came after Christ. Thus the virtue of the cross touches each, and Christ’s sweetness and refreshing grace are ever ready to their hands, though in this respect the Christian has the advantage. To the men of old, God said: “Go before Me and be perfect,” but to His Christian followers Christ Himself has shown the way, and, leading, says: “ Come, follow Me.”
Q. On what day was the Son of God conceived and made man?
A. The Son of God was conceived and made man on Annunciation Bay — the day on which the Angel Gabriel announced to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she was to be the Mother of God.
The Devil Expostulates
We adore the mystery of the Incarnation twice during the Mass, viz. at the words of the Creed, Et homo factus est, and at the Et Verbum caro factum est, of the last gospel. A young man while assisting at Mass neglected to genuflect at these two points, and immediately the devil with a threatening aspect appeared and said: “ Ungrateful wretch! have you no sense of thankfulness? If God had only done half as much for us we would be constantly prostrate before Him adoring and thanking Him.”
Q. On what day was Christ born?
A. Christ was born on Christmas Day, in a stable at Bethlehem, nineteen hundred years ago.
