MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

THE CHILD WHO CALLS US TO THE HEART: A REFLECTION ON THE INCARNATION

 THE MASTER OF PRAYER

Oh, souls thirsting for God, fix your gaze on the mystery we contemplate in the cave of Bethlehem. What do we see there? A Child, small, defenseless, lying in a manger. This Child is God Himself, the eternal Word, who does not disdain the weakness of our flesh but assumes it to save us. What could move Him to this if not an ineffable love, a burning desire for closeness with us? This is the mystery of the Incarnation: the almighty God who lowers Himself to the humblest state to draw us to His heart.

Contemplate Him. In His very littleness, the Child Jesus teaches us profound lessons. Saint Teresa of Jesus, in her heavenly wisdom, invites us to learn from Him: “Whoever lacks a master to teach him how to pray, let him take this Lord so human, and he will see how much he gains.” Who is more human than this Child? Who is closer? If clarity in prayer is lacking, if your spirit feels lost, turn your eyes to the manger. Look at His tiny hands outstretched, as if already calling us to rest in His love.

This Child, though He speaks no words, teaches through His very presence. His silence speaks louder than any sermon: prayer does not consist in multiplying words but in being in His presence with an open heart. He is the perfect master, who in the simplicity of His cradle shows us the path to communion with God.

THE PATH OF SPIRITUAL CHILDHOOD

Why did God choose to come as a child? Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus answers with luminous clarity: “Jesus chose to come as a child so that no one would fear to approach Him.” Here lies the reason for His littleness: He does not want us to fear Him but to trust Him completely. Just as a child extends his arms to his father, so He calls us to stretch our hearts toward Him.

Christmas invites us, as Thérèse understood so well, to live spiritual childhood. What does this mean? It means putting aside self-sufficiency, recognizing our dependence on God, and abandoning ourselves in His arms like a child who fully trusts the love of his father. The greatness of this path lies in that by making ourselves small, God takes us and raises us to Himself.

LOVE MADE SMALL

Consider this: the same God who holds the universe in His hand became a fragile and dependent child. What an abyss of love! He, who needed nothing, chose to need everything, so that we might learn not to fear Him. In His poverty, He offers us His riches; in His smallness, He reveals His greatness. Thus, by His very presence in the manger, He teaches us that there is nothing to fear when approaching Him.

Who could contemplate this mystery without being moved? God did not come as a powerful king to impose Himself but as a child to implore love. This Child calls us not with words but through His very littleness, and He says: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28). His very presence is rest for the soul, balm for the heart.

COME TO THE MANGER

Come, then, to the manger. Look upon the Child Jesus and let Him speak to you in the silence of His humility. Offer Him your love, however small, for this Child despises nothing; He came precisely to seek what is little and humble. If ever you feel unworthy to approach, remember that this Child came not for the righteous but for sinners. His love knows no limits or conditions.

Oh, entire nations, hear this call: Behold the Child, behold Love made flesh. This is the God who lowers Himself to raise us, who becomes small to conquer us. Look into His eyes, so full of tenderness; His smile, so full of peace. He is not a distant God but the God who takes our misery to fill us with His riches. His very littleness is a cry that resounds in the soul: “Come, fear not; I am your rest, your hope, your salvation.”

What excuse remains for not loving Him? What obstacle could stand between this Child and your heart? As you gaze upon this manger, the heavens open, and a voice seems to whisper to every soul: “Love Him, for He has already loved you first. Follow Him, for He has come to seek you.” Let this Child ignite in you a fire that will never be extinguished, a love that nothing can hinder.

Nations, souls, hearts: kneel before this God made Child, for in His weakness lies your strength, in His poverty your glory, and in His tenderness the fullness of all your longing. Come to Bethlehem, for there eternity begins. There, in the humility of a manger, is the King who will reign not from a throne but from your heart. Love Him, and you will be His forever.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Teresa of Jesus, The Book of Life, chap. 22.

• Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Manuscript A, 4v-5v.

• The Holy Bible, Mt 11:28; 2 Cor 8:9.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

 

THANKSGIVING FOR ANOTHER YEAR

 Our Father who art in heaven, owner of Truth, time and eternity: Yours is today and tomorrow, the past and the future. At the end of the year 2021, on behalf of my family and myself, I want to thank You, for all that we received from You.

 Thank You for the family You gave me, for life and love, air and sun, for joy and pain, for everything that was possible and for what could not be. 

