January. The Holy Infancy.
The month of the holy infancy of Our Lord is January. The Lord was born in December as we know, but so late in the month that we must take the beginning of the new year and consecrate the first part of the year to God. We begin with the childhood of Our Lord in our devotions, that we may grow as He did in grace before God and man. The holy Infant is laid in our arms this month, that we may contemplate Him and learn holy lessons. What are these lessons? The goodness of God towards us—the mercy and kindness of the Child Jesus for us; for His infancy is infinitely meritorious before God, and all grace comes to us on account of Christ, Who has been an Infant among us. We should be like children in our confidence in God, Who has created us and will not make us stand greater trials than we are able to bear. We should not care over much for the things of this world; we should not depend so much on our own efforts; but with filial resignation we should say to God: “You want this done, and you want one to do it. Well, then, give me the grace, the intelligence, the will, and I will do it in such a manner as will be worthy of God.” The whole month can be spent in meditating on these virtues; be assured they are worth being learned, and will repay you for the trouble of practising them.
[pg 012]Considerations and Prayers for Every Day.
First Day.
Consider the Holy Family on this day. They rise early to make preparations to proceed to the Temple to fulfil the law of God given to Moses, that every male child of the Jewish nation should be circumcised. Let us accompany them in spirit to the Temple, and witness God's providence working plainly in behalf of His divine Son. To-day the Child Jesus is circumcised. A painful operation is performed on the body of the pure and holy Babe which was formed in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Jesus knew that by this ceremony He subjected Himself to the Law, and the observance of all the dictates of a life regulated by it. Be you also subject to the law of God, hard though it may be to man's corrupt nature. The life of a Christian will be a difficult one if you are not good and pious. It will be hard for you to pray, to fast, to go to Mass, or confession. Only by submitting to the law of God will you learn to bear your burdens patiently, willingly, and joyfully. Remember you are not carrying your cross alone, for the great Bearer of the cross, Our Lord Jesus Christ, will help you: He Who has said, “My yoke is sweet and My burden light.”
Prayer.
O God, Who, by the fruitful virginity of Blessed Mary, hast bestowed on mankind the rewards of eternal salvation, grant, we beseech Thee, that we may experience the intercession of her through whom we have had the happiness to receive the Author of life, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Second Day.
Jesus underwent the circumcision as an act of redemption. He was carried forth by His holy Mother to begin the way of the cross, and from that moment until the day of His death He suffered physical pain. You may here form many thoughts on this period in the life of this holy Child, which will console you in your sufferings. Be not cast down in your struggle after a livelihood, be not impatient in poverty and suffering, for by these Jesus has redeemed the world. These crosses will one day bring you to heaven. All humanity from childhood has the vicissitudes of nature and fortune to combat. Cruel indeed is the fate of some children: poverty, neglect, sickness, the death of parents, and other misfortunes, leave them often in a deplorable state. But there is a Providence watching over them; not a sparrow falls from the housetop without the will of the heavenly Father. At the same time those who have the means should be interested in God's poor, and seek to help them in all their necessities.
Prayer.
O Jesus, when Thou givest me such touching proof of Thy love, could I remain cold towards Thee? No! it is not possible. I will love Thee, then, O my God, with a love which nothing will daunt or repel.
Third Day.
At the presentation of the Lord in the Temple were present Simeon and Anna; they were faithful people, and were permitted to witness the solemn entry of Our Lord into the Temple. They [pg 014] were old and had served the Lord God with faithfulness all their days, and were now waiting for the coming of the Messias. On this day their fidelity was partially rewarded. It was certainly a great grace to be allowed to witness the presentation of Jesus to God, His Father, and this great reward for a good life was followed afterwards by eternal happiness in heaven. Be faithful, then, to the teachings of God in His holy Church. Begin in your youth, or at least when the grace of God visits you. Never cease to trust in God during your whole life, so that you, too, may be received into the heavenly kingdom as a reward for your fidelity. Pray always, as Simeon and Anna did, who never left the Temple but remained there in prayer and fasting, waiting for the consolation of Israel.
Prayer.
O my God, how Thou didst love me on the day of Thy presentation! Oh, how well Thou dost teach me thereby what love is when it burns the heart! O my God! come and consume me, come and take possession of my whole being, so that I may belong entirely to Thee. Let Thy good pleasure dispose of me as Thou willest. Amen.
Fourth Day.
