"One night when Joseph was peacefully sleeping at Bethlehem, an angel's voice aroused him from his slumbers, and he saw before him one of the messengers of the Most High, who said; "Arise, and take the young Child and His Mother, and fly into the land of Egypt, for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him." Hence observe :

1. That God's ways are so different from ours. We should have expected that He would exert His divine power in behalf of His only-begotten Son, and that the soldiers of Herod would be struck with blindness on the road, or would somehow fail to discover where Jesus was, or perhaps would come and fall prostrate at the feet of the new-born King. How different the course enjoined by the angel ! Apparently so clumsy a way of saving Jesus from His enemies! Yet such are God's ways — clumsy in the eyes of men. What strange presumption it is that I should criticize the divine arrangements as I sometimes do !

2. That the conditions of safety seemed so unnecessarily hard. Why to Egypt — a pagan land, the very name of which was a synonym for bondage and misery? Was this the only way to preserve the life of the Son of God? To all this one answer: It was God's will, and that was enough.

3. But after all it was but a vision of the night, perhaps a dream or a mere subjective fancy, could anything so wild and imprudent come from God? To all this one answer: I know the message came from God, and I cannot and will not evade the divine command. "

Meditations for Christmas . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891

"1. When Herod found that the Magi did not return with the information respecting the King Whom they were seeking, he became uneasy. The plan he had cunningly devised had come to naught; the rival Monarch seemed likely to escape his hands. One day perhaps he or his children would be dethroned by Him. O empty fears ! That little Child seeks no worldly honor; He will not interfere with any earthly monarch. The secret fear that destroys the peace of unscrupulous men is often as empty as Herod's. The terrors they suffer are the just rewards of their evil deeds. How often I have been anxious and troubled because my pride could not brook being humbled !

2. But Herod was utterly unscrupulous as well as ambitious. There was one way in which he could secure his end. By putting to death all the young children in the country round Bethlehem, he would compass the death of this royal Child Who threatened his safety. Pride and ambition not only blind men, but make them utterly indifferent to the sufferings of others and the laws of right and wrong. I, too, have often recklessly made others suffer to gratify myself and carry out my own selfish ends.

3. When Herod came to die, how awful must have been the terrors of his guilty conscience! The blood of those children slaughtered at his command had long cried out to Heaven for vengeance. Each one of them added to his remorse and eternal misery in hell. If evil men could foresee the consequences to themselves of the sins they commit, they would dread sin, even venial sin, far more than any earthly misery they could suffer."

Meditations for Christmas . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891

"1. Before the Magi left Jerusalem for Bethlehem, Herod had enjoined upon them that they should return and tell him where the new-born King of the Jews was to be found, declaring that he, too, desired to come and adore Him. Hypocrite and treacherous liar that he was, his real object was to destroy his supposed rival. He made no scruple of planning the murder of one who might possibly supplant him. Those who love worldly honor are always unscrupulous. It has the power of blinding the eyes and deadening the conscience, and making men esteem evil good and good evil.

2. The Magi seem to have been deceived by Herod's fair, words, and to have promised to return with the information he desired. Good men are always unsuspicious of evil. We all judge others by ourselves. If you want to know your own character, ask yourself whether your judgment of others is a charitable or uncharitable one.

3. When the Magi had finished their visit to Bethlehem, they prepared to return to Herod. But an angel warned them to avoid the city where he dwelt, and to go back to their own country by some other way. We need never fear lest our charitable judgments should do harm. God will provide against this; it is our harsh and severe judgments which are productive of so much evil to ourselves and others."

Meditations for Christmas . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891

 "1. Myrrh is the herb used most largely for embalming. It has the power to prevent corruption and preserve the purity and freshness of the body which is in contact with it. It was offered to Our Lord as a testimony not only of the perfect and unsullied purity of those to whom He is united by the bonds of charity, but also in evidence of the power of His sacred body to save from corruption those who partake of it in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.

2. Thus myrrh was offered to Our Lord as possessing a true human body, as truly Man as well as truly God. We must never lose sight of this fact of Christ's Humanity, that He has all the sympathy and interest in all that concerns us that we have perhaps received from some kind earthly friend, all His desire to help us, all His wisdom, prudence, patience, appreciation of our griefs and sorrows; and all this to a degree compared with which our best friend on earth does not deserve the name. Why do I not have recourse to Him more ?

3. Myrrh is also the symbol of mortification. If our bodies are to be pure, we must mortify our evil desires and give up what is very attractive to our lower nature. If we desire great purity of heart, we must mortify ourselves in things lawful, and deny ourselves even what we might enjoy without sin. Do I do this?"

Meditations for Christmas . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891

Infant of Prague: Mother Of Mercy, Washington NC)

Prayer to the Holy Infant for priests

Jesus, Divine Infant, I bless and thank Your most loving Heart for the institution of the priesthood. Priests are sent by You, as You were sent by the Father. To them You entrusted the treasures of Your doctrine, of Your Law, of Your Grace, and souls themselves.

Grant me the grace to love them, to listen to them, and to let myself be guided by them in Your ways. Jesus, send good laborers into Your harvest. May priests be the salt that purifies and preserves; may they be the light of the world; may they be the city placed on the mountain. May they all be formed after Your own Heart. And in heaven may they be surrounded by a joyous throng of those they shepherded on earth. Amen.

Glory Be three times.
Infant Jesus, make me love You more and more!

To the Divine Infant:

Sweet Infant -  God! I humbly fly to Thee,

For I have heard Thy whisper all divine:

"Come all who labor, come with trust to me,"

"Your hearts can only rest in love of mine."

Sweet Infant - Jesus! I believe in Thee,

And hope for mercy from Thy loving Heart.

O may I love and serve Thee fervently!

"The Prince of peace," "Emmanuel" Thou art!

Sweet little Jesus! Souls so dear to Thee

Shall be the objects of my tender love.

O grant that we may all eternally

Rejoice and praise Thee in the land above.

Written by: Enfant de Marie (These lines were suggested by the beautiful prayer in honor of the Holy Infant of Prague, composed by the Carmelite, Father Cyril a Matre Dei.)The Carmelite review, 1898

"1. The offering of frankincense to any one has always been regarded by the common consent of mankind as an acknowledgment of inherent Deity. When the Christians were commanded to throw a grain of incense on the altar of Jupiter or Minerva, it was in acknowledgment of their divinity. The Magi, then, by this offering to Christ of incense, were the first Gentile witnesses to His Divinity. They made thereby an implicit act of faith in His Godhead, and proved the honor they paid Him to be that highest honor that belongs to God alone.

2. Frankincense is, moreover, a symbol of all that is sweetest and most fragrant. What so sweet to Jesus as the complete offering of ourselves to Him implied in the homage paid to Him as God! Jesus, my God, my all, I offer Thee my heart, my soul, my self!

3. Frankincense is the material symbol under which prayer is indicated in Holy Scripture. The angel offers in the Apocalypse the prayers of the saints in a golden censer, and there comes up continually from earth the cloud of prayers as a cloud of incense. Among them my prayers arise. Are they such as will be fragrant and pleasing to God? "

Meditations for Christmas . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891