The incarnation, birth, and infancy of Jesus Christ/Discourse 2
DISCOURSE II.
THE ETERNAL WORD BEING GREAT BECOMES LITTLE.
Parvulus natus est nobis et filius datus est nobis.
“A child is born to us, and a son is given to us.” Is. ix. 6.
Plato said that Love is the loadstone of love. Hence, comes the common proverb, as St. John Chrysostom re marks: "If you wish to be loved, love," for certainly there is no more effectual means to secure for one's self the affections of another than to love him; and to make him aware that he is loved.
But, my Jesus, this rule, this proverb, holds good for others, holds good for all, but not for Thee. Men are grateful to all, but not to Thee. Thou art at a loss what further to do, to show men the love Thou bearest them; Thou hast positively nothing more to do, to allure the affections of men; yet, in point of fact, how many are there among mankind who love Thee? Alas! the greater number, we may say, nearly all, not only do not love Thee, but they offend Thee and despise Thee.
And shall we stand in the ranks of these heartless wretches? God has not earned this at our hands; that God, so good, so tender of us, Who, being great, and infinite greatness, has thought fit to make Himself little in order to be loved by us. Let us seek light from Jesus and Mary.
I
To compass the idea of the immense love of God men in becoming Himself a Man and a feeble child for our love, it would be necessary to comprehend His greatness. But what mind of man or Angel can conceive the greatness of God, which is indeed infinite?
St. Ambrose says that to say God is greater than the heavens, than all kings, all Saints, all Angels, is to do an injury to God; just as it would be an injury to a prince to say that he was greater than a blade of grass, or a small fly. God is greatness itself, and all greatness together is but the smallest atom of the greatness of God. David, contemplating the Divine greatness, and seeing that he could not and never would be able to comprehend it, could only say, O Lord, who is like to Thee? [ps. 34:10] O Lord, what greatness shall ever be found like to Thine? And how in truth should David ever be able to comprehend it, since his understanding was but finite, and God's greatness infinite? Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and of His greatness there is no end. [Ps. 144:3] Do I not fill Heaven and earth, saith the Lord. [Jer. 23:24] Thus all of us, according to our mode of understanding, are nothing but so many miserable little fishes, living in this immense ocean of the essence of God: In Him we live, move, and be. [Acts 17:28] What are we, then, in respect to God? And what are all men, all monarchs of earth, and even all Saints and all Angels of Heaven, confronted with the infinite greatness of God? We are all like or even smaller than a grain of sand in comparison with the rest of the earth: Behold, says the prophet Isaias, the Gentiles are as a drop a bucket, and are counted as the smallest grain of a balance; behold, the islands are as little dust. ... All nations are before Him as if they had no being at all. [40:15-17]
Now this God, so great, has become a little Infant; and for whom? A child is born to us: for us He is born. And wherefore? St. Ambrose gives us the answer: "He is a little One, that you might be a perfect man; He is bound in swaddling-clothes, that you might be unbound from the fetters of death; He is on earth, that you might be in Heaven."
Behold, then, the Immensity become an Infant, Whom the heavens cannot contain: see Him imprisoned in poor rags, and laid in a narrow vile manger on a bundle of straw, which was at once His only bed and pillow. "See," says St. Bernard---" see power is ruled, wisdom instructed, virtue sustained. God taking milk and weeping, but comforting the afflicted!" A God Almighty so tightly wrapped in swathing-bands that He cannot stir! A God Who knows all things, made mute and speechless! A God Who rules Heaven and earth needing to be carried in the arms! A God Who feeds all men and animals, Himself having need of a little milk to support Him! A God Who consoles the afflicted, and is the joy of paradise, Himself weeps and moans and has to be comforted by another!
In fine, St. Paul says that the Son of God, coming on earth, emptied Himself. [Phil. 2:7] He annihilated Himself, so to say. And why? To save man and to be loved by man. "Where Thou didst empty Thyself," says St. Bernard, "there did mercy, there did charity, more brilliantly appear." Yes, my dear Redeemer, in proportion as Thy abasement was great in becoming man and in being born an Infant, so were Thy mercy and love shown to be greater towards us, and this with a view to win over our hearts to Thyself.