On the occasion of the circumcision, the name of Jesus was given to Our Lord. He was called Jesus, the Redeemer: a name which was given to Him by His Father and announced to man by an angel. Let this holy name be on your lips—it will be to you a light, guiding you on your way through this valley of darkness. Let it be your food, to strengthen you on [pg 015] your journey to your heavenly home. Let it be a watchword at the end of your life, by which you may open the gates of heaven. The name of Jesus is a powerful one; it is the conqueror of death, the victor over hell. You are a follower of Jesus, therefore you ought to show yourself an enthusiastic follower, and love to repeat that sacred name. The name of Jesus piously said will strengthen our good resolutions, and our resistance against temptations. When the end of life approaches, and the darkness of despair comes over us because we have done so little in the hours of daylight, when we should have worked, the merits of Jesus will give us hope, for He came to this earth to suffer for us, to give us hope, and to supply the deficiency of our efforts.
Prayer.
Oh, may the adorable name of Jesus be the sweet and daily music of my soul and the seal of my heart; and when, in the agony and cold sweat of death, I shall give the last look for mercy, may the parting sigh of my soul be Jesus. Amen, sweet Jesus, Amen.
Fifth Day.
The name of Jesus must not only be on our lips, but it must also be indelibly engraven in our hearts. You have heard perhaps in the life of that blessed Dominican, Suso, that he cut over his heart the name of Jesus. In this name you can overcome all things. In this name you will be rich in grace and strength, you will be victorious over all temptations and successful in all your labors. Why should you not have the name of Jesus in your heart? [pg 016] St. Paul has said: “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.” You remember the exclamation of the great Apostle, “If any man love not Our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema.” There is great peace and comfort in the name of Jesus; it is this which enables pious people to remain faithful for long years in dryness of the spiritual life. It is this which gives us courage to do good actions, not for an earthly gain, but for Jesus, and the reward of His society for all eternity. Let us never pronounce it except with confidence, respect, love, and delight.
Prayer.
O sweet Jesus! O loving Jesus! O Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary, full of piety and of love! O sweet Jesus, according to Thy great mercy have mercy on me; blot out my iniquities, and look with tenderness upon me, a miserable sinner invoking Thy holy name, Jesus. Amen.
Sixth Day.
The Lord has commended His holy name to every Christian as a precious jewel which he is to use to obtain mercy and grace. “That whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you.” We all belong to the army of the Lord, stand under His banner, and are supposed to be ever ready to make battle in His cause. How often have not you received the body and blood of the Lord? Think, then, what efficacy your prayers have when you appear before God, with the sign of the blood of Jesus on your soul; you then pray with a power to which nothing is equal, for not only do [pg 017] you pray, but Christ prays in and by you. By this holy name God is honored, as He is honored in His adorable Son. “God hath given Him a name which is above all names.”—Phil. ii. 9. The Lord is always an intercessor for us—it is His office of Redeemer and Saviour that has merited this name, by His life on earth and His death on the cross. To-day is the feast of the Epiphany, the manifestation of the Lord Himself to the Gentiles. Let us thank God during the day by frequent outbursts of love, for our vocation to the faith in the person of the Magi.
Prayer.
O God! Who didst this day reveal Thy only-begotten Son to the Gentiles by the guidance of a star; grant in Thy mercy, that we, who already know Thee by faith, may be brought to contemplate the beauty of Thy majesty, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Seventh Day.
The Lord has shown Himself to you also, as He did to the three Wise Men from the East who represented you on the feast of Epiphany. You have had mercy shown you on this day because now you have the right to choose the true faith, and you should be thankful for this grace. You have had a singular privilege extended to you, which all Christians do not enjoy to the fulness. There are among us many who have not the consolation of dying in the arms of Jesus. They cannot claim that He said to them, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” We know that they, too, are hastening with us to [pg 018] the Last Judgment, but with what a difference! When a misfortune befalls these men in life they have no peace of mind; when a humiliation meets them, the ungentle spirit of nature is aroused in them at being despised. They are unhappy in privations, impatient in disputes, and they are selfish. The life of those who think not of Christ is full of misery, disappointment, and dissatisfaction; they sit in the darkness of heathenism; but you who have the faith find relief in all your ills. Be not one of those who by their sinfulness deserve to be deserted by God.
Prayer.
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord, in Thy heavenly mercy, the prayers of Thy suppliant people; that they may perceive where their duty lies, and be enabled to accomplish whatsoever tasks are necessary for their salvation. Amen.
