The incarnation, birth, and infancy of Jesus Christ/Discourse 6
DISCOURSE VI
The Eternal Word From Being His Own Has Made Himself Ours.
Parvulus natus est nobis, et Filius datus est nobis.
"A Child is born to us, and a Son is given to us."---Isaiah 11:6
Tell me, cruel Herod, why dost thou command so many innocent babes to be murdered and sacrificed to thy ambition of reigning? Art thou perchance afraid that the Messias lately born may rob thee of thy kingdom? "Why art thou so troubled, Herod?" asks St. Fulgentius. "This King Who is born came not to vanquish kings by fighting, but to subdue them by dying." This King, of Whom thou art in such terror, is not come to conquer the monarchs of the earth by force of arms, but He is come to reign in the hearts of men by suffering and dying for their love, "He came, therefore" (concludes St. Fulgentius), "not that He might combat alive, but that he might triumph slain." Our amiable Redeemer did not come to carry on war during His life, but to triumph over the love of men, when He should have laid down His life on the gibbet of the Cross, as He Himself said: When I shall be lifted up, I will draw all things to Myself. [John 12:52]
But let us leave Herod aside, O devout souls, and let us come to ourselves. Why, then, did the Son of God come upon earth? Was it to give Himself to us? Yes, Isaias assures us of it: A Child is born to us, and a Son is given to us. The love which this loving Saviour bears us, and the desire which He has to be loved by us, has induced Him to do this. Being His Own, He has become ours, Let us see it; but let us first ask light from the Most Holy Sacrament and from the Divine Mother.
I.
The greatest privilege of God, nay, the whole of God, is to be His Own, that is, to exist of Himself, and to depend on no one. All creatures, however grand and excellent they may be, are nothing in reality, because whatsoever they have, they have from God, Who has created them and preserves them; and this in such a manner that if God were for a single moment to cease from preserving them, they would instantly lose their being and return to nothing, God, on the contrary, because He exists of Himself, cannot fail; nor can there be anyone to destroy Him, or to diminish His greatness, His power, or His happiness, But St. Paul says that the Eternal Father has given the Son to us: He delivered Him up for us all. [Rom. 28:32] And that the Son has given Himself for us: Christ also hath loved us and hath delivered Himself for us. [Eph. 5:2] Has God, then, in giving Himself for us, made Himself ours? Yes, replies St. Bernard: "He is born, Who belonged to Himself;" He who wholly appertained to Himself chose to be born for us and to become ours; love triumphs over God. This God, over whom none besides can rule, has, so to speak, yielded Himself captive to love; love has gained the victory over Him, and from being His Own has reduced Him into our possession: God so loved the world, as to give His Only-begotten Son. [John 3:16] God has so loved men, says Jesus Christ, that He has even given them His Only-begotten Son. And the Son Himself, also through love, was pleased to give Himself to men to be loved by them.
In divers ways had God already striven to win the hearts of men, at one time with benefits, at another with threats, and again with, promises; but He had still fallen short of His aim. His infinite love, says St. Augustine, made Him devise the plan of giving Himself entirely to us by the Incarnation of the Word, in order thus to oblige us to love Him with our whole hearts. "Then love found out the plan of delivering up itself." He could have sent an Angel, a seraph, to redeem man; but, aware that man, had he been redeemed by a seraph, would have had to divide his heart, by partly loving his Creator and partly his redeemer, God, Who would possess the entire heart and the entire love of man, "wished therefore to be" (says a pious author) "both our Creator and Redeemer;" as He was our Creator, so He would likewise become our Redeemer.
And behold Him already arrived from Heaven in a stable; as a Child, born for us and given to us: A Child is born to us, and a Son is given to us. This was precisely what the Angel signified when addressing the shepherds: Today is born to you a Saviour. [Luke 2:11] As much as to say: O ye men, go to the cave of Bethlehem; there adore the Infant, Which you will find laid on the straw, in a manger, and shivering with cold; know that He is your God, Who would not consent to send anyone else to save you, but would come Himself, that He might gain for Himself all your love.
