Today we walk along with the Baby Jesus. Jesus loved to be surrounded by children. There are several passages on this topic. In Matthew (18,6) Jesus said : ‘‘If anyone causes one of these little ones –those who believe in me- to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.'' It's clear, Jesus knows the consequences of our childhood injuries ; besides didn't he want to join us since the moment of our conception our mother's womb ? He wanted to visit  everything of our history ! There is no time for Him, He keeps on joining me, visiting me in the crib of my heart.

Let's come close to the crib, marvel ! We already see in the swaddling clothes of the Child of God, the tunic of His passion. He has taken my whole human condition absolutely and gone through the anxieties and sufferings of my humanity. We have so many falsified images of our heavenly Father. Is God really interested in me, in my desires, my expectations ? Am I important for Him ? The list is long ! You can do the exercise in front of your miror, look at yourself and say loudly:

‘‘Lord, I am important for you''

Indeed, here we are at the source of our needs, my need to be loved, to be valued ! It is immense for I was created by and for Love ! That's my vocation, my first call, from which everything can flow in my life. I am valuable in his eyes ; that value caused him to come and to offer himself.

But then, that circulation of Love in my life has experienced ruptures…But buried right deep in my heart as a Child of God, I feel that expectation, that intact desire, a little one lives deep inside of me.

‘‘I thirst for you ! If you think you're not important to the world's eyes, I don't care at all. For me, there is only one thing that matters : there is nothing more important in the whole world than you. I thirst for you ! Open up to me. Come to me and thirst for me. Give me your life and I will prove you how important you are to my Heart. I thirst for you ! '' (Mother Teresa, Spiritual Testimony)

Baby Jesus comes to the crib and tells me : ‘‘I come to take everything that hurt you, I come to clear your life, welcome me, let me love you, drop everything there, on the straw of my manger ; it will be my best Christmas, the best gift you could offer me. I have come for that. Stay with me every day, with me it is Christmas every day''.

Testimony : When I was 8, my parents divorced. From that time I stopped growing, a part of me was frozen there, at my 8 years, whereas my body continued to grow. Since, I was fighting against a deep sadness and a chronic depression. Then one day during a retreat, I saw myself as a young girl holding my father's and my mother's hands and I understood that I had decided at that moment to stop growing. The Lord was joining me at my 8 years, as if for Him, time did not exist. I could renounce to that unreal expectation, forgive my parents and re-choose the life that God wanted for me.

Reflection tracks :

• God chose to go through the heart and the entrails of a woman to join our injured humanity. But me, did I feel welcomed in this world ? What are my painful experiences, my ruptures of confidence in love that still affect my temper, the situations, relationships of my life ?
• Christmas often awakens in us the pains of childhood. Many people testify not to feel at ease with this feast, demonstrating that we are at the heart of this love and reconciliation fight. Let yourselves be reconciled by Christ says apostle Paul. There may be some forgiveness to give left in my heart.

Notebook : Take time to go round the Jerusalem of my heart, my disappointments, anxieties, expectations, bitterness…The events linked, destructions of confidence, betrayals, rejections, shame. You may for example drop a paper or your notebook in your crib. (Also a good job to get ready for our confession for this central feast of salvation).

Prayer :

Baby Jesus you know my whole history from my conception up to today. Thanks for making yourself so little and so poor to join me. Eventhough I do not remember everything, I am sure you know me and I would like on this Christmas to open to you all the doors of my memory, of my history, come and reign there. Restore in me the desire to love you and to let myself loved by you, sure everything else will be given to me.