Eighth Day.
Our faith ought to be pure and precious as the gold which the wise kings offered at the throne of God. You ought, then, to hold fast the faith of Jesus Christ, which is preserved in the Catholic Church. Learn your faith, learn the proofs of it; you will be a more fervent adherent to the chair of St. Peter and be well instructed in everything that concerns the Church. You will pray for our Holy Father, the Pope, and for holy Mother Church in these troublous times. If love is a part of that purity of faith, read nothing, listen to nothing which is against your faith; do not belong to societies that are condemned by the Church, for they are enemies of God's religion. Your faith must be a lively one; [pg 019] give signs of it in your actions. Sweet-smelling as the incense in the hands of the kings must be our faith. Every one should see that we are good and stanch Catholics; education or riches or social standing should not be an obstacle to our humble practice of our religion. What is there more beautiful than a well-educated man practising the Catholic faith according to the laws of the Church? Unhappily the rich and the learned are sometimes ashamed of the Church, leaving it to the poor and ignorant to be good Catholics.
Prayer.
O my God, I thank Thee for the inestimable gift of faith which Thou hast bestowed upon me. Grant that I may always acknowledge this Thy mercy with thanksgiving; and this not only in words, but in making a good use of it. This grace I ask through Thy sweet name, Jesus. Amen.
Ninth Day.
In trying to lead a good Christian life you will often meet with contradictions and persecutions, even from your associates. But the Wise Men included the myrrh of mortification among their gifts. He who wants to lead a life of purity will necessarily meet with many persecutions and crosses, and only when he has taken up the cross can he follow the divine Redeemer. The faith of Christ cannot exist without the bitter herb of mortification. This faith is the power that conquers the world, and the world's insults. Let us then be firm in our faith as the three kings were in all their trials, for they had many a one to encounter before they [pg 020] found the cave of Bethlehem. Let us show our appreciation then by our zeal and our holy lives. “He is my God, and I will glorify Him: the God of my father, and I will exalt Him.”—Exod. xv. 2. The holy man Job will be an example to us as to how we should serve God in trials and tribulations. Though the Lord allowed great sufferings to come upon him, and precisely because he had been good, still he remained true and firm and would not make a compromise with the devil, his persecutor. Job was thankful for everything that came from the hands of God. He praised God for it all his days.
Prayer.
O my God, how good it is to serve Thee thus, and to give ourselves wholly to Thee. Give to me as Thou didst to the Magi the spirit of wisdom, of prayer, and of sacrifice, so that, following Thee through all my life, I may reach a happy eternity. Amen.
Tenth Day.
It is a singular fact that the star disappeared at Jerusalem, though that was not, as yet, the place where the new-born King of the Jews was to be looked for. Herod was the temporal king of Jerusalem; the high priest and the doctors of the Law were also there. As this was the seat of the religion of the people of God, here were made many prophecies that were to be accomplished. We should have thought that here also the star would have been seen. Jerusalem, however, remains in darkness, the people that were to be the recipients of God's promises are passed over, and the great [pg 021] grace of vocation was given to men who knew nothing of the testament of God—to pagans. The star appears to them and illuminates the darkness in which they find themselves, and calls them to a heavenly light. Our Lord explained this Himself afterwards, when He said that from the rising to the setting of the sun would come those who would sit at His banquet, while the “children of the kingdom” should go out empty-handed, for they deserved no better treatment because of their infidelity and presumption.
Prayer.
O God, Who didst permit the children of Israel so often to sink under the trials which Thou didst send them, and so often to offend by yielding under temptation: have regard, I beseech Thee, to Thy servant, and assist me with heavenly strength that I may have patience and courage under all the trials of life. Amen.
Eleventh Day.
We are similar in condition to Jerusalem: We have the promise of God, we have the Messias in our midst, on our altars. Jerusalem was the gay capital of the Jewish nation, and it had no time to attend to the call of God. We also will meet the same fate that overtook that unfortunate city, which knew not the day of its visitation. Our Lord “came unto His own, and His own received Him not.” We are too busy with the things of this world to give a few thoughts to God; we do not realize the precious gifts of Our Lord, or of His sacred presence, and so we will be allowed to go [pg 022] forth empty-handed; strangers will take our places in the heavenly kingdom, while we shall sit in darkness for all eternity. The Lord will find faithful followers among strangers who have not our knowledge; they are guided only by a star that does not speak. They follow it and are rewarded; they follow it because they acknowledge the fact that they stand in need of a leader and guide.
