Hardly had You come into the world, O Divine Child, when Your parents had to flee with You to Egypt. The obedience of Your adoptive father, St. Joseph, in leaving immediately after having received this order in a dream, is admirable (Mt 2:13-14).
Toil, hardship and adversity, suffering and death characterise this world as a consequence of sin, and we would be lost forever if it were not for the fact that You came to us and brought us the light of hope.
Thus, already as a child You bear upon Yourself all that we men have to bear as a consequence of sin.
Do You know, Beloved Jesus? When we meditate on the suffering that You endured until Your death, our love for You becomes even greater.
Then we understand much better to what extent You were moved by love for the Father to spare no effort to save us from darkness. This will be for us a source of constant gratitude for all eternity, and already here, in our earthly life, an enormous joy.
Only few will have understood You in Your suffering. Certainly Your Mother knew how to do so, for She too gave Her “yes” to the Will of the Father even in pain.
When we suffer we can always turn to You, and You will teach us to bear the cross out of love, just as You did. Then suffering will be transformed from within and ennoble us.
Beloved Child, if even in suffering and death I am safe in You; if You have come to forgive and annihilate sins, what else can happen to me? Nothing can snatch me away from Your love, as long as I remain faithful to You! (Rom 8:35-39)
You are our Redeemer and Saviour, for whom we have waited. And now You are here as the Divine Child.