Yes, it was with the purpose of making Himself loved that the Eternal Word came upon earth to converse among men: He conversed with men. [Bar. 3:38] If a king speaks a confidential word to one of his vassals, if he smiles upon him, or presents him with a flower, oh, how honored and happy does that vassal consider himself! How much more so, should the king seek his friendship; should he request his company every day at table; should he desire him to take up his residence in his own palace, and to abide always near him! Ah! my Great King, my beloved Jesus, as before the Redemption Thou couldst not assume man into Heaven, whose gates remained closed by sin, Thou camest down upon earth to converse with men as their brothers, and to give Thyself wholly to them, from the excess of the love Thou bearest them! He loved us and delivered Himself up for us." Yes, exclaims St. Augustine, this most loving and most merciful God, through His love to man, chose to give him not only His goods, but even His very self. "The most merciful God, through His love of man, poured out upon Him not only His goods, but His whole self."
Well, then, the affection which this sovereign Lord entertains towards us miserable worms is so immense that it induced Him to give Himself wholly to us, being born for us, living for us, and even offering up His life and all His Blood for us, in order to prepare us a bath of salvation, and to wash us from all our sins: He hath loved us and washed us in His Own Blood. [Apoc. 1:5] But, Lord (remonstrates the Abbot Guerric), this appears an extreme prodigality of Thyself, coming from the great anxiety Thou hast to be loved by mankind. "O God! if we may dare say so, prodigal of Himself through desire of man!" "And is it not so?" he continues: "how otherwise can we style this God than prodigal of Himself Who, in order to recover lost man, not only gives whatever He has, but even His Own self?"
St. Augustine says that God, in order to captivate the love of men, has cast several darts of love into their hearts: "God knows how to take aim at love; He draws the arrow that He may make a lever." What are these arrows? They are all the creatures that we see around us; for God has created them all for man, that man might love Him; hence the same Saint says, "Heaven and earth and all things tell me to love Thee." It seemed to the Saint that the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the plains, the seas, and the rivers spoke to him and said, Augustine, love God, because God has created us for thee, that thou mightest love Him. When St. Mary Magdalene of Pazzi held in her hand a beautiful fruit or flower, she declared that that fruit or flower was as a dart to her heart, which wounded her with the love of God; thinking as she did how from all eternity God had designed to create that flower that she might discover His love, and love Him in return. St. Teresa, moreover, said that all the fair things which we see,---the lakes, the rivers, the flowers, the fruits, the birds,---all upbraid us with our ingratitude to God, for all are tokens of the love God bears us. It is related likewise of a pious hermit, that, walking in the country, and beholding the herbs and the flowers, he fancied they reproached him with his ingratitude; so that, as he went along, he struck them gently with his staff, saying to them: Hush, be silent, I understand you, no more! You upbraid me with my ingratitude, because God has created you in such beauty for my sake, that I might love Him, and I love Him not; oh, be silent, I hear you, enough, enough! And thus the good man pursued his way, giving vent to the ardors of love which he felt consuming his heart for God at the sight of those fair creatures. Thus, then, all these creatures were so many darts of love to the heart of man; but God was not satisfied with these darts only; they were not enough to gain Him the love of men: He hath made Me as a chosen arrow; in His quiver He hath hidden Me. [Isaiah 49:2] On this passage Cardinal Hugo remarks, that as the sportsman keeps in reserve the best arrow for the last shot, in order to secure his prey; so did God among all his gifts keep Jesus in reserve till the fullness of time should come, and then He sent Him as a last dart to wound with love the hearts of men: "The choicest arrow is reserved; so Christ was reserved in the bosom of the Father, until the fullness of time should come, and He was sent to wound the hearts of the faithful." Jesus, then, was the choice and reserved arrow, at the discharge of which, according as David had long ago foretold, entire nations should fall vanquished: Thy arrows are sharp; under Thee shall people fall. [Ps. 49:6] Oh, how many stricken hearts do I behold burning with love before the manger of Bethlehem! How many at the foot of the Cross in Calvary! How many before the Holy Presence of the Blessed Sacrament on our altars!
St. Peter Chrysologus says that our Redeemer took many various forms to attract the love of man: "For our sake He showed Himself under different forms, Who remains in the one form of His majesty." That God, Who is unchangeable, would appear now as a Child in a stable, now as a boy in a workshop, now as a criminal on a scaffold, and now as bread upon the altar. In these varying guises Jesus chose to exhibit Himself to us; but whatever character He assumed, it was always the character of a lover. Ah, my Lord, tell me, is there anything else left for Thee to devise in order to make Thyself loved? Make known His inventions, cried out Isaias. [12:4] Go, O redeemed souls, said the prophet, go and publish everywhere the loving devices of this loving God, which He has thought out and executed to make Himself loved by man; for after lavishing so many of His gifts upon them, He was pleased to bestow Himself, and to bestow Himself in so many ways: "If thou desirest a cure for thy wound" (says St. Ambrose), "He is a Physician;" if thou art infirm and wouldst be healed, behold Jesus, Who heals thee by His Blood: "If thou be parched up with fever, He is a fountain;" if the impure flames of worldly affections trouble thee, behold the fountain to fresh thee with His consolations. "Dost thou fear death, He is life; dost thou long for Heaven, He is the way; in fine, if thou dost not wish to die, He is the life; if thou wishest Heaven, He is the way."
