{"id":74273,"date":"2014-12-29T06:00:59","date_gmt":"2014-12-29T12:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=74273"},"modified":"2014-12-29T09:06:58","modified_gmt":"2014-12-29T15:06:58","slug":"adults-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2014\/12\/adults-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"To All Adults, at Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"IMG_6595\"<\/a>I would like to give you, dear reader, this poem as a gift, in the spirit of the 12 days of Christmas and traveling with the Magi towards Epiphany, to give our humble gifts to the Christ Child. Many Christmas blessings to you all, and a joyful New Year!<\/p>\n

My dear Adult, \u2018tis Christmas time,<\/p>\n

you know this well I\u2019m sure \u2013 and yet<\/p>\n

\u2018tis what you know compels my rhyme.<\/p>\n

I pray you these words to not forget.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

My dear Adult, please lend your ear,<\/p>\n

your eyes, your heart to me.<\/p>\n

I beg a moment, with me turn<\/p>\n

now to the Nativity.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Look with me with eyes anew<\/p>\n

at what you know so well<\/p>\n

and tell me Who\u2019s at the center, tell \u2013<\/p>\n

do you see what you knew you knew<\/p>\n

or what is before you now?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There to the center our gaze is drawn<\/p>\n

We look with shepherds, sheep and angels upon<\/p>\n

the face of One<\/p>\n

the face of the Child, the Christ, the Son.<\/p>\n

Between Mother, a virgin, and father, chaste spouse,<\/p>\n

a son as yet is He.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

God has come,<\/p>\n

His choice to be born<\/p>\n

not in might \u2013<\/p>\n

clothed in humanity.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

My dear Adult, ask yourself \u2013Why<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Forget the answer you knew.<\/p>\n

Hear my plea to open your life<\/p>\n

to the message of the Child, to you:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMy dear Adult, you have done well,<\/em><\/p>\n

you\u2019ve grown up strong and tall.<\/em><\/p>\n

But if you desire to live like me<\/em><\/p>\n

you must yet one more thing:<\/em><\/p>\n

Dear Adult, I invite you to fall.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I invite you to fall<\/em><\/p>\n

not from grace but into it,<\/em><\/p>\n

by going down, not going up \u2013<\/em><\/p>\n

by becoming again a Child as I \u2013<\/em><\/p>\n

by growing down, not growing up.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For though you think that you will reach Me<\/em><\/p>\n

by climbing, climbing, climbing up unto,<\/em><\/p>\n

It is I, the Child who shows you the way<\/em><\/p>\n

by inclining, inclining inclining down to you.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I descended to meet you where you are<\/em><\/p>\n

and yet you yourself are not there \u2013<\/em><\/p>\n

you present me with only pretense,<\/em><\/p>\n

your rationalizations, your fear.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You forgot what true humility means,<\/em><\/p>\n

thus I came in the poverty of youth:<\/em><\/p>\n

you think to be humble is to degrade yourself<\/em><\/p>\n

but I tell you: humility is truth.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To preserve the self with consternation,<\/em><\/p>\n

to hide in shame for what does lack<\/em><\/p>\n

is not the way of the Child.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Child fears not soul\u2019s revelation,<\/em><\/p>\n

and holds naught back,<\/em><\/p>\n

trusting fully all the while.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Thus the Child is free<\/em><\/p>\n

interiorly<\/em><\/p>\n

and totally<\/em><\/p>\n

before the Father\u2019s love<\/em><\/p>\n

which holds the Child<\/em><\/p>\n

and\u00a0tenderly<\/em><\/p>\n

binds the heart to Him above.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2018Tis only thus, my dear Adult<\/em><\/p>\n

that you will have strength sufficient<\/em><\/p>\n

For with the Father, you can do all<\/em><\/p>\n

without, you are deficient.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If you think<\/em><\/p>\n

to stay your way<\/em><\/p>\n

and live grown-up, on your own,<\/em><\/p>\n

My love urges me yet to say<\/em><\/p>\n

there is something you must know.<\/em><\/p>\n

If you look deeply<\/em><\/p>\n

at the wood that forms my infant Cradle,<\/em><\/p>\n

you will see with eyes anew<\/em><\/p>\n

the Cross beneath the stable.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

