NINTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Theme:  Opening the Doors to Christ

Holy Scripture Says: 
► “Behold, I stand at the gate, and knock. If any man shall hear My voice, and open to Me the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me”  (Apocalypse 3:20).
► “Behold the judge standeth before the door” (James 5:9).
► “Behold, I have given before thee a door opened, which no man can shut” (Apocalypse 3:8). 

Our Lord says: 
► “Jesus therefore said to them again: ‘Amen, amen I say to you, I am the door of the sheep’ ” (John 10:7).
► “I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved” (John 10:9).

Meditation:  
There is no other door to Heaven except that of Jesus. He is the door. He is the gate. He is the way. He comes to Bethlehem to draw us towards that door; to draw us to Himself, the Good Shepherd, to draw us through His gate, out and away from the world, to draw us into His sheepfold. He is the door through which we can escape the deluge of sinful tidal wave of the world. He is the door through which we escape the slavery of the devil, the world and the flesh. As Scripture says: “For all have sinned, and do need the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “He that committeth sin is of the devil: for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God appeared, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). 

“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. [He] was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not” (John 1:4-11).

Even though the doors of Bethlehem were shut in His face, as He was seeking a place in which to be born, He nevertheless keeps His door for us opened—regardless of how good or bad we are, or have been. The doors of sinners in Bethlehem were closed to the innocent One; but the innocent One opens His doors to sinners of Bethlehem and the sinners of the whole world. So much so that that Providence had designed for Him to be born, not in a private home (though they did knock on those doors), but in public place accessible to all—in a cave outside the city walls, where anyone and everyone could freely come, if they wished. There are doors on a cave; its doors are always open, day and night. Jesus is always available to us, night or day; in a state of light which is the state of grace, or in a state of darkness which is the state of mortal sin. He welcomes all comers. 

“But as many as received Him, He gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in His name. Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:12-14).

Christmas is a for grace and truth! In fact, the truth is that Christmas is more a time sinners than the just. Jesus comes with the Christmas present of grace in exchange for our Christmas present of truth. He wants us truthfully admit that we are sinners in need of mercy and grace. As Scripture says: “Mercy and truth have met each other: justice and peace have kissed” (Psalm 84:11).  If we are truthful about our sinfulness, mercy comes our way; if in justice we do penance for our sins, peace follows quickly behind.

He Himself said that sinners were the purpose of His coming: “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). The Gradual, from the Mass of the Vigil of Christmas, says: “This day you shall know that the Lord will come and save us” (Exodus 16:6). The Gospel tells us: “She shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). We are those sinners, some greater, some lesser. As Scripture says: “For all have sinned, and do need the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “He that committeth sin is of the devil: for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God appeared, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). 

Where do we find that mercy and grace? In front of the Holy Eucharist—whether it be in the Mass or in visits to Our Lord in the cave of His tabernacle. That is where Emmanuel is—"Emmanuel" meaning "God with us." That is where He has chosen to live since His Ascension into Heaven—in the Holy Eucharist, the Bread of Heaven. The tabernacle is new Bethlehem, the "Town of Bread" and the new manger "the eating trough" from which He feeds us. The tabernacle door is "Door to Heaven" and the "Gate of Heaven" through which Jesus comes to us and we go to Jesus. Scripture speaks of  "Praying ... that God may open unto us a door” (Colossians 4:3). Jesus opens the tabernacle to us: “...a door was opened unto me in the Lord” (2 Corinthians 2:12).

In the Old Testament, the tabernacle was the sign of God being with His Chosen People. God Himself gave the design of tabernacle to them—down to the tiniest detail. The tabernacle was always at the center of camp, whenever they stopped their journey to the Promised Land. Likewise, the tabernacle should be at the heart at center of our lives, just like the church was at center of village or town in the Middle Ages.

In the day of Moses, the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant were at the life of the Israelites. These few quotes give a glimpse of that:

“The Lord said to Moses: ...thou shalt bring them to the door of the tabernacle of the covenant, and shalt make them stand there with thee” (Numbers 11:16). “And thou shalt gather together all the congregation to the door of the tabernacle” (Leviticus 8:3). “...shall bring it to the door of the tabernacle” (Leviticus 4:14).  “...watch at the door of the tabernacle.” (Exodus 38:8). “Moses did as the Lord had commanded. And all the multitude being gathered together before the door of the tabernacle” (Leviticus 8:4). 

“When Moses and Aaron standing had drawn up all the multitude against them to the door of the tabernacle, the glory of the Lord appeared to them all. And the Lord speaking to Moses and Aaron, said: ‘Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may presently destroy them!’ ... And Moses arose, and went and ... said to the multitude: ‘Depart from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be involved in their sins!” (Number 16:18-26).

But the tabernacle of the Old Testament is nowhere near as important as the tabernacle is to us today. The tabernacle of old was just a type or a figure of the tabernacle to come. The tabernacle of old housed the manna that fell from Heaven; the tabernacle today houses Jesus Christ, the true Bread of Heaven. "Your fathers did eat manna in the desert, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven; that if any man eat of it, he may not die. I am the living bread which came down from Heaven” (John 6:49-51).
 
Bethlehem is all about the Holy Eucharist—its very name means “Town of Bread.”  The Nativity is all about the Eucharist, with Jesus, the “Bread of Heaven” being placed in an eating trough (a manger) for us poor sinners to eat in Holy Communion. The cave is dark like the interior of a tabernacle; and it is often unfrequented, just like the tabernacle in the church. But the door is always open to stranger or friend: “The stranger did not stay without, my door was open to the traveler” (Job 31:32). “Come to Me, all you that labor, and are burdened, and I will refresh you” (Matthew 11:28).

But if we neglect to go to Him now, in this time of mercy, and go off partying somewhere else, we may find that one day it is too late: "Depart from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be involved in their sins!” (Number 16:26). “When the master of the house shall be gone in, and shall shut the door, you shall begin to stand without, and knock at the door, saying: ‘Lord, open to us!’ And he answering, shall say to you: ‘I know you not, whence you are’ ” (Luke 13:25). He comes to us for a purpose, but if we prefer other things to Him, then those words of St. John's Gospel will apply to us: “the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it ... He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not” (John 1:4-11). Christmas is about "giving and receiving." Jesus gives Himself to us, especially in the Holy Eucharist; we willingly receive Him in the Holy Eucharist; but what will we give to Him in return. Only you can answer that.

We will again finish with the last two paragraphs from yesterday's meditation for they apply to our relationship with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar:

It is sad and strange, for Christmas is not even our birthday, it is the birthday of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Mary. Yet we act as though it was everybody else's birthday, but not Jesus'. Once again, after giving Him lip-service at Mass, for many that will be all. There are unlikely to be extra prayers that are said over the following days; no extra spiritual reading; no extra visits to the Blessed Sacrament; not extra Masses. Oh, so sad! With our lips we praise, but with our hearts we pain Him. But still He loves! He still wants to be loved! He still hopes! He still waits! What are you waiting for? 

Let this Christmas be perhaps the first really spiritual Christmas that you have had! Have the courage to pull away from all the glitz, the razzmatazz, the partying, the drinking, the joking and laughing, and go to your cave, go find Jesus. That cave may well be the local chapel, but it is also the chapel of your heart. That is where He wants to be born; that is where He wants to live; that is where you will find Him waiting. In the silence of your heart; not in the noise and tumult of the Christmas gatherings. By the world's standards and perhaps the standards of those that surround you, that option might make for a poor Christmas! They may patronizingly comment that you don't have the spirit of Christmas! "Poor so-and-so!" they may say. Maybe! But “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” 

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer: 
To Thee have I lifted up my soul, O Lord; in Thee I place my trust. Stir up Thy power, I beseech Thee O Lord, and come to me, a poor sinner, so that I may deserve to be rescued and saved from the threatening dangers of my sins. Show me, Lord Thy ways, and teach me Thy paths, that I may prepare for Thy birth with becoming honor and fervor. Stir up my heart, my God, to prepare the ways of Thy Only-begotten Son. Incline Thine ear to my prayers and enlighten the darkness of my mind by the grace of Thy visitation. Grant me grace to withdraw ever increasingly from the vanity and deceit of the world, and to find joy among the true treasures of Heaven, which Thou dost kindly and mercifully bestow upon those who seek Thy face, and in Thy bounty grant me the favor for which I now beg:

[Mention Intention]

O Immaculate Mary, Daughter of the Father, Spouse of the Holy Ghost and Mother of the Son; look down with mercy and favor upon me, a helpless sinner, tossed around upon the waves of a tempestuous world. On all sides crash the waves of liberalism, modernism, humanism and materialism, threatening to submerge and sink souls still faithful to Christ. Souls of sinners sing like sirens, seducing us and steering the ships of our souls to shipwreck. Do thou, O Star of the Sea, look down with compassion upon me and safely steer my soul to the harbor of Heaven. Turn aside my mind, my heart and my passions from the vanities and sins of this world, and let me find strength, peace and solace in the contemplation of the mysteries surrounding the birth of thy Divine Son; so that fortified in spirit, I may overcome all temptations and ever grow in the love of thee and thy Son for all eternity. Amen.

