Now you are here, Divine Child!
What moved You to come to us, to such a hostile world?
The reason can only lie in Your immeasurable love for our Heavenly Father, and in Your infinite love for us men.
Who can understand it?
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THE ADVENT JOURNEY – Day 25: “A child will be born to us”
“A child will be born to us; they will call him ‘Mighty God’” (cf. Is 9:5).
“In him all the nations of the earth will be blessed” (cf. Gen 22:18).
In reality, even without knowing it, all men await Him,
because we have been created for Him.
In reality, even without knowing it, all men seek Him,
THE NEARNESS OF GOD
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (Jas 4:8)
In all true love, we seek to be close to the person we love. God, for His part, constantly fills us with His presence and nearness; He seeks man and wants to be with him. But it is also necessary for man to seek God’s nearness, to open his heart to Him, and to long to be with Him. Then he will increasingly perceive the closeness of his beloved Father, who can reveal Himself to an open heart.
THE BEST PATH
“I always guide you along the best path, the one that benefits you most” (Inner Word).
If we have consciously surrendered our lives to our heavenly Father, if we strive daily to follow His Son and pursue holiness, we need not worry about the next stage of the journey. We must simply walk it attentively each day, with the certainty that God will always choose the most suitable path for us in every area of our lives—the one that benefits us most.
THE ADVENT JOURNEY – Day 24: “Why should I be afraid?”
With the Child of Bethlehem, a new era begins: the hour of grace.
Everyone is called, everyone is invited to welcome it.
God makes it easy for us to come to Him.
The tenderness of the Child proclaims: “Do not be afraid! I am here!”
So, why should I continue to be afraid?
The Heavenly Father sends His Son and tells us:
“I am so close to you…”
“THE WELL”
“Be like a well that first collects water within itself and then pours it out in abundance” (St. Bernard).
In today’s quote, St. Bernard emphasizes that we must walk the path of holiness ourselves, which produces abundant fruit when His grace can act powerfully in us. All teachers of the spiritual life will affirm this. In fact, it is entirely logical, “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Lk 6:45).
THE ADVENT JOURNEY – Day 23: “The Grotto of Bethlehem”
What is the Lord trying to tell us by choosing not to be born in a royal palace, surrounded by material riches, but in a poor grotto in Bethlehem?
The words of Jesus come to mind: “My kingdom is not of this world” (Jn 18:36).
The first to receive the Good News proclaimed by the angels were simple shepherds (cf. Lk 2:8–14).
It is a different kingdom from the kingdoms of this world that Satan offered Jesus (cf. Mt 4:8–9).
No one is excluded from this Kingdom; all that is required is to accept the message of faith.
It is not the Kingdom of the rich or the learned; it is not the Kingdom of the rulers of this world; it is not a Kingdom of vanities and human honors.
THE ADVENT JOURNEY – Day 22: “Let us turn to Bethlehem”
During the first three weeks of Advent, we have prepared for the Coming of the Lord from three different perspectives:
- In the first week, we meditated on the historical coming of Jesus into the world through biblical texts and liturgy, which attest to the advent of the Redeemer.
- In the second week, we reflected on the birth of Christ in our hearts, so that the biblical event might also become a reality within us. For the Lord not only wanted to be born in Bethlehem, but also desires to live truly in our hearts.
- In the third week, we focused on the theme of the Second Coming of the Lord, which should awaken us to make the most of our time and prepare the way for Him.
For Christian life to be complete, these three aspects must go hand in hand and remain in our awareness. Without the historical reality of Redemption, our faith would be a myth; without its internalization, it would lack depth; and without the prospect of Christ’s Return, it would lose its focus on the goal and its dynamism would diminish.
MARY, MEDIATOR OF ALL GRACES
“There is no grace sent from heaven that does not pass through Mary’s hands. The more sinful we are, the greater her compassion for us.” (St. Bernard)
Today we hear from a saint who clearly had no hesitation in officially considering the Virgin Mary the mediator of all graces. His reasoning follows the path of the Incarnation and applies it to the Mystical Body of Christ. Mary is the Mother of the Son and of His Body!
THE ABSOLUTE NECESSITY OF PRAYER
“Whoever prays is certainly saved. He who does not is certainly damned”
—St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori
Teachers of the spiritual life never tire of emphasizing the importance of prayer. It is the “great dialogue with God,” as St. Teresa of Avila calls it. In today’s quote, St. Alphonsus strongly recommends it to us and even assures us that if we do not pray, we condemn ourselves. He knows very well that once prayer is neglected—which is already a temptation in itself—all kinds of temptations will follow, and it will become increasingly difficult for us to resist them.