Advent Meditation~By St. Alphonsus de Liguori (December 23)

[Dawn Marie]

THE MYSTERIES OF THE FAITH

THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST

Discourse by Saint Alphonsus de Liguori

December 23, 2014

CONCLUSION

 

The Birth Of Jesus Christ

 

Part 2 of 2

 

They enter and go to the house of the imperial minister to pay the tribute, and to enroll themselves in the book as subjects of Caesar, where they also inscribed the offspring of Mary, namely, Jesus Christ, who was the Lord of Caesar and of all the princes of the earth. But who acknowledged them? Who goes before them to show them honor? Who salutes them, and who receives them?  “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.”  They travel like poor people, and as such, they are despised!; they are treated even worse than the other poor, and are driven away.

 

Yes, for “it came to pass when they were there Her days were accomplished that She should be delivered.”  Mary knew that the time of Her delivery was come, and that it was here, and on that night, that the Incarnate Word willed to be born, and to manifest Himself to the world. She therefore told Joseph, and he hastened to procure some lodging in the houses of the townspeople, so as not to take his Spouse to the inn to be delivered, as it was not a decent place for Her to be in, besides which, it was then full of people. But he found not anyone to listen to him, and very likely, he was insulted, and called a fool by some of them, for taking his Wife about at that time of night, and in such a crowd of people, when She was near Her delivery, so that, at last he was obliged, unless he would remain all night in the street, to take Her to the public inn, where there were many other poor people lodging that night. He went there, but they were refused admittance even there, and they were told that there was no room for them:  “There was no room for them in the inn.”  There was room for all, even for the lowest, but not for Jesus Christ.

 

That inn was a figure of those ungrateful hearts where many find room for miserable creatures, but not for God. How many love their relatives, their friends, even animals, but do not love Jesus Christ, and care neither for His grace nor His love! But the ever-blessed Mary said once to a devout soul:  “It was the dispensation of God that neither I nor My Son should find a lodging amongst men, that those souls who love Jesus might offer themselves as a lodging place, and might affectionately invite Him to come into their hearts.”

 

But let us go on with the history.

These poor travelers, then seeing themselves repulsed on every side, leave the city to try and find some place of refuge without its walls. They walk on in the dark; they go round about and examine, till at last they see a grotto, which was cut out of stone in the mountains under the city. Barradas, Bede and Brocardus say that the place where Jesus Christ was born was a rock that had been excavated under the walls of Bethlehem, divided off from the city, and like a cavern, and which served as a stable for cattle.

 

When they came to it, Mary said to Joseph:  “There is no occasion to go any farther; let us to into this cave and remain there.”  “What!”, replied Joseph, my Spouse, dost Thou not see that this cave is quite exposed, that it is cold and damp, and that water is running down on all sides? Dost Thou not see that it is no lodging for men, but it is a shed for beasts? How can you stop here all night, and be delivered here?” 

 

Then Mary said, “It is nevertheless true that this stable is the regale palace in which the Eternal Son of God desires to be born on earth.”