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News from The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham in Scotland Page 16

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, worlds, became flesh, though remaining what
good will towards men.” Such were the words He was before. He became flesh as truly as if He
which the blessed Spirits who minister to Christ had ceased to be what He was, and had actually
and His Saints, spoke on that gracious night to been changed into flesh. He submitted to be the
the shepherds, to rouse them out of their cold offspring of Mary, to be taken up in the hands
and famished mood into great joy; to teach them of a mortal, to have a mother’s eye fixed upon
that they were objects of God’s love as much as Him, and to be cherished at a mother’s bosom. A
the greatest of men on earth; nay more so, for to daughter of man became the Mother of God—to
them first He had imparted the news of what that her, indeed, an unspeakable gift of grace; but in
night was happening. … Him what condescension! …

“The shepherds said one to another, Let us If all these things be so, surely the lesson of joy
now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which the Incarnation gives us is as impressive
which is come to pass, which the Lord hath as the lesson of humility. … Take these thoughts
made known to us.” Let us too go with them, to with you, my brethren, to your homes on this
contemplate that second and greater miracle to festive day; let them be with you in your family
which the Angel directed them, the Nativity of and social meetings. It is a day of joy: it is good
Christ. St. Luke says of the Blessed Virgin, “She to be joyful—it is wrong to be otherwise. For one
brought forth her first-born Son, and wrapped day we may put off the burden of our polluted
Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a consciences, and rejoice in the perfections
manger.” What a wonderful sign is this to all the of our Saviour Christ, without thinking of
world, and therefore the Angel repeated it to the ourselves, without thinking of our own miserable
shepherds: “Ye shall find the babe wrapped in uncleanness; but contemplating His glory, His
swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” righteousness, His purity, His majesty, His
overflowing love. We may rejoice in the Lord,
The God of heaven and earth, the Divine
Word, who had been in glory with the Eternal and in all His creatures see Him. We may enjoy
Father from the beginning, He was at this time His temporal bounty, and partake the pleasant
born into this world of sin as a little infant. He, things of earth with Him in our thoughts; we may
as at this time, lay in His mother’s arms, to all rejoice in our friends for His sake, loving them
appearance helpless and powerless, and was most especially because He has loved them.”
wrapped by Mary in an infant’s bands, and laid This sermon, first printed in 1843, is published in
to sleep in a manger. “Parochial and Plain Sermons by John Henry Newman, B.D.,
Volume VIII” (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1908).
The Son of God Most High, who created the For the full homily, go to: www.bit.ly/Newman-Xtm

Wishing you a Happy

and Blessed Christmas

The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham in Scotland

Edinburgh
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Whithorn
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In
Inverness Whithorn E dinbur gh Birnie
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MASS TIMES IN SCOTLAND - INVERNESS: Sunday at 11am and mid-week in the Oratory of Saint Joseph, 49 Laurel Avenue, Inverness IV3 5RR
WHITHORN: 1st Sunday at 11am in Stonehouse Mill, Sorbie DG8 8AN and Wednesday at 10.30am in St Martin and St Ninian, George Street, Whithorn DG8 8PZ
EDINBURGH: 2nd Sunday at 12.30pm in St Patrick’s, Cowgate, Old Edinburgh EH1 1TQ NAIRN: 1st Monday at 10am in St Mary, 7 Academy Street, Nairn IV12 4RJ
BIRNIE (by Elgin): 1st Saturday at 12 noon - Evensong on Wednesday at 7pm in Birnie Kirk, Birnie, by Elgin IV30 8SU
Fr Len Black - fr.len@ordinariate.scot - 01463 235597 - 07836 365719 Fr Simon Beveridge - fr.simon@ordinariate.scot - 01988 850323 - 07775 427146
Fr Cameron Macdonald - fr.cameron@ordinariate.scot - 01667 453867 - 07932 786984 Charity Reg No: 1141536