Wisdom of the Saints about the Incarnation (part 5)

“The Lord Jesus took compassion on us in order that He might call us to Himself and not scare us away. He comes as someone gentle, someone humble.” St. Ambrose of Milan (4th century, Doctor of the Church)

“May He make us children of God, He Who for our sakes wished to become a Child of man.” St. Augustine of Hippo (4th-5th centuries, Doctor of the Church)

“Having scarcely quitted the Virgin’s womb, He calls thy beloved soul after the manner of infants, ‘Ah, ah, my soul! I am seeking you; for you am I making this pilgrimage’.” St. Bernard of Clairvaux (11th-12th centuries, Doctor of the Church)

“Place your mind before the mirror of eternity! Place your soul in the brilliance of glory! Place your heart in the figure of the divine substance! And transform your entire being into the image of the Godhead Itself through contemplation. So that you too may feel what His friends feel as they taste the hidden sweetness that God Himself has reserved from the beginning for those who love Him. And…you may totally love Him Who gave Himself totally for your love, Whose beauty the sun and the moon admire, Whose rewards and their preciousness and greatness are without end; I am speaking of Him Who is the Son of the Most High, Whom the Virgin brought to birth and remained a virgin after His birth.” St. Clare of Assisi (12th-13th centuries)

“Christ might have descended from heaven, as He went back, and as He will come again. He might have taken on Himself a body from the ground, as Adam was given; or been formed, like Eve, in some other divinely-devised way. But, far from this, God sent forth His Son (as St. Paul says), ‘made of a woman.’ For it has been His gracious purpose to turn all that is ours from evil to good. Had He so pleased, He might have found, when we sinned, other beings to do Him service, casting us into hell; but He purposed to save and change us…Therefore, instead of sending His Son from heaven, He sent Him forth as the Son of Mary, to show that all our sorrow and all our corruption can be blessed and changed by Him.” Bl. John Henry Newman (19th century)

“The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ in the stable at Bethlehem is a mystery, it is a miracle so great, abounding so much in humility and love, that it will be wondered at by the angels and saints in heaven for all eternity.” St. Charles of Mount Argus (19th century)

“Far into the night, at the coldest time of the year, in a chilly grotto, more suitable for a flock of beasts than for humans, the promised Messiah – Jesus – the Savior of mankind, comes into the world in the fullness of time. There are none who clamor around Him: only an ox and an ass lending their warmth to the newborn infant; with a humble woman, and a poor and tired man, in adoration beside Him. Nothing can be heard except the sobs and whimpers of the infant God. And by means of His crying and weeping He offers to the Divine justice the first ransom for our redemption.“ St. Pio of Pietrelcina (19th-20th centuries)

“Glittering were the palaces of the proud Hebrews. Yet, the light of the world did not appear in one of them. Ostentatious with worldly grandeur, swimming in gold and in delights, were the great ones of the Hebrew nation; filled with vain knowledge and pride were the priests of the sanctuary. In opposition to the true meaning of Divine revelation, they awaited an officious savoir, who would come into the world with human renown and power. But God, always ready to confound the wisdom of the world, shatters their plans. Contrary to the expectations of those lacking in Divine wisdom, He appears among us in the greatest abjection, renouncing even birth in St. Joseph’s humble home, denying Himself a modest abode among relatives and friends in a city of Palestine. Refused lodging among men, He seeks refuge and comfort among mere animals, choosing their habitation as the place of His birth, allowing their breath to give warmth to His tender body. He permits simple and rustic shepherds to be the first to pay their respects to Him, after He Himself informed them, by means of His angels, of the wonderful mystery.” St. Pio of Pietrelcina

“Every mother, when she picks up the young life that has been born to her, looks up to the heavens to thank God for the gift which made the world young again. But here was a mother, a Madonna, who did not look up. She looked down to Heaven, for this was Heaven in her arms.” Ven. Fulton Sheen (19th-20th centuries)

“Christmastime shows us how small God made Himself. Go to the crib and see how small He became, how He lived that total surrender to the full…See the joy of the Child Jesus and the joy of Christmas! Never be moody, never let anything take away that joy.” St. Teresa of Calcutta (20th century)