Prayer.
Help me, O my God, and defend me from all dangers; let Thy heavenly light dart upon my soul amidst all its darkness; let faith be its guide, and support it with hope. Behold, I now protest that I renounce all kinds of suggestions that are injurious to that faith and hope which I am bound to have in Thee. Amen.
Twelfth Day.
Mary was found with the Child by the Magi; she it was who received the gifts for the Lord. There sat Mary as on a throne, having the Infant Jesus in her lap, and the Wise Men fell down and adored Him. How kingly seemed to them the poverty of that Babe! how right royal that sinless Mother's lap, on which He was enthroned! We, too, have arrived at the stable of Bethlehem in our meditations. Mary is there, holding out towards us also her divine Son. Through her He has become ours in holy communion, ours when we are faithful servants of this good Master. Mary is always with Jesus; we cannot think of the sacred humanity of Christ without thinking also of the Mother who gave Him birth. How far removed is the Mother [pg 023] from the Son? Let us then bow down in humility and adoration before the Child who is Our God; but let us also look up to Mary. She teaches us God as we never could else have learned Him. The Child Jesus seems to understand better than we that the caresses which are poured out to Him are also intended for us. Let us look with gratitude at this good Mother of Jesus, who is to be our Mother because she has taken us under her protection, and presents our petitions to the divine Infant, her sweet Son.
Prayer.
O Mary, my good Mother, I cast myself into thy arms: obtain for me from thy divine Son the virtues of humility and charity, great purity of heart, of body, and of soul, final perseverance in good, the gift of fervor in prayer, a pious life, and a happy death. Amen.
Thirteenth Day.
Mary is present at our visit to Jesus, to receive the gifts that we are about to bring to the Infant at this sacred season, when we celebrate the feast of Epiphany. We are going to offer to Jesus, through Mary, a gift of gold. Gold is the most precious and the most sought after possession in the world. Whatever we have most precious, then, we will give to Him: our attachment to our family, our inclinations, our prejudices, our possessions, we will lay at the feet of Jesus, so that Mary may point them out to this sacred Babe, and show Him how generous we have been to make a sacrifice of the dearest things we have on earth. The man of the [pg 024] world makes supreme efforts to gain gold, so we will make supreme efforts to bring our whole being, with all its energies, as a sacrifice to Him; our hearts with all their inclinations will be consecrated to the service of Jesus Christ. We will love Him not only in Himself, but in our neighbor; we will succor Him in the person of the poor, and in those even of whom we have to complain; and that on account of His words, “As long as you did it to one of these, My least brethren, you did it to Me.”—Matt. xxv. 40.
Prayer.
O my Mother, give me Jesus as thou didst give Him to the holy Wise Men. Obtain for me a fervent heart to desire Jesus; a pure and humble heart to receive Jesus; a constant heart, that I may never, by the least wilful sin, sadden His loving Heart. Amen.
Fourteenth Day.
During these days make the sacrifice of your heart a persevering, loving, patient sacrifice. You are not going to retain anything of this heart, you are not going to divide your love. Jesus has given Himself entirely to you; He has been presented to you by the hands of Mary. He has made you a Christian, that you may take advantage of this privilege of enjoying Him as often as you please. You can be on familiar terms with Him, you can unite Him to your heart in holy communion, when He will enter your soul and be such a gracious, noble guest. By your Christian character He has privileged you to participate in all the sacraments of the Church. He [pg 025] confirms you in your Christianity; He pardons your transgressions when you have fallen, and when, with sorrow in your heart, you wish to rise again; He claims you as His at the end of your life by anointing you in your last sickness: He claims you in fact, body and soul, for His own glory.
Prayer.
Most sweet Infant Jesus, I acknowledge Thee my benefactor. I return Thee thanks for whatever I possess, and I heartily beg Thy grace, that I may make good use of the benefits which through Thy great mercy I enjoy. Amen.
Fifteenth Day.
