AND HER CHARMING COMPANIONS OF THE AMERICAN CRITERION SOCIETY OF NEW
YORK BY THEIR CHAPLAIN

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PREFACE


Christmas is one of the great days of obligation and observance in the
Church of which I am a Priest; but it is much more than that, it is one
of the great days of obligation and observance in the world. Furthermore
it is one of the evidences of the power of Him Whose birth we
commemorate that its observation is not limited by conditions of race
and creed. Those who fail to see in Him what we see nevertheless see
something and even by imperfect visions are moved to joy. The world
transmutes that joy into blessing, not merely by giving of its substance
but of its soul because men perceive that it is for the soul's good and
because they hope to receive its benefits although they well know that
giving is far better than receiving, in the very words of Him Who gave
us the greatest of all gifts--Himself.

As a Priest of the Church, as a Missionary in the Far West, as the
Rector of large and important parishes I have been brought in touch with
varied life. Christmas in all its phases is familiar to me. The author
of many books and stories as well as the preacher of many sermons, it is
natural that Christmas should have engaged a large part of my attention.
Out of the abundance of material which I have accumulated in the course