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Saint Padre Pio's Christmas Meditation
http://www.sanpadrepio.com/PadrePioChristmas.htm ^ | unknown | Saint Padre Pio

Posted on 12/25/2009 8:01:41 AM PST by stfassisi

Far into the night, at the coldest time of the year, in a chilly grotto, more suitable for a flock of beasts than for humans, the promised Messiah – Jesus – the savior of mankind, comes into the world in the fullness of time.

There are none who clamor around him: only an ox and an ass lending their warmth to the newborn infant; with a humble woman, and a poor and tired man, in adoration beside him.

Nothing can be heard except the sobs and whimpers of the infant God. And by means of his crying and weeping he offers to the Divine justice the first ransom for our redemption.

He had been expected for forty centuries; with longing sighs the ancient Fathers had implored his arrival. The sacred scriptures clearly prophesy the time and the place of his birth, and yet the world is silent and no one seems aware of the great event. Only some shepherds, who had been busy watching over their sheep in the meadows, come to visit him. Heavenly visitors had alerted them to the wondrous event, inviting them to approach his cave.

So plentiful, O Christians, are the lessons that shine forth from the grotto of Bethlehem! Oh how our hearts should be on fire with love for the one who with such tenderness was made flesh for our sakes! Oh how we should burn with desire to lead the whole world to this lowly cave, refuge of the King of kings, greater than any worldly palace, because it is the throne and dwelling place of God! Let us ask this Divine child to clothe us with humility, because only by means of this virtue can we taste the fullness of this mystery of Divine tenderness.

Glittering were the palaces of the proud Hebrews. Yet, the light of the world did not appear in one of them. Ostentatious with worldly grandeur, swimming in gold and in delights, were the great ones of the Hebrew nation; filled with vain knowledge and pride were the priests of the sanctuary. In opposition to the true meaning of Divine revelation, they awaited an officious savoir, who would come into the world with human renown and power.

But God, always ready to confound the wisdom of the world, shatters their plans. Contrary to the expectations of those lacking in Divine wisdom, he appears among us in the greatest abjection, renouncing even birth in St. Joseph’s humble home, denying himself a modest abode among relatives and friends in a city of Palestine. Refused lodging among men, he seeks refuge and comfort among mere animals, choosing their habitation as the place of his birth, allowing their breath to give warmth to his tender body. He permits simple and rustic shepherds to be the first to pay their respects to him, after he himself informed them, by means of his angels, of the wonderful mystery.

Oh wisdom and power of God, we are constrained to exclaim – enraptured along with your Apostle – how incomprehensible are your judgments and unsearchable your ways! Poverty, humility, abjection, contempt, all surround the Word made flesh. But we, out of the darkness that envelops the incarnate Word, understand one thing, hear one voice, perceive one sublime truth: you have done everything out of love, you invite us to nothing else but love, speak of nothing except love, give us naught except proofs of love.

The heavenly babe suffers and cries in the crib so that for us suffering would be sweet, meritorious and accepted. He deprives himself of everything, in order that we may learn from him the renunciation of worldly goods and comforts. He is satisfied with humble and poor adorers, to encourage us to love poverty, and to prefer the company of the little and simple rather than the great ones of the world.

This celestial child, all meekness and sweetness, wishes to impress in our hearts by his example these sublime virtues, so that from a world that is torn and devastated an era of peace and love may spring forth. Even from the moment of his birth he reveals to us our mission, which is to scorn that which the world loves and seeks.

Oh let us prostrate ourselves before the manger, and along with the great St. Jerome, who was enflamed with the love of the infant Jesus, let us offer him all our hearts without reserve. Let us promise to follow the precepts which come to us from the grotto of Bethlehem, which teach us that everything here below is vanity of vanities, nothing but vanity.


TOPICS: Catholic
KEYWORDS: padrepio
The heavenly babe suffers and cries in the crib so that for us suffering would be sweet, meritorious and accepted. He deprives himself of everything, in order that we may learn from him the renunciation of worldly goods and comforts. He is satisfied with humble and poor adorers, to encourage us to love poverty, and to prefer the company of the little and simple rather than the great ones of the world.
1 posted on 12/25/2009 8:01:41 AM PST by stfassisi
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To: AveMaria1; Friar Roderic Mary; fr maximilian mary; Kolokotronis; Carolina; sandyeggo; Salvation; ...
Oh wisdom and power of God, we are constrained to exclaim – enraptured along with your Apostle – how incomprehensible are your judgments and unsearchable your ways! Poverty, humility, abjection, contempt, all surround the Word made flesh. But we, out of the darkness that envelops the incarnate Word, understand one thing, hear one voice, perceive one sublime truth: you have done everything out of love, you invite us to nothing else but love, speak of nothing except love, give us naught except proofs of love.
2 posted on 12/25/2009 8:03:09 AM PST by stfassisi ((The greatest gift God gives us is that of overcoming self"-St Francis Assisi)))
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To: stfassisi
"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here until the son of God appears! Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanuel has come to thee, O Israel! Has come to thee, O Israel!"

