Devotion: the small street of Santa Teresa di Gesù Bambino

 

THE "WAY OF THE EVANGELICAL CHILDHOOD"
and the "little way" of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus

At the Arenzano sanctuary we commemorate and celebrate the mysteries of Jesus' childhood, which offer rich themes of meditation and spiritual life for all. We celebrate these mysteries both as a "way of evangelical childhood" or "via infantiaé ', in parallel with the" way of the cross "or" via crucis ", and as a theme for reflection on the 25th day of each month (day dedicated to Jesus Child in remembrance of his Christmas), and as a meditation theme in preparation for the solemnity of the Child Jesus, which is celebrated in our sanctuary on the first Sunday of September.

Note that the mysteries here are arranged according to the needs of the liturgical season.

We propose this "way of evangelical childhood" as a journey of human and Christian maturity, following the example of the growth of Jesus "in age, wisdom and grace before God and men" Lk 2,39:10,15). Accept it with faith, with the simplicity of a child (cf. Mk 2,41), live it and teach adolescents to live it more responsibly (cf. Lk 2,39 ff) and with growing maturity, docility, wisdom and strength in youth (cf. Lk 18,3:XNUMX ff). It is the best way, I would say unique, to welcome the spiritual message that devotion to the Child Jesus wants to make resound in the world, from our sanctuary, the most suitable and truest way to honor him and to live the Christian message that he left us. in his word and indicated in his life: If you do not make yourselves as children you will not enter the Kingdom (Mt XNUMX: XNUMX).

The mysteries of the childhood of Jesus
The Christian vocation consists in "conforming ourselves to Christ" (Rom 8,29:3,17) that is, in imitating him, thus becoming, like him, the object of "the Father's pleasure (Mt XNUMX:XNUMX ff). We must grow until we reach the fullness of Christ's maturity. His whole life is therefore a teaching and a model for us. As we meditate on the Way of the Cross to learn the meaning of passion, pain and death, so now we meditate on the way of evangelical childhood to learn from the Child Jesus to incarnate his Gospel, which was announced in a particular way to the little ones and the poor. .

An insuperable teacher in the way of childhood is St. Therese of the Child Jesus; we report some texts of his "little way" as a valid theoretical and practical comment on the themes of reflection. The "little way" is centered on filial love for the heavenly Father, in trust and abandonment to him.

NOTE: Each of these mysteries, celebrated in a sanctuary or in a church, can be solemnized in a liturgical context of the Word or of the Eucharist.