In these times of great renunciation,
Christmas reminds us of your coming in fragility.
Little shoot sprouting from a root
you come to us not with the strength of the mighty
but in the simplicity of a child.
Silence in us the cries of this world
that overwhelm us with their demands!
Give us eyes to see the growth
the shoot that no one notices!
In these times of great anxiety
you tell us again, like the shepherds in Bethlehem
and like the women at the empty tomb:
Trust, do not be afraid!
« I am above you to bless you,
with you to lead you,
in your midst to encourage you
and in you to renew you.
***
If you are Emanuel,
you live with us
and walk among us.
In this season
of exchanging vows,
what vows do you make for us?
In the Holy Spirit
you say one word to me:
« Take care »!
« Take care of your relationship with me,
May silence and prayer dwell in you!
Take care of your relationship with others,
Let justice and honesty guide you!
Take care of your relationship with yourself,
May sobriety and integrity animate you!
Take care of your relationship with my creation,
May respect and wonder inspire you!
I say this to you,
but also to all those
who walk with you
to my Father and your Father.
I walk among you
and take care of you
so that this one word becomes real:
« Take care ».
So keep me in your midst
by taking care of one another!
****
The Magi took another route home.
You know all our ways, Lord,
byways and dead ends,
paths of life and light.
Save us from going astray!
Strengthen us and lead us in your ways!
You also know, Lord, the ways of your Church.
The paths of division, compromise and lukewarmness
that lead nowhere.
Every Church needs repentance and purification.
Ours is not better or superior to others.
Keep us from all pride and in humility!
From now on we want to walk with you, the meek and lowly king,
and with one another in mutual acceptance
and consider others as superior to ourselves.
Reveal to us, as we go along, this other path
and that we do not go home as before!
Give us a new impetus to live the spirit of your Beatitudes:
Blessed are the poor and the meek, blessed are those who thirst for justice and the merciful,
Blessed are the peacemakers and the pure of heart, blessed are those persecuted for your sake…
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At Christmas, you want to expand the joy of a family,
of shepherds and angels,
to the whole of humanity.
This joy is also for us today.
To live it and relive your joy
give us, Lord,
as you did for Mary,
a heart that welcomes
and meditate on your Word
by putting it into practice.
Then we will receive the gift of your unity!
Unity that the manger reveals to us:
between heaven and earth,
between humans and beasts,
between rich and poor,
between people from here and elsewhere.
You are now among us
and, through your death and resurrection
you draw humanity and the cosmos to yourself.
*****
In Bethlehem you became a heart
to dwell in my will,
to renew my intelligence,
to share my emotions.
From now on you know what is inside me
no longer from the height of your divinity
but from within your humanity.
Now you are closer to me
than the artery of my heart.
You have become a heart
to open mine to yours,
that I may turn to you in the morning
and rest in you in the evening.
You have become a heart
so that I may join mine
and be attentive to it,
attentive and sincere.
You have become a heart
so that I may welcome my brother
and that between his heart and mine
may beat yours.
***
In the beginning of time you created light.
beautiful, good and true…in your image!
Thank you for the morning light that makes colours sing!
Thank you for the light of faces, reflections of your joy and your love!
When time was fulfilled, you, uncreated light
through whom all light comes,
you manifested yourself among us.
At Christmas, you shone before the shepherds and the Magi.
At the Transfiguration, you dazzled the apostles.
On Easter morning you shone from a tomb.
At Pentecost, you poured your light into hearts.
On our last day, you will bring us into your inaccessible light.
Your light, beauty of all beauty,
goodness of all goodness,
truth of all truth!
« God saw that the light was good » (Genesis 1:3)
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Feast of the name of Jesus, 1 January.
« When the eighth day had come, the day of circumcision, the child received the name Jesus, the name which the angel had given him before he was conceived. » (Luke 2:21)
Jesus, your holy name is beautiful.
You are « the Lord who saves ».
On this first day of the year,
First movement of my heart,
First impulse of my mind,
First word on my lips.
Jesus, your name says God’s love for our world.
Jesus, your name contains all his words of life.
Jesus, your name calls to live the Good, the True, the Beautiful.
Jesus, I will say your name until I die.
Jesus, I will not keep silent about your name before humans.
Jesus, I will sing your name with those who love it.
Jesus, alive among those who gather in your name.
Jesus, present in the bread and wine shared in your name,
Jesus, the only name that can unite us in God.
Jesus, without the Holy Spirit, no one can love your name.
Jesus, without Mary, no one can understand your name.
Jesus, without the Church, no one can know your name.
***
On Christmas Day
On Christmas Day,
you’re wiggling in a wooden manger,
where the animals feed.
You came from heaven
to satisfy our hunger for friendship.
On Good Friday,
you hang in another wood,
where criminals are condemned.
You cried out « I thirst »
to quench our thirst for friendship.
On this day that you give me,
I come to you, Emanuel.
Give me your friendship!
I stretch out my hands to receive your bread.
I open my lips to taste your wine.
****
In our secularised world
which has relegated you to the margins.
A world fascinated by wealth,
caught in the net of the media,
chained by powerful ideologies…
How can we meet you at Christmas?
Give us the ability to be transported in spirit to Bethlehem,
to stand around you, like Joseph and Mary!
You always show yourself to those who live your simplicity.
Give us to keep you in our midst
so that you may illuminate us, you who live among us forever!
****