Pray: 
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Mother of the Divine Child, our Savior, pray for us.

EIGHTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Theme:  The Need for Poverty

Holy Scripture Says: 
► “For poverty was sufficient for us, that we might account it as riches” (Tobias 5:25).
► “Good things and evil, life and death, poverty and riches, are from God” (Ecclesiasticus 11:14).
► “Behold I have refined thee, but not as silver, I have chosen thee in the furnace of poverty” (Isaias 48:10).
► “I know thy tribulation and thy poverty, but thou art rich” (Apocalypse 2:9).
► “God hath made me to grow in the land of my poverty” (Genesis 41:52).
► “He shall spare the poor and needy: and He shall save the souls of the poor” (Psalms 71:13).
► “One is as it were rich, when he hath nothing: and another is as it were poor, when he hath great riches” (Proverbs 13:7).

Our Lord says: 
► “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:3).
► “No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).
► “Jesus said to His disciples: ‘Amen, I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.  And again I say to you: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven’” (Matthew 19:23-24) 
► "I have come from Heaven to the earth in order to exalt humility and discredit pride, to honor poverty and contemn riches, to destroy vanity and establish truth, and in order to enhance worthily the value of labor" (Mystical City of God, vol. 2, The Incarnation, Ven. Mary of Agreda).

Our Lady says:
“Riches as well as poverty must be attributed to God and made use of in a holy and legitimate way for the glory of the Creator and Ruler of all things. If men would observe this rule of action nobody would be without the assistance of the Lord, who is a true Father, and neither would the poor be led into sin by poverty, nor the rich by prosperity”   (Mystical City of God, vol. 2, The Incarnation, Ven. Mary of Agreda).

Venerable Mary of Agreda says: 
► "He came to conquer Lucifer, not only by His Omnipotence, but by humility, meekness, obedience and poverty, which are the weapons of His warfare; far from Him are the empty show and vanity maintained by the riches of the world. He came disguised and hidden in the outward appearance of lowliness; He chose a poor Mother. All that the world values, He came to despise, teaching the true science of life in word and example” (Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, vol. 2, The Incarnation).

► “It happened also not a few times that the heavenly Lady and her spouse found themselves so poor and destitute of means that they were in want of the necessaries of life; for they were most generous in their gifts to the poor, and they were never anxious to store up beforehand food or clothing, as is wont with the children of this world in their faint-hearted covetousness. The Lord so disposed things that the faith and patience of his most holy Mother and of St. Joseph should not be vain, for this poverty was a source of incomparable consolation to our Lady, not only because of her love of poverty, but also on account of her astonishing humility. She considered herself unworthy of the sustenance of life, and that she above all others should suffer the want of it. Therefore she blessed the Lord for this poverty as far as it affected her, while she asked the Most High to supply the needs of saint Joseph, as being a just and holy man and well worthy of this favor of the Almighty. The Lord did not forget his poor entirely, for while He permitted them to exercise virtues and gain merits, He also gave them nourishment in opportune time”  (Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, vol. 2, The Incarnation).

Meditation:  
To us, poverty is something shameful, a stigma. It is the way the world has made us think and judge. However, with Our Lord and Our Lady, the opposite is true. Providence could have made Our Lady to be a rich queen. Our Lord could have been born to a mighty king in a splendid palace. But no! The wisdom of God, Whose thoughts are not our thoughts and Whose ways are not our ways, chose the opposite for our instruction and benefit. 

For possessions and wealth are usually badly used, due to the inherent weakness of Original Sin that we are all born with. We gravitate more to riches than poverty. Yet those riches are often more of a curse than a blessing. The more we have, the more concerned we are with what we have; the more anxious we are to preserve the standard that we have achieved; the more ready to make compromises to maintain those levels; and at times, the saying is true, "the more we have, the more we want." But worst of all, riches and wealth distract the mind from God, Who should be our greatest treasure. This is so profoundly shown in the meeting of Jesus with the rich young man, whom Jesus looked upon and loved, asking him to sell all he had, give the money to the poor and to follow Him:

“ ‘If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven: and come follow Me!’ And when the young man had heard this word, he went away sad: for he had great possessions. Then Jesus said to His disciples: ‘Amen, I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven’ ” (Matthew 19:21-23).

This is danger of the materialistic spirit given to Christmas by the world. It is said that in the four or five weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, many stores do more business than they do in the rest of the year combined! Are people buying things for Jesus? No! For themselves and their loved ones! But isn't Jesus supposed to be among "their loved ones"? Certainly, but He gets little or nothing. It is always a 'relatively poor' Christmas for Jesus. Nothing much has changed over 2000 years. After the Christmas Day Mass, He is quickly forgotten and left out in the cold. The main focus then switches to the fruits of Christmas shopping and cooking!

But who is the poorer for that? Jesus or ourselves? As the proverb so rightly said: “One is as it were rich, when he hath nothing: and another is as it were poor, when he hath great riches” (Proverbs 13:7). We mistake the fake gold for the real gold. “We have been seduced by vanity” (2 Esdras 1:7). “Behold the man that made not God his helper: but trusted in the abundance of his riches: and prevailed in his vanity” (Psalm 51:9). “When I turned myself to all the works which my hands had wrought, and to the labors wherein I had labored in vain, I saw in all things vanity, and vexation of mind” (Ecclesiastes 2:11).

It is sad and strange, for Christmas is not even our birthday, it is the birthday of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Mary. Yet we act as though it was everybody else's birthday, but not Jesus'. Once again, after giving Him lip-service at Mass, for many that will be all. There are unlikely to be extra prayers that are said over the following days; no extra spiritual reading; no extra visits to the Blessed Sacrament; not extra Masses. Oh, so sad! With our lips we praise, but with our hearts we pain Him. But still He loves! He still wants to be loved! He still hopes! He still waits! What are you waiting for? 

Let this Christmas be perhaps the first really spiritual Christmas that you have had! Have the courage to pull away from all the glitz, the razzmatazz, the partying, the drinking, the joking and laughing, and go to your cave, go find Jesus. That cave may well be the local chapel, but it is also the chapel of your heart. That is where He wants to be born; that is where He wants to live; that is where you will find Him waiting. In the silence of your heart; not in the noise and tumult of the Christmas gatherings. By the world's standards and perhaps the standards of those that surround you, that option might make for a poor Christmas! They may patronizingly comment that you don't have the spirit of Christmas! "Poor so-and-so!" they may say. Maybe! But “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” 

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer: 
To Thee have I lifted up my soul, O Lord; in Thee I place my trust. Stir up Thy power, I beseech Thee O Lord, and come to me, a poor sinner, so that I may deserve to be rescued and saved from the threatening dangers of my sins. Show me, Lord Thy ways, and teach me Thy paths, that I may prepare for Thy birth with becoming honor and fervor. Stir up my heart, my God, to prepare the ways of Thy Only-begotten Son. Incline Thine ear to my prayers and enlighten the darkness of my mind by the grace of Thy visitation. Grant me grace to withdraw ever increasingly from the vanity and deceit of the world, and to find joy among the true treasures of Heaven, which Thou dost kindly and mercifully bestow upon those who seek Thy face, and in Thy bounty grant me the favor for which I now beg:

[Mention Intention]

O Immaculate Mary, Daughter of the Father, Spouse of the Holy Ghost and Mother of the Son; look down with mercy and favor upon me, a helpless sinner, tossed around upon the waves of a tempestuous world. On all sides crash the waves of liberalism, modernism, humanism and materialism, threatening to submerge and sink souls still faithful to Christ. Souls of sinners sing like sirens, seducing us and steering the ships of our souls to shipwreck. Do thou, O Star of the Sea, look down with compassion upon me and safely steer my soul to the harbor of Heaven. Turn aside my mind, my heart and my passions from the vanities and sins of this world, and let me find strength, peace and solace in the contemplation of the mysteries surrounding the birth of thy Divine Son; so that fortified in spirit, I may overcome all temptations and ever grow in the love of thee and thy Son for all eternity. Amen.

