Octave of Christmas: Cooperation with God's Grace
by Father Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876 "And the shepherds said one to another: Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this word that has come to pass, which the Lord hath showed to us."--Luke 2.
Octave
of Christmas: Cooperation with God's Grace
by Father Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876 "And the shepherds said one to another: Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this word that has come to pass, which the Lord hath showed to us."--Luke 2.
by Father Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876 "And the shepherds said one to another: Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this word that has come to pass, which the Lord hath showed to us."--Luke 2.
The
joyous feast of Christmas once more fills with gladness the hearts of
the children of the Church. It is the feast which bears the
significant name of the gracious nativity of our Lord and Redeemer
Jesus Christ. For, in truth, the incarnation and birth of the Son of
God are the source of all the graces which we have received through
His life here on earth, and through His death. But that these graces
may really serve unto our salvation, depends upon the care with which
we dispose ourselves to receive them, and upon the earnestness of our
co-operation.
To
understand the nature of that co-operation, which may prove
meritorious, we need only glance at the shepherds, and consider their
mode of acting when the angel addressed to them the words imparting
the glad tidings of the birth of the world's Redeemer: Today is born
for you the Redeemer of the world--go to Bethlehem, and you will find
the Infant lying in the manger. "Yes, let us go to Bethlehem,"
said they; and they hastened thither and found the child with Mary
and Joseph.
A
study of the conduct of the shepherds will show us how we may derive
permanent profit from the holy feast of Christmas, and what
dispositions we should have to receive with fruit the inspirations of
grace. O Mary, look down upon us with that condescension with which
thou didst regard the shepherds the first among the faithful, who
paid homage to thy divine Child! I speak in the holy name of Jesus,
to the greater honor of God!
In
the first place, they were watchful shepherds. The inhabitants of
Bethlehem were asleep; the shepherds were watching. This circumstance
points to the first condition necessary to really perceive the call
of grace, namely: we must walk in the presence of God in recollection
of spirit. Why is it we feel so few inspirations of grace? Because we
are not watchful. Christ says: Blessed are the servants whom the Lord
finds watching. Even those who call themselves children of the
Church, generally lead a life of carelessness; they are men of habit,
they fulfill the duties of their state as Christians, but only
superficially, and are mainly engaged in devising plans for the
increase of their worldly profits. But how little attention at prayer
and in the performance of their other religious duties! How often
they fail to recognize and receive the inspirations of the Holy
Ghost! This indolence and sleepiness in the service of God also
prevents us from clearly seeing those faults which, through
carelessness, precipitation, or impatience, find their way into our
ordinary actions. Such lukewarm, sleepy souls also lose many
opportunities of performing works of charity, and do not interest
themselves in the least about the spiritual or temporal welfare of
their neighbor.
The
shepherds of that Christmas night were resolute men, resolute
servants of the Lord. They did not say: Oh, it is night, and we had
better wait till daybreak! No; but when they heard the words of the
angel, they resolved to carry out at once the instructions given. Why
is it, that in so many cases the inspirations of the Holy Ghost
remain fruitless? I reply: Strong will is wanting, a strong will to
accomplish not only in part but wholly all that we know to be the
will of God, without wavering or excuse. This want of determination
is an obstacle to the efficacy of grace, and prevents its bearing
fruit. This weakness of will and want of resolution comes from an
excessive care for temporal things, from an undue fear of mortal man;
and finally from the difficulties connected with the accomplishment
of a good work.
When
the angel announced the glad tidings to the shepherds, they were
tending their sheep; and yet they did not hesitate to leave their
flocks and hasten to Bethlehem to seek the divine Child. How
different the conduct of the majority of men when there is question
of some worldly gain! They are all anxiety. They listen with
eagerness to every advice, to every word regarding the advancement of
their temporal affairs; but they are, so to say, blind and deaf, when
the question of attending to their spiritual interests is urged upon
them.
The
shepherds determined upon going, and did not stop to consider what
the inhabitants of Bethlehem might say when they came there to make
inquiries for the Child,--to salute an Infant born in a rude stable,
and to adore Him as the promised Messiah, the heir of the family of
David. The fear of man is, alas! the reason why so many fail in their
courage to follow the inspirations of grace. What will people say? is
the discouraging impediment opposing them on all sides. They have an
idea that if they walk fearlessly in the way of salvation the
children of the world will regard them as ignorant, as slaves of the
priests. And yet what little cause have we to fear the children of
this world, who, in spiritual matters, are so ignorant and so
short-sighted. If God is with us, who can be against us, or who can
harm us?
The
shepherds continued to listen to the echo of the Gloria which the
angels sang, and thus assured themselves that God was with them. It
was not a very pleasant task to wander through the streets of
Bethlehem at night, to awaken the inhabitants from their slumbers,
and make inquiries concerning the newly-born Child. But they
disregarded these difficulties and obstacles, and hastened onward
without delay. the world did not receive its Redeemer and Deliverer.
"He came into His own, and His own received Him not." What
so frequently renders the inspirations of grace fruitless, is our
deficiency in self-denial; our love of ease is the great obstacle. It
is true, we make good resolutions at times, but we postpone the
fulfillment of them, and thus never accomplish them.
The
shepherds found the Infant and adored Him, and offered Him their
hearts; and, as tradition teaches, they also presented Him with such
gifts as their poverty would allow. That which gives efficacy to the
inspirations of grace, is the spirit of prayer and of devotion in our
spiritual, intercourse with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. But it is
especially the intercourse we hold with Jesus in the Blessed
Sacrament. Yes, here is Bethlehem, the city of bread, where Jesus
lies in the tabernacle as in a crib, shrouded in the white raiments
of the sacramental species. What a fountain of grace here discloses
itself to our view! Would that we but profited by it as we might!
We
really have no cause to envy the shepherds and their happiness, in
being allowed to behold the Infant Jesus once, and to adore Him. We
are permitted to visit the same Infant Jesus every day, and even to
receive Him into our hearts. Thus our hearts become, as it were, the
crib, and we are enabled through Christ, as children of God, to taste
of heaven's joys, even while yet living on this earth.
The
shepherds praised and thanked God for the favor they had received.
Not without reason does the Church call the Blessed Sacrament the
Sacrament of thanksgiving. O Infant Jesus, filled with these
sentiments we prostrate ourselves before Thee with the shepherds, and
with them we worship Thee! Bless us, as Thou hast blessed them, and
save us through the power and the graces of Thy coming into this
world! Amen!
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