He was named Jesus

Nm 6,22-27; Ps 66; Gal 4,4-7; Lk 2,16-21
1 JANUARY
When a child is born, comes to life, receives everything from the parents. If it were to be left to itself, after a few hours it would die. His life is entirely from others. The child is not only a body, but also a soul and spirit. As one nourishes the body, so he must nourish the soul and the spirit. The soul is nourished with the grace of God, the spirit with wisdom, truth and justice. He will have to be so spiritually well nourished as to choose in every circumstance, moment and instant, only good and never evil. For this reason it must always be nourished with every supernatural gift. Today we must confess that for many people concern is only with the body. Not having it been sustained either by the soul or by the spirit which are dead or exist in a state of total paralysis, it is delivered to all concupiscence, foolishness and insipidity, reaching wickedness, cruelty and evil without any limitation. When sin is committed against the Holy Spirit, then there is no return to goodness anymore. We are on earth, but it is as if we were already in hell. We are living damned. Someone might object: who is not a Christian, being able to grow in wisdom and grace, in Christ and in the Holy Spirit, what real possibilities does he possess to nourish his soul and his spirit? The possibilities are those dictated by the conscience that commands that he moves away from evil and that he does good. We know that Jesus as a rule gives our conscience as the measure of good. What we want others to do to us, we must do it to others. This is the Law and the Prophets.

Even Jesus as a true man must nourish himself with wisdom and grace. Above all he must be made to be a true son of Abraham and one becomes it through circumcision which, by God’s disposition to the Patriarch, must always be practiced on the eighth day after birth. Today Christ Jesus becomes a descendant of Abraham and is circumcised. But he also becomes a descendant of David because Joseph gives him his name and makes him his true Son. From the Son of Mary, today Jesus becomes a true son of Abraham and true Son of David. As a true son of Abraham, he is constituted a blessing is given for all peoples of the earth. As the true son of David, he becomes the true Messiah, the anointed of the Lord and the Christ of God. Having been fulfilled these two prophecies, or promises of God, all other promises, prophecies and oaths will be fulfilled in him. With the circumcision Jesus begins his journey for the redemption and the salvation of humanity. Every Christian parent must imitate Mary and Joseph. They must give their children all the strength, the truth, the power and the light that is kept in their faith. They are obligated by their ministry of parents. If one does not live in faith in their home, children will grow up badly, without any light or strength, without truth and knowledge of good and evil. They will soon be handed over to evil and hardly will there be any returning. Faith is transmitted by living it. It is the breath of true life. That house in which faith is not lived is a dwelling without air.

So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Nowadays, once-Christian families live by a faith that has become tradition, remembrance and memory of events that yesterday were life and today are only external practices, emptied of every grace, truth and supernatural mystery contained in them. Today this depletion is also affecting the sacraments: baptism, confirmation, Eucharist and marriage. A lot of external apparatus remains, but without its inner content. We have the shell of faith, but not the truth and the grace of it. Mary and Joseph teach us that the family must not only be born of faith, but it must always remain in faith and of faith be nourished, satisfying every fulfilment that comes from the Word.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints ensure that Christian families regain their true faith.