29 — THE SAVIOR HAS APPEARED

December 25

Presence of God. — Here I am at the feet of my God made flesh, made a child for love of me! I adore, I give thanks, I love!

Meditation

1 — God is charity, God has loved us with an eternal love! “It seems the Lord said: man does not love me because he does not see me; I want to let myself be seen by him, and so to make myself loved. Divine love toward man was too great and had always been so ab aeterno; but this love had not yet appeared... Then it truly appeared when the Son of God was seen as a little child in a stable, on a little straw” (St. Alphonsus). Here is the Christmas mystery; here is St. Paul’s exultant cry: “The grace of God, our Savior, has appeared to all men... The goodness and love for men of God our Savior appeared” (Ep. in II Mass: Tit. 2, 11-15; 3, 4-7). Here is the blessed announcement “of great joy” that the Angel brings to the shepherds: “Today a Savior is born to you, who is Christ the Lord” (Gospel I Mass: Lk. 2, 1-11). In today’s liturgy, the texts follow one another in a tone of growing exultation to praise the sweetest Child Jesus, the Word made man, living and throbbing among us: “Whom did you see, shepherds? Tell us, announce to us: who has appeared on earth? We have seen the Child, and choirs of angels praising the Lord” (BR.). “Let the heavens rejoice, and let all the earth exult in the presence of the Lord!” (MR.). Our God is here, among us, made one of us: “A Child is born for us, a Son is given to us... His name is: Admirable, God, Prince of peace, Father of the age to come... Exult, daughter of Zion, sing, daughter of Jerusalem... Shout to the Lord, inhabitants of the earth! Come, O nations, and adore the Lord” (BR.).

Come, then, adore, listen, rejoice: Jesus, the Father’s Word, tells us a great word: God loves you!

2 — The three Christmas Masses place before us a majestic scene: the moving description of Jesus’ birth as man alternates with the sublime description of the Word’s eternal birth in the Father’s bosom, and there are also allusions to Christ’s birth in souls through grace. But this threefold birth is only one manifestation of God-Charity. No one on this earth could know God’s love, but the Word, who is in the Father’s bosom, knows it and can reveal it to us. The Word became flesh and showed us God’s love; through Him, His incomprehensible and invisible charity became evident, palpable, in that sweet Child who stretches out His arms to us from the manger. Today’s Preface declares it explicitly: “Eternal God, by the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word, a new ray of Your light has shone before the eyes of our mind, so that, knowing God sensibly, we may be carried away to the love of invisible things.” Yes, that “Child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” is our God, made sensible and visible to us, our God who shows us in the most concrete way His infinite charity. One cannot contemplate the little Jesus without feeling seized, carried away by the infinite love that gave Him to us; the Child Jesus reveals God’s love to us, manifests it to us in the clearest and most moving form.

St. Paul, in the Epistle (Heb. 1, 1-11) of the third Christmas Mass, says: “God... in these last times spoke to us through His Son... reflection of His glory and imprint of His substance.” Jesus, Incarnate Word, in His silence as a powerless child, speaks to us and reveals God’s substance to us: God’s charity.

Colloquy

“O powerful and eternal Trinity! O sweetest and ineffable Charity! who would not be inflamed with such love? What heart could defend itself from being consumed for You?

“O abyss of charity! Are You then so madly attached to Your creatures that it seems You cannot live without them! And yet You are our God! You have no need of us. Our good adds nothing to Your greatness, for You are immutable. Our evil could cause no harm to You, who are sovereign and eternal goodness! Who then moves You to such mercy? Love. For You have no obligation toward us and have no need of us. Who draws You, infinite God, toward me, a small creature? None other than You Yourself. O Fire of Love, always Love alone has urged and urges You!—

“You, supreme sweetness, deigned to unite Yourself with our bitterness; You, splendor, with darkness; You, wisdom, with folly; You, life, with death; You, infinite, with us finite!” (St. Catherine of Siena).

O sweetest Incarnate Word, O most lovable Child Jesus, here I am at last at Your feet: let me contemplate, allow me to delight in Your beauty, Your goodness, Your immense charity! Your infinite love presents itself to me living and throbbing in this tender Child who smiles at me and stretches out His little arms to me, and this Child is You Yourself, O my God! How shall I thank You for Your excessive love? How shall I repay You?

“You, being great and rich, for us made Yourself small and poor; You chose to be born outside a house in a stable, to be wrapped in swaddling clothes, to drink virginal milk, to be laid in a manger between the ox and the little donkey. ‘Today has dawned for us the day of new redemption, of ancient restoration, of eternal happiness; today for the whole world the heavens have dripped honey!’ Embrace now, therefore, my soul, that divine manger; press your lips to the Child’s little feet, kiss both of them. Meditate also on the shepherds’ vigils, behold the hastening host of angels, join in doing your part in the heavenly melody, singing with mouth and heart: Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to men of good will” (St. Bonaventure).