You are going to appear before Jesus and Mary during these days with the incense of the Magi, which they presented to Him as a tribute of praise; they acknowledged Jesus as their God. Incense is offered to God alone; it is a prayer in itself, and ascends with a pleasant odor. You are going to stand before Jesus offering your incense of prayer and adoration. You have your daily prayers to say; in fact the whole day should be a prayer, which should insert itself into all your actions. How noble will not such a day appear to you when you look back on it! Oh, that all your days were like this one, full of holy joy, peace and happiness; such a happiness as you cannot find in earthly pleasure and enjoyment. Mary will receive this gift of prayer for her divine Son, and point out to Him the pious Christian that has brought the same sacrifice as did the kings of the East—the incense of prayer. How pleased will be our sweet Jesus to receive this gift from our hands, and in exchange [pg 026] He will give us the gift of piety, thus enabling us to love God alone and to despise all else.
Prayer.
Hail, most sweet Jesus, Son of God and of Mary, I love Thee with my whole soul, and above all things, because Thou art infinitely worthy of all love. I firmly resolve by Thy grace to sin no more, and henceforth to avoid all occasions of sin. Amen.
Sixteenth Day.
Mary is found with Jesus, too, in order to accept another gift, which you must not forget and which the Magi brought also, i.e., the bitter myrrh of mortification. We have seen that we should offer a pure heart to the Lord and a life full of prayer—but we must also add to these gifts the virtues of self-denial, self-abnegation and mortification. Mary offered this great gift of generosity in its fulness. She is the Queen of martyrs, the sorrowful Mother. Mourn with her over your own ingratitude and the sins of the world; follow her in the way of the cross of her life; condole with her. It is a precious gift to God to mortify one's self, and one can find daily opportunities of doing so. As a Christian you are not to look backward. Give the same gifts as the Magi did; put some little privation on yourself, no matter what it may be, or how insignificant it may appear. God will look upon it with eyes of love, and in return will enrich you with the spirit of mortification and of sacrifice, which will make you apostles and martyrs.
[pg 027]Prayer.
O most sweet Infant Jesus! grant me, as Thou didst to the Magi, the spirit of wisdom, of prayer, and of sacrifice; so that following their example of steadfast faith, I may one day receive the reward of eternal happiness. Amen.
Seventeenth Day.
We read that the Lord accompanied His parents on a visit to the Temple in Jerusalem, and remained there unknown to them, when they had departed for their own home. It was His Father's house, and He expressed a kind of wonder that He was expected to be anywhere else at any time. We might apply this to ourselves as well. God is Our Father; the church is Our Father's house, and we should be found at home. Besides, Jesus is in the tabernacle; He, our Brother, is in His Father's house, and the whole family should be gathered there. You should make frequent visits to the church, and should any one be surprised at your conduct, and ask you the reason, you can answer with justice: “Am I not to be about the things that are my Father's?” Go to your work, be in your home, but also love to pass some time in the presence of the Lord in the church. The angels are there, silently praying before their God in the tabernacle; join them in their devout occupation. You like to visit a friend; no nearer nor dearer friend will you ever find than Jesus, your loving Saviour.
Prayer.
O Jesus, Thou knowest my desire of serving Thee with the purest intention of living but for [pg 028] Thee. Thou art my hope, my strength, and my life. I will seek not so much for consolation as for the grace of a greater love towards Thee, my sweet Saviour, and for strength to suffer bravely for Thy greater glory and my own sanctification. Amen.
Eighteenth Day.
From your early childhood you have been brought to the church. Even before you knew what church meant you trotted along with the other children, and sat in your pew and knelt with the rest, not knowing how to pray, not knowing what you were about. But afterwards you began to understand that you were going to a holy place, where sacred things were performed: things that reminded you of heaven, even while you were still on this earth. When you were made a Christian by Baptism, then you were introduced into the mystic body of the Church, and you also received the right to stand in the material temple of the Lord, and take your place among the many members of the Christian people. The Church has become your home, a place of happiness and consolation in all your afflictions. But do we use it as such? Do we go with all our trials and temptations to our sweet Lord, hidden in the tabernacle, Who is there waiting and anxious to console us in our miseries?
Prayer.
My dearest Jesus, how much hast Thou not done to oblige me to love Thee, and how much hath it cost Thee to gain to Thyself my love? Pierce my poor soul, O dearest Jesus, with the [pg 029] sweet dart of Thy love, so that I may ever languish with desire of Thee. Amen.
Nineteenth Day.
