n the Spirit of Counsel. "O Clavis"
indicates that Christ opened Heaven and closed Hell in the Spirit of
Strength or Fortitude. "O Orient" shows forth Christ enlightening us in
the Spirit of Knowledge. "Rex gentiam" points out the holy King who
saved men by the Spirit of Piety. "O Emanuel" refers to Christ coming in
the Spirit of Fear, but giving us also the Law of Love.

These antiphons have formed the theme of the oldest Christian poem in
Europe--Cynewulf's "Christ," a work which is the admiration of modern
scholars. They were celebrated with great pomp and joy in monastic life,
the monks carrying their congruous symbolism into their recitation. For,
to the gardener-monk was assigned, the chanting of "O Radix Jesse," and
to the cellarer-monk, the "O clavis David"--typifying their work of
root-growing and key keeping. (See _The Month_, No. 489; _The Irish
Ecclesiastical Record_, December, 1918).

_Christmas. Antiquity._ "It was formerly taken for granted that Christ
had actually been born on this day, and, accordingly, the learned were
of opinion that the Church had observed it from the beginning, as the
day of His birth. Even at the present day it will be dfficult for many
to give up this idea. But there is no Christmas among the Christan
feasts enumerated by Tertullian ([died] 220), Origen (185-254), and the
recently published Testament of Jesus Christ. On the contrary, there is
clear proof that even in the fourth and fifth centuries it was unknown
in some parts of the Church, where its introduction, at a later period,
can be proved historically" (_vide_ Kellner, _op. cit._, pp. 127-158).

Christmas is one of the great festivals. In Rome there were two night
Offices. The first, celebrated at nightfall in the Papal chapel, begins
with the antiphon of the first psalm in the nocturn. It has nine lessons
and the _Te Deum_. About midnight a more solemn Office began, this time
with the invitatory and psalm _Venite_. The first of these Offices
became the Office of the vigil.

In the Office of Christmas Day the lessons are read without the title of
the book (Isaias) from which they are taken, because their author's name
was so often repeated during the Advent that each one knew their source,
or because at Christmas God speaks to us by His Son, rather than by His
prophet. In the first response the Gloria Patri is said, to thank God
for the great favour He has bestowed on us--His Son, the Christ. In the
third nocturn, _Alle