The Month of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ - Translated from the French, 1848

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The Month of the Nativity
A Series of Devotional Practices Whereby to Honour and Prepare for the Birth of the Holy Infant Saviour

"We have a Paradise much better, and far more agreeable than that of our first parents," says St. Bernard "and this Paradise is our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Serm. Nativity.) He is our beatitude in body and soul; His Divinity is the bliss of the latter, his Humanity that of the former. He is then our true Paradise. And He is all ours; all for our use, all for our wants: "Light to our eyes, hearing to our ears, perfume to our smell, bread to our mouth," says Origen. (Hom. 2 in Cant.) How lamentable, then, that faith and hope in, and knowledge and love of, this divine Saviour are so much on the decrease and become daily more diminished! To remedy this evil, in some degree, is the object of the following pages, having for title, "The Month of the Nativity of our Lord," in which are retraced the mysteries of the Incarnation and Nativity of this divine Saviour.

"The daily entertainment for each day, which besides a point of doctrine, includes reflections, &c., is preceded by a practice and aspiration, both to render it more conformable to the devotions appointed for other months, as well as to gratify more fervent souls who never think they can do enough to please their divine Saviour. In order to include all the feasts of Christmas without exceeding the period of a month, this devotion does not commence until the sixth of December. It will by this means terminate on the feast of the Epiphany, and those who have faithfully and fervently practised it, may hope to receive, in presenting it, with the offerings of the holy Magi, to their Infant God in His manger, a share in His choicest graces here, and because they have known and loved, "and confessed Him before men," to be acknowledged by Him before His Father who is in heaven, to whom, in unity of the Holy Ghost be all honour, might, glory, power, for endless ages.


Prayer of Thanksgiving

God of our hearts, while desiring this prodigy, we, the children of the Holy Catholic Church, thank you for having caused us to be born in its bosom, and fed with the milk of pure faith. “You have not done this for every nation,” which vastly enhances the precious gift. We shall never cease to thank You for it, and to praise and bless you for having bestowed upon us such a mark of predilection. May our gratitude be sincere and eternal. Amen.




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