The Little People’s Page

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 50, 20 December 1923, Page 39

The Little People’s Page

Conducted by Anne

Bnne’9 Christmas Message My Very Own Dear Little People —A very happy Christmas to you all, a downright merry one, brimful of fun and gladness. Wouldn't it he fine if we could spend it together, but, as we cannot, 1 have thought of another way in which we can have a happy time. I want you all to make believe that you are with me on Christmas morning, and together we will journey to the Crib, that beautiful little Bethlehem .we all know so well. We’ll have to start about half past eleven on Christmas Eve to get ready, because we want to get to the church in good time, and, as we are all thinking intently on what we are going to see, we will go along quietly and keep all up close together so that no-one will get lost on the way. Everything is very still round us, and from outside the church looks fairly dark, but there is a little light inside which shows the way. How wonderful it is for us to be up at this hour of the night, and without any grown-ups to see what we are going to see, let’s go in quickly and get into our places, let’s be the first to welcome the Infant Jesus when He arrives. Bow your heads for a moment Little People, it must be just on midnight. Hark! hat’s that? The big clock is striking twelve, the bells are ringing, but through it all we can hoar the sweet music of the angels as they sing “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of goodwill.” Look at the bright light in the far corner of the church, come quickly, come let us adore while the grown-ups sleep, come let us make our first visit to the Crib. What do we see? A little rocky cave which has been used as a stable, and in it a most wonderful little child, a beautiful baby, the lit tit* .Jesus llimsell, watching out for us. Yes, Children, lie is there, and beside Him are Alary our mother, and dear St. Joseph. Pray Children dear, ask dear Jesus for everything you need, and do not forget your narents and all who love you. Listen, there’s someone coming, and do you see that bright star which seems to have, settled just over the Crib? It must be the Shepherds coming, yes, there they are. You remember how they- followed the star which brought them right to the Infant’s cradle. See, how they adore Him, they forget how tired they are after their long, long and weary journey over the hills. Do you see the ox and the donkey over in the corner of the stable? They were the only ones in all Bethlehem who made a tiny bit of room for the Infant Jesus that Christmas morning, and they shared their stable with Him. What gifts have we brought to dear Infant, I wonder, what can we bring Him which is of any use to Him? Just ourselves and all the love we would have given Him if we could have been there on that very first Christmas. We can kiss His tiny hands and feet, and tell Him how much we want to do what He would have us do. Tell Him all these things and anything else you can think of, and each one can whisper something very special if he or she likes, because it is Christmas, the children’s time. Have you noticed anything different about this Crib, I wonder, there’s something in the corner I’ve never seen before? Why, it looks like a Christmas Tree, and it is one. A beautiful Christmas Tree, set up and decorated specially for the little children who came on this midnight visit to the Infant Jesus. What a beautiful surprise for us all, have you ever seen another tree like it? It is all sparkling with frost, stars twinkle among the branches, and tiny angels are flying all round it. There are all sorts of treasures on —dolls, golden apples, balls, boats, engines, guns, rattles for the babies, gifts even for you to take home to the grown-ups, and best of all, a Treasure Bag from the Infant Jesus Himself. This bag is the most beautiful thing of all, for it shines like a.ray of bright light and there never was a bag like it before. In it there is something for all of us, and we can keep our gifts all our lives for they won’t wear out or get broken. Unfortunately, we can lose them if we’re not careful, and it will be very hard indeed to find them again. See now, an angel is

opening the bag so that we can dip into it and take our gifts. They are all arranged like the alphabet, we won’t draw them like that very likely, but you can set them up afterwards yourselves and keep the whole alphabet in remembrance of this wonderful Christmas. The youngest will dip first . He has drawn Expectation. Now, I’m sure it’s only the angels would have thought of anything half so nice which could pretend to begin with a X. You all know what Expectation is don ’t you? It’s that bubbly feeling inside which makes you wonder what is going to happen, and very often it is the best part of some things. Well, it is much better to have that gift, than always to know for sure what is going to happen, like some people do. Now, we’ll have to din quickly—next is Obedience, and when it comes close to Willingness, like it has now when the Twins dipped, it is a beautiful gift. The next little boy has got Strength. That’s the gift which helps us to stick to the right even when it’s very hard to do. Someone else has got Beauty, which means I think, the gift to sec beauty in God’s handwork everywhere, and someone else has got Flowers. We all know what flowers mean to us, and wo can scarcely think what the world would be without them. But they are a gift just the same. And there is Loyalty, do we all know what that is? That is the gilt which makes us true to ourselves and to our friends. While we ve been reading these dips quite a number of Little People have drawn theirs, so, we’ll take a batch together. Affection, the gift which makes us loving and tender. Kindness, which helps us to see what we can do for another, and do it. Determination, that’s a good gift, it stiffens us up, but it’s no relation whatever to Stubbornness. Joy, we all know what that is, but some grownups forget what it feels like. Imagination is another beautiful gift, without it we couldn’t have had this lovely surprise. And there Quickness, which doesn’t sound anything special. Jnsl try to hurry a slow-coach along and ■ you II know all about, it. Here is somebody with Reverence which is one of the most beautiful gifts for it makes us see the linger of God in most unlikely places. ThoughtI illness which helps ns to use our intelligence and put it to good use? Unselfishness, we all know what that is, or at least we know the opposite. That’s a fine gift. Mercy, which really means, for most of us anyway, the gift which lialps us not to judge others harshly. Neatness, which makes us trim our nails and keep our books clean. Piety, the gift of being able to pray often and well. Charity, which makes us put ourselves in other people’s places when they are in trouble, and helps us to help them. Energy which keeps us from being born tired. Hopefulness which makes us sec the bright side of a dull day. Youthfulness which helps us to have light hearts even when we’re grownup. Zealousness which makes us anxious to work for Truth and be interested in all we do and Virtue which is fairly hard to explain, but which means that goodness which prefers doing the right thing. I think that s all the gifts Children. Let us. treasure them and keep them for all time, and promise the little Infant that we will come again to see Him. Soon it will be daylight, so we must get back home before anyone misses us. Let us bow our heads just once again and go quietly out into the early morning. Everyone is asleep, everyone except Father Christmas who is busy filling stockings. Let s tiptoe along and see if we can catch him, but lies so cute he’ll hide behind a blade of grass even and cover all the toys with his long white whiskers. Very few children have ever seen him, and when they do see him, he never comes again to them. So, perhaps it isn’t worth while playing a trick on him. Let’s hurry.— Anne.

iThe soul is a seed which God sows in the field of the Church; to produce fruits it must die under the strokes of pain, sorrows, contradictions, and persecutions.