Doxology Jesu tibi sit glória

In the sacred Breviary and Missal, there is a connection between the Christmastide liturgy and the Feast of Corpus Christi: in the Mass, the Preface of the Nativity is said; the versicle Qui natus es de Maria Vírgine is said the Short Responsory of Prime and the Hymns, including the Hymn Rector potens, verax Deus of Sext, end with the Christmas doxology:

Jesu tibi sit glória,

Qui natus es de Vírgine,
Cum Patre et almo Spíritu,
In sempitérna sæcula. Amen.

All honour, laud, and glory be,
O Jesu, Virgin-Born, to thee;
Whom with the Father we adore,
And Holy Ghost, for evermore. Amen.

Holy Mother Church, inspired by the Holy Ghost, is most wise in uniting for our edification the Mysteries of the Nativity and the Holy Eucharist. Saint John Chrysostom (Sermo lx.) admonishes us: The Lord satisfieth us with his own holy Flesh, setting himself slain before us. What excuse therefore shall we have, if, being so fed as we are, we sin as we do? If, eating of the Lamb, we are still wolves? If, pastured as the sheep of the flock, we raven like lions? This mysterious Sacrament forbiddeth unto us not outrage only, but any the least enmity ; it is the Mystery of peace (vi. Lesson, ii. Noct., Matins, Monday in the Octave of Corpus Christi). What wondrous name does this holy Doctor give this Sacrament, pacis mystérium!

Our Holy Mother Church commences the Office of Christmas Day by exultingly praising her newborn Lord as the Rex pacíficus: The King of Peace hath shown his greatness, whose countenance the whole earth desires, The King of Peace is magnified above all the kings of the whole earth (i. & ii Ants., I Vesp. Christmas Day). How sublime is the Feast of Corpus Christi, wherein is celebrated not merely the arrival of this King of Peace into the Earth, but the arrival of this selfsame King into our very hearts as our nourishment!

Whereas in the most chaste womb of the Sacred Virgin He became incarnate only once, this King of Peace deigns to become incarnate and born in every Altar of Holy Mother Church. Our Lord could have descended upon the Earth in the flower of his manhood, as Adam was created, but that could not have satiated his infinite love. All the mysteries of His sacred life did not have as their end the union with humanity in general, but rather the union of each and everyone of us, the member of His Mystical Body. In this Mystery of Peace, as Saint John Chrysostom calls it, Our Lord brings about the prolongation of His sacred Incarnation, and thus the Mysteries of Christmas find their fruition in the Mysteries of this Sacrament.

The Christmas doxology, and the versicle Qui natus es de Maria Vírgine said at the Short Responsory at Prime, present for our consideration the role of Our Blessed Lady in this Mystery of Peace. The sacred flesh of Our Lord, the very nourishment that He gives us in the Holy Eucharist, is indeed the flesh of this Celestial Maiden. Holy Mary alone was found worthy to clothe the Eternal Word with human flesh, and so the fiat she pronounced at the Annunciation finds its wondrous consummation in the Holy Eucharist. Whensoever the Priest pronounces the words of Institution, he parallels the momentous fiat of the Blessed Virgin. Wherefore, Holy Mother Church demands perfect chastity from her ministers, so that their purity may be like unto Our Lady's purity.

We would do well in recoursing to Our Lady, imploring her intercession so that our reception of this great Sacrament may be trully for us a Sacred Banquet wherein the soul with grace is filled, and a pledge of future glory is bestowed (Ant. Mag., II Vesp.). No creature, either on Earth or in Heaven, has loved and adored Our Lord so perfectly as this Sacred Lady, and if we but unite our love and adoration to hers, then we would please Our Blessed Lord and render fitting thanks for instituting this wondrous Sacrament.

With the intercession of Our Blessed Lady, we can indeed worthily recieve Our Lord in Holy Communion; and so increase in faith, hope and charity that we may truly love Him super aurum et topázion (Ps. cxviii. 127)!