46. January 2

Meditations no. 41 (unofficial computer-aided translation)

When he comes into the world, our Lord does not look for any privileges: he is subject in all things to the will of his Father God.

These days of Christmas are characterized by simplicity of heart and by the loving, joyful fulfilment of God’s will. We have only to consider Jesus. Throughout his life he looked for no special consideration or privilege. He began by spending nine months in his Mother’s womb, like the rest of men, following the natural course of events. He knew mankind needed him greatly. He was longing to come into the world to save all souls, but he took his time. He came in due course, just as every other child is born. From conception to birth, no one - except our Lady, St Joseph and St Elizabeth - realized the marvellous truth that God was coming to live among men.

There is a great simplicity also about his birth. Our Lord comes without any fanfare. No one knows about him. On earth only Mary and Joseph share in the divine adventure. And then the shepherds who received the message from the angels. And later on, the wise men from the East. They were the only witnesses of this transcendental event which unites heaven and earth, God and man.

Afterwards, at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. Jesus’ name means Saviour. Our Lord saves us by obeying his Father God, and in this way he more than makes up for the sins of disobedience of the human race. Christ’s entire life is marked by his obedience to God’s plans, which included his submission to the Mosaic law. Think not, he would later tell the Jews, that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them.

The scene we contemplate today offers us the first sign of what is to be the redemptive life of Christ. It shows us how he will win us adoption as God’s children, for God has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. All of Jesus’ life speaks to us of the perfect fulfilment of the holy will of Our Father who is in heaven. My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

God has left us free to choose. We can either refuse to carry out his will or, with the help of his grace, we can surrender to his most lovable wishes. These two alternatives are mutually exclusive. The first is more comfortable but it does not lead to happiness. As our Father writes: This is the key to open the door to the kingdom of heaven and enter: Qui facit voluntatem Patris mei qui in coelis est, ipse intrabit in regnum caelorum. He who does the will of my Father, he shall enter!

The Holy Family teaches us to love God’s will.

As the New Year begins, we behold Jesus suffering and loving by deeds, even though he is still an infant. He needs no words to ask us to prepare our hearts and put aside everything that does not accord with God’s will and hence hinders our sanctity. May our hearts be fully converted to God. May he be the only goal of our intentions and the sole object of our affections. May our hearts show no hesitation in the face of hardship, but burn ever more ardently, consumed by love for God.

Our Father asks us never to forget the lesson given to us by the Holy Family. St Joseph had great love for freedom, and great respect for God’s will. He didn’t know what that will was. He came to know it later, when he realized that the Blessed Virgin was carrying the Child. Knowing this, he did not want to stain her reputation. He loved God’s will even without understanding it. He thus earned the special affection of the most holy Trinity, who sent him an Angel to explain that all this was God’s doing. St Joseph, that chaste, pure, clean man, loves God’s freedom. He loves God’s will and fully accepts it.

Nor did our Lady understand when the Angel told her that this was to be a wondrous event, a marvellous divine work. After looking into it as carefully as she could - how can this come about, since I know not man? - and after learning the wondrous fashion in which it would be done - God’s power passing through her as through a sheet of glass - her reply was: Ecce ancilla. The Blessed Virgin loved the will of God…

The time came for Jesus to show himself as the Son of God, and he left them for three days. When they met up again, his Mother affectionately reproached him: Son, why have you treated us so? On hearing Jesus’ reply, the Holy Family again accepted God’s will, by loving that freedom, and fulfilling the divine will.

Let us look once again at our Lord, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds. This will provide gentle encouragement for us to renew our resolution to persevere for another year - and for the rest of our life - in our endeavour to accept God’s will totally. In the words of St Jerome: Let us love Christ. Let us always seek his company. Then everything that is difficult will appear easy.

Our love for God’s will is shown in deeds.

St Augustine writes: Men do their own will and not God’s when they do what they want instead of what God commands. When, however, they do what they want but still follow God’s will, then they are not doing their own will, even though they do what they want to do. Do willingly what you are commanded and you will do what you yourself want to do, and yet what you do will not be your own will but God’s will. We do God’s will when we strive to carry out the Norms and Customs faithfully, when we do what our Directors tell us, and when we focus our ascetical struggle and apostolate along the lines suggested in the Confidence.

God has not just said that he loves us. He has proved it with deeds. Let’s not forget that Jesus Christ became man in order to teach us to live as children of God. Do you remember the introduction to the Acts of the Apostles, where St Luke says: Primum quidem sermonem feci de omnibus, o Theophile, quae coepit Iesus facere et docere; I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach. He came to teach us, but he taught us by doing things. In teaching us, he was the model, being our teacher and setting us an example with his conduct.

Now, in front of the infant Jesus, we can continue our personal examination of conscience. Are we ready to try to make our life a model and example to our brothers, the rest of men, our equals? Are we ready to be other Christs? It’s not enough to say that we are. I am asking you now - as I ask myself: Can it be said also of you, you who are called to be another Christ, that you have come facere et docere: to do things as a son of God would? Are you attentive to the Father’s will, so as to be able to encourage everyone else to share the good, noble, divine and human values of the redemption? Are you living the life of Christ, in your everyday life in the middle of the world?

Let us rejoice with the Virgin Mary, contemplating her most faithful response to God’s will. Through her, the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. Let us ask our Mother that we may not lack the faith, nor the courage, nor the daring, to carry out the will of our Jesus.