A life of Christ for children

Foreword

Our Holy Father, Pius X., at the beginning of his pontificate, issued a great letter to the whole world, in which he said that it was the desire of his heart to restore all things in Christ. Small as our share must be in such a great work, we can, at least, as faithful children of our Holy Father, begin with ourselves and strive to make our own life an imitation of the Life of Jesus of Nazareth. To know Him in the flesh, how He lived and talked and acted when He was upon earth, should surely be to us not only of the greatest interest, but also the most inspiring call to action and faithful service. Our dear Lord was simplicity itself, and the translator of the present work has put before us in simple language that story — the greatest that the world has ever known. To make ourselves familiar with the life of Jesus Christ from Bethlehem to Calvary, and to the Mount of the Ascension, is a most efficacious way to warm our souls with a love for Him who died that we might live, a most sure way of having Him with us through all the days of our life, and even in the hour when He calls us unto that land where He waits for us.

J. CARD. GIBBONS.

Preface

This volume presents to its young readers in a manner suited to their age the life on earth of our Blessed Lord. We follow Him in this story related for us by His own immediate followers in the pages of the Holy Gospel.

We see him as an infant, a child, a grown boy, and then, in the fullness of His power, as a man.

His whole life is worthy of our study because nothing begins to compare in value, either in time or eternity, with the life of Jesus Christ.

Nothing is more beneficial to the young boy or girl of to-day than a knowledge of that Life. He will find in it the instruction that he most needs ; he will find therein how to live as a boy and afterwards as a man ; and, in imitating Christ, he will bring out the very best that is in himself, both from an earthly and a heavenly standpoint.

We must remember that Jesus Christ came down from heaven and became a man and lived His human life to show us how we ought to live. There is no one to whom He does not speak directly through that life, and it is just as valuable, just as practical, now as it was in the days when Christ walked upon earth. As we grow up and meet the little or big things of everyday life, we are called upon to show our worth and our character, or to show that we haven't anything of either — which God forbid.

Every day we are called upon to do this little work of study or of errands at home; to keep our temper in this game or under this trial; to be pure, not to seek to satisfy our curiosity, or our senses, by indulging in this pleasure or in that; to keep to our religious duties; to love our parents, our brothers, our sisters, with a real, unselfish love. We are called upon to stand for honesty; for fair play; for truthfulness; for purity and cleanliness of life — all through our days.

All these calls must come to every one of us; they do come every day. And it is equally true that we need the example, the lesson of One Who actually faced all the evils of the world; Who had pain and suffering and yet Who conquered all and won out in all. Jesus Christ was a man among men, and in His manhood He gave an example of what every man should be; of what every one of us should be. In every case that comes before us where we must ask ourselves whether we will do this or that, whether we will refrain from this forbidden pleasure or yield to it, in every case we can readily see — since we know Him — what Jesus Christ would have done and what He would wish us to do. There is no uncertainty about it; there is no doubt about it. Before us, as a great light, the greatest light the world has ever known; greater and more piercing than the sun, illuminating every soul, is the life of Jesus Christ. He has given His example, He has shown what ought to be done in every case to every boy and girl, every man and woman.

To show forth the splendor and the practical value of that Life has been the object of this Grandmother's Story. It has been a work of much labor, but of greater love. We wish that our children would study it; read it over time and time again; read the Gospels from which it is taken; sit down quietly now and again and think of our Lord Jesus, think of how we ourselves are imitating Him; and always, day and night, pray to Him in utter confidence and childlike affection and frankness and love. Then, indeed, will you love Him even more than you do, and the sweetest, most gracious comfort in your life will be the personal love that you bear to Jesus Christ; and nothing, no sin of any kind, will ever separate you from Him. That love will be your abiding support, and upon it you will find that you can lean when all else fails.

May the knowledge and the love of Him sink deep into your hearts; so deep that nothing will ever be strong enough or alluring enough to root it out. 14 ve for Him; grow like unto Him; and then, as He was, so will you be, kind and patient and pure and hopeful. In the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist will you possess Him as your very own; then will you speak to Him and He to you, and the glories that your soul will know in its communions with Him through life will be unfolded, in all their fullness when he asks you to come to Him in the Kingdom where He now reigns.

JOHN J. BURKE, C. S. P.

Introduction

Sophie, Comtesse de Segur, was born in the year 1799 in Russia. Her father was the Count Rostopschine who at that time was Prime Minister to the Emperor Paul. The Czar stood Godfather to little Sophie who was baptized in the Greek Church, which later on in life Sophie renounced to embrace the Catholic faith.

