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The Christmas Cycle
also hath exalted Him and hath given Him a name which is above all names” (Phil 2:9).
Every man who is born into this world is born in the state of Original Sin, since he is a son of
Adam. Likewise, all who escape from this curse that was leveled at Adam, do so through the
saving merits and the humility of Jesus. Those who receive grace from God, who perform any
meritorious act, who attain to the sonship of God, do so only by virtue of the merits and the
humility of Christ. “He is before all, and by Him all things consist. And He is the head of the
body, the Church, who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all things He
may hold the primacy. Because in Him it hath well pleased God the Father that all fullness
should dwell” (Col 1:17–19). This is the first law of the supernatural life: “He that shall humble
himself shall be exalted” (Mt 23:12).
The Church is deeply stirred by this voluntary humiliation of the incarnate Word of God. She
listens as He declares: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” ( Jn 14:6). “He that followeth Me
walketh not in darkness, but shall have the light of life” ( Jn 8:12).
“Learn of Me.” Neither miracles, nor deeds of great valor are required of us, but only a deep
and true humility. That is the first lesson our Lord wishes us to learn. He knows that the cause
of our unfruitfulness is our pride, and in His divine wisdom He tells us through St. Peter: “In
like manner, ye young men be subject to the ancients. And do you all insinuate humility one to
another, for God resisteth the proud, but to the humble He giveth grace” (1 Pt 5:5).
This axiom, then, should light our way as we enter the new year. “He that humbleth himself
shall be exalted” (Lk 14:118:14). Let us choose the path which Christ points out to us, the way
of humility. We will possess the spirit of Christ in the measure that we imitate His humility.
Today He gives us a sublime example of His humility in the Gospel; and in Holy Communion,
He furnishes us with the strength to follow where He has led. Humility is the way to grace and
to a life in union with God. Let us try to understand the lessons of the liturgy and practice
them in our daily life.
Prayer
O God, who withstandest the proud and givest grace to the humble, grant us the spirit of true
humility in accordance with the example of Thy Son. Let us never through pride turn from Thy
will, but by our submission make us worthy to receive the gifts of Thy grace. Through Christ
our Lord. Amen.
January 1, The Circumcision of Christ
Mary’s place in the liturgy of the feast of the Circumcision is so prominent that this feast may
be considered as much a feast of the Blessed Mother as it is of our Lord.
Mary took an intimate and motherly part in the events celebrated in this feast. We feel her
compassion for her Son. But following the guide of the liturgy, we can hardly feel that this is a
feast of the “sorrowful” Mother. We see her, rather, as the valiant Virgin Mother renewing her
fiat and joining in the sacrifice of her child. On this day Jesus makes the first offering of His
blood for the redemption of mankind. Mary suffers with Him, but she does so with joy, for she
knows that in this way the redemption of the race is being accomplished. Her love is heroic and
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