Pray: 
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Mother of the Divine Child, our Savior, pray for us.

SEVENTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Theme:  The Need for Charity

Holy Scripture Says: 
► “For God so loved the world, as to give His only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in Him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting” (John 3:16).
► "He that loveth not, knoweth not God: for God is charity”  (1 John 4:8).
► "God is charity: and he that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him”  (1 John 4:16).
► "By this hath the charity of God appeared towards us, because God hath sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we may live by Him" (1 John 4:9).
► "In this we have known the charity of God, because He hath laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" (1 John 3:16).
► "He that hath the substance of this world, and shall see his brother in need, and shall shut up his bowels from him: how doth the charity of God abide in him?" (1 John 3:17).
► “Dearly beloved, let us love one another, for charity is of God. And every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God” (1 John 4:7).

Our Lord says: 
► “A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34).
► “These things I command you, that you love one another” (John 15:17).
► “Woe to you, Pharisees, because you... pass over... the charity of God” (Luke 11:42).

Meditation:  
Charity and humility are the two pillars of the spiritual life; without them, whatever we do is worthless. Pride is a poison that destroys all we do, for pride is nothing else than self-love, and self-love (or selfish live) and charity cannot co-exist. We are told to love God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength (Luke) and to put self and neighbor in second place; but when pride takes over, then self takes over, and the little or nothing left over for God. He merely gets the scraps that fall from the servant's table. 

If humility is the hull of the ship that is meant to sail us to Heaven's harbor, then charity is the engine of the ship that drives it forward while humility keeps everything afloat. As St. Paul says: “That Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts; that being rooted and founded in charity” (Ephesians 3:17) for “Faith worketh by charity” (Galatians 5:6) and the ship of our Faith works because of the engine of charity.

St. Paul says elsewhere that charity is essential to all the other virtues, being their 'soul' so to speak, and a being without a soul is a dead, inanimate, being. His famous, so-called, 'hymn of charity' points this out to us:

“If I speak with the tongues of men, and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And if I should have prophecy and should know all mysteries, and all knowledge, and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity is patient, is kind: charity envieth not, dealeth not perversely; is not puffed up; is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never falleth away: whether prophecies shall be made void, or tongues shall cease, or knowledge shall be destroyed. And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-13).

Today, many pride themselves on their knowledge and flaunt it at home, at work, in their social life and on the modern-day public square of 'forums and blogs.' But the passport to Heaven is not knowledge, but charity: “We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up; but charity edifieth” (1 Corinthians 8:1).

Unfortunately, charity (or love) is a word that, today, is much used and much abused. Most have only a vague grasp of charity and know little of its purpose, application and varying stages in the spiritual life. The limited space offered by a brief meditation is not the time nor place to enter into a full exposition of the virtue, but, at least, here are a few signposts or 'chapter headings' that will be covered at a later stage (beginning with that time of humility and charity, which is the season of Christmas). 

The very lowest or first level of charity is that of keeping the Commandments of God. That is a pretty simple and brutal test of a raw and basic charity. Our Lord Himself requires this: "If you love Me, keep My commandments!" (John 14:15). The contrary is shown by the quote: “Because iniquity hath abounded, the charity of many shall grow cold” (Matthew 24:12), meaning that sin destroys charity: venial sin keeps weakening it more and more; while mortal sins destroys it entirely. The ship of Faith may well be afloat, but one of its engines (venial sin) or all of it engines (mortal sin) are down and out of action. This very first level of charity, avoiding mortal sin, brings us into the service of God as His servants. “For this is the charity of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not heavy” (1 John 5:3).

The next level of charity is one where we advance from the role of a servant with servile fear (fear of God's punishments) to a more elevated position of a friend with a love of friendship. Our Lord invites to this position saying: “ I will not now call you servants: for the servant knoweth not what his lord doth. But I have called you friends: because all things whatsoever I have heard of My Father, I have made known to you” (John 15:15). This second level is where fear of God gives way to a delight about God, which is the result of an increasing friendship with God, which, in turn, can only be possible and is proportionate to a decrease in sin, which offends God and works against any potential friendship. 

At this second level, we increasingly seek to know and fulfill the Will of God; our self-will is being mortified and gradually put to death. “Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Here the soul, not only avoids mortal sin, but is now seeking to avoid all deliberate venial sin. The seed of this quote is now planted in us, at the beginning of our friendship with Christ, but it has to grow to maturity and perfection. Since Jesus is becoming our Friend, we are increasingly trying to lay down our own will and accept His Will. At first, it is difficult and we do so with pain and reluctance; but practice, with the aid of grace, makes perfect if we persevere.

The third level of charity is taking the quote already given, “Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends,” and taking to a higher level, to a perfect level, like a seed that grows throughout all the varying stages to becoming a mature and fruit-bearing tree. This level of charity now seeks to prove its love for God by willingly and joyfully suffering anything and everything that God wishes; nay, even more, even going out to look for opportunities to be able suffer and die to self out of a love of God. At this level, there is no more sin—neither mortal, not venial—for the pull of God is becoming too great. Now it is mere imperfections that are looked upon with the same horror that was once given to sin.

In a nutshell, very briefly stated, those are the levels of charity that we MUST pass through to get to Heaven. If we refuse to be inflamed by charity here below, then our charity will have to be heated-up in the fires of Purgatory. For God is charity and we cannot enter Haven until our charity has reached the heights required and has been perfected. God is charity. God is love. He burns with love and wishes us to burn with love: “ I am come to cast fire on the earth; and what will I, but that it be kindled?” (Luke 12:49). And once kindled, it will burn away both the guilt and the temporal punishment dues to our sins: “Charity covereth all sins” (Proverbs 10:12) ... “But before all things have a constant mutual charity among yourselves: for charity covereth a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8) ... “Wherefore I say to thee: Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath loved much” (Luke 7:47). AMEN!

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer: 
To Thee have I lifted up my soul, O Lord; in Thee I place my trust. Stir up Thy power, I beseech Thee O Lord, and come to me, a poor sinner, so that I may deserve to be rescued and saved from the threatening dangers of my sins. Show me, Lord Thy ways, and teach me Thy paths, that I may prepare for Thy birth with becoming honor and fervor. Stir up my heart, my God, to prepare the ways of Thy Only-begotten Son. Incline Thine ear to my prayers and enlighten the darkness of my mind by the grace of Thy visitation. Grant me grace to withdraw ever increasingly from the vanity and deceit of the world, and to find joy among the true treasures of Heaven, which Thou dost kindly and mercifully bestow upon those who seek Thy face, and in Thy bounty grant me the favor for which I now beg:

[Mention Intention]

O Immaculate Mary, Daughter of the Father, Spouse of the Holy Ghost and Mother of the Son; look down with mercy and favor upon me, a helpless sinner, tossed around upon the waves of a tempestuous world. On all sides crash the waves of liberalism, modernism, humanism and materialism, threatening to submerge and sink souls still faithful to Christ. Souls of sinners sing like sirens, seducing us and steering the ships of our souls to shipwreck. Do thou, O Star of the Sea, look down with compassion upon me and safely steer my soul to the harbor of Heaven. Turn aside my mind, my heart and my passions from the vanities and sins of this world, and let me find strength, peace and solace in the contemplation of the mysteries surrounding the birth of thy Divine Son; so that fortified in spirit, I may overcome all temptations and ever grow in the love of thee and thy Son for all eternity. Amen.

Pray: 
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Mother of the Divine Child, our Savior, pray for us.

SIXTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Theme:  The Need for Humility

Holy Scripture Says: 
"Never suffer pride to reign in thy mind, or in thy words: for from it all perdition took its beginning"  (Tobias 4:14).
“Pride goeth before destruction”  (Proverbs 16:18).
"Pride is hateful before God and men”  (Ecclesiasticus 10:7).

