turn, we requite such love with faithlessness, cowardice and tepidity, must not a feeling of deep shame and confusion come over us? Must we not realize how degrading it is to take back the smallest particle of the oblation once made to the Lord?
Far be it from us to act thus. With absolute fidelity, we will anew vow poverty, for which Jesus promises us the infinite treasures of His Sacred Heart; we will vow obedience, for which He gives us His benign Providence, we will offer Him our virginal love in exchange for His eternal, unchangeable love. Oh, blessed moment of the renewal of our vows! Only a few more hours and we shall kneel at the foot of the altar as on the day of our profession to receive the new-born Saviour of the world. Oh, that the love which fills our hearts might burst into flames! Let us seek to increase it by recollection, by fervent aspirations and hidden sacrifices, that our heavenly Bridegroom may receive us with joy, and most generously impart to us the best Christmas gift—His inexpressible peace.
Affections: O my Jesus, Divine Bridegroom of my soul, with tender love I desire anew on this Holy Night to lay at Thy sacred feet, the sacrifice of my holy vows. I immolate myself as cheerfully and whole-heartedly as I did on the ever-memorable day, when Thou gavest me the right to call myself Thy spouse. With Thy grace I resolve to keep my vows more faithfully than heretofore, to strive for the highest perfection. Yes, my Jesus, my oblation must be perfect; I will seek nothing, love nothing, save Thee alone. I will renounce all, so that my heart may taste of the full wealth of Thy poverty. My vow of obedience, by which I renew the immolation of my whole being, shall augment my happiness. Oh, that animated by Thy spirit, I would win many souls to Thee by the faithful discharge of the duties of my holy calling! O Divine Child, with all the ardor of my soul I cry to Thee: make me like to Thee; let me become as a child in dependence, in poverty, in innocence, a child ever worthy of Thy love and of the solicitude of Thy virginal Mother! O Mary and Joseph, ye first adorers of the Saviour, lead me to Him and offer Him the sacrifice of my love, that He may accept it with pleasure and may draw the bonds that unite me with Him ever closer, that full of genuine, heartfelt joy I may sing with the angels: “Glory to God in the highest!”
Resolution: I will beg the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph and the holy angels to imbue me with holy sentiments and assist me in the preparation for the reception of my dear Lord and Saviour.
Spiritual Bouquet: “The Lord is nigh! Rejoice and be glad!”
Prayer: Take, O Lord…
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