The Jews, although by so many signs and wonders they had a certain knowledge of the true God, were not, however, satisfied; they wished to behold Him face to face. God found means to comply even with this desire of men; He became Man, to make Himself visible to them. "Knowing," says St. Peter Chrysologus, "that mortals felt an anguish of desire to see Him, God chose this method of making Himself visible to them." And to render Himself still more attractive in our eyes, He would make His first appearance as a little Child, that in this guise He might be the more charming and irresistible; He showed Himself an Infant, that He might make Himself the more acceptable in our eyes, says the same St. Chrysologus. "Yes," adds St. Cyril of Alexandria, "He abased Himself to the humble condition of a little Child in order to make Himself more agreeable to our hearts." "For our advantage was this emptying made." For this indeed was the form most suitable to win our love.
The prophet Ezechiel rightly exclaimed that the time for Thy coming on earth, O Incarnate Word, should be a time of love, the season of lovers: Behold, Thy time was the time of lovers. [16:8] And what object had God in loving us thus ardently, and in giving us so clear proofs of His love, other than that we might love Him? "God loves only in order to be loved," says St. Bernard. God Himself had already said as much: And now, O Israel, what does the Lord thy God require of thee, but that thou fear and love Him? [Deut. 10:12]
In order to force us to love Him God would not commission others, but chose to come Himself in person to be made Man and to redeem us. St. John Chrysostom makes a beautiful reflection on these words of the Apostle: For nowhere doth He take hold of the Angels, but of the seed of Abraham He taketh hold. [Heb. 2:16] Why, asks the Saint, did he not say received, but rather apprehended? Why did not St. Paul simply say that God assumed human flesh? Why would he affirm with marked emphasis that He took it, as it were, by force, according to the strict meaning of the word apprehend? He answers that he spoke thus, making use of the metaphor of those who give chase to the flying. By this he would convey the idea that God already longed to beloved by man, but man turned his back upon Him; and cared not even to know of His love; therefore God came from Heaven, and took human flesh, to make Himself known in this way, and to make Himself loved, as it were, by force by ungrateful man, who fled from Him, For this, then, did the Eternal Word become Man; for this He, moreover, became an Infant. He could, indeed, have appeared upon this earth a full-grown Man, as the first man Adam appeared. No, the Son of God wished to present Himself under the form of a sweet little Child, that thus He might the more readily and the more forcibly draw to Himself the love of man. Little children of themselves are loved at once, and to see them and to love them is the same thing. With this view, says St. Francis de Sales, the Eternal Word chose first to be seen among men as an Infant, to conciliate to Himself the love of all mankind.
St. Peter Chrysologus writes: "How should our Lord come, Who wishes to drive away fear, to seek love? What breast so savage as not to soften before such a Childhood? What hardness which it will not subdue, what love does it not claim? Thus, therefore, He would be born Who willed to be loved and not feared." The Saint would say that if our Redeemer had come to be feared and respected by men, He would have come as a full-grown Man and with royal dignity; but because He came to gain our love, He chose to come and to show Himself as an Infant, and the poorest of Infants, born in a cold stable between two animals, laid in a manger on straw, without clothing or fire to warm His shivering little limbs: "thus would He be born, Who willed to be loved and not feared." Ah, my Lord! who was it that drew Thee from Heaven to be born in a stable? It was love, the love Thou bearest toward men. Who took Thee from the right hand of Thy Father, where Thou sittest, and placed Thee in a manger? Who snatched Thee from Thy throne above the stars, and put Thee to lie on a little straw? Who changed Thy position from the midst of Angels, to be placed betwixt a pair of beasts? It was all the work of love; Thou inflamest the seraphim, and dost Thou not shiver with cold? Thou supportest the heavens, and must Thou be now carried in the arms? Thou providest food for men and beasts, and now dost Thou crave a little milk to sustain Thy life? Thou makest the Seraphim happy, and now dost Thou weep and moan? Who has reduced Thee to such misery? Love has done it: "Thus would He be born Who willed to be loved and not feared."
