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BY MICHAEL MOTES Soundings BY MONSIGNOR NOELC. BURTENSHAW Old Jacob was furious. The aches and pains in his back told him he had done a good thorough job. He had worked since early morning all alone in the dusty darkness of that stale smelling stable to properly prepare. And now the Roman was barking objections. A broom handle across the back would settle the silly prattlings of this self-righteous centurion. It was bad enough that the high and mighty Caesar, from the throne in Rome, had ordered a census bringing pilgrims from North and South. It was impossible for Bethlehem, a meager town of one solitary inn, to house so many. But this uniformed loud and boastful bully, fresh from the fields of war, ordered a suite for himself and warm surroundings for his prancing Arabian steed. The innkeeper hollered at Jacob. The stable, used only for wandering waves of straying oxen, must be in perfect order to greet this kingly beast. Otherwise Roman steel might fan the air and Jewish heads might roll. So make it perfect, fetch brushes and rakes and fresh hay. The stable must be ready. Jacob was indoor-help. His job was at the inn, not here among the scratchy field mice and the crawling pests. But he needed to work. So the stalls were swept and laced with fresh straw. The broken backdoor was heaved onto the squeeky hinges and fresh soft hay was layered on the old manger. There was no time for paint but Jacob was proud of his shiney finished product. Now the General stood gazing at Bethlehem’s best looking stable with fury in his eyes. No, it would not do. This magnificent stallion was the beautiful, black gleaming beast backed off the lodgings Jacob had carefully prepared as if insulted by the offered invitation. Flinging himself into the silver saddle and rearing his frightened mount, the centurian promised retribution on everyone. The innkeeper and finest, fastest of the Roman legions. He would not house a Jewish donkey in that run down excuse for a stable. It might not last the night. There were even holes in the roof. No, it was not good enough. Never. Looking every bit as arrogant as his master, the his rotten accommodations would suffer, that lazy, hobbling unshaven old janitor would suffer and Bethlehem - god forsaken city at anytime - would never be heard of again. It was his final promise as he disappeared into the oncoming darkness. As Jacob left for home, disappointed that the beautiful horse had declined shelter in his stable, he saw the young couple quietly slip through the mended back door. Soon he heard the first whimpers of the wide-eyed newly born. Scampering, murmering, bright faced shepherds almost knocked him to the ground as they converged on his stable. Quietly, adoringly, excitedly they surrounded the mother and her beautiful baby boy laying on the freshly prepared manger. Jacob felt that somehow his work had not been a waste. The stable gleaming clean stood proudly prepared for this mysterious moment. He also felt, as he walked home beneath a sky of bright heavenly stars, that the Roman was wrong. Bethlehem would be heard of again. Cathedral Christmas Christmas services at the Cathedral of Christ the King will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve with a Family Mass. At 11:15 p.m. December 24, the Cathedral Choir will present a musical program, followed by the Midnight Mass with Archbishop Donnellan as principal celebrant and homilist. Christmas Day Masses will be celebrated at 7, 8 and 9 a.m. The 11 a.m. High Mass will again feature the archbishop as principal celebrant and homilist. The 12:30 p.m. Mass Christmas Day will be a Folk Mass. Mass will also be celebrated at 5:30 p.m. and at 7 p.m., the latter being in Spanish. \J U4ti l\ Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta Vol. 17 No. 45 Thursday, December 20,1979 $6 Per Year Atlanta’s Cheeriest Christmas CANCER HOME Auxiliary members Catherine McElroy (left) and Edna Perdue bring the spirit of Christmas to the ill by helping to decorate for the holidays. When.... More than 50 members of the Auxiliary of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cancer home turned out for the annual day the group sets aside to decorate the home for the holiday season. No area of the building is left undecorated by the volunteers, who spend countless hours throughout the year making the terminally ill Cancer Home patients as comfortable, as possible. But Christmas is such a special time that the Auxiliary members put forth that “something extra” that brings the holiday spirit to visitor and patient alike. Of