 Thank You for welcoming us into Your true Church. We offer You everything we did this year that is ending. The work we were able to do, the things that passed through our hands, and all the positive things we were able to build with them. 

 Also, Lord, today we want to ask Your forgiveness. 

 Forgiveness for our sins, for the evil we have caused, for all the wasted time, wasted money, for the omissions, for the useless words we said and all the love we wasted. Forgiveness for the empty and negligent work. 

Forgiveness for living without enthusiasm. Also, for the prayers that we postponed until now that we are thanking You for all that You have given us. 

 For all our forgetfulness, carelessness and silences. Again, we ask Your forgiveness, Lord. We will start a new year and we will stop our life before the new calendar still unused. We present to You these 365 days. If we do not get to the end of them... help us to die in Your sanctifying grace, after having gone -sincerely contrite- to the tribunal of Confession. 

 Today we ask You for each one of us: peace and joy, strength and prudence, charity and wisdom, the commitment to be faithful to You and always live in Your Grace, because only in Your Grace we can walk the path safely. Only the fool does not understand this, so we ask You to remove any blindfold that prevents us from seeing our foolishness. 

 Lord, help us to be zealous of Your glory and the glory of your Church, and to live only for You, in You and by You. 

 We want to live each day with optimism and kindness, carrying everywhere a heart full of understanding and peace that always seeks the Truth of your Word. Let nothing tear us away from it, because Your faith is our greatest treasure.

 Close our ears to all slander, to the false doctrines against Your Word. And our lips, to lying, selfish, biting or hurtful words. Instead, open our being to all that is good. 

 May our spirit be filled only with blessings, and may we pour them along our way. Fill us with goodness and joy, so that those who live with us, or those who cross our path, find in our lives a little bit of YOU. 

 Thank you, Lord, for everything, and forgive our debts to You. Guide us all along the narrow path that will allow us one day to enter through the narrow door and be in Your eternal lap to bless You forever and ever. If for this it is necessary that You use Your right hand to shake us, in advance we accept any pain and sorrow no matter how difficult they may be. 

 Give us a happy 2022 and teach us to love You by always living in Your grace, and to follow You with loyalty. Thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of the past year, as well as for those that You will pour out this year that is beginning. 

 Blessed Virgin Mary, I entrust my entire family to your Immaculate Heart. Amen.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

MAY THE CHILD GOD FILL YOU WITH HIS BLESSINGS

The Church offers to the Infant-God, during this holy season, the tribute of her profound adoration, the enthusiasm of her exceeding joy, the return of her unbounded gratitude, and the fondness of her intense love. These four offerings, adoration, joy, gratitude, and love, must be also those of every Christian to his Jesus, his Emmanuel. The prayers of the Liturgy will express all four sentiments in a way that no other Devotions could do. But, the better to appropriate to ourselves these admirable formulas of the Church, let us understand thoroughly the nature of each of these four sentiments. 

ADORATION - The first of our duties at our Savior’s Crib is Adoration. Adoration is Religion’s first act; but there is something in the Mystery of our Lord’s Birth which seems to make this duty doubly necessary. In Heaven the Angels veil their faces, and prostrate themselves before the throne of God; the Four-and-Twenty Elders are forever casting their crowns before the throne of the Lamb; what, then, shall we do — we who are sinners, and unworthy members of the Tribe of the Redeemer — now that this same great God shows Himself to us, humbled for our sakes, and stripped of all His glory? Now that the duties of the creature to his Creator are fulfilled by the Creator Himself? Now that the eternal God bows down, not only before the Sovereign Majesty of the Godhead, but even before sinful man, His creature? 

Let us endeavour to make, by our profound adorations, some return to the God who thus humbles Himself for us; let us thus give Him back some little of that whereof He has deprived Himself out of love for us, and in obedience to the will of His Father. It is incumbent on us to emulate, as far as possible, the sentiments of the Angels in Heaven, and never to approach the Divine Infant without bringing with us the incense of our soul’s adoration, the protestation of our own extreme unworthiness, and lastly, the homage of our whole being. All this is due to the infinite Majesty, Who is the more worthy of every tribute we can pay Him, because He has made Himself thus little for our sakes. Unhappy we, if the apparent weakness of the Divine Child, or the familiarity wherewith He is ready to caress us, should make us negligent in this our first duty, or forget what he is, and what we are! 

