December 13, 2018

« A little child! Ah, how not to be attracted to the good Lord who has come thus into the world. » Saint Louis Martin to his daughter Pauline

« He will come… He is our joy »

Each of us has experienced the anticipation of a happy occasion. In waiting for this special moment, we may grow impatient. So it is with Christmas, a joyful Feast that we anticipate during the time of Advent. We need then:

• To listen to the texts of Scripture, especially the Old Testament. In age after age, the word of the prophets directs us to this reality that is beyond human imagination, God will come to earth: « and the Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth. John testified to him and cried out saying: « This was He of whom I said: The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me. » From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace. « John 1.14 / 16.

• To aspire toward conversion, that is to say, in the ability to move inward and put aside that which is relative and distracting in our lives in order to put at the center that which is essential.

• To situate ourselves as members of a people who join in the dynamic message of God : « the people who walked in darkness, have seen a great light » Is 9.2. What is promised has become a reality, a manifestation, in the person of Jesus: « Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming:  » A great prophet has arisen in our midst, and God has visited his people » Luke 7.16.

It is this way of life that the couple Louis and Zélie Martin adopted as their guide. Their daughter, Thérèse, also adopted it as the project of her life with the few words chosen for her religious name. She honored the Infant Jesus and his Holy Face, revealed in the Passion. « From the manger to the crucifixion, God manifests to us a profound mystery. He loves us tirelessly! » Let us sing then a couplet which comes from Christmastime: « The Holy Child is born. » Thank you Louis and Zélie, messengers of God’s love. Help make us as fruitful as Thérèse for the greater good.

Wishing you a blessed Advent and Merry Christmas.

Let us continue our reflection with Pope Francis on the Joy of the Gospel. Ch 1

1. The joy of the Gospel fills the heart and the entire life of those who have met Jesus. It fills those who let themselves be saved and thus freed from sin, from sadness, from inner emptiness, from isolation. With Jesus Christ, their joy is born and reborn […].

I. Their joy is renewed and communicated

2. The great tragedy of today’s world, with its overwhelming consumerism, is an individualistic sadness that comes from a heart stifled by avarice, from an unhealthy search for superficial pleasures, from an isolated conscience. When the inner life closes in on itself, there is no room for others. The poor no longer enter in. We no longer listen to the voice of God ; we no longer enjoy the sweet joy of his love. The enthusiasm to do good no longer throbs within our souls. Certainly, even believers are at risk. Many succumb to consumerism and turn into indifferent people – discontented and lifeless. It is not a choice of living life to the full. It is not the desire of God for us. It is not the life of the Spirit that springs from the heart of the risen Christ.

3. I invite every Christian, wherever he finds himself, to renew today his personal encounter with Jesus Christ or, at least, to make the decision to let himself be encountered by Him and to seek Him every day without interruption. There is no reason for anyone to think that this invitation is not for him, because « no one is excluded from the joy that the Lord brings us. »

To go further and put into practice

Let us find ways to be messengers of the joy of the Gospel.

• Faced with individualism, « that of an inner life that closes in on its own interests« , which gradually breaks down the social bond, what time can we give to others during this Christmas season?  
• The Pope tells us: « I invite every Christian, in whatever place and situation he finds himself in, to renew today his personal encounter with Jesus Christ. » In this season of Advent and Christmas, choose one of the paths of encounter with Christ.
• Let us hear the Lord’s admonition: « Watch and pray« . May each day of Advent be for us a time of contemplation – of the Child Jesus and of the mystery of the Incarnation.

Guy Fournier, Deacon
Administrator of the Shrine of Alençon

PS : Thank you for being an ambassador of the sanctuary by sharing this letter with your friends. It allows them to encounter Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, who can help them on their path to Christ. What a great gift!