the 14 Christmas trees decorated, the most unusual is one which came out of “retirement” for a very special reason this year. Called the “Bicentennial Tree,” the patriotically-decorated display was originally clad with red, white and blue symbols of American patriotism in the Bicentennial Year of 1976. “This year we brought out this special tree again in honor of the American hostages being held in Tehran,” says Auxiliary member Dixie Barton. “We feel that it is an appropriate reminder of those being held prisoner, whom we all keep in our prayers at this Christmas season.” Each of the trees in the Cancer Home carries a special theme. Scottish plaids brighten one tree, while another seems set in the winter wonderland of a blizzard. For patients, staff and the many visitors who fill the Cancer Home at this time of the year, the work of the Auxiliary is an outstanding example of brightening the lives of others. WHEN THE HOSTAGES come back home we will celebrate Christmas again. So don’t undeck the halls, don’t dim the lights on the tree and don’t remove the hedges of holly from the house. WHEN THE HOSTAGES come back home, we will sit down and write verses on cards once more. We will stuff love notes in Christmas stockings and shower them with gifts dreamily made, just for them, in the Claus household at the North Pole. WHEN THE HOSTAGES come back home, there will be lullabyes of carols sweetly sung. The Silent Nights they missed, the Joy to the World they were denied, will be heaped high before their reminiscent eyes and manger scenes of great and tender warmth will glow beneath the traditional twinkling star just for them. WHEN THE HOSTAGES come back home, Bing will share his dream once more of a White Christmas, Frosty the Snowman will come to chilly life and the jangle of Jingle Bells will resound from street to street. From household to household. WHEN THE HOSTAGES come back home, gleaming glad wrapped presents will reappear complete with mighty Christmas bows. And we will capture their raptureous surprises on our flashing Polaroids and clicking Instamatics. WHEN THE HOSTAGES come back home, we will ring the church bells calling our loved ones to the midnight table of the Eucharist. We will heap upon them with enthusiastic excitement the brotherly sign of peace. We will sit down and know them in the breaking of bread. WHEN THE HOSTAGES come back home, we will love them so much, with such warmth and relief, there will be no room within us to hate their furtively cunning captors. We promise it will all happen, when the hostages come back home. --NCB Winning Christmas Essay (EDITOR S NOTE: We congratulate Neal Callahan, a seventh grader at Saint Jude's School, for his first-place winning essay on the theme “We Are Entertaining A Homeless Family For Christmas.”Neal, whose essay appears here, receives $50. Second-place winner is Karen Meadows, a student at St. Mary's in 'Rome. Her essaywill appear in our January 3 issue.) BY NEAL CALLAHAN There were only four more days until Christmas, and I was thinking how great it would be on Christmas: the whole family together loving and caring for each other. But when my dad returned home, he told us that he had very important news about Christmas. He called a family meeting in the family room. He told us that we were having company for Christmas, a family. Sheila asked him where they were from. My dad told her they were refugees from Vietnam. My heart sank. Well, there goes a great private Christmas, ruined by a couple of boat people! That night I thought about the refugees. I felt angry and curious at the same time. I had heard a lot about boat people on the news but I still felt curious. The next day on the way to the airport I asked my dad why he invited the refugees. He told me it was the Christmas thing to do, besides, they had feelings also, but they didn’t have anyone to care for or love them. Well, it helped, but I still felt bitter and confused. Then my mom really changed my feelings. She reminded me how I would feel if I had no money, food, shelter or warm clothing. She told me that I would expect someone to care for me. Suddenly I felt sorry for the Vietnamese family. And when I met them, I felt even closer. They were my friends, people just like me, with a family just like mine. It was the best Christmas ever! Christmas TV Mass Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan’s Christmas Mass will be broadcast on WSB-TV, Channel 2, at 11 a.m. on Christmas Day. Assisting the Archbishop will be Monsignor Noel C. Burtenshaw. The Holy Spirit Choir w ; H perform under the direction of Bob Krick.