“At many moments in the past and by many means, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our time, the final days, he has spoken to us in the person of his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things and through whom he made the ages” (Heb 1:1-2).
In our representations, the crib of Bethlehem is illuminated not only by the radiance of the Child Jesus, by the presence of Mary and Joseph, by the shepherds who hurried to meet Him, by the Magi who came from the East to offer Him their gifts and to adore Him… It has long been a tradition to include the irrational creation in the crib. The ox and the donkey are silent witnesses to the birth of the Lord. And the presence of these animals takes on a deeper meaning when we consider what St Paul says in the Letter to the Romans: Read More
“Do not be afraid of your weakness, I am your strength” (Inner Word).
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” (2 Cor 8:9)
A poverty that enriches us” is how we could describe the event of the Nativity.
God is not afraid to make Himself small for the sake of men; He is not afraid to place Himself below the angels in order to exalt men (cf. Heb 2:9). A little child in a manger, without a trace of luxury; a grotto as a place of birth; simple shepherds as guests… All this is the expression of a poverty that is nevertheless full of dignity because it is voluntary. God wanted to come into the world in this poverty to show us the true richness of His love. Read More
“Those whom I love, I rebuke and correct” (Rev 3:19) – the Lord tells us in the Book of Revelation, and it is a grace to experience this. Indeed, our Father’s love for us is not only a tender and warm love that gives us security and shelters us; it is also a love that forms us. He wants to educate us so that we may advance on the spiritual path.
By being born into a human family, God strengthened the nucleus of society and left us His exahttps://soundcloud.com/meditaciones_hno_elias/the-holy-family-29-december-2024/s-rKG9FGKBLf8?si=e7a1afeca133462d9a78690f8fc76eae&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharingmple to imitate. Through His Incarnation, God wished to penetrate all the spheres of human life, among which the family occupies a privileged place.
The love between husband and wife gives us a glimpse of the mystery of the love between God and the soul, as Saint Paul so aptly describes in the Letter to the Ephesians:
“As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (…). This mystery is a profound one, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” (Eph 5:24-25, 32). Read More
The Lord comes into the world as a child. This is the way God chose to come down to us so that we might understand Him. A child arouses joy and love, tenderness and a desire to protect. No one is afraid of a child! Even people who tend to be closed can sometimes open up in the presence of a child.
A child can bring out the best in a person.
Especially in the first stage, the child is like a reminder of paradise, showing us the original innocence of man, even though he already bears the inheritance of original sin. Read More
The shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem rejoiced at the Angel’s announcement and hurried to find the Child. They are simple people, and in the simplicity of their hearts they understand the importance of the message they have received; they must have been overwhelmed by the sublime event in the grotto of Bethlehem!
“And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will govern my people Israel.” (Mt 2:6). Read More
“I want to protect the young people as a tender Father. You who especially need someone to take care of you in life, so that you can avoid evil, come to Me! I am the Father Who loves you more than any other creature will ever be able to do!” (Father’s message to Sister Eugenia Ravasio).
