9781644135945

The Light of the World
the flesh, that is, our inclination to sensuality in its various forms; and the pride of life, which
is our insatiable thirst for honor, riches, fame, and power. The new Adam, the child who lies in
the manger before us, shows us the way to escape these evils. He teaches us that by voluntary
poverty, by humble submission to the suffering that God sends us, and by suppressing our evil
inclinations, whatever they may be, we may escape from this disastrous threefold disorder.
“Take up My yoke upon you and learn of Me because I am meek and humble of heart; and
you shall find rest to your souls” (Mt 11:29). We are reminded, too, of the words of St. Paul to
the Philippians: “For let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Who, being in the
form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but emptied Himself, taking the
form of a servant” (2:5–7). When we gaze upon “the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and
laid in a manger” (Lk 2:12), how ridiculous is our pride and how futile our thirst for riches in
the light of this divine example. Where shall we ever learn wisdom and humility if this example
of the infant Jesus does not inspire us?
We cast ourselves down in adoration before the child in the manger and implore: “O
Wisdom, come and teach us the way of prudence.” Teach us that all that is not in conformity
with Thy teaching and example is loss and not gain. Let us have the insight to
understand that what is worldly and human is vain. “But the things that were gain to me,
the same I have counted loss for Christ. Furthermore, I count all things to be but loss for
the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ, my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all
things and count them but as dung, that I may gain Christ and may be found in Him, not
having my justice, which is of the law, but that . . . which is of God, justice in faith: that I
may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings,
being made conformable to His death. If by any means I may attain to the resurrection
which is from the dead” (Phil 3:7–11).
This, then, is the example that is given us. The divine King, the Word of God, voluntarily
chooses poverty as His lot; He seeks the seclusion of Nazareth and the weakness and suffering
of men in order to teach us divine wisdom. Those who truly seek Him will follow Him in that
way, for He has assured us: “I am the way” ( Jn 14:6). We need not be ashamed of the poverty
and weakness of the Church. Her divine founder chose these things voluntarily for Himself
and for all her children.
Prayer
Child of the manger, Thou begotten of the Father before all ages, Thou didst choose to be born
in a stable. Thou didst possess glory in heaven and didst deign to come down to the earth.
Thou whom the angels serve and praise, didst make Thy abode in a stable and wast found by
shepherds. Deliver our hearts from all inordinate, temporal attachments, that we may by faith
find Thee and ever remain close to Thee. Amen.
At the Manger (3)
“O wondrous exchange! The Creator of the human race, taking unto Himself a living body,
deigns to be born of a virgin; and becoming man from no human generation, He hath bestowed
upon us His divinity” (Antiphon for the octave of Christmas).
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