Our Lord says:
"Learn of Me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls"  (Matthew 11:29).
"Whoever shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 18:4).
"And whoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled: and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted" (Matthew 23:12).

Our Lady says: 
"He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid; for behold, from henceforth, all generations shall call me blessed" (Luke 1:48).
"He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble" (Luke 1:52).

Meditation:  
Humility is the foundation for the entire edifice of our spiritual life. St. Augustine says: "The whole life of Christ on earth was a lesson to us, and He was master of all virtues, but especially of humility; it was that particularly which He wished us to learn of Him."  St. Cyprian says: "Humility is the foundation of sanctity."  St. Jerome: "The first virtue of Christians is humility."  St. Bernard: "Humility is the foundation and safeguard of all virtues."  St. Gregory in one place calls it  "mistress and mother of all virtues," and in another says that it is the "root and origin of virtues." 

This metaphor and comparison of root is very proper and declares well the properties and conditions of humility. For in the first place, as the flower is supported by the root and withers, when it is cut off from it, so whatever virtue there be, if it perseveres not on the root of humility, withers and is lost at once. Further, as the root is underground, and is trampled and trodden on, and has in itself no beauty nor scent, and yet from it the tree receives its life, so the humble man is buried, trodden upon, and made small account of, and makes no show of luster and splendor, but is cast into a corner and forgotten, and this it is that preserves him and makes him thrive.

Furthermore, as for the tree to grow and last and bear much fruit, the root must strike deep, and the deeper it goes and the further it penetrates the earth, the more the tree will fructify and, the longer it will last, it will thrust its roots below and bear its fruit above, as the Wise Man says (4 Kings 19:30), so the fertility and preservation of virtues lies in their casting deep roots of humility. The more humble you are, the more you will thrive and grow in virtue and perfection. Finally, as pride is the root and beginning of all sin, as the Wise Man says: "The beginning of all sin is pride" (Ecclesiasticus 10:15). So the saints say that humility is the root and foundation of all virtue.

Charity and love of God is roused and kindled by humility, since the humble man recognizes that all that he has comes from the hand of God and that he is far from deserving it, and by that consideration he is greatly kindled and inflamed to the love of God. Holy Job said: "What is man, O Lord, that Thou art mindful of him, and settest Thy heart upon him, and dost him so many favors and benefits?" (Job 7:13). 

As for charity towards our neighbor, it is easy to see how necessary humility is for that, since one of the things that usually cool and diminish our love for our brethren is passing judgment upon their faults and holding them for imperfect and defective people. Now the humble man is far from that, since he keeps his eyes on his own faults, and in others sees nothing but their virtues. So he takes them all for good, and himself alone for evil and imperfect and unworthy of being in the company of his brethren; whence there springs in him an esteem and respect and great love for all. Further, the humble man is not aggrieved at all others' being preferred to him; at others' being made much of and himself forgotten; at others' having great charges entrusted to them and himself being entrusted only with mean and petty things. There is no envy among the humble, because envy springs from pride; thus where humility is, there will be no envies, no conflicts, nor anything to cool the love that should be among brethren.

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer: 
To Thee have I lifted up my soul, O Lord; in Thee I place my trust. Stir up Thy power, I beseech Thee O Lord, and come to me, a poor sinner, so that I may deserve to be rescued and saved from the threatening dangers of my sins. Show me, Lord Thy ways, and teach me Thy paths, that I may prepare for Thy birth with becoming honor and fervor. Stir up my heart, my God, to prepare the ways of Thy Only-begotten Son. Incline Thine ear to my prayers and enlighten the darkness of my mind by the grace of Thy visitation. Grant me grace to withdraw ever increasingly from the vanity and deceit of the world, and to find joy among the true treasures of Heaven, which Thou dost kindly and mercifully bestow upon those who seek Thy face, and in Thy bounty grant me the favor for which I now beg:

[Mention Intention]

O Immaculate Mary, Daughter of the Father, Spouse of the Holy Ghost and Mother of the Son; look down with mercy and favor upon me, a helpless sinner, tossed around upon the waves of a tempestuous world. On all sides crash the waves of liberalism, modernism, humanism and materialism, threatening to submerge and sink souls still faithful to Christ. Souls of sinners sing like sirens, seducing us and steering the ships of our souls to shipwreck. Do thou, O Star of the Sea, look down with compassion upon me and safely steer my soul to the harbor of Heaven. Turn aside my mind, my heart and my passions from the vanities and sins of this world, and let me find strength, peace and solace in the contemplation of the mysteries surrounding the birth of thy Divine Son; so that fortified in spirit, I may overcome all temptations and ever grow in the love of thee and thy Son for all eternity. Amen.

Pray: 
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Mother of the Divine Child, our Savior, pray for us.

FIFTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Theme:  Coping with Refusal and Rejection

Holy Scripture Says: 
“Cain said to Abel his brother: ‘Let us go forth abroad.’ And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and slew him” (Genesis 4:8).

“Esau therefore always hated Jacob for the blessing wherewith his father had blessed him” (Genesis 27:41)

“And Joseph’s brethren, seeing that Joseph was loved by his father, more than all his sons, hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him”  (Genesis 37:4).

“The Egyptians hated the children of Israel, and afflicted them and mocked them” (Exodus 1:13).

“I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you will put to death and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city” (Matthew 22:33-34).

“We are persecuted, and we suffer it. We are blasphemed, and we entreat; we are made as the refuse of this world, the off-scouring of all, even until now” (1 Corinthians 4:12-13).

“Bless them that persecute you: bless, and curse not” (Romans 12:14).

Our Lord says: 
“Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’ sake: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.  Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for My sake; be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in Heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12).

“They will lay their hands upon you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, dragging you before kings and governors, for My Name’s sake” (Luke 21:12).

“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall put you to death: and you shall be hated by all nations for My Name’s sake ... but he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved" (Matthew 24:9; 10:2).

“If the world hate you, know ye, that it hath hated me before you...Remember My word that I said to you: 'The servant is not greater than his master.'  If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:18-20).

Meditation:  
Suffering, adversity, persecution, rejection, refusal and other such like things, are the touchstone of Christianity. They are the litmus test which shows the lack or the presence of quality in the soul of a follower of Christ. Fair-weather Catholics are "a-dime-a-dozen" but Catholics who patiently, meekly, heroically and humbly know how to accept and profit from their sufferings, adversities, persecutions, rejection and refusal are a rare breed and worth their weight in gold.

Here is a beautiful extract from the life of Mary, which shows (1) that God does not always wrap-up His favorites in cotton-wool, and (2) it shows us a wonderful example of how to deal with rejection, persecution and refusal.

"The Lord allowed Satan to try her, in order to increase her merit and reward. Irritated by her perfect virtue and holiness, the devil vainly attempted to incite her to commit even a slight venial sin of thought, word or deed. During these various tests, Mary never stopped praying to the Lord for help, and though she suffered from the strain and at times she wept, nevertheless without once losing her inner union with God she successfully fought and conquered all these temptations.

"Consequently Satan changed his tactics. Since he could not influence her directly, he incited others to persecute her. Without much trouble he made the other girls become inflamed with envy against her. Seeing what a model Temple-servant she was, they began to fear that because of her their virtues would be overlooked and their faults would stand out. Driven on by the devil, soon they let themselves be moved to anger and hatred against her. Finally they plotted together to persecute her until she would be forced to leave the Temple. Now they often spoke to her in a sharp, haughty and cruel way, accusing her of being hypocritical and of seeking the favor of the priests and their teacher. 

"When they did this, Mary answered quietly: "My friends, you are right in saying that I am the least and most imperfect among you, but then you, my sisters, must pardon me and teach me in my ignorance, for as a servant I love you and reverence you, and I will obey you in all things."  Her sincere humility only made them more furious. For many days they continued to persecute and insult her, at times even hitting her. But little Mary remained humble, patient and charitable, returning good for evil and praying for her enemies.

"At last one day the other girls decided to provoke her to do something rash, so that they could accuse her before the priests and have her expelled. Therefore they took her to an isolated room and began to insult and hit her. But when she showed herself immovable and only reacted with kindness and humility, it was they who lost control of themselves and screamed their hatred of her so loudly that some priests came running into the room and asked severely who was to blame for this commotion. While Mary remained meekly silent, the other girls cried out: "Mary of Nazareth makes us all quarrel—she irritates and provokes us so much that there can be no peace among us unless she leaves the Temple! When we allow her to have her own way, she becomes overbearing. But if we correct her, she makes fun of us by pretending to be humble and then starts another quarrel!"

