God for having brought us into life after the coming of the Messias! How much greater blessings have we received after the accomplishment of redemption by Jesus Christ! How did Abraham desire; how did the prophets and patriarchs of the Old Testament long to see the Redeemer born! But they saw Him not. They deafened the heavens, so to speak, with their groans of desire and with their ardent prayers: Drop down dew, ye heavens from above, and let the clouds rain the Just, [Isaiah 45:8] was their incessant exclamation. Rain down, O heavens, and send us the Just One, to appease the wrath of that God Whom we ourselves cannot appease, because we are all sinners: Send forth, O Lord, the Lamb, the Ruler of the earth. [Ibid. 16:1] Send, O Lord, the Lamb, Who by sacrificing Himself shall satisfy Thy justice for us, and so shall reign in the hearts of men, who are living on this earth the unhappy slaves of the devil: Show us, O Lord, Thy mercy, and grant us Thy salvation. [Ps. 84:8] Hasten and show us, O God of mercies, that greatest mercy which Thou hast already promised us, namely, our Saviour. Such were the aspirations and longing exclamations of the Saints. But for all that, during the space of four thousand years, they had not the happy lot to see the Messias born: we, however, have had this happiness. But what are we doing? What knowledge have we, to take advantage of it? Do we know how to love this amiable Redeemer Who is come at last, Who has already ransomed us from the hands of our foes, has freed us by His Own death from the eternal death which we had deserved, has thrown open Paradise for us, has provided us with so many Sacraments, and with so many aids to serve Him and to love Him in peace during this life, that we might go and
