S. Christmas 2008
Letter to Baby Jesus
"On your knees and empty-handed"
Dear Baby Jesus,
here we are, once again, to remember your birth among us, Your words have the dwelling place among men. I confess that perhaps I for one did not yet understand what the evangelist Luke last night trying to tell us when he says that at your birth there was no place for you in the inn (Luke 2:7) and that John explicit, comprehensive, saying that "men loved darkness rather than light" (John 1:5).
Perhaps there is still clear that you did not want to just look out into the world, so home and dwelling in the hearts of men.
History, indeed, tells us, however, that many men and women have accepted and you have complied with their thoughts and their ways of life to the Gospel in different ways and different experiences.
Tonight we would like to repay you, Lord, love failure.
were born in a stable abandoned because they would not receive you. We, believers today, we strive to be the most hospitable and, therefore, we welcome you, but you, little boy, transforms our hearts from cold stall poor in hot environment worthy of your gift.
These days we also want to fall down and worship like the shepherds and the wise men who recognized in Your form of weak and helpless child, the Savior. A nice Christmas
legend tells that one of the pastors there was a so that poor man had nothing to offer and is very ashamed.
reached the cave, all vied with each other to offer their gifts. Mary did not know how to receive them all, having to hold you in my arms Divine Infant. Then, seeing the shepherd with his hands free, I took it and I gave him by asking in his hands. Have empty hands was his luck!
Happy are we if we can come to you often in the same way, empty-handed, it will be you, then fill with the special gifts that you alone know how to give them because you brought with you from heaven.
Happy are we if we learn to come back often to draw these gifts, the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, your body and your blood, food for our salvation.
A dear Father of the Church, S. John Chrysostom said: The Wise Men have adored this body reclined in the manger ... But you see no more in the manger, but on the altar.
The crib is then repeated in every Eucharistic celebration.
St. Francis of Assisi he said to his brothers: You see, every day the Son of God humbles himself, as when dropped from the royal throne in the womb of the Virgin, every day is to us humble in appearance, every day down from the bosom of the Father above the altar in the hands of the priest. And as to the Holy Apostles appeared in the flesh, so He reveals Himself to us in the consecrated bread.
The altar is thus the manger.
In every Eucharist is celebrated, You, the Divine King, continue to be born again!.
And, as in the cave of Bethlehem with Your arms wide open to every man wanted to give you, so, in the Eucharist through the words, Take, eat, take and drink, do you want us to give you as food and drink specials.
Yeah, Baby Jesus, the bread in there is you, always you, you.
You, the only one who knows how to accompany and guide our steps along the difficult path of life;
You know the one who moved before men, sometimes scattered and disoriented;
the only one who knows you really love and care of all.
And through the bread humble, poor, but substantial, challenges the way we mean and covetous of life, our habits to keep everything to ourselves. Through the Eucharist
You want to come and dwell in us.
The Apostle Paul did, before us, this experience, and you know how in one of his letters says, is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.
If the Eucharist for us it was all about every Sunday we would not hesitate, dear Jesus, to run like the Magi to Bethlehem Sunday, that is, our churches, our altar, kneel down, worship, contemplate, rejoice in Your love grant us, and that will never end.
Through the Eucharist, you want to send a fire of love that transform into creatures new and different, just as it did those two disciples on the road to Emmaus. That day began for them a new way to live and act, because their hearts had been renovated (Luke 24.13-33).
A similar thing happened over 2000 years ago in Bethlehem, the Magi after I met you, dear Jesus, another way they returned to their country, no longer the path of selfishness, but that of love.
In this most holy night, dear Jesus, sends us home with a new heart and new roads for the most luminous and hot, because inhabited by your presence.
Happy Birthday, Jesus!
Thanks again for the good that we want.
In fact, even us, so ours, we want you so much!
Thank you, and many good wishes
December 25, 2008 Don Pasquale
