Meditations for Each Day 19: The Holy Childhood of Jesus

Thyself, and establish Thyself in me to live and reign perfectly in me. 0 what goodness! What boundless love! Infinitely blessed be Thou, 0 Good Jesus! May all Thy mercies and all Thy wonders for the children of men bless Thee forever! I most humbly beg Thy forgiveness for the obstacles which I have put in the way of the accomplishment of the great designs Thou hast deigned to have in m y regard. Never allow me to impede Thy grace again. From now on I desire to annihilate, at all costs, everything in me that opposes Thy holy will. My Jesus, may it please Thee to grant me the grace and strength to do this.

Ejaculatory prayer:

"He came down from heaven for us men and our salvation." Propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de caelis.

20-

Tuesday

The Holy Childhood of Jesus

Jesus Became a Little Child

To SANCTIFY HUMAN CHILDHOOD

0 GREAT and Admirable Jesus, Thou wast not satisfied to become man for love of men, but Thou didst also will to become a child, subject to all the lowliness and weakness of infancy, in order to honor the Eternal Father in every condition of human life, and to sanctify all the states of our life. Blessed be Thou, Good Jesus, for these favors! May all Thy angels and saints bless Thee eternally! 0 most amiable Child, I offer Thee my own childhood, although it is past, imploring Thee most humbly that, by virtue of Thy divine Childhood, Thou mayest wipe out all that was bad or imperfect and cause m y whole life as a child to render homage to Thy most adorable Childhood.

JESUS LOVED His FATHER AND His

MOTHER DURING His CHILDHOOD

0 Divine Jesus, when I contemplate Thee in Thy holy Childhood, I see that Thou art never idle, but dost effect great things for Thy Eternal Father, contemplating, adoring and loving Him, and also for Thy Blessed Mother, heaping upon her a world of graces and blessings, also for St. Joseph, and little St. John the Baptist and the other saints with whom Thou didst associate as a child, accomplishing in them most wonderful works of illumination and sanctity. I adore Thee, love Thee