"Taking Mary into another room, the priests scolded her very strongly and threatened to send her away if she did not change her conduct. Deeply hurt by this threat, the innocent child answered them in tears: "My masters, thank you for correcting and teaching me, the most imperfect and despicable of creatures. But I beseech you-forgive me and direct me so that I may reform and henceforth please the Lord and my companions."  After the priests dismissed her, Mary went to the other girls and, prostrating herself at their feet, she asked their pardon. However, they continued to treat her with scorn and hostility, while she kept praying to God for help in overcoming her faults.

"Then one night the Lord said to a priest in his sleep: "My servant Mary is pleasing in My eyes. She is entirely innocent of anything of which she is accused." The same revelation was given to Mary's teacher, Anna. And that morning, after consulting together, she and the priest called in Mary and asked her pardon for having believed the false accusations. But the holy girl simply begged them not to consider her unworthy of being scolded, and kissed their hands as she asked for their blessing. Thereafter God restrained both the devil and Mary's companions from persecuting her so much." (The Life of Mary as Seen by the Mystics, by Raphael Brown).

It should not be a surprise that the world hates the followers of Jesus, for the devil belongs to the prince of the world, the devil, and he sows hatred for Christ and His followers wherever he can. We are dreaming if we think we can go throughout life without suffering seriously for Christ. We should seek first the Kingdom of God; seek first to please God and not to please the world, for the world, as St. James says, is an enemy of God's and always will be. 

All the dislike, rejection, refusal, hatred and persecution suffered by Mary and Joseph on their journey to and upon arrival at Bethlehem, and, immediately after His birth, also by Jesus, Who was forced to flee to Egypt, is all an example of what the follower of Christ should be ready for. As Scripture says: "As silver is tried by fire, and gold in the furnace: so the Lord trieth the hearts" (Proverbs 17:3).

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer: 
To Thee have I lifted up my soul, O Lord; in Thee I place my trust. Stir up Thy power, I beseech Thee O Lord, and come to me, a poor sinner, so that I may deserve to be rescued and saved from the threatening dangers of my sins. Show me, Lord Thy ways, and teach me Thy paths, that I may prepare for Thy birth with becoming honor and fervor. Stir up my heart, my God, to prepare the ways of Thy Only-begotten Son. Incline Thine ear to my prayers and enlighten the darkness of my mind by the grace of Thy visitation. Grant me grace to withdraw ever increasingly from the vanity and deceit of the world, and to find joy among the true treasures of Heaven, which Thou dost kindly and mercifully bestow upon those who seek Thy face, and in Thy bounty grant me the favor for which I now beg:

[Mention Intention]

O Immaculate Mary, Daughter of the Father, Spouse of the Holy Ghost and Mother of the Son; look down with mercy and favor upon me, a helpless sinner, tossed around upon the waves of a tempestuous world. On all sides crash the waves of liberalism, modernism, humanism and materialism, threatening to submerge and sink souls still faithful to Christ. Souls of sinners sing like sirens, seducing us and steering the ships of our souls to shipwreck. Do thou, O Star of the Sea, look down with compassion upon me and safely steer my soul to the harbor of Heaven. Turn aside my mind, my heart and my passions from the vanities and sins of this world, and let me find strength, peace and solace in the contemplation of the mysteries surrounding the birth of thy Divine Son; so that fortified in spirit, I may overcome all temptations and ever grow in the love of thee and thy Son for all eternity. Amen.

Pray: 
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Mother of the Divine Child, our Savior, pray for us.

FOURTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Theme:  Making the Best of What We Have

Holy Scripture Says: 
“Behold I command thee, take courage, and be strong. Fear not and be not dismayed: because the Lord thy God is with thee in all things whatsoever thou shalt go to" (Josue 1:9).

“Unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required: and to whom they have committed much, of him they will demand the more" (Luke 12:48).

Our Lord says: 
“A man going into a far country, called his servants, and delivered to them his goods; and to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to every one according to his proper ability: and immediately he took his journey. And he that had received the five talents, traded with the same, and gained other five. He that had received the two, gained other two. But he that had received the one, going his way digged into the earth, and hid his lord’ s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came, and reckoned with them. And he that had received the five talents coming, brought other five talents, saying: ‘Lord, thou didst deliver to me five talents, behold I have gained other five over and above.’ His lord said to him: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!’ And he also that had received the two talents came and said: ‘Lord, thou deliveredst two talents to me: behold I have gained other two.’ His lord said to him: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!’ But he that had received the one talent, came and said: ‘Lord, I know that thou art a hard man; and, being afraid, I went and hid thy talent in the earth: behold here thou hast that which is thine.’ And his lord answering, said to him: ‘Wicked and slothful servant ...  Thou oughtest therefore to have committed my money to the bankers, and at my coming I should have received my own with usury. Take ye away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him that hath ten talents. For to every one that hath shall be given, and he shall abound: but from him that hath not, that also which he seemeth to have shall be taken away. And the unprofitable servant cast ye out into the exterior darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth’” (Matthew 25:14-30).

Meditation:  
Making the best of what you have, was the general way of life at the time of Jesus. People did not have much and had to get the most out of the little that they did have. Ultimately, it is God's Providence that gives to each person what the wisdom of God thinks is best for that person. 

Today, most of us are like millionaires by way of what we have, compared to the people who lived several hundred years ago. The amount of things that we own, and the quality of those things, far surpasses what was available back then. The access that we have to books and learning, especially with the advent of the internet, which makes so many texts immediately available that in days of old it would have been called a 'miracle.' With today's technology we can do so much more and do it so much quicker than in days of old. Instead of having to copy a book by writing it out, as the early monks used to do, we can can now scan it and print in out within hours, whereas it would take months or years back then. Search engines can find in seconds what would have taken, even for a fine mind, many hours.

On the other hand, we rely so much on machines, books, computers, memory storage, calculators, spell-checkers, that we have gradually weakened or even lost the ability to think, write, remember, calculate and work skillfully. It is now done for us by electronic machines.

We have grown to expect too much in this modern spoiled world, just like spoiled children. We demand much, but do we give much? We could harness all these modern 'conveniences' for the furthering and promotion of the Faith and the glory of God! We should be learning quicker and learning more about our Faith with all these advantages! We should be streets ahead of the people of the past in our grasp of the Faith; for they did not access to the wide variety of dogmatic, moral and spiritual works that we can access with the click of a mouse.

We complain too readily about perceived hardships, but what are our hardships compared to those of earlier centuries? We are quick to see a problem, a difficulty or an injustice, but we are very slow to thank God for the many blessings we have. Or are they really blessings? For those blessings have weakened and corrputed us--like Chosen People of old. For when things went well for them, they forgot about God; so God had to sent them chastisements to bring them all back to Him. We have never had it so good as we have it today, yet never has the world, as a whole, been for far distanced from God as it is today. The Day of Reckoning is fast approaching, as it was for the three servants, and God will want to see a return or a profit on the things that have been made available to us. To whom more is given, more is expected. 

Let us humble ourselves and frankly admit that we, the new kids on the block of the world's history, are the latest with the 'mostest' but we're not doing the 'bestest'! The saints in Heaven must be pulling their hair out, seeing at how unprofitabel we really are in relation to past. With all the vast amount of instant access materials available, the modern world has not produced any truly great minds in the area of theology or philosophy. We are being dumbed-down rather than being wised-up! We have first-class resources and we produce second-class, or even third-class, results. The result is that the Faith is not getting stronger, but weaker; more persons are leaving the Church than entering it; more souls are being lost than ever before, as Our Lady at Fatima complained.

It time to rethink our values and priorities; a time to sober up from the intoxicating pleasures of the world; a time to pray more and play less; a time to pay more, by way of penance, and to sin less. These are just the fundamentals of our Faith, but ones that we have increasingly forgotten, neglected, ignored or rejected. We have dug a hole, and have buried our Faith, the Faith Our Lord said "overcomes the world" but we have let the Faith become overcome by the world. 

