What Child is this? When we look to the Babe, the son of Mary, we behold the illuminating warmth of the Father's heart in the dark coldness of our fragile existence. Christian contemplation clings to this Light which darkness cannot overcome. The radiant Star which draws us through nights, shadows and voids we do not understand, He Himself is the way to the heavenly homeland into which the Father yearns to welcome us.
If we have not yet allowed ourselves to be completely captivated by the King who has come for us in such great power, ask now to be captivated by the splendor of his glory. If we have not yet accepted the poverty of our plight which moved the Savior to make Himself vulnerable to our hostile world, ask now to be made rich by the God who humbled Himself unto death. If we have yet to glimpse the great ocean of mercy flowing from the Cross, be bold to beg for his blood in which we behold the invincible power of his holiness.
Choirs of angels invite us to welcome the inestimable gift of his loving presence. Now is the time to go into our hearts and gaze on the God who reveals Himself as a vulnerable infant. This baptismal plunge into the inexhaustible riches of Christ opens up the pilgrimage of faith – this even for those whose physical trials and spiritual hardships are so intense the way forward in love seems impossible to will or discern. God has not lost his hope in us so we always have new reasons to hope in Him.
Welcoming the Word made flesh, the very Truth of God revealed in our humanity, goes beyond a mere intellectual assent to some religious fantasy or any other pious invention of mere imagination. It is much more than a sensation which makes us feel spiritual. To welcome our Savior is to embrace the power of Christ to deliver us from sin. It is devotion rooted in reality, established in the Truth. Such hospitality demands intense struggles with falsehood which strengthen our confidence in Him. We will fall but no failure can diminish our hope - for the substance of our hope is certain.
We will make mistakes but his love will move us to conversion again and rescue us from the ocean of pride which wants to engulf us. We will feel annoyed and frustrated, but his patience and fortitude are like great waves and currents to buoy us up. Because we have been loved unto the end, we always have new reasons to believe in love and live by love. Truth Himself has taken on flesh that we might know and embrace this freedom.
If we have not yet allowed ourselves to be completely captivated by the King who has come for us in such great power, ask now to be captivated by the splendor of his glory. If we have not yet accepted the poverty of our plight which moved the Savior to make Himself vulnerable to our hostile world, ask now to be made rich by the God who humbled Himself unto death. If we have yet to glimpse the great ocean of mercy flowing from the Cross, be bold to beg for his blood in which we behold the invincible power of his holiness.
Choirs of angels invite us to welcome the inestimable gift of his loving presence. Now is the time to go into our hearts and gaze on the God who reveals Himself as a vulnerable infant. This baptismal plunge into the inexhaustible riches of Christ opens up the pilgrimage of faith – this even for those whose physical trials and spiritual hardships are so intense the way forward in love seems impossible to will or discern. God has not lost his hope in us so we always have new reasons to hope in Him.
Welcoming the Word made flesh, the very Truth of God revealed in our humanity, goes beyond a mere intellectual assent to some religious fantasy or any other pious invention of mere imagination. It is much more than a sensation which makes us feel spiritual. To welcome our Savior is to embrace the power of Christ to deliver us from sin. It is devotion rooted in reality, established in the Truth. Such hospitality demands intense struggles with falsehood which strengthen our confidence in Him. We will fall but no failure can diminish our hope - for the substance of our hope is certain.
We will make mistakes but his love will move us to conversion again and rescue us from the ocean of pride which wants to engulf us. We will feel annoyed and frustrated, but his patience and fortitude are like great waves and currents to buoy us up. Because we have been loved unto the end, we always have new reasons to believe in love and live by love. Truth Himself has taken on flesh that we might know and embrace this freedom.
All of this cause of our joy is accessible to us because He allowed himself to be vulnerable and completely reliant on our broken humanity in a manner that defies all comprehension. The God who weeps as a baby is discovered by the heart who says yes to the gift of divine joy. This peculiar paradox is an encounter of humanity and divinity, life and death, good and evil, poverty and riches, condemnation and forgiveness, misery and mercy, suffering and consolation. The conflict of these extremes are only resolved by an adoration of the heart, a loving movement into the mystery of the Word become flesh dwelling among us.
Hungrily having clung with unquenchable thirst to a mother’s breast in our cold darkness, He teaches us how to cling to Him in faith. He at once envelops us in the abyss of his love when we see how He allowed himself to be wrapped in swaddling clothes. At home with the poor and all those for whom there is no room in society, He leads us to our true home in the bosom of the Trinity. We who have been loved so much only need to allow our hearts to be pierced by the plight of others and humbly attempt to relieve their distress to avail ourselves of the fulness of life which waits to rush into our hearts. What Child is this and what is the merriment He occasions? Christian prayer is rooted in this joy born of sorrow, a joy at the heart of the spiritual battle which is our faith. Merry Christmas! Let nothing you dismay.
Hungrily having clung with unquenchable thirst to a mother’s breast in our cold darkness, He teaches us how to cling to Him in faith. He at once envelops us in the abyss of his love when we see how He allowed himself to be wrapped in swaddling clothes. At home with the poor and all those for whom there is no room in society, He leads us to our true home in the bosom of the Trinity. We who have been loved so much only need to allow our hearts to be pierced by the plight of others and humbly attempt to relieve their distress to avail ourselves of the fulness of life which waits to rush into our hearts. What Child is this and what is the merriment He occasions? Christian prayer is rooted in this joy born of sorrow, a joy at the heart of the spiritual battle which is our faith. Merry Christmas! Let nothing you dismay.
So inspiring! Thankyou and God bless
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