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
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Sixth day of the Christmas Octave: “The poverty of Jesus”
“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
Fifth day of the Christmas Octave: “The Holy Family”
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
Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord: “Rejoice, Christ is born!”
During the octave of Christmas, I would like to offer a simple meditation each day on the event of the Nativity of the Lord, interspersed with carols performed by Harpa Dei. I hope that this will help us to enter more deeply into the great mystery of this feast.
Rejoice, Christ is born! -is the cry of joy that fills heaven and earth. Rejoice, all you who have received this good news!
Waiting for the Lord
How long the Israelites waited for the Messiah! Then, when He came and the promises began to be fulfilled, they did not recognise Him. What a tragedy! Now the believing Jews are still waiting for Him… They are also waiting for the coming of the Prophet Elijah, who is to precede the Messiah. But he too has already come: “If you will believe me, he is the Elijah who was to return”, says Jesus, referring to John the Baptist (Mt 11:14). Read More
First O antiphon: “O Sapientia”
O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High,
reaching from one end to the other,
mightily and sweetly ordering all things:
Come and teach us the way of prudence. Read More
The question of authority
Mt 21:23-27
When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you a question; and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven or from men?” Read More
Rejoice always in the Lord
Phil 4:4-7
Always be joyful, then, in the Lord; I repeat, be joyful. Let your good sense be obvious to everybody. The Lord is near. Never worry about anything; but tell God all your desires of every kind in prayer and petition shot through with gratitude, and the peace of God which is beyond our understanding will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. Read More
The Mystical Way
Lk 14:25-33
Reading from the memorial of St. John of the Cross
Great crowds accompanied Jesus on his way and he turned and spoke to them. ‘Anyone who comes to me without hating father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, cannot be my disciple. No one who does not carry his cross and come after me can be my disciple. ‘And indeed, which of you here, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out the cost to see if he had enough to complete it? Otherwise, if he laid the foundation and then found himself unable to finish the work, anyone who saw it would start making fun of him and saying, “Here is someone who started to build and was unable to finish.”
God is the treasure found in the field
NOTE: Today we will listen to and meditate on the Gospel of Saint Lucy’s memorial following the traditional calendar. For those who wish to learn more about the story of today’s saint, we recommend listening to this meditation:
https://en.elijamission.net/2023/12/13/
Mt 13:44-46
‘The kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off in his joy, sells everything he owns and buys the field. ‘Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.