And not only has Jesus Christ given Himself to all men in general, but He wished, moreover, to give Himself to each one in particular. This was what caused St. Paul to say, He loved me and delivered Himself for me. [Gal. 2:20] St. John Chrysostom says that God has the same love for each one of us as he has for all men together. So that, my dear brother, it there had been no others in the world beside yourself, the Redeemer would have come for the sake of you alone, and would have given His Blood and His life for you. And who can ever express or conceive (says St. Laurence Justinian) the love which God bears to each man? "Nor is it possible to express with what affection God is moved towards each one." This led St. Bernard to say also, in speaking of Jesus Christ, "Given wholly to me, and spent wholly for my interests." This caused St. John Chrysostom also to say, "He gave Himself entirely to us, He reserved nothing for Himself." He gave us His Blood, His life, Himself in the Blessed Sacrament; there remains nothing more to give us. In fine, says St. Thomas, after God has bestowed Himself on us, what else remains for Him to give us? "God had no room to extend Himself further." Wherefore after the work of the redemption, God has nothing more to give us, nothing more that He can do for the love of man.
II.
So that every man should say, with St. Bernard, "I owe myself for myself; what can I return the Lord for Himself?" I belong to God, and to God I must give back myself, for having created me and given me my being; but after I have given myself, what return shall I make to God for having given Himself to me? We have, however, no need to disturb ourselves any longer; it is enough if we give our love to God, and God is satisfied. The kings of the earth glory in the possession of kingdoms and of wealth, Jesus Christ rests content with the sovereignty of our hearts; this He considers His principality; and this principality He sought to obtain by dying on the Cross: And the government is upon His shoulder. [Isaiah 9:6] By these words, "the government is upon His shoulder," several interpreters, with St. Basil, St. Cyril, St. Augustine, and others, understand the Cross which our Redeemer carried on His shoulders. This heavenly King, says Cornelius à Lapide, is a very different master from the devil: the devil burdens the backs of his subjects with heavy loads; Jesus, on the contrary, takes on His Own shoulders the burdens of His kingdom, embracing the Cross, on which He will die, in order to gain the mastery of our hearts: "The devil lays burdens on the shoulders of his subjects, Christ will bear the weight of His government on His shoulders; for He will carry the sceptre of His kingdom---that is, the Cross---on His Own shoulders, and will reign from the tree." It is the remark of Tertullian that while earthly monarchs bear the sceptre and crown as symbols of royalty, Jesus Christ bore the Cross, which was the throne which He mounted to rule over our love: "Every king bears the symbol of his power on his shoulder, and a diadem on his head, or a sceptre in his hand. The King Jesus Christ alone bore His power on His shoulder, namely, the Cross, that from it He might rule."
Hence, Origen says, if it be that Jesus Christ has given Himself to each one, what great thing will a man do if he give himself wholly to Jesus Christ? "If Christ gave Himself, will man do much in giving himself to God, Who was the first to give Himself to man?" Let us, then, with a good will give our heart and our love to this God, Who, in order to gain it, has had to give His Blood, His life, and His whole self: If thou didst know the gift of God, and Who He is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink. [John 4:10] Oh, if thou didst but know (said Jesus to the Samaritan woman) the grace which thou receivest from God, and Who it is that asks of thee to drink! Oh, did the soul but understand what a favor it is when God requests us to love Him in those words: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God. [Matt. 22:57] Should a subject hear his prince command him to love him, the bare mention of such a request would be enough to captivate him. And does not a God captivate us when He requires our heart? saying: My son, give Me thy heart. [Prov. 23:26]
But this heart He will not have divided, He will have it whole and entire; He wishes us to love Him with our whole heart: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, otherwise He is not content. For this end He has given us all His Blood, His whole life, His whole Self, in order that we may give our entire selves to Him, and be wholly His. And let us understand that then we shall give our whole heart to God when we shall give Him our will entirely, not wishing anything henceforward but what God wishes,---and He certainly only wishes our welfare and our happiness: To this end Christ died and rose again, that He might be the Lord both of the dead and of the living. Therefore whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. [Rom. 14:8] Jesus was pleased to die for us; more than this He could not have done to win all our love, and to be the sole Lord of our heart: so that from this day forward we are bound to make known to Heaven and to earth, in life and in death, that we are no longer our own, but that we belong solely and entirely to God.