When the shepherds were told to seek for the Child Jesus, they were sent to look for a child. When we set out to look for the Redeemer we expect to see something remarkable; with fear and trembling we approach the spot, and find only a helpless Child lying on some straw in a manger. Man looks for great and startling works, and God meets him by showing things which, in his consideration, are insignificant. We think that God should choose great things and He chooses small ones. This is the difference between divine and human reasoning, between the ways of God and the ways of man. God has become man in the form of a child, and human wisdom thinks that now, over the whole world, a great clamor, noise, and wonderment should be raised; that all nations should be astounded. Instead the Lord is a child that does not talk, does nothing wonderful, even cries like other children, and so He remains, or rather grows, gaining by degrees the use of human faculties the same as other children. These are the ways of God; we think we should have ordered all things differently.
Prayer.
O sweet Babe of Bethlehem, I adore Thee in Thy humility. Mayest Thou be ever reverenced and adored by all creatures. May we with the angels ever adore Thee, and may the hearts of all the faithful ever breathe out in Thy honor a most sweet perfume. Amen.
Twentieth Day.
What a difference! Adam was placed in paradise, a most beautiful garden; the second Adam, Jesus, is placed in the manger. The former was but a simple human being, while this One is the true God. And why was this difference made? Through Adam's sin paradise, that beautiful place, had been desecrated: God, the Author of our being, forgotten. In punishment of this rebellion the second Adam had to atone for this defection. We had lowered ourselves to the level of the animals, we had sought our joy among the natural inclinations, and thither Our Lord had to descend in order to find us. Paradise is again to be brought to this earth. We, too, should show by our faith, our devotions, and our magnificent churches, where our happiness is. We may enjoy this paradise even on earth by doing the will of God in all things, and receiving frequently the body and blood of Christ, in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Prayer.
O most sweet Infant Jesus, behold here a poor petitioner who wants Thy aid; but such is my unhappiness, the more I want the less able I am to ask for relief. Have regard, therefore, to my distressed condition, and according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies have compassion on me. Amen.
Twenty-first Day.
The angels announced the glad tidings of the birth of Christ to the shepherds, who heard the words and acted on them promptly and with joy, [pg 031] ignorant though they were. The promise of the coming of a Redeemer was clearly placed before their minds, so that they were as prepared for this startling announcement as if they had been waiting for it for many years. So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the Infant. How beautiful is Our Lord's attraction to the lowly, represented in the call of these poor men. Such are the men that the Babe called first. We should allow the glorious truths of the incarnation to sink deeply into our souls, that we may celebrate the month of the holy childhood with profit to ourselves and to the glory of God. We should be interested also in spreading the Gospel among Protestants and Jews, and by our lives lead bad Catholics back again to the Infant Babe. Lay people can sometimes do more good than they imagine, and in some cases even more than a priest, because their advice and good example may have an effect where a priest could not reach.
Prayer.
O most sweet Babe of Bethlehem! what praise, love, and thanks shall I return Thee for all Thy mercies? Let my body, soul, and all that is within me bless Thee eternally, and let heaven, earth, and all that is within them say Amen.
Twenty-second Day.
God's glory was the object of the angels who came to announce the birth of Our Lord. Glory to God in the highest! Infinite glory accrues to God the Father by sending His divine Son to this earth to become man. We are His intelligent creatures, to whom He was sent, and we must give [pg 032] to God a rational worship. When we do not give glory and thanks to God, and are ungrateful, we rob the Creator of that recognition which He should have from His creatures. But the same must be said of all our works; we must have the glory of God before our minds; we should do nothing but with the express or implicit motive—the honor of God. Our maxim should be, “All for the greater glory of God.” When the angels reported the birth of the Lord they did not refer to their own greatness but sang out, “God has done this from His throne in heaven,” to Him is due the glorification of His creatures; so also we, after a good action, do not think complacently of our own sanctity or excellence, but say it was the inspiration of God, and God's work, which has been done by us unworthy instruments in His hands. Mary referred all her glory and graces to God: “My soul doth magnify the Lord.”
Prayer.
Almighty and everlasting God! Lord of heaven and earth, Who dost reveal Thyself to little ones, grant us, we beseech Thee, to honor meetly the holy mysteries in the life of Thy Son, the Child Jesus, and to follow Him humbly in our lives, so that we may come to the eternal kingdom promised by Thee to little ones, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Twenty-third Day.