The example of his Blessed Mother will teach us to be thus humble. Mary was humble in the presence of her God, even before she became His Mother; but, once His Mother, she carried herself before Him who was her God and her Child with greater humility than ever. We too, poor sinners, sinners so long and so often, we must adore with all the power of our soul Him Who has come down so low: we must study to find out how by our self-humiliation to make Him amends for this Crib, these swathing-bands, this eclipse of His glory. And yet all our humiliations will never bring us so low as that we shall be on a level with His lowliness. No; only God could reach the humiliations of God. 

 JOY - But our Mother, the Church, does not only offer to the Infant God the tribute of her profound adoration. The mystery of Emmanuel, that is, of God with us, is to her a source of singular joy. Look at her sublime Canticles for this holy Season, and you will find the two sentiments admirably blended — her deep reverence for her God, and her glad joy at his Birth. Joy! did not the very Angels come down and urge her to it? She therefore studies to imitate the blithe Shepherds, who ran for joy to Bethlehem, and the glad Magi, who were well-nigh out of themselves with delight when, on quitting Jerusalem, the star again appeared and led them to the Cave where the Child was. Joy at Christmas is a Christian instinct, which originated those many Carols. 

Come, then, faithful Children of the Church, let us take our share in her joy! This is not the season for sighing or for weeping. For unto us a Child is born! He for whom we have been so long waiting is come; and he is come to dwell among us. Great, indeed, and long was our suspense; so much the more let us love our possessing him. The day will too soon come when this Child, now born to us, will be the Man of Sorrows, and then we will compassionate him; but at present we must rejoice and be glad at his coming and sing round his Crib with the Angels. Heaven sends us a present of its own joy: we need joy, and forty days are not too many for us to get it well into our hearts. The Scripture tells us that a secure mind is like a continual feast, and a secure mind can only be where there is peace; now it is Peace which these blessed days bring to the earth; Peace, say the Angels, to men of good will! 

GRATITUDE - Intimately and inseparably united with this exquisite mystic joy is the sentiment of gratitude. Gratitude is indeed due to him who, neither deterred by our unworthiness nor restrained by the infinite respect which becomes his sovereign Majesty, deigned to be born of his own creature, and have a stable for his birth-place. Oh! how vehemently must he not have desired to advance the work of our salvation, to remove everything which could make us afraid of approaching him, and to encourage us, by his own example, to return, by the path of humility, to the Heaven we had strayed from by pride! 

Gratefully, therefore, let us receive the precious gift — this Divine Baby, our Deliverer. He is the Only- Begotten Son of the Father, that Father who hath so loved the world as to give his only Son. He, the Son, unreservedly ratifies his Father’s will, and comes to offer himself because it is his own will. How, as the Apostle expresses it, hath not the Father with him given us all things? O gift inestimable! How shall we be able to repay it by suitable gratitude, we who are so poor as not to know how to appreciate it? God alone, and the Divine Infant in his Crib, know the value of the mystery of Bethlehem, which is given to us. 

 LOVE - Shall our debt, then, never be paid? Not so: we can pay it by love, which, though finite, gives itself without measure, and may grow forever in intensity. For this reason, the Church, after she has offered her adorations and hymns and gratitude, to her Infant Savior, gives him also her tenderest Love. She says to him: “How beautiful art thou, my Beloved One, and how comely! How sweet to me is thy rising, O Divine Sun of Justice! How my heart glows in the warmth of thy beams! Nay, dearest Jesus, the means thou usest for gaining me over to thyself are irresistible — the feebleness and humility of a Child!” Thus do all her words end in love; and her adoration, praise, and thanksgiving, when she expresses them in her Canticles, are transformed into love.

Christians! Let us imitate our Mother, and give our hearts to our Emmanuel. The Shepherds offer Him their simple gifts, the Magi bring Him their rich presents, and no one must appear before the Divine Infant without something worthy His acceptance. Know, then, that nothing will please Him, but that which He came to seek — our love. It was for this that He came down from Heaven. Hard indeed is that heart which can say, “He shall not have my love!” 

These, then, are the duties we owe to our Divine Master in this his first Coming, which, as St Bernard says, is in the flesh and in weakness, and is for the salvation, not for the judgment, of the world. 

 Dom Prosper O.S.B

HAPPY NEW YEAR

CHRISTMAS

Let Us Worship, Thank and Love Our Redeemer and Fill Our Spirit with Joy

The Church offers to the Infant-God, during this holy Season, the tribute of Her profound adoration, the enthusiasm of Her exceeding joy, the return of Her unbounded gratitude, and the fondness of Her intense love. These offerings—adoration, joy, gratitude, and love—must be also those of every Christian to his Jesus, his Emmanuel. The prayers of the Liturgy will express all four sentiments in a way that no other devotions could do.

