The Merciful Love of His Birth

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Those aren’t verses that you see very often Christmas on cards, right? From the gospel. But you notice what it does not say.  So, these are the first verses from the gospel today. It doesn’t say, “once upon a time.” Because once upon a time is the way fairy tales start. But for historians, these are very important verses, because Luke is telling us when it happened, not just once upon a time, but giving very concrete details about when it happened, and where it happened. So that we know when and where this event happened. And that night was a cold, dark, harsh night. And the circumstances were chaotic, not at all what Joseph had planned. And for most people, it seemed like just an ordinary night. And it was just a few that night, just the shepherd as we learned these shepherds who didn’t expect anything. And suddenly there’s a revelation through an angel. And so, they began a journey, which is not very long distance wise. But what was immense, and the change would bring about in their life. Because it wasn’t just the physical journey. It was the journey of the Spirit that they made that night. And it changed their lives forever. And so today in this 2021, and all that’s going on in our world, which is also often frigid, because it’s gone away from our Lord. It’s often dark, because it’s turned away from the Lord, things are dark, things are obscure, things are confusing. There’s a lot of lies, and our world is often harsh, very harsh, painful. And it’s in this real circumstances of our world right now, 2021 that we are invited by the word of God.  We are in a world in which a lot of people are lost and discouraged and despairing, we hear the Word of God. And came on a journey, which was not too far from some of you come from farther away. It’s always impressive to me to see the efforts that some of you make to come out all the way out to this little chapel. But a journey which is still not too far physically. But which is above all, a journey of your soul of your spirit. To find the hidden mystery of this night, the mystery that the Lord is revealing to you. There weren’t many people, there was only two who were there, when this happened, the shepherds came a little bit later. And one who experienced that, like no one else, this greatest event in the history of the universe that had nothing greater had taken place. And there’s one person Mary of Nazareth who experienced it. What would it be like to be able to hear from her directly about her experience? St. Luke probably had that opportunity as he’s writing this Gospel. What would it be like for us to be able to hear from her directly? What that night was like, what would she want to say to us tonight? She who understood the heart of her son like no one else, what would she want to say to us? We don’t know all that you said to the shepherds. But what would you want to say to us today? What would she want to say to you today? Last week, I was talking about a book which probably had the biggest impact on my life. It was a book by a priest called Don Gobi, a book called the Marian Movement of Priests and he felt was a locutions or interior messages that he was receiving from our Blessed Mother. And I wanted to share one of those with you tonight. This is from 1995, from this night, this Christmas Eve of 1995, and its title is merciful love. And as you’re listening to it, maybe there’s just one phrase perhaps, that stands out to you. So be listening to see if there’s anything that is particularly for you.  “Beloved, children, live with me, in silence, and in prayer, the anxious hours of the vigil. Walk with my most chaste spouse, Joseph, and with your Heavenly Mother, on the long road, which is bringing us from Nazareth to Bethlehem.  Feel you too, the fatigue of the journey. The weariness, which takes hold of us. The assurance which leads us on the prayer which accompanies each step, as a heavenly blessedness fills our hearts, now united and perfect communion with the heart of the Heavenly Father, which is about to open itself in the gift of His only begotten Son. The noise of the crowded caravan does not disturb us. Nor does discouragement take hold of us before all the doors, which are closed on our request to be taken in.  The compassionate hand of a shepherd points out to us a poor cave, which opens itself to the most sublime and divine prodigy. The only begotten Son of the Father is about to be born to His human life. There is about to descend to the world, that merciful love, which becomes man and the Son, born of me, His virgin mother. After long centuries of expectation, and of prayerful supplication, your Savior and Redeemer at last comes to you. This is the holy night. This is the dawn which arises from the new day of your salvation. This is the light which shines forth, and the deep darkness of all history. My spouse, Joseph seeks to make the frigid cave more hospitable, and sets about transforming a poor manger into a crib.” So, a manger of where the animals would eat. “I am absorbed and an intense prayer and then enter into ecstasy with the Heavenly Father who surrounds me with His light and His love and fills me with His fullness of life and blessedness. While paradise with all its angelic cohorts, prostrates itself and an act of profound adoration. What I emerge from this ecstasy I find in my arms, the Divine Child, miraculously born of me, His virgin mother. I press Him to my heart, cover Him with tender kisses, warm Him with my motherly love, wrap Him in clean linens, and placed Him in the manger, which is now ready. My God is completely present, in this child of mine, the mercy of the Father, is made visible and the newborn infant who utters His first plaintive cries. Divine Mercy has given His fruit to you. Together, let us prostrate ourselves and adore the merciful love, who has been born for us. Together let us look into His eyes, which opened to bring upon the world, the light of the truth and of Divine Wisdom. Together, let us wipe away His tears, which run down to bring compassion upon every suffering, to wash away every stain of sin and evil, to close every wound, to bring solace to each oppressed person, to cause the awaited due to descend upon the frigid desert of this world. Together, let us clasp His hands, which open themselves to bring the caress of the Father upon human miseries, to bring help to the poor and the little, support to the weak, assurance to the discouraged, pardon to sinners, health to the sick, and to all the gifts of redemption and salvation. Together, let us warm His feet, which will follow the barren and insecure roads, to search out the strain, to find the lost, to give hope to the despairing, to bring liberty to prisoners, and the good news to the poor. Together, let us kiss His little heart, which has just begun to beat with love for us. It is the very heart of God. It is the heart of the only begotten Son of the Father, who becomes man to bring back to God a humanity, redeemed and saved by Him. It is the heart which beats to renew the heart of every creature. It is the new heart of the world. It is the Merciful Love, which brings down from the bosom of Father, which comes down from the bosom of the Father, to bring redemption, salvation and peace to all humanity. Receive Him with love, with joy, with immense blessedness.”  Let us think tonight of this opportunity to receive Him in Holy Communion. “Receive Him with love, with joy, with immense blessedness and let there come forth from your heart to Him, a perennial gratitude for this child, virginally given to you by me, who on this holy night have become for all the Mother of Divine Mercy.”  So, like the shepherds, we are also invited the night to come and encounter our Lord, hidden in the Holy Eucharist, coming especially for you tonight.

So, I’m going to say a few words in Spanish and so to let you prepare your heart for the Lord and ask our Blessed Mother to help us prepare our hearts.

Father then gave a short talk in Spanish.