Love then, love, O souls, exclaims St. Bernard, love now this little Child, for He is exceedingly to be loved "Great is the Lord, and exceedingly to be praised. The Lord is a little One, and exceedingly to be loved." Yes, says the Saint, this God was already existing from eternity, as He is now worthy of all praise and reverence for His greatness, as David has sung: Great is the Lord all exceedingly to be praised. [Ps. 144:3] But now that we behold Him become a little Infant, needing milk, and unable to stir Himself, trembling with cold, moaning and weeping looking for some one to take and warm and comfort Him; ah, now indeed does He become the most cherished one of our hearts! "The Lord is a little one, and exceedingly to be loved!"
We ought to adore Him as our God, but our love ought to keep pace with our reverence towards a God so amiable, so loving.
St. Bonaventure reminds us that "a child finds its delight with other children, with flowers, and to be in the arms." The Saint's meaning is, that if we would please this Divine Infant, we too must become children, simple and humble; we must carry to Him flowers of virtue, meekness, of mortification, of charity; we must clasp him in the arms of our love.
And, O man, adds St. Bernard, what more do you wait to see before you will give yourself wholly to God? See with what labor, with what ardent love, your Jesus has come down from Heaven to seek you. Hearken, he goes on to say, how, scarcely yet born, His wailings call to you, as if He would say, O soul of Mine, it is thee I am seeking; for thee, and to obtain thy love, I am come from Heaven to earth. "Having scarcely quitted the Virgin's womb, He calls thy beloved soul after the manner of infants, Ah, ah, My soul, My soul! I am seeking you; for you am I making this pilgrimage."
O God, even the very brutes, if we do them a kindness, if we give them some trifle, are so grateful for it; they come near us, they do our bidding after their own fashion, and they show symptoms of gladness at our approach. And how comes it, then, that we are so ungrateful towards God, the same God Who has bestowed His whole Self upon us, Who has descended from Heaven to earth, has become an Infant to save us and to be loved by us? Come, then, let us love the Babe of Bethlehem, is the enraptured cry of St. Francis; let us love Jesus Christ, Who has sought in the midst of such sufferings to attach Our hearts to Him.
II.
And for love of Jesus Christ, we ought to love our neighbors, even those who have offended us. The Messias is called by Isaias, Father of the world to come. [9:6] Now, in order to be the sons of this Father, Jesus admonishes us that we must love our enemies, and do good to those who injure us: Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, ... that you maybe the children of your Father Who is in Heaven. [Matt. 5:24] And of this He Himself set us the example on the cross, praying His Eternal Father to forgive those who were crucifying Him.
"He who pardons his enemy," says St. John Chrysostom, "cannot but obtain God's pardon for himself;" and we have the Divine assurance of it: Forgive, and you shall be forgiven. [Luke 6:37] There was a certain religious, who otherwise had not led a very exemplary life, at the hour of. death bewailed his sins, not without great confidence and joy, because, said he, "I have never avenged an injury done me;" as much as to say: It is true that I have offended the Lord, but He has engaged to pardon him who pardons his enemies; I have pardoned all who offended me, so then I am confident God will likewise pardon me.
But to speak with reference to all persons in general; how can we, sinners as we are, despair of pardon, when we think of Jesus Christ? For this very object the Eternal Word humbled Himself so far as to take human flesh, that we might procure our pardon from God: I am come, not to call the just, but sinners. [Matt. 9:13] Hence we may address Him in the words of St. Bernard: "Where Thou didst empty Thyself, there Thy mercy, there Thy charity, shone forth the more." And St. Thomas of Villanova gives us excellent encouragement, saying: "What art thou afraid of, O poor sinner? How shall He condemn thee if thou be penitent, Who died expressly that thou mightest not be condemned? How shall He reject thee, if thou desirest to retain Him Who came down from Heaven to seek thee?"
