He is calling us.

He needs us.

And also, as our Father said,

he is holding out his small arms

because he wants us to hold him,

to carry him everywhere, 

to make him known in everything we do.

Let us be more generous

and pause before that great mystery so as to enter that stable

and, with our poor life, give him warmth.

I suggest that you often draw close

throughout the day to the crèche scene.

And that you look at him, that you look more intently.

Also in order to discovery whatever in our lives

isn’t in accord with the holiness he came to bring us. 

And that you also look at Mary and Joseph.

Ask them to truly imbue our souls

with a refined eagerness for conversion.

The two of them didn’t need a conversion,

but they were very aware of the distance between

a God who was placing himself in their hands and themselves.

And therefore, they struggled, again and again,

Mary enjoying the fullness of grace, and St. Joseph, aided by the Holy Spirit,

to be in tune with their mission.

We too have a mission in the Church:

a mission to transmit to people

the clear idea that they have to seek sanctity wherever they are.

And I ask you, and I ask myself:  Do we strive for sanctity every day?

Do we truly strive to attain sanctity?

How is our prayer, our presence of God,

our reparation, love, and faith, in this Year of Faith?

Let’s think about this carefully.

And let us make whatever changes are necessary to hold onto

the Child God with more force, who in his weakness is our strength,

who in his situation as a helpless creature draws people to him,

and makes our apostolate effective

and who asks us to continue his work.

Let’s be filled with joy, my sons….