Christmas Novena Readings

[ChristinaTherese]

If any of you are interested, here are some readings from the letters of St. Paul of the Cross (the founder of the Passionists) for the Christmas (Advent?) novena. This is what the Whitesville Passionists are using, as well as the St. Andrew Christmas Novena prayer, for the novena.

 

 

Day 1:

On the Holy Night, may all of you be reborn in the Divine Word‑Made‑Man to a completely holy life, rich in all the virtues of Jesus Christ, especially true humility of heart, obedience, and meekness, along with true patience, which "has a perfect work." In this way all of you will make yourselves fit instruments for the glory of God and the profit of souls.

 

God wishes more recollection from you in pure faith, and I would wish that you often center yourself in your interior, and with a lively faith take your repose on the bosom of God like a baby in a sacred silence of faith and holy love. Every time your soul recollects itself in God, in the inner temple of your soul, it is born anew to a new life of love in the Divine Word Jesus Christ. I pray the Lord to help you understand and practice what I am teaching. In this recollection in the flame of holy love all the remains of sin are destroyed and the soul is renewed in God.

 

I offer you the medicine of the saints which is a total abandonment to the Holy Will of God, taking every happening without intermediary from his loving hand. In this way everything becomes sweet, especially for one who knows how to repose and sleep on the cross of the gentle Jesus, as a baby sleeps on the bosom of its mother.  

Day 2:

I would wish that you celebrate Christmas in the poor stable of your heart, where the gentle Jesus will be born spiritually.   Present this poor stable to Mary Most Holy and to Saint Joseph so that they may adorn it with virtues so the Divine Infant will be happy there.   Many years ago I had an Infant painted on German paper that had him sleeping quietly on a cross.    Oh, how much that symbol pleased me! I gave it to a crucified person of holy life who was directed by me as long as she lived.   She was a soul of much virtue and high contemplation, as I knew her, and she died with the reputation of sanctity.   I wished, as I desire for you, for that soul to be a child in purity and simplicity and that she sleep on the cross of the gentle Jesus.   So on Christmas you will have the Infant in your heart and be transformed entirely into him with love.    Sleep with him on the crib of the cross, and at the divine lullaby that Mary Most Holy will sing, go to sleep with the Divine Infant, being in union with his heart.  The lullaby of Mary will be: "May your Will be done on earth as in heaven." The second verse will be: "To work, to suffer, and to be silent," and the third: "Do not justify yourself, do not complain, do not show resentment."   What do you think of this lullaby, Sister Maria Angela Magdalene?   Learn it well, sing it well, sleeping on the cross, and practice it with fidelity, for I assure you it will make you holy.  

 

Day 3:

I desire that your heart be the crib of the gentle Infant so that he may be born there mystically; and that will happen if you will be faithful, as I hope, in keeping yourself hidden in interior solitude, sleeping like the Infant on the Cross and making all your afflictions die in the fire of divine charity with a true, silent, and total abandonment to the Will of God.

 

I am praying the Sovereign Divine Infant and the Divine Immaculate Mother to have you reborn to a new life of holy love. This Divine Birth will take place in the interior temple of your soul if you continue, as I hope, to be faithful to God, a lover of virtue, with a continual exercise of humility of heart, patience, silence, meekness, most fervent charity, and, above all, remaining solitary in the holy desert of your soul, taking your rest on the bosom of God in a sacred silence of faith and holy love. 

 

Day 4:

If you will be faithful, as I hope, then that spiritual Divine Birth will take place in the temple of your soul not only now, but always, provided you remain faithful and alone in your interior, reposing your spirit on the bosom of God in a sacred silence of faith and holy love.

 

In regard to these nagging temptationsYdespise them, abhor them and fear nothing.   It is not true that you have been careless in dismissing them.   But because they cloud your mind so that it seems to you that you have been negligent, make your protests to God that you wish rather a thousand deaths than sin.   When such temptations come, divert yourself, distract yourself.    But the best way is to flee in spirit to the bosom of God within, and this can be done in a moment: "Ah, sweetest Father, help!" That is sufficient.

 

Day 5:

I will offer you feastday greetings in prayer from the holy altar, both during this novena and in the coming holy solemnity.   I have strong hope that in your blessed soul there will take place your Divine Birth in the Divine Word, for I hope that you are always more a friend of interior solitude and of staying in a holy, peaceful, quiet silence of faith and holy love in the bosom of God, for that is the place of holy, pure, and elevated prayer.