Let not, then, the sinner be afraid, provided he will be no more a sinner, but will love Jesus Christ; let him not be dismayed, but have a full trust; if he abhor sin, and seek after God, let him not be sad, but full of joy: Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. [Ps. 104:3] The Lord has sworn to forget all injuries done to Him, if the sinner is sorry for them: If the wicked do penance ... I will not remember all his iniquities. [Ezech. 18:21] And that we might have every motive for confidence, our Saviour became an Infant: Who is afraid to approach a child?" asks the same St. Thomas of Villanova.
"Children do not inspire terror or aversion, but attachment and love," says St. Peter Chrysologus. It seems that children know not how to be angry; and if perchance at odd times they should be irritated, they are easily soothed; one has only to give them a fruit, a flower, or bestow on them a caress, or utter a kind word to them, and they have already forgiven and forgotten very offence.
A tear of repentance, one act of heart-felt contrition, is enough to appease the Infant Jesus. "You know the tempers of children," pursues St. Thomas of Villanova; "a single tear pacifies them, the offence is forgotten. Approach, then, to Him while He is a little One, while He would seem to have forgotten His majesty." He has put off His Divine majesty, and appears as a Child to inspire us with more courage to approach his feet.
"He is born an Infant," says St. Bonaventure, "that neither His justice nor His power might intimidate you." In order to exempt us from every feeling of distrust, which the idea of His power and of His justice might cause in us, He comes before us as a little Babe, full of sweetness and mercy. "O God!" says Gerson, "Thou hast hidden Thy wisdom under a childish age, that it might not accuse us." O God of mercy, lest Thy Divine wisdom might reproach us with our offences against Thee, Thou hast hidden it under an Infant's form: "Thy justice under humility, lest it should condemn." Thou hast concealed Thy justice under the most profound abasement, that it might not condemn us: Thy power under weakness, lest it should torment." Thou hast disguised Thy power in feebleness, that it might not visit us with chastisement.
St. Bernard makes this reflection: "Adam, after his sin, on hearing the voice of God, Adam, where art thou? was filled with dismay: I heard Thy voice, and was afraid. [Gen. 3:9] But, continues the Saint, now, the Incarnate Word being made Man upon earth, has laid aside all semblance of terror: "Do not fear; He seeks thee, not to punish, but to save thee." Behold, He is a Child, and voiceless; for the voice of a child will excite compassion rather than fear. The Virgin Mother wraps His delicate limbs in swaddling-clothes: and art thou still in alarm?" That God, Who should punish thee, is born an Infant, and has lost all accents to affright thee, since the accents of a Child, being cries of weeping, move us sooner to pity than to fear; thou canst not apprehend that Jesus Christ will stretch out His hands to chastise thee, since His Mother is occupied in swathing them in linen bands.
"Be of good cheer, then, O sinners," says St. Leo, "the birthday of the Lord is the birthday of peace and joy." "The Prince of Peace" was He called by Isaias [9:6]. Jesus Christ is a Prince, not of vengeance on sinners, but of mercy and of peace, constituting Himself the mediator betwixt God and sinners. "If our sins," says St. Augustine, "are too much for us, God does not despise His blood." If we cannot ourselves make due atonement to the justice of God, at least the Eternal Father knows not how to disregard the Blood of Jesus Christ, Who makes payment for us.
A certain knight, called Don Alphonsus Albuquerque, making once a sea voyage, and the vessel being driven among the rocks by a violent tempest, already gave himself up for lost; but at that moment espying near him a little child, crying bitterly, what did he do? He seized him in his arms, and so lifting him towards Heaven, "O Lord," said he, "though I myself be unworthy to be heard, give ear at least to the cries of this innocent child, and save us." At the same instant the storm abated, and he remained in safety. Let us miserable sinners do in like manner. We have offended God; already has sentence of everlasting death been passed upon us; Divine justice requires satisfaction, and with right. What have we to do? To despair? God forbid! let us offer up to God this Infant, Who is His Own Son, and let us address Him with confidence: O Lord, if we cannot of ourselves render Thee satisfaction for our offences against Thee, behold this Child, Who weeps and moans, Who is benumbed with cold on His bed of straw in this cavern; He is here to make atonement for us, and He pleads for Thy mercy on us. Be it that we are undeserving of pardon, the tears and sufferings of this Thy guiltless Son merit it for us, and He entreats Thee to pardon us.
