30 December.

All Photo Credits: Jean-Marie Duvoisin.

All Illustrations: EINSIEDELN ABBEY

Text is taken from “The Liturgical Year”.
By: Abbot Guéranger, O.S.B.
Volume 2.
Christmas.
Book 1.

30 December is the only day within the Christmas Octave which is not a Saint’s Feast Day. During the Octaves of Epiphany, Easter, and Pentecost, The Church is so absorbed in the respective Mysteries that she puts off everything that could share the attention; whereas during this Octave of Christmas, there is only one day which does not celbrate the memory of some glorious Saint, and our Infant Jesus is surrounded by a Choir of heroes who loved and served Him.

Thus, The Church, or, more correctly, God — for God is the first author of The Cycle of The Year — shows us how The Incarnate Word, Who came to save mankind, desires to give mankind confidence by this His adorable familiarity.

We have already shown that the Birth of Our Lord took place on a Sunday, the Day on which, in the beginning of the World, God created Light. We shall find, later on, that His Resurrection also was on a Sunday.

This, the first day of Creation, and the first day of the week, was Consecrated by the old pagans to the Sun; with us Christians, it is most Sacred and Holy, on account of the two risings of Our Divine Sun of Justice — His Birth and His Resurrection.

Whilst the Solemnity of Easter is always kept on a Sunday, that of Christmas falls by turns on each of the days of the week — we have already had this difference explained to us by The Holy Fathers; but the Mystery of Jesus’s Birth is more aptly and strongly expressed, when its anniversary falls on a Sunday.

Other years, when the co-incidence does not happen, the Faithful will at least be led by their Christian instincts, to give especial honour to The Day Within The Octave which falls on a Sunday.

The Church has honoured it with a Proper Mass and Proper Office.