It is never too late to turn things around, for, as Scripture reminds us, if God is with us then who can stand against us? But it's a case of "God is WITH us" and not "God REPLACES us" ! God helps those who help themselves: He will not fught our battles for us, nor do our work for us. He will guide us, encourage us, strengthen us by His grace, but we have to work and fight the battles alongside Him and cooperate with His Providence. We have to do our best with what we have, realizing full well that God always likes to work and fight on a shoestring budget. 

Noe did his best and almost single-handedly (with God's Providence backing him) saved both himself and the human race. David had only five little pebbles as ammunition against the mighty Goliath, but, with God's Providence backing him, he did his best and with one single shot saved his own life and the Chosen People into the bargain. A measly Moses stood up against a proud powerful Pharaoh and his armies, and by doing his best (and again, backed by Divine Providence) he saw the army drown in the sea that he had just crossed. These, and many more, did the best with what they had, and God blessed their generous efforts. Hence the saying: "Do the best that you can, then leave the rest to God." 

Most probably the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary will be a similar thing. Mankind will be totally inadequate to save itself from whatever will be coming down the pike to threaten it; but with Our Lady's guidance, intercession and help, the enemies of the Church will drown in their sea of sin; they will be smitten on the foreheads by the little pebbles of our Rosary beads; and we will sail to safety in Our Lady's Ark of Salvation. We known what the weapons are; we know what we have to do with them. So just do it ... the best you can!

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer: 
To Thee have I lifted up my soul, O Lord; in Thee I place my trust. Stir up Thy power, I beseech Thee O Lord, and come to me, a poor sinner, so that I may deserve to be rescued and saved from the threatening dangers of my sins. Show me, Lord Thy ways, and teach me Thy paths, that I may prepare for Thy birth with becoming honor and fervor. Stir up my heart, my God, to prepare the ways of Thy Only-begotten Son. Incline Thine ear to my prayers and enlighten the darkness of my mind by the grace of Thy visitation. Grant me grace to withdraw ever increasingly from the vanity and deceit of the world, and to find joy among the true treasures of Heaven, which Thou dost kindly and mercifully bestow upon those who seek Thy face, and in Thy bounty grant me the favor for which I now beg:

[Mention Intention]

O Immaculate Mary, Daughter of the Father, Spouse of the Holy Ghost and Mother of the Son; look down with mercy and favor upon me, a helpless sinner, tossed around upon the waves of a tempestuous world. On all sides crash the waves of Liberalism, Modernism, Humanism and Materialism, threatening to submerge and sink souls still faithful to Christ. Souls of sinners sing like sirens, seducing us and steering the ships of our souls to shipwreck. Do thou, O Star of the Sea, look down with compassion upon me and safely steer my soul to the harbor of Heaven. Turn aside my mind, my heart and my passions from the vanities and sins of this world, and let me find strength, peace and solace in the contemplation of the mysteries surrounding the birth of thy Divine Son; so that fortified in spirit, I may overcome all temptations and ever grow in the love of thee and thy Son for all eternity. Amen.

Pray: 
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Mother of the Divine Child, our Savior, pray for us.

THIRD DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Theme:  Detachment from the World

Holy Scripture Says: 
“Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth: where the rust, and moth consume, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up to yourselves treasures in Heaven: where neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break through, nor steal. For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

“For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what exchange shall a man give for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).

Our Lady Says:
"A generous renunciation and detachment, from the heavy burden of temporal things, is an alleviation of the spirit, it is a help given to human infirmity, to strive after eternal and spiritual blessings. Voluntary poverty gives a satisfaction and abundance, in which the thirst after earthly treasures is removed ... The sons of the world are ignorant and ... do not consider, although they feel and suffer, the heavy weight of riches, which pins them to the earth and drives them into its very bowels to seek gold and silver in great anxiety, sleeplessness, labors and sweat, as if they were not men, but wild beasts that know not what they are suffering and doing. And if they are thus weighed down before acquiring riches, how much more when they have come into their possession? Let the countless numbers that have fallen into Hell with their burden, proclaim it; let their incalculable anxieties of preserving their riches, and the intolerable laws, which riches and those that possess them have hoisted upon the world, testify what is required to retain them!

If, on the one hand, possessions throttle the spirit and tyrannically oppress it in its weakness, it is certain on the other hand, that voluntary poverty restores to man the nobility of his condition, liberating him from vile servitude to things, and reinstating him his noble freedom and mastery of all things. The soul is never more superior than when she despises them, and only then does she possess them well and makes the more excellent use of riches, when she gives them away, or leaves them of her own free will; only then her appetite for them is best overcome, when she does not want to possess them. Then is the heart set free and made capable of the treasures of the Divinity, for which it is furnished by the Creator with almost infinite capacity. 

The temporal goods are created by the Most High for the sole purpose of sustaining life; having attained this end, the need of them ceases. And as this need is limited, soon and easily satisfied, there is no reason that the care for the immortal soul should be only fitful and temporary, while the hunger after riches should be so perpetual and unintermitting, as it has come to be among men. It is the height of perverseness for man to mix up the end and the means in an affair so important and urgent, that he devote all his time, all his care, all the exertion of his powers and all the alertness of his mind to the life of his body."  (Mystical City of God, Volume 2, The Conception).

Meditation:  
Our Lord is blunt when He says: “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). We hear Him, but we spend most of our lives trying to prove Him wrong. But we fail to see that possessions divide our attention and our live, as we see in the following incident in the life of Our Lord.

“And behold one came and said to Him, saying: 'Good master, what good shall I do that I may have life everlasting?' Jesus said to him: 'If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.'  ... The young man said to him: 'All these I have kept from my youth, what is yet wanting to me?'  Jesus said to him: 'If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven: and come follow Me!'  And when the young man had heard this word, he went away sad: for he had great possessions. Then Jesus said to His disciples: 'Amen, I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. And again I say to you: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven!'  And when they had heard this, the disciples wondered very much, saying: 'Who then can be saved?'  And Jesus beholding, said to them: 'With men this is impossible: but with God all things are possible!'” (Matthew 19:16-26).

Things weigh us down, they distract us, they bring about an anxious, jealous guarding of what we have. Rarely are people with many things generous with them, but tend to hoard them. Bethlehem, too, was preoccupied with the influx of people and things at the time of Caesar Augustus' census; so much so that they couldn't see Jesus. Even the Church can be too preoccupied with the material side of things, furnishings, buildings, statues, etc. Many place too much importance on these things, resulting in a negligence of the spiritual.

Mary and Joseph were not rich, Providence had made sure of that. They were poor in worldly things, but rich in grace. That is the attitude and desire that we must beg from God and then cultivate the seed when God gives it. When we die we take with us the amount of grace we have hoarded and not the things we have hoarded. When we look at the Egyptian tombs, we see the comedy in stashing all those worldly things around the dead body, in their false belief that they would be needed in the after life. Truly it is a great grace to be able to detach oneself from the slavery and servitude to the things of the world. We see the Apostles abandon their families, their jobs and their possessions once Jesus called.

Jesus said to Peter and Andrew: “Come ye after Me, and I will make you to be fishers of men. And they immediately leaving their nets, followed Him” (Matthew 4:19-20).

“Jesus saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets: and He called them. And they forthwith left their nets and father, and followed Him” (Matthew 4:21-22).

“And Jesus sitting over against the treasury, beheld how the people cast money into the treasury, and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she cast in two mites, which make a farthing. And calling His disciples together, He saith to them: 'Amen I say to you, this poor widow hath cast in more than all they who have cast into the treasury. For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want cast in all she had, even her whole living'” (Mark 12:41-44).

