Quote of the day, 6 January: St. Edith Stein
The Child in the manger stretches out His small hands, and His smile seems to say even now the same as later the lips of the Man: “Come to me, all you that labour and are burdened” [Mt 11:28].
The poor shepherds have followed His call, when the radiance of the sky and the voice of the angel had announced the good tidings to them in the fields of Bethlehem, simply saying: “Let us go to Bethlehem” and setting out on their way [cf. Lk 2:15].
The kings from the far-away East followed the marvellous star with the same simple faith; on them all the hands of the Child poured the dew of His grace and they “rejoiced with exceeding great joy” [Mt 2:10].
These hands give and demand at the same time: you wise men, lay down your wisdom and become simple like children; you kings, give your crowns and your treasures and bow down humbly before the King of kings; do not hesitate to take upon yourselves the sufferings and hardships His service entails.
The Christian mysteries are an indivisible whole. If we become immersed in one, we are led to all the Others. Thus the way from Bethlehem leads inevitably to Golgotha, from the crib to the Cross.
Saint Edith Stein
The Mystery of Christmas
January 13, 1931, Ludwigshafen, Germany
Stein, E 1931, The mystery of Christmas: incarnation and humanity, translated from the German by Rucker, J, Darlington Carmel, Darlington UK.
Featured image: The Adoration of the Magi by Dutch artist Leonaert Bramer (1596–1674) is an oil on oak panel on view at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Curators date the work between 1630 and 1635. Image credit: Detroit Institute of Arts (Public domain)
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