A CHRISTMAS NOVENA
III. The First Hours of the Childhood of Jesus Christ1. Enter in spirit into the stable at Bethlehem and humbly kneel before the Word of God made man. What do we find Jesus doing in these first moments of His mortal life? By a single act of His divine will He could have instantly transformed the human race. But He came to redeem men and preached to them before anything else the virtues which they most needed—humility, indifference to worldly possessions, and the acceptance of suffering. He taught them to endure suffering, neither rebelliously nor even as a disagreeable necessity, but as a means of purification and sanctification. Before the time of Jesus Christ suffering was dreaded and abhorred. He taught us to love it because it is the salt of the earth which saves us from corruption, because it detaches us from worldly things, and because it lifts our thoughts towards Heaven.
What, then, do we find Jesus doing in these first moments of His Mortal life? He is weeping and smiling by turns, as a newborn infant does. How can we understand the mystery behind these divine tears? Jesus does not weep because it is cold and damp, nor because He is uncomfortable on His bed of straw. He could have remedied these inconveniences, if He had so desired, by a single act of His will. No, He weeps for us, for the human race immersed in sin. He weeps and suffers so that we also may learn to weep and suffer for our sins and to do penance for them. This is the explanation of the tears of the Divine Child. Let us learn to weep with Him, and we shall be purified and comforted.
2. Through life's long journey we have often had occasion to shed tears. We have wept for sheer physical pain or moral suffering. Sometimes, perhaps, we have wept for joy, for such joy as the world can give. On other occasions jealousy, hatred, or caprice may have moved us to tears. But have we ever wept, like Mary Magdalen or St. Augustine, for the sins which we have committed?
If the Infant Jesus wept for our sins, why should not we weep tears of repentance for them ? If the tears which we shed for weak, human reasons are not inspired in any way by sentiments of faith, love or reparation, they fail to relieve our anguish or to gain everlasting merit for us.
3. When we contemplate the mystery of love which caused God made man to weep for our sins, we may not be moved to shed actual tears. But we should at least shed spiritual tears of repentance and of love, and of longing for holiness and for complete dedication to Jesus Christ. We should love Jesus for the countless numbers who do not love Him, or who blaspheme and ignore Him. We should yearn to make reparation for so much ingratitude and neglect by our prayers and penances. The infinite love of the God-Child demands all our love in return.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are subject to deletion if they are not germane. I have no problem with a bit of colourful language, but blasphemy or depraved profanity will not be allowed. Attacks on the Catholic Faith will not be tolerated. Comments will be deleted that are republican (Yanks! Note the lower case 'r'!), attacks on the legitimacy of Pope Francis as the Vicar of Christ (I know he's a material heretic and a Protector of Perverts, and I definitely want him gone yesterday! However, he is Pope, and I pray for him every day.), the legitimacy of the House of Windsor or of the claims of the Elder Line of the House of France, or attacks on the legitimacy of any of the currently ruling Houses of Europe.