Sophie's childhood and girlhood were spent in Russia as one of a large and happy family of brothers and sisters.

At an early age she met and married the Count de Segur of France, in which country she ever afterwards resided.

This happy union was blessed with many children, one of whom became Monseigneur de Segur, so well beloved in Paris, where for many years he exercised his priestly ministry. His numerous writings, numbering at least one hundred brochures, or small books, testify to his piety and love of little children.

This affection for the lambs of his flock, Monseigneur de Segur imbibed from his mother, all her life a lover of children. When time had lessened her maternal cares, Mme. de Segur found her greatest happiness in living over, in the company of her

INTRODUCTION

grandchildren, the years of her motherhood. She was the devoted grandmother of thirteen little ones, whose greatest delight was to listen to the stories she could so well tell and to which their mothers had listened as eagerly.

It was not until late in life that Mme. de Segur committed to writing these charming tales, and which to this day are read with delight by the children over the sea.

Among these tales none was listened to with greatest interest than that wonderful story of God become man, and for thirty-three years making our earth his home.

We can picture this happy band of little ones gathered on a bright morning in grandma's sunny room and begging for the promised story of Christ.

There they all are, Camille and her sister Madeleine, Elizabeth and her four brothers, Pierre, Henry, Louis, and Jack, and their cousins, Henrietta and Jane, Valentine, Mary, Theresa, and even Paul and little Louis, only five years old, all eager to hear.

The sunlight streams in on expectant faces, on golden curies, brown hair, and grandma's white head. The canary sings his loudest while the children scramble for the places at grandma's right and left.

Finally all are seated, and grandma, seated in her big armchair, begins The Story of Christ.

Index

BOOK FIRS!

The Childhood of Jesus.

