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Day 25: Christ Born in Us Today
The crib showing the nativity, in all the cities and villages and Catholic homes of the world, is not only there to commemorate Christ’s first coming to earth, it is there as a symbol of Christ’s birth in us.
Christmas does not only mean that God became man and was born as a human infant on a certain night in Bethlehem, two thousand years ago; it means that, but it means equally that because of that, Christ is born in us today.
Christ is born in all the cities and villages, all the streets and homes of the world today. He is born in prosperous cities, lit up and noisy with pleasure, where, as in Bethlehem, His crying is not heard; He is born among the ruins of devastated cities, where few would recognize Him without His crown of thorns.
He is born in New York, Warsaw, Paris, London, everywhere where a single human soul repeats, even perhaps almost doubting it, Our Lady’s fiat: “Be it done to me”
Christ is not only born at Christmas, though it is at Christmas that we keep the Feast of the Incarnation. He is born day after day, in ever infant or adult as they are baptized, in every sinner who is sorry for sin and is absolved, in everyone in whom God’s grace quickens the supernatural life (which is the Christ-life) for the first or the millionth time.
Commentary: On this holy Christmas Day, Caryll Houselander leads us to see beyond the historical birth of Christ to its ongoing mystery: Christ is born anew in each of us today. The crib, displayed in homes and churches around the world, is a symbol not only of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem but also of His continuous birth in every heart willing to receive Him. This message invites us to recognize that Christ lives wherever a soul, like Mary, says “yes” to Him. Whether in places of joy or sorrow, prosperity or ruin, the miracle of the Incarnation is happening now, in our world and in our lives. Houselander reminds Catholics that every act of faith, every baptism, every confession, and every encounter with grace is a re-birth of Christ in us, a fresh arrival of His love.
Personal Reflection: As you celebrate Christmas, consider how you are invited to let Christ be born in your heart today. How can you, like Mary, offer a “yes” that allows His presence to take root within you? Reflect on the ways in which Christ can live through you in each moment, making His love visible in the world.
Quote taken from – Caryll Houselander The Passion of the Infant Christ, Sheed & Ward, 1949
For more reflections visit:
Caryll Houselander – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts
Image © Trinity Icons / Joseph M. Malham
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