The Word of the Father has entered into the world with great gentleness and discretion. Not violent, but tender toward humanity, how He has come into human history unveils how he comes into the mystery of each heart. He does not come to diminish or impose, but to build up and to enrich. Not to come to adore Him is to lose out on the whole purpose of life, but many who seek Him are baptized into so much meaning that their hearts can no longer hold it in. It is precisely his vulnerability and his poverty that unveil his power and riches.
As powerless as a babe shivering in the night, He brings the power to conquer sin and death. Those who will bear His life in their hearts discover how carefully He bears away sin. He is not put off by disordered desires or bad habits - but longs for us to entrust these to Him so that He might transform them into new floodgates of mercy. As poor as a newborn without a home, He enriches with the blessings of the Father all who invite Him into their households and relationships.
Just like any infant, welcoming the Christ-Child is never convenient but calls forth the very best from us. If he pierces the heart, it is only to set it free. If he unmasks the material delusions that bog us down, it is so that we might be swift enough to walk with God. If to hold Him in our hearts we must enter the darkness of faith, it is so that we might be held by Him. So He comes as a babe in the darkness of night, and in the stable, among creatures utterly dependent on the care of others, he learns to be utterly dependent on us.
The Word made flesh speaks in silences. If we will hold Him in our hearts, we must enter into the swaddling silence that enwraps Him and, just as he emptied Himself, despoil ourselves of every attachment that holds us back from Him. Born of a Virgin womb, He is able to show us what to let go of by speaking to us in our own consciences. Whatever the possession or position that will make us humble not to have, let go of it for His sake and entrust it to Him. Whatever attachment that threatens one’s integrity or proposes a self-contraction to the truth of the heart, leave it behind so that you might draw close to Him, the possession of whom gives everything that is needed for a fullness of life, love and truth.
To draw close to this unique child, we must go beyond what is familiar and comfortable. We must make space for Him to speak to us by setting aside time from lesser pursuits and devoting it instead to a prayerful reading of the Bible and meditation on the beautiful things He has done. Most of all, choosing to believe in His presence and to live in it even when it seems that He is not there. When our love for Him prompts us to make a commitment that stands in the face of our own lack of courage, accepting this challenge is the condition that allows His courage and generosity to flood our lives.
The Christ-Child chose to rely on us in poverty and nakedness, and He invites us to choose to rely on Him in everything and in complete vulnerability. The more we let His presence inconvenience us, the more meaningful our faith in Him becomes, not only for ourselves, but for the whole world. He is the new life for which this dying world longs, its only hope, and He hopes in us to make known the Good News. He is the wheat in the manger of the world, and when He fills us, the world knows that nothing else can relieve the hunger of this famished life. When we suffer the loss of all things for His sake, the world comes to see that He is the treasure that makes rich all who will trust in Him.
As powerless as a babe shivering in the night, He brings the power to conquer sin and death. Those who will bear His life in their hearts discover how carefully He bears away sin. He is not put off by disordered desires or bad habits - but longs for us to entrust these to Him so that He might transform them into new floodgates of mercy. As poor as a newborn without a home, He enriches with the blessings of the Father all who invite Him into their households and relationships.
Just like any infant, welcoming the Christ-Child is never convenient but calls forth the very best from us. If he pierces the heart, it is only to set it free. If he unmasks the material delusions that bog us down, it is so that we might be swift enough to walk with God. If to hold Him in our hearts we must enter the darkness of faith, it is so that we might be held by Him. So He comes as a babe in the darkness of night, and in the stable, among creatures utterly dependent on the care of others, he learns to be utterly dependent on us.
The Word made flesh speaks in silences. If we will hold Him in our hearts, we must enter into the swaddling silence that enwraps Him and, just as he emptied Himself, despoil ourselves of every attachment that holds us back from Him. Born of a Virgin womb, He is able to show us what to let go of by speaking to us in our own consciences. Whatever the possession or position that will make us humble not to have, let go of it for His sake and entrust it to Him. Whatever attachment that threatens one’s integrity or proposes a self-contraction to the truth of the heart, leave it behind so that you might draw close to Him, the possession of whom gives everything that is needed for a fullness of life, love and truth.
To draw close to this unique child, we must go beyond what is familiar and comfortable. We must make space for Him to speak to us by setting aside time from lesser pursuits and devoting it instead to a prayerful reading of the Bible and meditation on the beautiful things He has done. Most of all, choosing to believe in His presence and to live in it even when it seems that He is not there. When our love for Him prompts us to make a commitment that stands in the face of our own lack of courage, accepting this challenge is the condition that allows His courage and generosity to flood our lives.
The Christ-Child chose to rely on us in poverty and nakedness, and He invites us to choose to rely on Him in everything and in complete vulnerability. The more we let His presence inconvenience us, the more meaningful our faith in Him becomes, not only for ourselves, but for the whole world. He is the new life for which this dying world longs, its only hope, and He hopes in us to make known the Good News. He is the wheat in the manger of the world, and when He fills us, the world knows that nothing else can relieve the hunger of this famished life. When we suffer the loss of all things for His sake, the world comes to see that He is the treasure that makes rich all who will trust in Him.
Beautifully written.
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