Meditations for the Novena for Christmas
MEDITATION III.
December 18.
Jesus made Himself a Child to gain our Confidence and our Love.
Parvulus natus est nobis, et Filius datus est nobis.
"A Child is born to us, and a Son is given to us." (Isa. ix. 6)
Consider that after so many centuries, after so many prayers and sighs, the Messiah, whom the holy patriarchs and prophets were not worthy to see, whom the nations sughed for, "the Desire of the eternal hills," our Saviour, is come; He is already born, and has given Himself entirely to us: A Child is born to us, and a Son is given to us.
The Son of God has made Himself little, in order to make us great; He has given Himself to us, in order that we may give ourselves to Him; He is come to show us His love, in order that we may respond to it by giving Him ours. Let us, therefore, receive Him with affection; let us love Him, and have recourse to Him in all our necessities.
"A child gives easily," says St. Bernard; children readily give anything that is asked of them. Jesus came into the world a Child, in order to show Himself ready and willing to give us all good gifts: In whom are hid all treasures. (Col. ii. 3) The Father hath given all things into His hands. (John iii. 35) If we wish for light, He is come on purpose to enlighten us. If we wish for strength to resist our enemies, He is come to give us comfort. If we wish for pardon and salvation, He is come to pardon and save us. If, in short, we desire the sovereign gift of divine love, He is come to inflame our hearts with it; and, above all, for this very purpose, He has become a Child, and has chosen to show Himself to us worthy of our love, in proportion as He was poor and humble, in order to take away from us all fear, and to gain our affections. "So," says St. Peter Chrysologus, "should He come who willed to drive away fear, and seek for love."
Jesus has, besides, chosen to come as a little Child to make us love Him, not only with an appreciative but even with a tender love. All infants attract the tender affection of those who behold them; but who will not love, with all the tenderness of which they are capable, a God whom they behold as a little Child, in want of milk to nourish Him, trembling with cold, poor, abased, and forsaken, weeping and crying in a manger, and lying on straw? It was this that made the loving St. Francis exclaim: "Let us love the Child of Bethlehem, let us love the Child of Bethlehem. Come ye souls, and love a God who is become a Child, and poor; who is so amiable, and who has come down from heaven to give Himself entirely to you."
[St. Alphonsus de Liguori]
The Son of God has made Himself little, in order to make us great; He has given Himself to us, in order that we may give ourselves to Him; He is come to show us His love, in order that we may respond to it by giving Him ours. Let us, therefore, receive Him with affection; let us love Him, and have recourse to Him in all our necessities.
"A child gives easily," says St. Bernard; children readily give anything that is asked of them. Jesus came into the world a Child, in order to show Himself ready and willing to give us all good gifts: In whom are hid all treasures. (Col. ii. 3) The Father hath given all things into His hands. (John iii. 35) If we wish for light, He is come on purpose to enlighten us. If we wish for strength to resist our enemies, He is come to give us comfort. If we wish for pardon and salvation, He is come to pardon and save us. If, in short, we desire the sovereign gift of divine love, He is come to inflame our hearts with it; and, above all, for this very purpose, He has become a Child, and has chosen to show Himself to us worthy of our love, in proportion as He was poor and humble, in order to take away from us all fear, and to gain our affections. "So," says St. Peter Chrysologus, "should He come who willed to drive away fear, and seek for love."
Jesus has, besides, chosen to come as a little Child to make us love Him, not only with an appreciative but even with a tender love. All infants attract the tender affection of those who behold them; but who will not love, with all the tenderness of which they are capable, a God whom they behold as a little Child, in want of milk to nourish Him, trembling with cold, poor, abased, and forsaken, weeping and crying in a manger, and lying on straw? It was this that made the loving St. Francis exclaim: "Let us love the Child of Bethlehem, let us love the Child of Bethlehem. Come ye souls, and love a God who is become a Child, and poor; who is so amiable, and who has come down from heaven to give Himself entirely to you."
[St. Alphonsus de Liguori]
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