 

Renew in your heart that mystical Divine Birth so that your soul may be reborn at every moment more to a godlike and holy life. But this mystical Divine Birth is celebrated every day in the most profound internal solitude. In that sacred desert, with a deep abstraction and detachment from every created thing, in perfect nakedness and poverty of soul, and in a sacred silence of faith and love, the human soul is reborn in the Divine Word‑Made‑Man to a new life completely holy and godlike.

 

Day 6:

The life of the true servants of God is to die every day: "We die daily. You are dead and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Now this is the mystical death that I want to see in you. Just as I have full confidence that in the celebration of the holy Divine Mysteries you will have been reborn in Christ Jesus to a new and godlike life, so I desire that you die mystically in Christ a little more every day and allow those butterflies that flit through your mind, those things of naught, to disappear in the depth of the Divinity. "Your life is hidden with Christ in God."

 

Many years ago I spoke with a poor, sick Neapolitan, and he told me: "Listen, my Father, I have in my head and think of one thing only." "What do you think about?" I replied to him. "I think in my head of death." "You are doing well," I replied and gave him good advice....think of the mystical death. He who is mystically dead does not think of anything else except living a godlike life; he wants nothing else than God the Highest and Best; he cuts off all other thoughts, no matter how good they might be, to have one alone, and that is God the Best. He awaits without solicitude what God disposes for him, cutting off everything that is outside so that there is no impediment to the divine work which takes place within, in the intimate inner cell where no creature can come near, neither angelic nor human, but only God dwells in the intimate center or essence or mind or sanctuary of the soul, where the powers remain attentive to the divine work and to that Divine Birth which is celebrated every moment in the one who has the good fortune to be dead mystically. I am in a hurry. This note is very mystical, not for silly devotees, but for strong souls, and must be taken seriously , for one can err greatly. Pray for me. I embrace you in Jesus Christ .

 

Day 7:

Come with me in spirit to the holy altar in the solemn celebration of the Divine Mysteries, asking the Sovereign Divine Infant, Christ Jesus, to celebrate in your hearts mystically this Divine Birth, so they may be reborn in the Divine Word‑Made‑Man to a new life, all godlike and holy, and especially you.   Believe me, my blessed daughter, that you could not have more secure signs of the divine love for you than the suffering that God is permitting and guiding.    In this way he prepares your soul always more so that you may guard well the holy nest of the doves of Jesus Christ, which I hope in his time the Divine Majesty will turn into a perfect sanctuary.

 

Day 8:  

Print on your heart the advice I am going to give you in this letter. First, I tell you that the crosses you suffer, your sickness and the other hardships, are excellent signs for you. Since God loves you much, therefore, he visits you with suffering as he has always done with men and women saints. Therefore, I rejoice with you. Accept with resignation all the sufferings from fevers and other discomforts, for God sends them to make you a holy married woman, and do not complain, but bless God and kiss his holy hand, caress and kiss the cross often.

 

Above all, be meek ..... Do not answer ... back, but suffer in silence.    But since God wishes to make my little daughter holyY God is using her as an instrument so that you may exercise the virtues of humility, meekness, patience, etc. Do this, my blessed daughter, and you will be holy. Remain silent, show a good face, and do not complain with your husband over your mother‑in‑law in order not to sadden him.  Always have a cheerful countenance for your husband. Keep him happy so that your married love never grows cold. This is a most essential point. The cross, my daughter, must be borne every day; therefore, do not lose time to profit by the opportunities to exercise virtues, especially humility, gentleness, and peace of heart, trying to keep your heart at peace at all times with holy affections toward God.  Since you are sickly and perhaps will always have poor health, so in the morning with a pillow under your shoulders make your mental prayer and in this way strengthen yourself to bear your cross and be a holy married woman. I want you to approach the holy sacraments at least every week, when you are stronger and can force yourself to get to church. Help yourself with ejaculatory prayers and make an oratory in your heart, keeping Jesus Crucified always there. With the eyes of your mind see him there and offer him caresses.

 

Greet your husband for me. Treat him with cordiality and keep him happy. This is a very essential point. I am always praying for you. I greet the doctor, your mother‑in‑law, and Y..Jesus bless you and make you as holy as I desire.

 

Day 9:

Practice continually the virtues that Jesus Christ has taught with his divine words. This is the best preparation that you could make for the great Solemnity of Christmas.    So exercise yourself in true humility of heart, patience, obedience, meekness, silence, modesty, day and night, and, above all, continue in a profound interior recollection without ever neglecting holy prayer. In that way you will make a devout preparation and you will be very pleasing to Jesus Christ and Mary Most Holy.