THREE WORDS OF WISDOM

THE CHRIST CHILD

Photo: R. Massaro St. Joseph Church Circleville, Ohio

Although we are now in Ordinary Time, I would like to share a little meditation on the Christ Child.

During Midnight Mass this past Christmas, I was wondering who the baby Jesus looked like. Did he resemble Mary or Joseph?Perhaps he did he not resemble either of them. One could meditate on this for many hours, considering both sides.  If God did choose to let the Christ Child resemble Mary and Joseph, that would have been a great act of charity and mercy on the part of God to St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus. If Jesus resembled Mary and Joseph, that would have given them some peace and security in the community and kept people from gossiping about the couple and the child.

What if the Christ child did not resemble Mary or Joseph? Would this have been another cross God wished for them to bear? Then, as Jesus got older, and his wisdom became known, he seemed far from being like his earthly parents for people to exclaim, "Isn't this the carpenter's son?..."Where did he get all this?" Isn't Mary known to be his mother?  (Matthew 13:55)

So, I wonder...did Jesus have the smile of his mother, Mary?  Did he have the mannerisms of Joseph?

During this meditation we may ask ourselves some questions:

Do I physically resemble my father or mother? Do I reflect the spiritual qualities of my father or mother? Or both?

What mannerisms of my parents do I exhibit?

Do I share some of their talents and gifts?

I was a caregiver to my mother for many, many years. Wherever we went together, I usually received the comment "You look just like your mother!" 

While we may resemble our parents physically, let us pray that we become the true child of God that He wants us to be. He wants us to use the gifts and talents he has given us for our spiritual perfection and to share with the Body of Christ.

Many times in the Scriptures Jesus warns us to not "be like" or "resemble" the tax collectors...Jesus tells us "In a word, you must be made perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." 
(Matthew 5:58).

As Carmelites, let us pray also, that we imitate and become like our holy parents, St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa. We have many brothers and sisters in Carmel, the Carmelite saints to emulate in holiness and perfection. Above all, let us pray for purity of heart, where we are united to God and become the image and likeness of his Son. Let us be Christ-like in thought, word, and deed.

Let us pray for each other.

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS