Offertory.
As I kneel in spirit at the crib of Bethlehem, and see the divine Infant offering Himself to the heavenly Father for my sins, so I bring, as an offering with the priest, my poor heart which thirsts for Thee. Oh, that I could offer Thee as gifts many virtuous acts! but bowed down in the dust of my own nothingness, I cannot offer anything more than an empty, sorrowful heart. Look upon it with mercy, and send upon it the dew of Thy grace and love, which will quickly bear fruit of humility and meekness. Adorn my soul with the flowers of devotion, that my whole life may become a song of praise and petition for mercy. Amen.
Sanctus.
Unfathomable, O Lord God, are the depths of Thy mysteries, and wonderful the inventions of Thy mercy. Faith teaches me that He Who is in the crib, and weeps and trembles, is the One Whose thunder rolls in the clouds, at the sound of Whose voice cherubim and seraphim veil their faces with their wings. What a manifestation of humility and love do I contemplate in this! Come, O Lord, with Thy all-conquering love, and enkindle my cold heart and the hearts of all careless Christians with the flames of love! Come to me in the fulness of Thy graces and blessings, and stir up my sluggish humor; enlighten all needy souls with the abundance of Thy eternal brightness, that we may now, and for all eternity, sing the angelic anthem: Holy, holy, holy, is Our God! Amen.
The Secret.
O kind Father! in humility I beg of Thee, through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, may our sacrifice and prayers please Thee. Bless me, bless those who are here present at this sacrifice, and bless also all who are needy and suffering. I pray Thee especially for the holy Catholic Church and her ministers, that Thou mayest keep them in peace and harmony; that Thou mayest protect and govern them, and mayest pour into their souls that peace which the divine Infant brought to this earth—Who alone is the cause of the happiness which we enjoy here below. I wish to join the angels in exclaiming, “Peace to my soul, peace to all men of good-will.”
Consecration.
Look down, O Lord God the Father! on this altar where Thy divine Son adores Thee as He did from the stable of Bethlehem, and offers Himself as a spotless lamb as He did on Calvary. We unite our prayers with His, and we beg of Thy unlimited mercy that Thou wouldst listen to the pleading of this divine Heart and of this precious blood, and grant us what is pleasing to Thee. Grant that we may grow in the odor of sanctity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and share with Him eternal happiness in heaven. Amen.
After The Consecration.
O divine Infant Jesus, give me the grace to realize the wonders of Thy holy love! In all humility I consecrate myself to Thee as a holocaust to Thy holy condescension. Oh, that I were able to [pg 045] adore Thee with that sincere and heartfelt devotion with which the holy Virgin, St. Joseph, the pious shepherds, the Magi, and all the fervent adorers of Thy divine infancy adored Thee. With all my soul I will love Thee. All the movements of my heart shall be directed towards Thee; my soul shall be Thy dwelling. With Thy grace I will fulfil all the duties of my state in life. Change this sinful man into a new being by Thy almighty love, by the same love with which Thou hast changed the bread and wine into Thy adorable body and blood. May Thy profound humility restrain the pride of my heart; may Thy wonderful purity transform me into a lily of purity for the heavenly garden, and Thy love guide me through the storms of this wretched life to the habitation of bliss: to Thy throne, where ever and ever springs forth life without end. Amen.