IN THE LIGHT OF BETHLEHEM All the mysteries of Christ's life are mysteries of love: the very birth of the Son of God is a mystery of love. Only divine omnipotence in the service of an infinite love for us men could have found a way to perform so admirably old promise. Any explanation of the fact is the power of who did it, he told the priests the Church the mystery that takes place in the grotto of Bethlehem. Truly is a mystery of the love of God that this child is: omnipotence is reduced to the extreme impotence. The Lord of the heavens and the earth does not have a cot where he was lying; Stable is the palace of the Son of David, a crib serves throne for the Son of God. Today our gaze is lost in the mystery of God's child, stubbornly try to source our minds and our hearts to understand the value and need for a real life of spiritual childhood. In his public life, when you want to indicate the only path that leads to safety in the United infinity Jesus say these very simple words: "unless you become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven". This is the only price to enable us to get the show with certainty to eternal glory, the beauty and harmony of God. And it is a price that is so inaccessible as to the scope of the proud and humble all who make, without effort, men of goodwill. Who of us does not notice, this Christmas Eve, the need for an effort to simplify interior that makes us, as God wants us children, as children? Especially if we see ourselves immersed in a world like today, where it is so easy to spiritually grow old, and die, but being younger years, skin and veins. How many young people and adults know they are spiritually old! How many people soul complicated and closed like a maze, and heart perennial agitation and bustle! Christmas is the time of simplicity, it is the time of rebirth and spiritual childhood. We need picked that
moment and take this time which Christ approached the children and the children talk. Only a clean and simple look can make us penetrate joyfully and fruitfully in developing the mystery in the Gospel story. The largest event history of mankind becomes an extremely simple: a fact verified completely supernatural in a way quite natural. The edict of a pagan emperor, Caesar Augustus, that imposes census orb universe leads to Bethlehem Mary and Joseph, and these last two characters of the Gospel account is not spared the harshness of a long and arduous journey, in which the cold and deprivation are the only faithful companions. The action of God in the world and the work of Divine Providence in the government of human life beyond the consideration of men and chronicle the events when men should see, understand and counting, they have a simple heart that allow them to enter into the secrets of the life of faith. Accustomed as we are, we men, to look for new and extravagant wish above all things that impress serve or show, you fail to understand that the predilection of the Lord will keep things simple and ordinary. ÂżHow many other ways could have been led Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem? Divine Providence made use of the most simple and ordinary, chose one that was certainly not the most comfortable for Joseph and Mary, his wife pregnant. The lesson for us, men of the twentieth century, in hope of perennial extraordinary and wonderful and always gasping in new and surprising ways of comfort. Simple, humble and unspectacular, is the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. But it is also less than the birth of the Son of God, that happens in humility and poverty of a cave in the heart of the cold and silence of night: s, while the silence surrounding all things.
You can not certainly say that in our life, silence and solitude we are free and regular companions. The zones of silence are rare and infrequent in our days. Fighting rumors inner soul of us is almost unknown. And loneliness, we must frankly confess, more than anything else gives us fear, and for us is often synonymous with boredom and depression. The poverty of the birth of the Son of God so
completely that achieves greatness and at the same time so simple that it borders with poetry. The beauty wearing flowers, fields and birds, just to have that cover her nakedness. Many doors are closed, many others have not been opened, the two pilgrims are called in vain for his life looking for shelter on a roof at night. There was no room for them in the inn. A cave, a manger, a little straw, two beasts: an assault and an ox. This is the place and this is the moment chosen by Providence to start the Christian Era. While they were there, the days were fulfilled, says the text of the Gospel in its sublime simplicity, and with them the great promise: t I gave birth to his firstborn Son, and wrapped in diapers and supported in a manger. The scene is complete: Mary, Mother of God; Joseph, putative father of Jesus; King of the Jews and the baby lying in a manger. Everything is simple and poor. A poor mother, a just man, poor infancy, a toddler, a stable, a manger. We are in the heart of the winter night is deep. When we look at poverty and remember Bethlehem so that the child is born the Light of the world, it is spontaneous to ask ourselves if we ignored here, or at least not have understood that virtue sufficiently- poverty
is necessary to our Christian life, and without it no one enters the kingdom of heaven. Who of us is happy today with the need to know and live the truth necessary? Who knows today draw with Christian prudence and delicacy of conscience the boundary between the necessary and the superfluous, for his personal life, and knows to stay energized and sacrifice more since this line? How many are, unfortunately, those who transferred and live with all embezzlement, during superficiality! The desire of superfluous regarding the increasingly refers to the goods of this world is unfortunates, the standard of living and the size of the hearts of many men, who seems never to have reached the Light of Bethlehem. And very few still living who remember and another precept of the Lord The date you sober, gives to the poor. The boundary between necessary and unnecessary moves continuously in attitudes, desires and in the lives of many Christians. And to the extent of their hearts away serenity and joy. Increasingly have new needs and constantly craving new possess and enjoy. And how much has come and enjoy, inevitably, disappointment and discomfort, and returns one to be with the heart barren and empty. But the race begins again immediately again, and always in the same direction behind the same goals. If we pause before the grotto of Bethlehem understand under generosity poverty emotional, and, to the extent that for each possible also effectively-and we can enjoy the blessings of poverty:"blessed are the poor in
spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven". Heart rid of the goods of this world floods the soul of peace and teaches good use when you have the wealth, developing the virtues of generosity. The generous woman, others, the serenity of the heart, the perfect inner freedom Our contemplative now separates the cave in the hills nearby, and the shepherds of Bethlehem neighborhood conquer us with its simplicity. Are simple, humble and poor. They live in the timely and accurate fulfillment of one's own duty making the night guard his flock. So they were the first to be connected to the Good News, and for the same reason pastors are the first worshipers of God the Son, God the elections are always conditioned by the presence in the souls of these virtues perfume genuinely evangelical. Darkness break silence melts angel and pastors receive from the joy of good news: "proclaim to you a great joy "‌ Our size will ease our participation in joy Christmas of Christ. The angels in the glory to God, promising peace-the peace of Christ is born - to men of good will. Men of good will: ¥Here is truly the only "class" to which all Christians should belong! If part of all this goodwill exists evangelical classes that still continue to exist, certainly cease fighting and can be achieved in unity : Peace of Christ in the kingdom of Christ. Rectify our will, before the grotto of Bethlehem, and make them truly good, willing to serve the Lord faithfully. Well, if we were, with the light coming from Bethlehem, simple souls and men of good will, participate
deeply the greatness of this day in which you appears the humaniy and benignity of our Salvator. Let the Virgin of Betkehem, Mother of Christ is going to teach us to renew our interior and to undrstandand and savor the goodness of our Saver who has born to us.
Acerca de Googl
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