Devotion of the day: recite the acts of faith, give alms

The cradle of Jesus is a crib. Enter again with lively faith, in the hut of Bethlehem: see where Mary places Jesus for rest. For the son of a king, a cedar cradle inlaid and adorned with gold is sought; any mother, although poor, provides a decent cradle for her child; and for Jesus as if he were the poorest of all, there is not even a single cradle. A crib, the manger of the stable, here is his cradle, his bed, the place of his rest. O my God, what poverty!

Mysteries of the crib. Everything in the stable of Bethlehem holds a profound meaning in the eyes of the Faith. Doesn't the crib mean the poverty of Jesus, the detachment from the vanities of the earth, the contempt for everything that is most coveted, for the riches, the honors, the pleasures of the world? Jesus, before saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, he gave the example, he chose poverty as his companion; Child was placed on the hard crib, adult died on the hard wood of the Cross!

Poverty of spirit. Do we live detached from the things of the earth? Isn't it interest that almost always drives us in our actions? We work to earn money, to grow in our state, for the sake of ambition. Where do the complaints come from, the fears of losing our possessions, the envy of other people's stuff? Why are we sorry to die?… - Let's confess it: we are attached to the earth. Detach yourselves, Jesus cries from the crib: the world is nothing: seek God, Heaven ...

PRACTICE. - Recite the acts of Faith etc .; gives alms.