But, to better appropriate these admirable formulas of the Church, let us understand thoroughly the nature of each of these four sentiments.

Adoration - The first of our duties at Our Savior's Crib is Adoration—Religion's first act; but there is something in the Mystery of Our Lord's Birth which seems to make this duty doubly necessary. In Heaven the Angels veil their faces, and prostrate themselves before the throne of God; the 24 Elders are forever casting their crowns before the throne of the Lamb; what, then, shall we do—we who are sinners—now that this same great God shows Himself to us, humbled for our sakes, and stripped of all His glory?

Now that the duties of the creature to his Creator are fulfilled by the Creator Himself? Now that the eternal God bows down not only before the Sovereign Majesty of the Godhead, but even before sinful man, His creature?

Let us endeavor to make, by our profound adoration, some return to the God Who thus humbles Himself for us; let us thus give Him back some little of that whereof He has deprived Himself out of love for us, and in obedience to the will of His Father. It is incumbent on us to emulate, as far as possible, the sentiments of the Angels in Heaven, and never to approach the Divine Infant without bringing with us the incense of our soul's adoration, the protestation of our own extreme unworthiness, and lastly, the homage of our whole being. All this is due to the infinite Majesty of the Babe of Bethlehem, Who is the more worthy of every tribute we can pay Him, because He has made Himself so little for our sakes. Unhappy we, if the apparent weakness of the Divine Child, or the familiarity wherewith He is ready to caress us, should make us negligent in this our first duty, or forget what He is, and what we are!

The example of His Blessed Mother will teach us to be thus humble. Mary was humble in the presence of Her God, even before She became His Mother; but, once His Mother, She comported Herself before Him Who was Her God and Her Child with greater humility than ever. We too, poor sinners, sinners so long and so often, we must adore with all the power of our soul Him Who has come down so low: we must study to find out how by our self-humiliation to make him amends for this Crib, these swathing-bands, this eclipse of His glory.

Joy - But our Mother, the Church, does not only offer to the Infant God the tribute of Her profound adoration. The mystery of Emmanuel, that is, of God with us, is to Her a source of singular joy. Look at Her sublime Canticles for this Holy Season, and you will find the two sentiments admirably blended. Did not the very Angels come down and urge Her to it? She therefore imitates the elated Shepherds, who ran to Bethlehem, and the joy of the Three Wise Men, who were will-nigh out of themselves with delight when, on quitting Jerusalem, the star again appeared and led them to the Cave where the Child was. Joy at Christmas is a Christian instinct, which originated those many Carols, which, like so many other beautiful traditions of the ages of Faith, are unfortunately dying out or changing to empty secularisms.

Come, then, faithful Children of the Church, let us take our share in Her joy! This is not the season for sighing or for weeping. For unto us a Child is born! He for Whom we have been so long waiting is come; and He is come to dwell among us. Great, indeed, and long was our suspense; so much the more let us love our possessing Him. The day will too soon come when this Child, now born to us, will be the Man of Sorrows and then we will compassionate Him; but at present we must rejoice and be glad at His coming and sing round His Crib with the Angels. Heaven sends us a present of its own joy: we need joy, and 40 days are not too many for us to get it well into our hearts. The Scripture tells us that a secure mind is like a continual feast, and a secure mind can only be where there is peace; now it is Peace which these blessed days bring to the earth; Peace, say the Angels, to men of good will!

Gratitude - Intimately and inseparably united with this exquisite mystic joy is the sentiment of gratitude. Gratitude is indeed due to Him Who, neither deterred by our unworthiness nor restrained by the infinite respect which becomes His sovereign Majesty, deigned to be born of His own creature, and have a stable for His birthplace. Oh, how vehemently must He not have desired to advance the work of salvation, to remove everything which could make us afraid of approaching Him, and to encourage us, by His own example, to return, by the path of humility, to the Heaven we had strayed from by pride!

Gratefully, therefore, let us receive the precious gift—this Divine Child, our Deliverer. He is the Only-Begotten Son of the Father, that Father Who hath so loved the world as to give His only Son. He, the Son, unreservedly ratifies His Father's will, and comes to offer Himself because it is His own will. How, as the Apostle expresses it, hath not the Father with Him given us all things? O gift inestimable! How shall we be able to repay it by suitable gratitude, we who are so poor as not to know how to appreciate it? God alone, and the Divine Infant in His Crib, know the value of the mystery of Bethlehem, which is given to us.