Page

Chap. 1. The Jews 3 2. " Annunciation 5

3. " Visitation 8

4. Birth of John the Baptist 11

5. Birth of Jesus Christ \ 13

Adoration of the Shepherds J

6. The Wise Men 17

7. The Presentation in the Temple 21

8. The Massacre of the Innocents 25

9. Jesus Among the Doctors 28

BOOK SECOND First Year of the Ministry of Jesus. Page

Chap. 10. St. John the Baptist \ ™

Baptism of Christ J

11. Jesus in the Desert \ ^ 6

The Temptation J

12. The Testimony of John \ 4 q

The First Disciples of Jesus J

13. The Marriage Feast at Cana 45

14. The Hucksters Driven From the Temple 48

15. The Samaritan Woman, or Jesus at Jacob's Well 50

16. Jesus Teaches in the Synagogue 53

17. Jesus Heals the Son of the Ruler t 56

18. Jesus Calls Peter and Andrew 58

19. Jesus Cures the Demoniac 60

20. The Miraculous Draught of Fishes 62

21. The Curing of the Leper 66

22. The Calling of Matthew 70

23. The Healing of the Paralytic 72

BOOK THIRD. Second Year of the Ministry of Jesus

Page

Chap. 24. The Pool of Bethesda 75

25. The Man with the Withered Hand 80

26. Jesus Chooses His Twelve Apostles 82

27. The Sermon on the Mount 84

28. The "Our Father" 92

29. The Centurion 97

30. The Son of the Widow of Nairn 100

31. John the Baptist Sends His Disciples to Jesus. . 102

32. The Sinful Woman in the House of Simon 104

33. Miracles and Parables of Jesus 107

34. The Quieting of the Tempest 114

35. The Cure of the Man Possessed of an Evil Spirit 116

36. The Daughter of Jairus 119

37. The Curing of the Blind and the Dumb 122

38. Christ Visits Nazareth 125

39. The Mission of the Apostles 127

40. Beheading of John the Baptist 132

41. The Feeding of the Multitude in the Desert 135

42. Christ Walks Upon the Water 138

43. The Promise of the Eucharist 141

44. The Woman of Chanaan 145

45. Cure of the Deaf and Dumb Man 148

46. Jesus Feeds the Multitude 150

47. The Cure of the Blind Man 152

BOOK FOURTH. Third Year of the Ministry of Jesus

Page

Chap. 48. Christ Establishes Peter Head of His Church. . . 154

49. Christ Predicts His Death and Resurrection 157

50. The Transfiguration of Our Lord 160

51. The Healing of the Boy Possessed of the Devil. 162

52. Jesus Pays the Tribute Money 166

53. Dispute Among the Disciples 168

54. Parable of the King and His Servants 172

55. The Samaritans Refuse to Receive Jesus 176

56. Parable of the Good Samaritan 178

57. Martha and Mary 180

58. The Barren Fig Tree 183

59. The Cure of the Woman Bent Double 185

ii

Page

Chap. 60. Christ Weeps Over Jerusalem 186

" 61. A Parable on Humility 187

62. Parable of the Feast 190

63. We Are to Love God Above All 193

" 64. Parable of the Good Shepherd and of the Lost

Groat 196

65. The Prodigal Son 198

" 66. Parabje of the Rich Man and Lazarus 203

67. The Pharisees Seek to Lay Hold of Jesus 207

68. The Sinful Woman 209

69. Cure of the Man Born Blind 212

70. The Good Shepherd 217

71. The Ten Lepers 219

72. The Pharisee and the Publican \ 2 2l

Christ Blesses Little Children J

73. Christ and the Rich Young Man 224

74. Parable of the Workmen in the Vineyard 228

75. The Raising of Lazarus 231

76. Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection 237

44 77. Zaccheus Receives Jesus in His House 239

78. Parable of the Ten Talents 241

" 79. Mary Magdalene Anoints the Feet of Jesus 245

BOOK FIFTH. The Last Days in the Ministry of Jesus

Page

Chap. 80. The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem . . 247

" 81. Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem 249

" 82. Jesus Condemns the Barren Fig Tree \ 2 m

The Venders Driven From the Temple J

" 83. Christ Answers the Pharisees 255

" 84. Parable of the Vineyard and the Husbandmen. . 257

85. Parable of the Wedding Feast 261

86. The Tribute to Caesar 263

87. The Love of God and of Our Neighbor 265

** 88. The Widow's Mite 268

44 89. Jesus Predicts the Ruin of Jerusalem, and the

Last Day 269

90. Parable of the Ten Virgins 270

44 91. Judas Determines to Betray Christ 274

" 92. The Last Supper 277

44 93. Christ Washes the Feet of His Disciples 280

94. The Institution of the Blessed Eucharist 283

BOOK SIXTH. The Passion and the Resurrection of Jesus

Page

Chap. 95. The Agony in the Garden 287

" 96. Judas Betrays Christ 291

" 97. Jesus Before Annas 294

" 98. Jesus Before Caiphus 296

99. Peter Denies Christ 298

" 100. Despair and Death of Judas 300

" 101. Christ Before Pilate 302

102. Christ Before Herod 304

103. Christ Sent Back to Pilate 305

" 104. Christ is Scourged 307

" 105. Pilate Condemns Christ to Death 309

" 106. Christ Carries His Cross 313

" 107. Christ is Crucified 315

" 108. The Conversion of the Good Thief 317

" 109. Christ Leaves His Mother to St. John 320

« 110. Christ Dies on the Cross 322

4 * 111. Christ is Buried .324

" 112. The Resurrection of Christ 328

" 113. Mary Magdalene at the Tomb of Christ 331

ci 114. Christ Appears to Mary Magdalene 333

" 115. Christ Appears to the Holy Women 335

" 116. Christ Appears to the Disciples on the Road to

Emmaus 337

" 117. Christ Appears to the Disciples Gathered Together 339

11 118. The Incredulity of Thomas 342

" 119. St. Peter Appointed Head of the Church 344

" 120. Christ Ascends into Heaven 346

Chapter I. The Jews

Grandma: I am about to tell you the story of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity; God made man to redeem us from sin and eternal death. I may in the course of this wonderful story use words which the little ones may not understand, do not fail to interrupt me and ask any question you wish.

The Jews were a people favored by God. Over this nation he watched with special care. To them he had foretold through his servants, the prophets, the coming of his Son, Jesus Christ, who was to be born among them and who was to save them from the evil ones.

The Jews should have been very good, being so blessed by God, but they were often wicked and rebelled against God and against the kings God appointed over them; but God is so good and merciful that he forgives as often as we repent and beg his forgiveness, and as often as the Jews fell into sin and repented, God would forgive them, but unfortunately they would fall again.

God had given them a beautiful country which was called Judea and later on was called Palestine.

There they lived and waited for this Savior, whose coming the prophets had foretold centuries before.

They thought the Son of God would come in great glory, as the most powerful and the richest of kings ; that he would have a large following and immense wealth.

While they were waiting and studying the words of the prophets, and disputing among themselves concerning this promised Messias and the time of his coming, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Lord and Savior, was about to be born in Judea.

Annunciation

Chapter II. The Annunciation

Joachim and Anna, two faithful servants of God who were descended from the great Jewish king, David, were blessed with a daughter named Mary.