This is what St. Anselm advises us to do; he says that Jesus Christ Himself, from His earnest desire not to have us perish, animates each one of us who finds himself guilty before God with these words: O sinner, do not lose heart if by thy sins thou hast unhappily become the slave of Hell, and hast not the means to free thyself, act thus: take Me, offer Me for thyself to the Eternal Father, and so thou shalt escape death, thou shalt be in safety. "What can be conceived more full of mercy than what the Son says to us: Take Me, and redeem thyself." This was, moreover, exactly what the Divine Mother taught Sister Frances Farnese. She gave the Infant Jesus into her arms, and said to her: "Here is my Son for you; be careful to make your profit of Him by frequently offering Him to His heavenly Father."
And if we would still have another means to secure our forgiveness, let us obtain the intercession of this same Divine Mother in our behalf; she is all-powerful with her blessed Son to promote the interests of repentant sinners, as St. John Damascene assures us. Yes, for the prayers of Mary, adds St. Antoninus, have the force of commands with her Son, in consideration of the love He bears her: "The prayer of the Mother of God has the force of a command." Hence, wrote St. Peter Damian, when Mary goes to entreat Jesus Christ in favor of one who is devout to her, "she appears to command (in a certain sense), not to ask, as a mistress, not a handmaid; for the Son honors her by denying her nothing." For this reason St. Germanus adds that the most holy Virgin, by the authority of mother which she exercises, or, rather, which she did exercise for a time over her Son upon earth, can obtain the pardon of the most abandoned sinner. "Thou, by the power of thy maternal authority, gainest even for the most enormous sinners the exceeding grace of pardon."
Affections and Prayers
O my sweet, amiable, and holy Child! Thou art at a loss what more to do to make Thyself beloved by men. It is enough to say that from being the Son of God Thou wert made the Son of man, and that Thou chosest to be born among men like the rest of infants, only poorer and more meanly lodged than the rest, selecting a stable for Thy abode, a manger for Thy cradle, and a little straw for Thy couch. Thou didst desire thus to make Thy first appearance before us in the semblance of a poor Child, that even from Thy very birth Thou mightest lose no time in attracting our hearts towards Thee; and so Thou didst go on through the remainder of Thy life, ever showing us fresh and more striking tokens of Thy love, so that at length Thou didst will to shed the last drop of Thy blood and die overwhelmed in shame upon the infamous tree of the Cross. And how is that Thou couldst have encountered such ingratitude from the majority of mankind: for I see few indeed that know Thee, fewer still that love Thee? Ah, my dear Jesus, I too desire to be reckoned among this small number! In time past, it is true. I have not known Thee: but, heedless of Thy love, I have only sought my own gratifications, making no account whatever of Thee and of Thy friendship. But now I am conscious of the wrong I have done; I am sorry for it, I grieve over it with my whole heart. O my sweet Child and my God, forgive me for the sake of Thy infancy. I love Thee, and that so dearly, O my Jesus, that even if I knew that all mankind were about to rebel against Thee and to forsake Thee, yet I promise never to leave Thee, though it should cost me my life a thousand times. I am well aware that I am indebted to Thee for this light and this good resolution. I thank Thee for it, O my love! and beseech Thee to preserve it to me by Thy grace. But Thou knowest my weakness, Thou knowest my past treasons; for pity's sake do not abandon me, or I shall fall away even worse than before. Accept of my poor heart to love Thee; there was a time when it cared not for Thee, but now it is enamoured of Thy goodness. O Divine Infant! O Mary! O great Mother of the Incarnate Word! neither do Thou abandon me; for Thou art the Mother of perseverance, and the stewardess of Divine grace. Help me, then, and help me always; with thy aid, my hope! I trust to be faithful to my God till death.