Again the angels said, “Peace on earth to men of good-will.” How precious is the peace of the soul! Peace is the fruit of a good conscience, [pg 033] which produces peace with God and with one's self. Seek to purify your will, make it conformable to the will of God, for then you enjoy peace more and more; you will taste the happiness of that peace which surpasses all the joys of the world, and which the world cannot give. In the contemplation of the joyous feasts which we celebrate, during this month of the mysteries of the divine infancy of the Lord, we will find the happiness of our soul. Continue in your adoration of the Infant Jesus, bring Him the grateful thanks of a pure heart, pray with earnestness, with perseverance, for the mercy of God, which He can extend to you in answer to your supplications if you are sincere. Remember the words of the angels, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good-will.” It is a saying which is worth repeating to yourself.
Prayer.
O most amiable Jesus, who for my sake and instruction didst vouchsafe to conceal Thy eternal wisdom under the weakness of childhood! I most humbly thank Thee for having shown me in Thy own sacred person how I should sanctify my youth, and thereby draw a blessing on my future life. Amen.
Twenty-fourth Day.
“Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart.”—Luke ii. 19. Twice do we read that Mary did this. The Holy Ghost certainly wished to attract our attention to this fact, that we might imitate the action. All that was [pg 034] done and all that was said made a great impression on Mary's heart. She merited more and more the eulogiums which God Himself bestows on those who hear the word of God and keep it. The facts and the words of the incarnation must be the same to us—precious thoughts and gifts which we know how to value and appreciate. At certain times we should give evidence of our belief in the joy of our heart. God's glory must be published externally, we must not bury it in our hearts only, for Mary preserved all these words in her heart so as to make them public at some future time, for the welfare of the Church. With greatest devotion and zeal she had heard the revelations of God; with liberality she made manifest the fulness of her heart for the glory of God.
Prayer.
O Wisdom, Who didst proceed out of the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end, with might and with sweetness disposing all things, come and teach us the way of prudence. Amen.
Twenty-fifth Day.
Mary not only kept all these words in her heart, but she also meditated on them. In fact the meaning of the words, “kept in her heart,” is that they were ever fresh there; she kept the eyes of her soul on them, and thought of them; she was part of the workings of God's providence, and had no other thought than that the will of God should be done in all things, especially just now, in this instance of the childhood of Christ. Men and angels had brought her the testimony of their admiration of the [pg 035] wonderful works of God; and Mary was consoled and confirmed in her willingness to suffer everything for her divine Infant Son. To us also the meditation and the consideration of God's infinite goodness, and the facts of revelation, are the very centre-post around which the Christian life should move. Be not a passive Christian that is borne along in the crowd; go a little farther, and become an intelligent worshipper, who has reflected well on religious tenets, and to whom they have given a great deal of consolation and hope of future happiness.
Prayer.
O Adonai and leader of the house of Israel! Who didst appear to Moses in the fire of the flaming bush, and didst give him the Law of Sinai: come and save us with a stretched-forth arm. Amen.
Twenty-sixth Day.
We are often solicitous about temporal affairs: our eating, drinking, clothing, and that which is dependent on us. We are right in making all necessary efforts, but we must not forget God, or lose confidence in Him. The Magi left their kingdoms, palaces, families, their great comforts of home, and went on a long journey, led by the star, without being clearly told how far their journey was to carry them. They had to travel through unknown lands, under a burning sun, exposed to wild beasts, and the enmity of wandering tribes. Still they persevered until they were rewarded by the sight of the Messias, the Redeemer of the world. Then “they rejoiced [pg 036] with exceeding great joy.” This is also a lesson to us to quiet our fears. God knows what we have done for Him, and a thousand-fold will He reward our generous actions, and at the same time our families will be protected and our wants supplied. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His justice: and all these things shall be added unto you.”—Luke xii. 31.
Prayer.
O Root of Jesse! Who art a signal to the people, in Whose presence kings shall be silent, and to Whom the Gentiles shall pray: come and deliver us now and delay not. Amen.
Twenty-seventh Day.
The revelation which you have received from God ought to enter deeply into your soul. Mary's heart was full of grace. You should receive God's word into your hearts, that it may be the nourishment of your souls, that it may fill you with holy sentiments and desires, and model you according to the life of Christ. During these days you have given much thought to the birth of Our Lord. Be careful in your prayers not to keep it on your lips only, but let it take deep root in your hearts, so that Christ may be born again in your souls. Pray to Mary, to the angels, and to the saints, that they may assist you; that you may preserve the deposit of faith with fidelity as they preserved it, for the nourishment of the spirit and the sanctification of your soul, and of others that may be intrusted to your care. Your piety and love of the Lord should increase with these [pg 037] meditations. “Thy word is exceedingly refined: and Thy servant hath loved it.”—Ps. cxviii. 140.
