{"id":342102,"date":"2016-12-28T07:00:19","date_gmt":"2016-12-28T13:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/?p=342102"},"modified":"2016-12-28T09:15:01","modified_gmt":"2016-12-28T15:15:01","slug":"lessons-from-the-crib","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2016\/12\/lessons-from-the-crib\/","title":{"rendered":"Lessons from the Crib"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Nativity by Botticelli<\/p><\/div>\n

Many saints have experienced the love and wisdom that comes from the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Baby Jesus, but none more than St. Faustina who had many, many visits from the Divine Infant. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One Christmas season the Blessed Mother brought the Baby Jesus to St. Faustina and said, <\/span>\u201cstrive after silence and humility,\u201d <\/span><\/i>[785]<\/span><\/p>\n

She explained that silence and humility enabled the Baby Jesus to rest His head on Faustina’s \u00a0heart, giving her strength and communion with the indwelling new born.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why does Blessed Mother want \u201csilence?\u201d \u00a0Because silence is the ultimate expression of worship. Ask yourself, how did the shepherds respond, how did the magi respond, how did Joseph respond to the mystery of God becoming a human baby, lying weak in a manger?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Baby Jesus<\/p><\/div>\n

They responded in the utter silence of inexpressible awe and wonder. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why does Jesus appear to saints as a baby? \u00a0St. Faustina posed this question to the Blessed Virgin and the Baby Jesus, and He replied that it was so she could learn, <\/span>\u201csimplicity and humility,\u201d<\/i><\/b> [335] And again, <\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/i>Because I want to teach you spiritual childhood. \u00a0I want you to be very little, because when you are little, I carry you close to My Heart, just as you are holding Me close to your heart right now.\u201d<\/i><\/b> \u00a0[1481].” \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The child Jesus provides further wisdom on how to live this Christmas season when He tells St. Faustina, \u00a0<\/span>\u201cTrue greatness of the soul is in loving God and in humility.\u201d<\/i><\/b> [427] Is this not a simple formula for happiness, holiness, and life? \u00a0During the Christmas season we often complicate our lives with being busy and forget the most important thing which is to love God and make ourselves humble enough to enter into the mystery of the Nativity. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Madonna and Child<\/p><\/div>\n

It was not only at Christmas time that Mary and the Baby Jesus appeared to St. Faustina. One time when St. Faustina was suffering greatly, Mary brought the Divine Baby, and told Faustina not to be afraid because THEY were sharing in her suffering. \u00a0St. Faustina writes, <\/span>\u201cAt once, strength and a great courage sprang up anew in my soul.\u201d<\/span><\/i> [25] <\/span><\/p>\n

On another occasion Faustina saw the infant Jesus at mass and then He disappeared. \u00a0When she asked Him “where did you go?” He replied that He was, <\/span>\u201cIn My Heart.\u201d<\/b> [442] \u00a0\u00a0At one Christmas Midnight Mass, St. Faustina saw the infant and once more He disappeared. \u00a0When Faustina asked where he had gone Jesus replied <\/span>\u201c\u2019I am always in your heart; not only when you receive Me in Holy Communion, but always.\u2019 <\/b>[575] \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, on another occasion during Mass, Mary and Joseph appeared with the Baby Jesus and Mary said, <\/span>\u201cTake my dearest treasure.\u201d<\/span><\/i> [608] \u00a0St. Faustina took the child in her arms and played with Him but during Holy Communion He disappeared and later said, \u00a0\u201c<\/span>I am in your heart, I whom you had in your arms.\u201d <\/b>[609]<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"This Christmas season which ends on Jan. 9, 2017, receive the Baby Jesus from the arms of Mary and let her place Him tenderly into the manger of your heart.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many saints have experienced the love and wisdom that comes from the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Baby Jesus, but none more than St. Faustina who had many, many visits from the Divine Infant. \u00a0 One Christmas season the Blessed Mother brought the Baby Jesus to St. Faustina and said, \u201cstrive after silence and humility,\u201d… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[671,90],"tags":[3275,383,330,419],"class_list":["post-342102","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-column","category-faith-blog","tag-baby","tag-christmas","tag-jesus","tag-nativity","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":537481,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2017\/11\/thanksgiving-year-long-part-ii\/","url_meta":{"origin":342102,"position":0},"title":"Thanksgiving All Year Long! Part II","author":"Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez","date":"November 21, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"This \u201cThanksgiving Day\u201d begin with mass, thanking God for His daily blessings and favors. The Catholic Catechism explains: \u201cThanksgiving characterizes the prayer of the Church which, in celebrating the Eucharist, reveals and becomes more fully what she is\u2026.The thanksgiving of the members of the Body participating in that of their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Column"","block_context":{"text":"Column","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/column\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/image6-550x254.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/image6-550x254.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/image6-550x254.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":183566,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/12\/a-jubilee-of-mercy-by-deed-word-prayer\/","url_meta":{"origin":342102,"position":1},"title":"A Jubilee of Mercy by Deed, Word, and Prayer","author":"Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez","date":"December 7, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"We are about to embark on one of the most important years of our present lifetime, the Jubilee Year of Mercy. \u00a0This year imparts a special grace that cannot be received twice. \u00a0These types of years don't come often in the church's history except every 25 or 50 years, so\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Column"","block_context":{"text":"Column","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/column\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Year of Mercy","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/AnnouncingHolyYearOfMercy-286x190.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":773582,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2018\/03\/angels-dragons-x-st-faustinas-battles\/","url_meta":{"origin":342102,"position":2},"title":"Angels & Dragons X: St. Faustina\u2019s Battles","author":"Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez","date":"March 28, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"For 40 days we have watched Jesus prepare for His final battle on Calvary. All His life He has trained for this day. He was born for this! And so are we. The life of a Christian is a constant battle. Against ourselves, the world, and the powers of darkness.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Prayer"","block_context":{"text":"Prayer","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/prayer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/crucified-christ-1896-550x294.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/crucified-christ-1896-550x294.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/crucified-christ-1896-550x294.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":529565,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2017\/11\/thanksgiving-year-long\/","url_meta":{"origin":342102,"position":3},"title":"Thanksgiving All Year Long","author":"Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez","date":"November 16, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Thanksgiving is one of the biggest national holidays that our country celebrates. 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