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 imprinting an  image  of  its  source. But why  seek  to examine  with  the  naked  eye  the  midday  sun? Let us rather  turn  the  eye  of  faith  to  that  sublime  first chapter of  St.  John  and  learn  that  "  In  the  beginning was  the  Word  and  the  Word  was  God.  By  Him  all things  were  made.  In  Him  was  life,  and  He  is  the light  of  men." In every  act  of  the  intelligence,  an image  of  the  thing  comprehended  is  produced  on  the retina of  the  mind's  eye. In us  this  Word  is  a  mere shadow, as  unsubstantial  as  a  mirrored  image,  but in God,  whatever  falls  within  the  radius  of  the  Divinity, however  distinct  from  God  it  may  be,  must  still be substantially  God  Himself. Hence, the  Father, gazing on  His  own  infinitely  perfect  nature,  produces within Himself  an  image  thereof,  a  being  substantially identical  with  Himself,  but  personally  distinct— the  Word  of  God;  the  second  person  of  the Trinity. His existence,  His  essence  is  to  reflect  the perfections of  the  divine  nature,  its  possibilities  of imitation,  and  hence,  in  Him  as  in  an  exemplar,  all things had  their  first  ideal  life;  by  Him  as  a  model, all things  were  made;  and  He  enlighteneth  every man that  cometh  into  this  world,  for  He  is  the  way and the  truth  unto  life  everlasting.

Brethren, Christ's  second  birth  was  that  of  Bethlehem. Looking back  now  on  the  prodigies  of  that time, one  is  led  to  exclaim  once  again:  "  Who  shall declare  His  generation!  "  What  a  contrast  of  events, what an  upset  of  all  our  preconceived  ideas! Solomon asserted there  was  nothing  new  under  the  sun, but here,  at  last,  is  something  new. Almighty God