Hope

Desire and Happiness

JESUS THE CHILD

Baby Jesus prays. The son of God, made a humble child, is a rainbow of peace between men and God. He prays and seems to say to the Father, with his tender baby voice: "Father, forgive! The world could not pray to you: its voice did not come pleasing to your heart, because it was born from hearts in sin; I am your Son, the innocent, the offended; but like you I love men, creatures of our love, and I beg you: forgive, forget! My voice covers all the bad and distracted voices of sinful souls". Baby Jesus prays like this and we do not think about it. Why not join our voice to his, so that the Father hears it and calms down?

Child Jesus suffers. He does not pray only: He gives all of himself. He gives men his Heart and therefore all his pain. He gives all of himself to the Father, a holy holocaust, thinking of the cross he wants. But the cross has already begun. To his disciples, before ascending Calvary, he will give it as the norm of life: "Whoever wants to be my disciple, take his cross and follow me". He wanted it at his first encounter with earthly life. There is no place for him in the world and in the houses of the world. Poverty, abandonment, contempt. For every child of man who is born there is also some joy and sweetness; for the Son of God who comes to visit the earth, the humility of a stable, the deprivation of everything. He comes and suffers for us. We are afraid of suffering and in order to avoid pain we are ready to offend God.

Child Jesus teaches. He teaches to pray and to suffer, he teaches to live. Without prayer and without martyrdom life is not learned. We are weak and prayer, which is God’s powerful and gentle help, strengthens us. We are sinners and pain, which is a smile of God’s mercy, purifies us. Then let us live! And we live in humility, charity, obedience, poverty, purity, like the Child Jesus. He alone is a model of life: either he makes himself like him, or he is not saved. How great is Jesus in the crib! And we can be just as great if, by accepting His example and His teachings, we humble ourselves with Him..

ADOLESCENCE OF JESUS
Humble adolescence! Humility is in Jesus like the lamp that contains and at the same time reveals the light. He is the son of God, but he lives as the poorest of the children of man. His is the house of the poor; his food is that of those who work with the sweat of the forehead; his dress is the dress of a worker; his relatives, as they descend from a royal family, are simple children of the people; he too is but the son of a carpenter. And his infinite wealth of mind and heart? Even those are hidden, veiled, never flaunted or abused. Our Lady is the only one to discover and keep them in her heart. What do we find in our life that resembles the humble life of Jesus Christ?

Obedient adolescence. "Behold, I come to do your will, O Father!" said the Son in everlasting ages. And of obedience he makes happy food of his soul. He grows in wisdom, in age, in grace: despite his childhood, He is all wisdom, all grace. He can create and govern the worlds. And meanwhile here on earth we study to be obedient to the slightest hint of a woman, however perfect, of a man, however just: Mary and Joseph command the Son of God, and the Son of God obeys! He shows men an essential truth: disobedience leads man to perdition, the obedience of the Man-God saves him. And we too will not be saved without obedience.

Active adolescence! "Those who do not work, do not eat", will proclaim one day the Apostle of the Gentiles. Jesus also earned his bread. He, living bread descended from heaven, food of eternal life, sure defense from death, is the docile help of the putative father: he works and sweats with him, and Joseph, laboring with Jesus, for Jesus, feels all holiness, all the joy of work. Man is not created for idleness: he received from God some talents and he must not waste any of them. Jesus teaches in a sublime way. When will we understand and begin to put into practice the gentle lesson?

PASSES THE LORD
The visit of Jesus! What a great gift to the poor humanity that waited, sighing for the salvation of God! He has come. And after so much waiting the earth breathed: the people of the dead received the visit of the King of the living and redemption was accomplished. In a fortunate little corner of the world, men saw him, welcomed him, listened to him, and gave him death.

He had come for all. The visit to a soul is a visit for all souls; the Heart of Jesus is the patrimony of all. He wanted to be a pilgrim in search of food and home: and then he had neither food nor home, not even a stone. It was enough for him to go to souls, in the name of the Father, and to bring them life. It was his mission.

Will he return? Yes, He said so. He will return triumphant almighty on the last day, surrounded by legions of angels. But he, good for us, has not interrupted his visits since the first day that He blossomed, flower of heaven, on this dry earth. He continues his way, the way of the ages. Every soul has its place on that way; to every soul He passes by and invites. It is a gasp, a memory, a pain, a humiliation, a nothingness: it is Jesus who passes and wants to touch a soul, because he wants it his, his more. Happy is the soul that knows how to answer to the Lord! He is not content to pass by them: the understanding of their hearts is so great that He becomes one with that soul. And Communion performs the miracle.

We are waiting for the Lord. If you asked a Christian who is busy down here at work: "What are you doing?" , he should answer: "I wait for the Lord, I am careful if Jesus passes". Who thinks so has the salutary concern of his soul: he knows that so much anxiety of heart and mind is of no use, if he does not have the seal of Christ the Lord. And he will not allow God’s invitation to go unheard, nor will the Lord’s visit be in vain. Blessed is this Christian! Even in his soul, as in the house of the publican Zacchaeus, salvation will come down.

We renew the invitation
If your heart is eager to do something for your brothers and sisters who are gripped by suffering or loneliness, you can earnestly plead with the Lord. Prayer is one of the highest forms of charity..

If you are also looking for other wonderful brothers who can join you in prayer in one heart, then visit the site of the Invisible Monastery. There you will find a family willing to welcome you with open arms.

If you wish to accept Jesus' invitation, or simply want to try praying from your home, click here and you will find many wonderful brothers willing to join spiritually in a great and heartfelt prayer of intercession.

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