Prayer.
O Key of David and sceptre of the house of Israel! Who openest, and no man shutteth: Who shuttest, and no man openeth; come and take out of prison him that is in fetters, and who sitteth in darkness and in the shadow of death. Amen.
Twenty-eighth Day.
The obedience of Our Lord to His parents is an admirable lesson. Jesus Christ is obedient, and submits His infinite wisdom to the commands of human beings. Not only was He obedient to His heavenly Father even unto the death of the cross, but He exactly fulfilled all the requirements of the Fourth Commandment without a murmur, without deferring the execution of His parents' wishes to a time more suitable to Himself. St. Bernard says that he is obedient who fulfils a command without delay, and with a cheerful heart. Our Lord fulfilled this law so scrupulously because He wished to leave us an example. Remember the fact that the Boy Jesus was not only obedient to His heavenly Father, but also to His superiors according to the order of things. The Lord left, without delay, the performance of a holy action when He was called away from it. Our obedience to the Church and its lawful pastors is also an obligation devolving upon us. Children, obey your parents, servants, your masters, citizens, the State and all constituted public authority. Religious fulfil this law of obedience because they make a vow of obedience.
[pg 038]Prayer.
O Orient brightness of eternal light, and Sun of righteousness! come and enlighten those that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death. Amen.
Twenty-ninth Day.
“Jesus advanced in wisdom and age, and grace with God and men.”—Luke ii. 52. From the first instant of His sacred life on earth there were hidden in the Lord all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. He constantly developed these before the sight of men. The sun has always the same abundance of heat and light, yet it still increases as the day wears on until it stands in the zenith in all its glory and power, and as the day wanes it, as it were, draws its power to itself. The older Jesus, the Sun of justice, grew, the brighter became the light of His holy life, and it illumined more and more the lives of those who observed Him. The growing older is inevitable; as time passes we grow older, but we do not necessarily grow in wisdom before God and men. Our piety before God is not increased, and we frequently give scandal to men by our impiety. When we were young we loved God, but as we grew older we were so implicated with the things of this life that we lost a great deal of our simplicity. Why should this be so?
Prayer.
O King of the Gentiles, and their desired One, the corner-stone that joins the two walls! come and save man, whom Thou didst form out of dust. Amen.
Thirtieth Day.
Jesus was filled with grace and truth from the very beginning of His life. We have seen His glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. More and more did His virtues, however, shine forth with ever increasing splendor; men wondered at this glorious Being, loved Him, and afterwards followed Him when He began His mission. We, too, were full of grace at our Baptism, and long afterwards, in our childhood, we were pleasing in the sight of God, because we were innocent children whom God loved. We were then modest, pious, obedient, but in course of time we sought to please men more than God. To please men is often to displease God. We should have hungered and thirsted after justice, and this would have kept alive in us the desire to grow in grace, wisdom and truth. But now let us arouse ourselves, and even though we are old, let us strive to become like the divine Infant. Let us, with the grace of God, renew in ourselves the graces that were in us. Let us examine our conscience, and see whether we have remained faithful to our good resolutions, if we have ever made them before. It is not too late yet to resolve to do better in the future.
Prayer.
O Emmanuel, King and Lawgiver! the expectation of the Gentiles and their Saviour; come and save us, O Lord, Our God. Amen.
Thirty-first Day.
On this last day of the devotion of the holy infancy, let us endeavor to make permanent [pg 040] the pious sentiments that have passed through our souls. We wish to have Jesus in our hearts, not only for the present but also for the future. It is not enough to find Jesus as the shepherds and the Magi did, but we should try to keep ourselves always in His sacred presence. The means to retain Jesus are no other than to keep ourselves in grace, to avoid sin, to preserve His love in our hearts, and lastly to be watchful, when temptation assails us, against sensuality, pride, avarice, and want of charity, and any other vice. Let us remain close to Our Lord, remembering our promises of fidelity, in a humble confidence that He will assist us with His grace. Let us remember the words of the Royal Prophet David: That a soul that fears God will not be affected by infidelity. Let us repeat with the spouse in the Canticles: “I found Him Whom my soul loveth: I held Him: and I will not let Him go.” Who will separate me from the love of Christ?
Prayer.
O Infant Jesus! grant that each moment of our lives, we may pay homage to that moment in which Thou didst begin the work of our salvation. Amen.