Gate of God to the world,
door of eternities,
for the man who groans
in the death of times;
when you begot God,
you have begotten man;
when you begot man,
it is God who is given to us.”
—Hymn to Mary, Liturgy of the Hours
The heart of every believing woman transforms the womb into a manger where the voice of the heavenly court resounds, shouting: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14).
My mother (RIP) used to say that she went to adoration before the cradle of each one of us (10 children) for a long time, as there is nothing purer than a baby, a mirror of the face of God, like Jesus.
The humanity of Jesus teaches us the model of worldly perfection. Like any of us, Jesus learned from his parents, especially his mother. From her, he learned to trust in the infinite power of God, who defeats evil with divine grace.
Baby Jesus transforms the lament of humanity into a song of hope at every birth. God is given to us in every woman and man who willingly forgives up to seventy times seven. God is conceived in each womb that opens to life as a sacred proclamation against abortion and the trivialization of human sexuality.
Every birth is Christmas; it is God with us, within and from us. Every birth is a door to eternity. Each birth, through Jesus, makes us discover that, from that natal sound, our life is transformed, opening wider the immensity of divinity beyond worldly times.
With tambourines, let us celebrate every Christmas in the human minds who put their potential into action to discover new vaccines against any epidemic that disables the pursuit of our sublime mission in this world. Let us joyfully celebrate all women and men who practice and promote purity of the body, to counteract prostitution, pornography, violence or abuse of any kind against another human being.
Let us celebrate with trumpets, whistles and flutes every Christmas; every baptized person who, immersed in the faith of Jesus Christ, has been born of God, sees heaven open and hears God proclaiming: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).
Like the womb of Mary, may our hearts pump the blood of the Holy Spirit that modeled the human face of Jesus, chiseling every day in his worldly existence the divine face of humanity, which we are privileged to belong.
Let us pray so that this Christmas, God continues to be born in this humanity that he has chosen. May he continue to grow in each girl and boy who is gratefully learning new forms of joy, brotherhood, forgiveness and peace, as Mary did — the woman who gave birth to the God who has been given to us.
Merry and Holy Christmas, brothers and sisters!