My Cradle and my Cross are one:<\/em><\/p>\n

As the first leads to the other<\/em><\/p>\n

yet through the second you must go<\/em><\/p>\n

to be born unto the other.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But do not fear, dear Adult of mine,<\/em><\/p>\n

for where I call you I have gone<\/em><\/p>\n

your suffering will not be in vain<\/em><\/p>\n

and my love will carry you along.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This is the greatest mystery<\/em><\/p>\n

of life and death, together,<\/em><\/p>\n

of sacrifice and fruitfulness,<\/em><\/p>\n

the way of grace, forever.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Father wills it, the Child ascents,<\/em><\/p>\n

and the Spirit thus reveals<\/em><\/p>\n

Heaven\u2019s sweetest slow descent<\/em><\/p>\n

unto the earth,<\/em><\/p>\n

until transformed<\/em><\/p>\n

be all into His Children.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Thus the winter of our sin does melt,<\/em><\/p>\n

and the world is warmed<\/em><\/p>\n

into the flowering of abundant life \u2013<\/em><\/p>\n

Tis this we celebrate<\/em><\/p>\n

anew,<\/em><\/p>\n

each Christmas morn.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Child had spoken,<\/p>\n

His words yet resound ringing<\/p>\n

And with this I’ll end,<\/p>\n

my last plea bringing.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tis a risk, you say.<\/p>\n

Yes \u2013 the greatest risk of all<\/p>\n

to leave your Adulthood behind<\/p>\n

to bow, incline, to bend to Him and fall;<\/p>\n

To take the leap of death<\/p>\n

that ends in being born<\/p>\n

as He, a Child<\/p>\n

did come to us<\/p>\n

that very Christmas morn.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The price so high,<\/p>\n

so great the task<\/p>\n

that I cannot demand nor ask<\/p>\n

but only invite<\/p>\n

and extend my plea —<\/p>\n

Oh won\u2019t you, oh will you,<\/p>\n

won\u2019t you come along with me?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For I, dear Adult, am grown up like you<\/p>\n

and need to grow down again.<\/p>\n

Let us go together, then,<\/p>\n

my dear Adult,<\/p>\n

my friend.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Let us go together then<\/p>\n

and before the Child bend,<\/p>\n

our knees, descend<\/p>\n

to willingly become as He, like Him.<\/p>\n

Oh won\u2019t you come with me,<\/p>\n

won\u2019t you come, my dear friend?
\n<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I would like to give you, dear reader, this poem as a gift, in the spirit of the 12 days of Christmas and traveling with the Magi towards Epiphany, to give our humble gifts to the Christ Child. Many Christmas blessings to you all, and a joyful New Year! My dear Adult, \u2018tis Christmas time,… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88,"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_feature_clip_id":0,"_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":[4],"tags":[2625,127,383,1293,50,1184,1231,1336,1234,1973,1721,1660,2893],"class_list":["post-74273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-blog","tag-childlike","tag-children","tag-christmas","tag-epiphany","tag-faith","tag-humility","tag-liturgical-season","tag-poetry","tag-poverty","tag-schoenstatt","tag-spiritual-journey","tag-spiritual-life","tag-youth","entry","has-post-thumbnail"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":341536,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2016\/12\/tis-humility\/","url_meta":{"origin":74273,"position":0},"title":"Tis Humility","author":"Rachel","date":"December 26, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"A remark during the homily at midnight mass really struck me. The priest reflected how each Christmas is different, not because the Gospel story changes -indeed the story is everlasting - but because\u00a0we come\u00a0to Christmas each year a little bit different. Each year we bring with us the lived experiences\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/faith-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_2417-550x550.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_2417-550x550.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_2417-550x550.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":192445,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/12\/192445\/","url_meta":{"origin":74273,"position":1},"title":"Humility Alone Conceives the Truth – a poem","author":"Rachel","date":"December 28, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I hope you are all having a restful and blessed Christmas season! 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Growing up, all of our family traditions revolved around Christmas Day\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Epiphany Blessing on a doorway[photocredit: flickr\/stanbury","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/8354918090_7d0ee30c00_b-630x423.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/8354918090_7d0ee30c00_b-630x423.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/8354918090_7d0ee30c00_b-630x423.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":195193,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2016\/01\/sunday-says-january-3-2015-mass-readings-and-reflection\/","url_meta":{"origin":74273,"position":3},"title":"Sunday Says January 3, 2015 Mass Readings and Reflection","author":"Crist\u00f3bal Almanza Herrera","date":"January 3, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"[powerpress] Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord Lectionary: 20 (NAB Translation) (Jerusalem Bible Translation) Merry Christmas! It\u2019s been a beautiful season of Christmas so far. Now we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord a few days early from the traditional date on the 6th. Reading 1\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sunday Says"","block_context":{"text":"Sunday Says","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/podcast\/sundaysays\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sunday Says Podcast","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/SundaySaysPodcast-logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":68267,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2014\/12\/dear-little-sister-christmas-letter\/","url_meta":{"origin":74273,"position":4},"title":"Dear Little Sister: A Christmas Letter","author":"Adam Shaivitz","date":"December 24, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"It's a little late in the game to issue you an Advent challenge. 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