Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
27 December – The Third Day of the Christmas Octave
Jesus in swaddling clothes
“Consider the Blessed Mother, having given birth to her Son, now takes Him with reverence in her arms, adoring Him as God and then wrapping Him in swaddling clothes. Behold the infant Jesus, who obediently offers His little hands and feet and allows Himself to be swaddled. Consider, that every time the holy Infant allowed Himself to be swathed, He thought of the cords with which He would one day be bound and led captive from the Garden of Gethsamene. Also, consider the cords which secured Him to the column on which He was whipped and the nails which would secure Him to His Cross. All of this He permitted, in order to deliver our souls from the chains of hell. Bound in these swaddling clothes, Jesus turns to us and invites us to unite ourselves with Him, with the holy bonds of love.”
Scripture
And she gave birth to her first-born son
and wrapped him in swaddling clothes
and laid him in a manger,
because there was no place for them in the inn.
Luke 2:7
Prayer (St Alphonsus)
“My beloved Jesus,
You have imprisoned Yourself
in swaddling clothes
because of Your love for me.
I will become a prisoner
of Your infinite love.
Bind me tight,
so that I may never be able
to disengage myself
from Your love!
Amen”
AnaStpaul 