[The Baby Jesus] wants to be in our arms, He wants to be cared for and be able to fix his gaze on ours. What’s more, we should bring a smile to the Child Jesus to show him our love and our joy because He is in our midst. His smile is a sign of love that gives us the certainty of being loved. Children, finally, love to play. To play with a child, however, means abandoning our logic to take on theirs. If we want to have fun we need to understand what pleases them, and not to be selfish and make them do things that we like. It is a lesson for us. Before Jesus, we are called to give up our claim to autonomy - and this is the crux of the problem: our claim of autonomy – and instead to welcome the true form of freedom, which is to know who is before us and serve Him.
He, this child, is the Son of God who comes to save us. He came among us to show us the face of the Father rich in love and mercy. Let us embrace in our arms the Child Jesus, let us put ourselves in His service: He is the source of love and serenity. It will be a good thing, today, when we go home, to go to the crib and kiss the Baby Jesus and say, 'Jesus, I want to be humble like you, humble like God', and ask him for this grace.
Franciscus
December 30, 2015