Oh, how God longs to see, and how dearly He loves a heart that is wholly His! Oh, what delicate and loving caresses does God show, what good things, what delights, what glory does God prepare in Paradise for a heart that is wholly His! The Venerable Father John Leonard of Lettera, a Dominican, one day beheld Jesus Christ under the appearance of a hunter, and traversing the forest of this earth with an arrow in His hand. The servant of God asked Him what He was thus engaged about. Jesus answered that He was hunting after hearts. Who knows, I say, whether in this Novena the Infant Redeemer will have the success to hit and to make a prize of some hearts which He has been hunting after for a long time, and hitherto has been unable to wound and to capture! Devout souls, if Jesus gain us, we shall also gain Jesus. The advantage of such an exchange is all on our side. "Teresa" (said the Lord one day to this Saint), "up to this time you have not been all Mine; now that you are all Mine, be assured that I am all yours." St. Augustine calls love "a bond which binds the lover with the loved one." God has every wish to clasp us and unite us to Himself; but it is also necessary for us to strive and unite ourselves to God. If we wish God to give Himself entirely to us, it is likewise necessary for us to give ourselves entirely to Him.
Affections and Prayers
Oh I happy me, if, from this day forward, I shall be able always to say with the sacred spouse, My Beloved to me and I to Him. [Cant. 2:16] My God, my Beloved has given Himself all to me; it is but reasonable for me to give myself all to my God, and to say What have I in Heaven? and besides Thee what do I desire upon earth? [Ps. 72:25]
Oh, my beloved Infant, my dear Redeemer, since Thou hast come down from Heaven to give Thyself to me, what else shall I go about seeking in Heaven or on earth besides Thee, Who art my sovereign Good, my only treasure, the Paradise of souls? Be Thou, then, the sole Lord of my heart, do Thou possess it wholly. May my heart obey Thee alone, and seek to please Thee alone! May my soul love Thee alone, and mayest Thou alone be its portion! Let others strive after and enjoy (if enjoyment can ever be found out of Thee) the goods and fortunes of this world; Thee alone do I desire, who art my fortune, my riches, my peace, my hope in this life and in eternity. Behold, then, my heart; I give it wholly to Thee; it is no longer mine own, but Thine. In the same manner as at Thy entrance into the world Thou didst offer to the Eternal Father, and present to Him Thine entire will, as David has taught: In the head of the book it is written of Me, that I should do Thy will; O my God, I have desired it; [Ps. 39:8] so do I on this day offer to Thee, Thy Saviour, my entire will. At one time it was rebellious against Thee, and with it I offended Thee; but for all the wicked consent by which I have miserably forfeited Thy friendship I am now heartily sorry, and I consecrate my entire will to Thee. Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do! [Acts 9:6] tell me what Thou desirest of me, for I am willing to do all. Dispose of me and of my affairs as Thou wilt, for I accept of all, and in everything I resign myself to Thee. I know well that Thou willest what is best for me, and therefore I abandon my soul fully into Thy hands: Into Thy hands I commend my spirit. For pity's sake, help it and preserve it! and grant that it may be always and entirely Thine Own, since Thou bast redeemed it with the last drop of Thy Blood: Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth. [Ps. 30:6]
O happy thou, most holy Virgin Mary thou wert wholly and always God's Own,---all fair, all pure, and without spot: Thou art all beautiful, and there is no stain in thee. [Cant. 4:7] Thou alone, among all souls, wert styled by thy Spouse His dove, His perfect one: One is My dove, My perfect one. [Cant. 6:8] Thou art the garden closed against every imperfection and fault, and all laden with the flowers and fruits of virtue. Ah, my Queen and my Mother, thou who art so lovely in the eyes of thy God, take pity on my soul, which has become so deformed by sin. But if for the past I have not belonged to God, now I wish to be His, and His entirely. I wish to spend the remainder of my life solely in loving my Redeemer, Who hast loved me so much; suffice it to say, Who hast given His entire Self to me, O my hope, procure me strength to be grateful and faithful to Him till death! Amen. This is my hope, so may it be!