On this blessed day, where we celebrate the birth and life of our Savior, and rejoice through giving, let us never forget He who is the author of not only our salvation, but of our mortal and immortal liberty as well.


WHY AMERICA HAS PROPOSERED AND IS FREE

3 posted on 12/25/2009 8:30:15 AM PST by Jeff Head (Freedom is not free...never has been, never will be. (www.dragonsfuryseries.com))
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To: stfassisi

Inspiring. Thank you. Merry Christmas.


4 posted on 12/25/2009 8:38:19 AM PST by Bigg Red (Palin/Hunter 2012 -- Bolton their Secretary of State)
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To: zot; SeraphimApprentice

Padre Pio Ping


5 posted on 12/25/2009 9:14:12 AM PST by GreyFriar (Spearhead - 3rd Armored Division 75-78 & 83-87)
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To: stfassisi

Wonderful post. Thank you.


6 posted on 12/25/2009 10:01:28 AM PST by hellbender
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To: stfassisi

This reflection reminds me that God the Heavenly Father sent His Beloved on truly a RESCUE MISSION to a sinful and fallen humanity.


7 posted on 12/25/2009 11:19:09 AM PST by Biggirl (A Blessed MERRY CHRISTMAS! REJOICE! Christ Jesus is BORN!=^..^==^..^==^..^==^..^==^..^=)
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To: stfassisi

Thank-You!


8 posted on 12/25/2009 11:19:41 AM PST by Biggirl (A Blessed MERRY CHRISTMAS! REJOICE! Christ Jesus is BORN!=^..^==^..^==^..^==^..^==^..^=)
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To: Biggirl

Opps, forgot to add the words, “Beloved Only Son”.


9 posted on 12/25/2009 11:22:36 AM PST by Biggirl (A Blessed MERRY CHRISTMAS! REJOICE! Christ Jesus is BORN!=^..^==^..^==^..^==^..^==^..^=)
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To: stfassisi
It's good to recognize the long wait of centuries and centuries that people in the past had, in waiting for the promised Messiah of Israel to come here. And He did. However, the thing that people of today had better remember is that He grew up and now He's coming once again -- and this time "He's looking for bear!" ... and you better hope that you're not part of the "bear" He's looking for ... :-)

At Christmas -- a lot of people think about a cute little baby Jesus or a very nice man who said nice things to people, was uplifting, and healed a bunch of people...

What people really need to remember is that there's this "big bad Jewish fellow" out there, who's showing up soon, sorta unexpected, and he's "looking for bear" and is gonna open up "the biggest can of whoop-ass" you've ever seen in your life, on a bunch of people here on earth. LOL...

However, many fail to understand -- but they will "understand" when the Messiah of Israel returns to this earth, sets His feet on the soil of this globe, and sets up the ruling authority -- the one-world government -- that He puts into place over all nations, including the United States.

He's the Messiah of Israel, that He is coming back to earth, to set up a one-world government, with His headquarters in Jerusalem, ruling over all the nations of the world, including the United States and will rule over all who are still alive (from who are living right now today) -- and that He will definitely scrap the Constitution of the United States and make Himself the supreme ruler over all that we do.

The "day of reckoning" is coming for all of those who are trying to take over the world and put it totally under their control in an evil one-world empire. And they do admit that they want a one-world government -- their government, not God's...

When the Messiah of Israel comes back to this earth to set up His one-world government and subject all the nations of the world to His authority and rule -- He'll be making real short work of any of those yahoos...

And you can be sure that He will be utterly destroying anything to do with any of these yahoos, since whatever they say and do is a total perversion of anything to do with the Messiah of Israel.

And for sure -- we all, in this world, need the Messiah of Israel back, here on earth -- to destroy this coming one-world government and to install His own one-world government in its place.

I'm looking forward to the coming Kingdom on earth and the one-world government that the Messiah of Israel will be setting up, after He destroys, by His own hand, the present and evil one-world government that we see forming right now.

    Isaiah 9:6-7

    For unto us a Child is born.
    Unto us a Son is given;
    And the government will be upon His shoulder.
    And His name will be called
    Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

    Of the increase of His government and peace
    There will be no end,
    Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
    To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
    From that time forward, even forever.
    The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

10 posted on 12/25/2009 1:16:24 PM PST by Star Traveler (At Christmas - remember to keep "Christ" in the One-World Government that we look forward to)
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To: GreyFriar

Thanks for the Padre Pio ping. He is my favorite saint.


11 posted on 12/25/2009 7:14:19 PM PST by zot
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To: stfassisi

Thank you once again for a wonderful read!
Pax et Bonum,


12 posted on 12/26/2009 10:27:49 PM PST by Domestic Church (AMDG...)
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