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer: 
To Thee have I lifted up my soul, O Lord; in Thee I place my trust. Stir up Thy power, I beseech Thee O Lord, and come to me, a poor sinner, so that I may deserve to be rescued and saved from the threatening dangers of my sins. Show me, Lord Thy ways, and teach me Thy paths, that I may prepare for Thy birth with becoming honor and fervor. Stir up my heart, my God, to prepare the ways of Thy Only-begotten Son. Incline Thine ear to my prayers and enlighten the darkness of my mind by the grace of Thy visitation. Grant me grace to withdraw ever increasingly from the vanity and deceit of the world, and to find joy among the true treasures of Heaven, which Thou dost kindly and mercifully bestow upon those who seek Thy face, and in Thy bounty grant me the favor for which I now beg:

[Mention Intention]

O Immaculate Mary, Daughter of the Father, Spouse of the Holy Ghost and Mother of the Son; look down with mercy and favor upon me, a helpless sinner, tossed around upon the waves of a tempestuous world. On all sides crash the waves of liberalism, modernism, humanism and materialism, threatening to submerge and sink souls still faithful to Christ. Souls of sinner sing like sirens, seducing us and steering the ships of our souls to shipwreck. Do thou, O Star of the Sea, look down with compassion upon me and safely steer my soul to the harbor of Heaven. Turn aside my mind, my heart and my passions from the vanities and sins of this world, and let me find strength, peace and solace in the contemplation of the mysteries surrounding the birth of thy Divine Son; so that fortified in spirit, I may overcome all temptations and ever grow in the love of thee and thy Son for all eternity. Amen.

Pray: 
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Mother of the Divine Child, our Savior, pray for us.

SECOND DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Theme: Trusting in God's Providence

Holy Scripture Says: 
“And thou Bethlehem, the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come forth the Captain that shall rule My people Israel. and His going forth is from the beginning, from the days of eternity.” (Micheas 5:2).

Our Lady Says:
"All that happens to us is ordained by the Lord and King of Heaven and earth; and in all events His Providence will assist and direct us . Let us resign ourselves into His hands and we shall not be disappointed." (Mystical City of God, Vol. 2, The Incarnation, "The Journey to Bethlehem").

The Saints and Mystics Say: 
The Venerable Mary of Agreda writes: 
"It had been decreed by the immutable will of Providence that the Only-begotten of the Father should be born in the town of Bethlehem (Micheas 5:2), and accordingly it had been foretold by the Saints and Prophets of foregone ages (Jeremias 10:9); for the decrees of the absolute will of God are infallible, and since nothing can resist them, sooner would Heaven and earth pass away than that they fail of accomplishment. The fulfillment of this immutable decree the Lord, secured by means of an edict of Caesar Augustus for the whole Roman empire, ordering the registration or enumeration of all the world, as St. Luke says (Luke 2:1). 

"The Roman empire, at that time, embraced the greater part of what was then known of the earth and, therefore, they called themselves masters of the world, ignoring all the other nations. The object of this census was to make all the inhabitants acknowledge themselves as vassals of the emperor, and to pay a certain tax to their temporal lord; for this registration every one was to go to his native city in order to be inscribed. This edict was also proclaimed in Nazareth and came to the hearing of St. Joseph, while he was on some errand. He returned to his house in sorrowful consternation and informed his heavenly spouse of the news, which had spread about concerning the edict. The most prudent Virgin answered: "Let not this edict of our temporal ruler cause thee any concern, my master and spouse, for all that happens to us is ordained by the Lord and King of Heaven and earth; and in all events His Providence will assist and direct us . Let us resign ourselves into His hands and we shall not be disappointed."  (Mystical City of God, Volume 2, The Incarnation, "The Journey to Bethlehem").

Meditation:  
We should not underestimate the power and planning of Divine Providence. Nothing happens in the universe without God willing and allowing it. This statement must be taken absolutely of everything with the exception of sin. "Nothing occurs by chance in the whole course of our lives" is the unanimous teaching of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, "and God intervenes everywhere." 

Perhaps, you will say, that while this is true of certain necessary effects, like sickness, death, cold and heat, and other accidents due to natural causes, which have no liberty of action, the same cannot be said in the case of things that result from the free will of man. For, you will object, if someone slanders me, robs me, strikes me, persecutes me, how can I attribute his conduct to the will of God, Who, far from wishing me to be treated in such a manner, expressly forbids it? So the blame, you will conclude, can only be laid on the will of man, on his ignorance or malice. This is the defense behind which we try to shelter from God and excuse our lack of courage and submission.

It is quite useless for us to try and take advantage of this way of reasoning, as an excuse for not surrendering to Providence. God Himself has refuted it and we must believe on His word that in events of this kind, as in all others, nothing occurs except by His order and permission. “Give not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin: and say not before the angel: There is no providence: lest God be angry at thy words, and destroy all the works of thy hands” (Ecclesiastes 5:5).

Do not let ourselves be troubled when we are sometimes beset by adversity, for we know that it is meant for our spiritual welfare and carefully proportioned to our needs, and that a limit has been set to it by the wisdom of the same God, Who has set a bound to the ocean. Sometimes, it might seem as if the sea, in its fury, would overflow and flood the land, but it respects the limits of its shore and its waves break upon the yielding sand. There is no tribulation, or temptation, whose limits God has not appointed so as to serve not for our destruction, but for our salvation. God is faithful, says the Apostle, and will not permit you to be tempted (or afflicted) beyond your strength, but it is necessary for you to be so, since through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God, in the steps of our Redeemer, Who said of Himself, "Did not the Christ have to suffer all these things before entering into His glory?" 

If you refused to accept these tribulations, you would be acting against your best interests. You are like a block of marble in the hands of the sculptor. The sculptor must chip, hew and smooth it, to make it into a statue that is a work of art. God wishes to make us the living image of Himself. All we need to think of is to keep still in His hands while He works on us, and we can rest assured that the chisel will never strike the slightest blow that is not needed for His purposes and our sanctification; for, as St. Paul says, the will of God is your sanctification.

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer: 
To Thee have I lifted up my soul, O Lord; in Thee I place my trust. Stir up Thy power, I beseech Thee O Lord, and come to me, a poor sinner, so that I may deserve to be rescued and saved from the threatening dangers of my sins. Show me, Lord Thy ways, and teach me Thy paths, that I may prepare for Thy birth with becoming honor and fervor. Stir up my heart, my God, to prepare the ways of Thy Only-begotten Son. Incline Thine ear to my prayers and enlighten the darkness of my mind by the grace of Thy visitation. Grant me grace to withdraw ever increasingly from the vanity and deceit of the world, and to find joy among the true treasures of Heaven, which Thou dost kindly and mercifully bestow upon those who seek Thy face, and, in Thy bounty, grant me the favor for which I now beg:

[Mention Intention]

O Immaculate Mary, Daughter of the Father, Spouse of the Holy Ghost and Mother of the Son; look down with mercy and favor upon me, a helpless sinner, tossed around upon the waves of a tempestuous world. On all sides crash the waves of Liberalism, Modernism, Humanism and Materialism, threatening to submerge and sink souls still faithful to Christ. Souls of sinners sing like sirens, seducing us and steering the ships of our souls to shipwreck. Do thou, O Star of the Sea, look down with compassion upon me and safely steer my soul to the harbor of Heaven. Turn aside my mind, my heart and my passions from the vanities and sins of this world, and let me find strength, peace and solace in the contemplation of the mysteries surrounding the birth of thy Divine Son; so that fortified in spirit, I may overcome all temptations and ever grow in the love of thee and thy Son for all eternity. Amen.

Pray: 
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Mother of the Divine Child, our Savior, pray for us.

FIRST DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Theme: Clothes for the Christ Child

Holy Scripture Says: 
"I was clad with justice: and I clothed Myself with My judgment, as with a robe and a diadem”  (Job 29:14).
"The Lord, He is clothed with beauty: the Lord is clothed with strength" (Psalm 103:1-2).

Our Lady Says:
"It is time that we prepare the things necessary for the birth of my most holy Son"   (Mystical City of God, Volume 2, The Incarnation).

The Saints and Mystics Say: 
The Venerable Mary of Agreda writes: "The divine pregnancy of the Mother of the eternal Word had already far advanced. She knew that the necessary coverings and linens for the time of her parturition must be provided ... Therefore she said to Joseph: 'My master, it is time that we prepare the things necessary for the birth of my most holy Son ... I will begin to prepare the coverings and linens for His protection and shelter. I have already woven, with my own hands, a piece of linen which may serve as His first swaddling-clothes; and do thou, my master, seek to procure some woolen cloth of a soft texture and a humble color, from which I may prepare other coverings; and, later on, I will weave a seamless tunic appropriate for Him'  ... She prepared the swathing clothes and shirts from the piece of linen, which she herself had spun and woven. Being woven by such hands, it was a most delicate piece of cloth. She had commenced work upon it, from the day of her entrance into their house at Nazareth"  (Mystical City of God, Volume 2, The Incarnation).

