In homilies spoken on 23 December 2007 and 25 December 2008, the founder of the Heralds of the Gospel, Monsignor John Scognamiglio Clá Dias, EP, deals with the joy that Christmas brings us: a God who embodies himself in a tender Child, and invites us to be part of His F amylia. How to make this a reality?
Watch the excerpt:
Following are the very words of Monsignor John Claudia:
He comes with this smile, w[1]ith this kindness, with this softness, with this delicacy, He has been opening us the doors of Heaven and smiling, saying, "Continue to worship Me, because it is in this worship that we will live eternally together in the same happiness in Heaven. I came to make you my brother, I came to make you my sister, I came to make you my mother!"
For He himself will say, "My mother, my brothers, my relatives, are those who hear my word and put it into practice" (cf. Lk 8, 21). This is what He has been inviting each of us: to put into practice the words he tells us. And what are those words? Words of complete detachment of all and all, and have a heart entirely placed in God.
What brings happiness is this contact with God, this contact with the supernatural. That's it! This is what fills us with joy, this is what truly gives us meaning to life. And the rest is all secondary, whatever happens, no matter what! What matters is this supernatural joy of being with him who is our Savior.
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It is what I wish[2] : that He, this Christmas, give so much joy to each one, to each one — and to young men too — , give an extraordinary joy, to the point that each one feels at the bottom of his soul the grace of Christmas, which is a whole special grace , and that is the grace where we feel loved, where we feel dear, where we feel entirely restored and repaired by the child Jesus who is born.
May the Child Jesus bring to every family, to fathers, to mothers, to sons, to daughters, all kinds of graces of consolation; of joy and peace. Glory to God in the heights— the angels will sing —and peace on earth to those who have the good will to open their souls to the birth of the Child Jesus.
Praise be the Child Jesus!
[1]Homily excerpt of December 25, 2008.
[2]Homily excerpt of December 23, 2007.