At the age of fifteen Mary was espoused to her cousin, Joseph, who was also of the House of David.

Mary was the most beautiful, the wisest, and the most perfect of all God's creatures. One day while she was praying in her home at Nazareth, suddenly before her stood a beautiful angel, resplendent with light. It was the Angel Gabriel, God's messenger, and he said to Mary: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women." At these words of the angel Mary grew troubled, because she was very humble and never thought of her many virtues, and considered herself therefore unworthy of being spoken to by the angel as "blessed among women."

While thinking within herself what such a greeting might mean, the angel spoke again and said to her: "Fear not, Mary, thou hast found grace with God. Thou shalt bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David, his father; and he shall reign forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end."

And Mary said to the angel: "How shall this be done?" The Angel answering said to her:

"The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."

The angel added that in three months her cousin, Elizabeth, who was old, and whom people mocked and called sterile, would also have a son, to show that nothing was impossible to God.

And Mary said: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word." And the angel left her —

Elizabeth: Grandma, why did the angel say that people mocked Elizabeth because she was sterile? What is sterile?

Grandma: Sterile means that she had never had a child. The Jews considered this a great disgrace, because every Jew hoped that Jesus, the Messias, promised by God to deliver the world from sin, would be born in their family, and when a Jew was not blessed with children he could not cherish this hope.

Henry: And why did the angel say he would be great ? How would he be great ?

Grandma: The angel meant he would be great in holiness and in power.

Louis: Why did the angel say he would reign forever? He did not reign at all, and doesn't reign now.

Grandma: The angel spoke of the spiritual kingdom of Jesus over the whole world. The kingdom of Jesus is the Church. The pope, the bishops, and the priests of the Church have been working for eighteen hundred years to establish the kingdom of Jesus Christ on this earth. Our Lord has returned to Heaven where he now is, where he will be forever, and whence he reigns and rules over all men; where he rewards the good and punishes the wicked.

Now, I shall tell you the story of the Visitation, that is to say, the visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin, Elizabeth, the wife of Zachary, a priest of the temple of Jerusalem.

Jane: What is a temple ?

Grandma: The temple was for the Jews what the church is for us. It was the house of God. In the temple they kept the commandments of God written on tables of stone, which they called the "Tables of the Law."

It was here all sacred things were preserved, and it was in the temple the Jews gathered together to offer up their sacrifices.

Chapter III. The Visitation

Zachary was a Jewish priest. He and his wife, Elizabeth, were very old. Elizabeth was eighty years of age. They had no children, which saddened them greatly.

Henry: Did the Jewish priests marry?

Grandma: Yes, the priests of the Jewish law married, because the old law was not as perfect as our law, and did not exact of the priests a life of such absolute devotion and renunciation.

Our priests have no wives, in order that they may devote themselves more exclusively to the service of God, to the salvation of souls, to the relief of the poor, and to the religious instruction of children.

One day Zachary entered the temple to offer incense to God at the alter of the sanctuary.

The people remained outside, praying. According to the Jewish custom, the priests alone had the right to enter this part of the temple. While Zachary was praying and burning incense, he saw an angel standing at the right of the alter.

Zachary was troubled and frightened at the apparition of an angel, but the angel said to him:

"Fear not, Zachary, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife, Elizabeth, shall bear a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice in his nativity. He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, and he shall convert many of the children of Isreal to the Lord their God."

Zachary found it difficult to believe the words of the angel, and said to him:

"Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years."

The Angel answered :

"I am Gabriel, who stand before God; and am sent to speak to thee, and to bring thee these good tidings. And behold, thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be able to speak until the day wherein these things shall come to pass, because thou hast not believed my words, which shall be fulfilled in their time."

And the angel disappeared.

When Zachary came out of the temple the people asked him why he had tarried so long inside; but he could not answer, for he was dumb.

A short while after this Zachary knew the angel's promise would soon be fulfilled and that Elizabeth would have a son.

Elizabeth rejoiced and thanked God who had now taken from her the humilation under which she had so long lived.

While Elizabeth was praising God for this great favor, her cousin, the Virgin Mary, who knew of this good news from the angel, asked her spouse, Joseph, to take her to visit Elizabeth. Joseph consented, and they set out on foot for the city of Hebron, where dwelt Elizabeth, across the hills of Judea.

When Mary entered the house she greeted her cousin, Elizabeth. As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's voice she was filled with the Holy Ghost, who revealed to her that Mary was to be the mother of the Son of God, and she cried out :

"Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this (honor) to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" To whom Mary replied in the words of that beautiful hymn of thanksgiving, called the "Magnificat," which is sung in Church at the end of Vespers.

After Mary had spent three months with her cousin, Elizabeth, she returned to her own home in Nazareth.

Chapter IV. Birth Of John The Baptist

At the time predicted by the Angel Gabriel Elizabeth gave birth to a son. On hearing this glad news many came to congratulate her, for Elizabeth had long desired a son, and had prayed fervently that she might one day be a mother. On the eighth day after the birth of the child, according to the custom of the Jewish people, the priests came to circumcise him.

Henry: What does circumcise mean ?

Grandma: Circumcision was the mark of the Jewish religion, and when administered the child received its name as do Christians when they receive baptism.

The priests, therefore, wished to circumcise the child, and to give him his father's name, Zachary. But Elizabeth said to them: "Not so; he shall be called John." But they replied: "There is none of thy kindred called by that name." In Hebuew John signified full of grace.

As Elizabeth insisted, Zachary was asked to indicate in some way what should be the child's name.

Zachary, taking a writing tablet, wrote: "John is his name."

This surprised every one, and, at that moment Zachary's tongue was loosed miraculously, and he began to speak and to praise God.

All those present and all the people of the neighborhood were filled with wonder and admiration. And they came from far and wide to see this child, whose birth was accompanied by such miracles; and they said to one another : "What a one, think ye, this child shall be? For the hand of the Lord was with him."

And John grew and increased in strength and was remarkably intelligent, and when he grew older he withdrew into the desert.

Mary: What is a desert ?

Grandma: The desert is a desolate place of sandy soil in which nothing can grow. John withdrew into the desert to prepare for his great mission of Precursor; that is to say, forerunner of Christ. He was to announce the coming of Jesus, the Savior of the world

The Nativity

Chapter V

THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST. ADORATION OF THE SHEPHERDS.

Grandma: Shortly before the birth of Jesus, Augustus Caesar, Emperor of Rome and ruler of Judea, ordered that a census be taken of all the inhabitants of the countries under his rule. Cyrinus, Governor of Syria, obeying this injunction, issued an edict that all the people of Syria and Judea should be enrolled, each in the city of his forefathers. At this time Joseph lived in Nazareth, a city of Galilee, and to be enrolled according to this command of Ceasar's he was obliged to travel to Bethlehem, a little town in the province of Judea, near Jerusalem, about twenty-five miles from Nazareth. Bethlehem was the city of David and of his family, and you remember that I told you that Joseph and Mary were of the family of David. He set out, therefore, with Mary his espoused wife.

The journey was long and Mary was very weary when they reached Bethlehem, and Joseph anxiously sought a shelter for his spouse, but everywhere he was refused. A large concourse of people had come to this city to be enrolled, "and there was no room for them in the inn."

When Joseph was turned away from the inn, not knowing where to turn to find a resting place for Mary, he wandered outside of the city, and there, near the gates of the city, he found a cave, which served as a stable to shelter cows and mules.

Tradition tells us that King David had often rested in this cave when, as a shepherd, he watched his flocks nearby. There Joseph prepared for Mary a bed of straw, and in that stable of Bethlehem Jesus came into the world. In the country round about Bethlehem, as in the days of King David, there were shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by day and night for fear they might be stolen or harm come to them. Suddenly, in the middle of the night "an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear; but the angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people; for this day is born to you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the Infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger."

Jane: What is a manger?

Grandma: A manger is a kind of trough out of which the animals of the stable eat.

John: But the poor infant must have been very uncomfortable in such a cradle.

Grandma: Yes; he was poorly cradled and clothed, but God so willed it.

Jane: How was it that God, who is his father, and who made all things, did not give him a nice cradle and a beautiful home, instead of letting him lie in a manger in a miserable stable?

Grandma: Because the Child Jesus wished to show us, by his example, that we must not desire the riches, of this world, nor set our hearts on those things that wealth can give; and that we must love privations and humiliations.

Louise: I don't want to lie in a manger nor live in a stable.

Grandma : We are not obliged to sleep in a stable, but we are called upon not to be too exacting or too fond of our own ease and comfort.

After the angel had told the shepherds how they were to recognize the Child, "there was suddenly with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying: 'Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will.' " After the angels left the shepherds "they said to one another, lets us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this Word that has come to pass, which the Lord hath showed to us. And they came with haste; and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in a manger." And when they saw the Child they adored him and they understood the words of the angel.

All those to whom the shepherds told of this first Christmas night wondered at the marvelous things they heard. And Mary, the mother of Jesus, kept in her heart the memory of all these things and dwelt on them lovingly.