Our Lord Says:  
Jesus had the mind of a man from the very first moment of His human existence, whereas we only reach the age of reason around the age of seven. In His first year, He said to Mary and Joseph: "I wish to possess only one garment during all My life, for I seek nothing more than what is sufficient to cover Me. Although all created things are Mine, because I have given them being, I turn them all over to men, in order that they may owe Me so much the more, and in order that I may teach them, according to My example and for My love, to repudiate and despise all that is superfluous for natural life. Clothe Me, My Mother, in a tunic of a lowly and ordinary color. This alone will I wear, and it shall grow with Me. Over this garment shall they cast lots at My death; for even this shall not be left at My disposal, but at the disposal of others ; so that men shall see that I was born and wish to live poor and destitute of visible things, which, being earthly, oppress and darken the heart of man"   (Mystical City of God, Volume 2, The Incarnation).

Meditation:  
Our typical worldly, temporal, material, extravagant, loud, noisy, opulent, gift-laden, shelf-stacked, fridge-filled Christmas is so unlike and so contrary to the spirit of Jesus, Mary and Joseph—the three persons about whom Christmas is all about. The world has managed to reform, deform and destroy the true spiritual spirit of Christmas and replace it with its own glitzy and ritzy counterfeit spirit, which, more often than not, closes the door on the Holy Family and sends them packing elsewhere. There is no shortage of persons, that we know, who have taken this new-Christmas spirit on-board.

Actually, that was the response that Mary and Joseph encountered, in Bethlehem, at the very first Christmas, over 2,000 years ago, before the world knew Christianity; but we can be sure they are disappointed to find that same attitude reigning in the souls of those whose lips may well profess Christ to be their King, but whose hearts are far from Him, and whose hearts, by their actions, seem to say: "There is no room in my inn! You can't come in!"

Paradoxically, Christmas is the birthday of Christ, yet most, if not all gifts, are shared out among ourselves! What is there for Him? What on earth does He want? He doesn't want our wine or beer; He doesn't want our ham, goose, turkey or roast; He doesn't want our cookies, candies, cakes, chocolates or ice-cream; He doesn't want to sit in front of the TV or computer; He doesn't want to come to the party; He doesn't want packages under the Christmas tree with His name on them; He doesn't want hundreds of Christmas cards! Well, what does He want then? He's not much fun if He turns, His back on all those goodies!

What on earth can we give Him for Christmas? We can give Him what Mary was symbolically making for Him and the thing that He asked of Mary and Joseph. Clothes. Not just any old clothes--He wants OUR clothes. But not our material clothes. He wants us to give Him our spiritual clothes. What do we mean by 'spiritual clothes'? We mean virtues! He wants our virtues! He wants us make Him some virtues! He wants to be clothed with our virtues. And if we don't have those virtues, then He wants us to get them, to make them, to start making them now, in time for His birthday. We are the Mystical Body of Christ, and so, in a sense, we make up the Body of Christ, we 'clothe' the skeleton of Christ, or we clothe the Body of Christ. This idea of virtues as clothes is nothing new; neither is the idea of sinfulness being symbolized by dirty clothes or nakedness. Scripture has many examples of that, of which we will quote just a few here:

"I counsel thee to buy of Me gold fire tried, that thou mayest be made rich; and mayest be clothed in white garments, and that the shame of thy nakedness may not appear" (Apocalypse 3:18).

"'Take away the filthy garments from him!' And he said to him: 'Behold I have taken away thy iniquity, and have clothed thee with change of garments'" (Zacahrias 3:4).

"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, and my soul shall be joyful in my God: for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation: and with the robe of justice He hath covered me" (Isaias 61:10).

"And He was clothed with a garment sprinkled with blood; and His name is called, THE WORD OF GOD" (Apocalypse 19:13).

Jesus prefers the spiritually rich and delicate garments of virtue, rather than the materially rich and delicate garments of the world. Years later, when He would be an adult, speaking of John the Baptist, Jesus would say:"But what went you out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Behold they that are clothed in soft garments, are in the houses of kings" (Matthew 11:8). "But what went you out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Behold they that are in costly apparel and live delicately, are in the houses of kings" (Luke 7:25). Both St. Matthew and St. Luke report these words of the Lord.

Just like Jesus, who was his second cousin, St. John the Baptist showed disdain for the materialism, softness and delicacy of the world: "John was clothed with camel's hair, and a leather girdle about his loins; and he ate locusts and wild honey" (Mark 1:6); which echoes the words, quoted above, of Our Lord: "I wish to possess only one garment during all My life, for I seek nothing more than what is sufficient to cover Me ...  that I may teach them to repudiate and despise all that is superfluous for natural life ... so that men shall see that I was born and wish to live poor and destitute of visible things, which being earthly, oppress and darken the heart of man" 

By clothing ourselves with the excessive material, even though at times well-meaning, trappings of Christmas, all we end up doing is showing our spiritual nakedness before God. Christmas has long-since degenerated into a mainly secular fun-fest with a little bit of Christian lip-service on the side of the plate, just enough to make us feel not-guilty and warm and fuzzy! But on that first Christmas night, neither Jesus, Mary nor Joseph were warm and fuzzy, nor were they giggling and tearing with frenzy into wrapped gift-packages under the pine tree! Yet, it is hard to imagine that any Christmas, since then, has managed to exceed the simple joy and happiness of Mary and Joseph, who, because they had nothing, could give Jesus everything, when He first appeared among them. Since they had nothing, there was nothing else to focus upon except Jesus. The problem today is that looking for Jesus in Christmas is like trying to find a needle in a ritzy, glitzy haystack. There is so much going on, that there is so little time for Jesus. So we fall into the excuse of many modern-day parents, who have so little time for their children, that the little meager time that is given, is labeled as "quality time" to appease the conscience. Jesus deserves not just "quality time", but also "quantity time"!

So let us cast a realistic and critical eye over our Advent or pre-Christmas 'busy-ness', and ask ourselves "Is this is what Christ really wants from us as a preparation for His birthday. Would He be more impressed and more honored with the abundant and, at times, excessive preoccupation with the material that most people put into the Christmas preparations, or would He prefer us to "fast" and "abstain" from some of the material things, and, instead, fill our preparations more with the spiritual things?"  It brings to mind the spiritual and material activities of the sisters whom Jesus loved—Mary and Martha. 

"A certain woman named Martha, received Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sitting also at the Lord’s feet, heard His word.  But Martha was busy about much serving. Who stood and said: 'Lord, hast Thou no care that my sister hath left me alone to serve? Speak to her therefore, that she help me!'  And the Lord answering, said to her: 'Martha, Martha, thou art careful, and art troubled about many things; but one thing is necessary!  Mary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her!'" (Luke 10:38-42).

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer: 
To Thee have I lifted up my soul, O Lord; in Thee I place my trust. Stir up Thy power, I beseech Thee O Lord, and come to me, a poor sinner, so that I may deserve to be rescued and saved from the threatening dangers of my sins. Show me, Lord Thy ways, and teach me Thy paths, that I may prepare for Thy birth with becoming honor and fervor. Stir up my heart, my God, to prepare the ways of Thy Only-begotten Son. Incline Thine ear to my prayers and enlighten the darkness of my mind by the grace of Thy visitation. Grant me grace to withdraw ever increasingly from the vanity and deceit of the world, and to find joy among the true treasures of Heaven, which Thou dost kindly and mercifully bestow upon those who seek Thy face, and in Thy bounty grant me the favor for which I now beg:

[Mention Intention]

O Immaculate Mary, Daughter of the Father, Spouse of the Holy Ghost and Mother of the Son; look down with mercy and favor upon me, a helpless sinner, tossed around upon the waves of a tempestuous world. On all sides crash the waves of Liberalism, Modernism, Humanism and Materialism, threatening to submerge and sink souls still faithful to Christ. Souls of sinner sing like sirens, seducing us and steering the ships of our souls to shipwreck. Do thou, O Star of the Sea, look down with compassion upon me and safely steer my soul to the harbor of Heaven. Turn aside my mind, my heart and my passions from the vanities and sins of this world, and let me find strength, peace and solace in the contemplation of the mysteries surrounding the birth of thy Divine Son; so that fortified in spirit, I may overcome all temptations and ever grow in the love of thee and thy Son for all eternity. Amen. 

Pray: 
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Mother of the Divine Child, our Savior, pray for us.