31 Meditations for Advent and Christmas
"The King Who is to come; O come let us adore Him."
26th Day: THE NEW-BORN CHILD
"The King Who is to come; O come let us adore Him."
26th Day: THE NEW-BORN CHILD
In
the cradle before us lies the new-born Infant
wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in the
manger. Let us contemplate Him for a few moments
and see what lessons He teaches us.
He teaches us the unspeakable force of Divine Charity. How was it possible for the Eternal Word, the coequal Son of God, to leave the bosom of His Father to clothe Himself with the flesh of sinful man. It seems an almost extravagant act of love, one unworthy of the dignity of God. Yet love puts everything aside, except the burning desire to promote the welfare of the loved. The Son of God forgot all else in His Divine compassion for us. How dearly He must love us! How great should be our confidence in His love!
He teaches us never to judge by appearances. If we had been told that God had come to dwell on earth, would not the stable of Bethlehem have been the last place where we should have sought Him? In many a humble cottage there may still be found saints even more dear to God than those who have a world-wide repute for their holiness and virtue!
He teaches us the true dignity of self-abasement. God could not do anything unworthy of Himself, when clad in human flesh. It therefore was no disparagement to the Divine honor that He should thus infinitely condescend. Nay, it proved that the greatest possible likeness to God is attained by the most complete humiliation ot self. How little I have learned to practice this lesson!
He teaches us the unspeakable force of Divine Charity. How was it possible for the Eternal Word, the coequal Son of God, to leave the bosom of His Father to clothe Himself with the flesh of sinful man. It seems an almost extravagant act of love, one unworthy of the dignity of God. Yet love puts everything aside, except the burning desire to promote the welfare of the loved. The Son of God forgot all else in His Divine compassion for us. How dearly He must love us! How great should be our confidence in His love!
He teaches us never to judge by appearances. If we had been told that God had come to dwell on earth, would not the stable of Bethlehem have been the last place where we should have sought Him? In many a humble cottage there may still be found saints even more dear to God than those who have a world-wide repute for their holiness and virtue!
He teaches us the true dignity of self-abasement. God could not do anything unworthy of Himself, when clad in human flesh. It therefore was no disparagement to the Divine honor that He should thus infinitely condescend. Nay, it proved that the greatest possible likeness to God is attained by the most complete humiliation ot self. How little I have learned to practice this lesson!