Love - Shall our debt, then, never be paid? Not so; we can pay it by love, which, though finite, gives itself without measure, and may grow forever in intensity. For this reason, the Church, after She has offered Her adorations and hymns and gratitude, to Her Infant Savior, gives Him also Her most tender Love. She says to Him: "How beautiful art Thou, My Beloved One, and how comely! How sweet to Me is thy rising, O Divine Sun of Justice! How My heart glows in the warmth of Thy beams! Nay, dearest Jesus, the means Thou usest for gaining Me over to Thyself are irresistible—the feebleness and humility of a Child!" Thus do all Her words end in love; and Her adoration, praise, and thanksgiving, when She expresses them in Her canticles, are transformed into love.

Christians, let us imitate our Mother, and give our hearts to our Savior. The Shepherds offer Him their simple gifts, the Magi bring Him their rich presents, and no one must appear before the Divine Infant without something worthy of His acceptance. Know, then, that nothing will please Him, but that which He came to seek—our love. It was for this that He came down from Heaven. Hard indeed is that heart which can say, He shall not have my love!

These, then, are the duties we owe to our Divine Master in this His first Coming, which, as St. Bernard says, is in the flesh and in weakness, and is for the salvation, not for the judgment, of the world.

Dom Prospero Gueranger

They’ve Finally Caught the Impostor and Imitator of Saint Nicholas of Myra

Saint Nicholas of Myra is the true Bishop who distributed gifts to the children of his diocese, but his main gift was the Word of God and the message of the Gospel distributed as the most important gift from God.

Santa Claus is an impostor, a caricature of Saint Nicholas, created by Coca Cola, and only serves for marketing purposes $$$$$$.

Unfortunately, modern Santa Claus has been paganized. The bishop's miter was replaced by the now famous red hat, and his pectoral cross completely disappeared. He "moved" from Turkey to the North Pole, where he lives in the snow with his deer.

The pagan Santa Claus captivated the imagination of publicists in the West. As Saint Nicholas was a bishop, he is represented dressed in red. That is precisely what the Coca Cola magnates liked, since red is also the advertising color of that corporation. They started using him in a pre-Christmas advertising campaign.

Today, "Santa Claus" is used to sell all kinds of things and almost nobody remembers his true story. It is time for Christians to recover our saint and teach our children that Christmas is the celebration of the Birth of God made child. Let us remember that Saint Nicholas was a saintly bishop who cared for the poor, especially children, and became famous for his charity.

Jesus Needs a Place to Be Born by Alfonso Junco

Christmas presents

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Iniquity Will be Wiped Away and the Savior of the World Will Reign. Hallelujah!

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The Nativity Scene, a Very Catholic Tradition

It is a beautiful tradition that we must preserve, or in some cases, acquire. It has great meaning to prepare our hearts for the birth of God. It also leaves an indelible mark on the children and is a visual catechesis for the soul of what Catholics celebrate during this time.

Saint Francis and the first Nativity scene

“It started with a man named John who lived in the town of Greccio, Italy. St. Francis was very fond of John, who had a good reputation, and lived an honorable and holy life. Fifteen days before Christmas St. Francis told John to go with haste and meticulously prepare the things St. Francis requested because he wanted to recreate the events that took place that special evening in Bethlehem. He wanted others to know the inconveniences of the baby Jesus. How he lay in a manger surrounded by oxen and asses laying on hay…”

When Francis arrived in Greccio, he found himself in a new Bethlehem and felt that all who participated in the scene had been taken back to the time of Christ’s birth. Men, women and children gathered together with open hearts bringing with them candles and torches to light the night like the gleaming star. Francis felt that he was honoring the simplicity, poverty, and humility of that historic and momentous night in which Christ was born.

The saint of God wore garments of a deacon, for he was a deacon, and he sang the Gospel in the most beautiful voice. Then he preached on the Nativity and the poor child king in the little town of Bethlehem.

God’s blessings multiplied that night, and a miraculous vision was given to a virtuous man. He saw the baby Jesus lying in the manger lifeless, and he saw St. Francis try and wake the baby from a deep sound slumber. This vision was a true representation of the deep sleeping baby Jesus, who was forgotten in the hearts of so many. By the Grace of God, he was brought back to life again by St. Francis, who reawakened their memory.”

Thomas of Celano (1190-1260) Saint Francis and Saint Clara’s biographer. Vita Prima.

MERRY CHRISTMAS