16 January 2013 The Holy Infant is our God and Saviour Many of the people who lived in Bethlehem saw Jesus like any other child. The Kings knew how to see Him as the Child who would be adored forever henceforth. Their faith gave them the unique privilege: to be the first among the gentiles to adore whom the world didn’t know yet. Their joy must have been truly great. We must be attentive because Our Lord also shows himself in the usual events of every day. May we know how to recover this interior light which shines through the monotony of our ordinary life and find Jesus. “And going into the dwelling, they found the Child there with his Mother, Mary, and fell down to worship him. (Mt 2:11) We also kneel down before Jesus, God hidden in humanity. We tell him once more that we do not want to turn our backs on his divine call, that we shall never separate ourselves from him, that we shall remove from our path all that may be an obstacle to our fidelity and that we sincerely wish to be docile to his inspirations.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Christ is passing by”, 35) They adored him and knew that he was the Messiah, God made Man. The Council of Trent quotes this passage of the adoration of the Kings to teach us the cult which is due to Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. Present in the tabernacle is the same Jesus the wise men found in Mary’s arms. How do we adore him when he is exposed in the monstrance or hidden in the tabernacle? Do we devoutly kneel in the moments indicated in the Holy Mass? We might fail to realize how close Our Lord is to us “because God presents himself ... under the insignificant appearance of a piece of bread; because he does not reveal himself in his glory, ... does not impose himself irresistibly; ... he slips into our life like a shadow, instead of making his power resound at the summit of all things ... How many souls are troubled by doubt because God does not show himself in the way they expected!” (cf J Leclerq, “A Year with the Liturgy”) We have to be attentive, because Our Lord also shows himself in the normal events of every day. May we know how to recover this interior light, which for us breaks through the monotony of days which are all the same; and find Jesus in our ordinary life! “Those who have already reached the faith and those who are on the path of finding it ... participate, give thanks for the gift of faith, as did the Kings who, filled with gratitude, knelt before the Child. ... How many people there are still who have to be brought to the faith! “How many have to be brought back to the faith they have lost! This at times is more difficult than the first conversion to the faith. The Church, however, aware of the great gift of the Incarnation of God, cannot pause, can never stop. She has to seek continually the way to Bethlehem for all men and for all times. ...” (John Paul II, “Homily”, 6 January 1979) Let us ask “the Mother of God, who is our Mother, to prepare for us the way that leads to the fullness of love: ‘Cor Mariae dulcissimum, iter para tutum!’ Most sweet heart of Mary, prepare a safe way! Her sweet heart knows the surest path on which to find Christ. “The three Kings had the star. We have Mary, ‘Stella Maris’, ‘Stella Orientis’, Star of the Sea, Star of the East.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Christ is passing by”, 38) Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 1:328-9, 332-3 • On this day Our Lady of Montserrat, in Spain, miraculously delivered several captives from the tyranny of the Turks. (Bethlehem Observer Historical Calendar) • Our Lady of Montserrat delivers captives from tyranny of Turks, Spain. (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html) • Our Lady of Montserrat. Spain. Rescues slaves from the Turks. [DeLigney here cites Historia Monstiserr.]. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm) • Our Lady of Montserrat (Spain). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html) • Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html); (http://mariedenazareth.com.)