Day 9: Morning Prayer: From the Discourse for Christmas Night
Glory to the divine love, which induced God to become a little child, poor and lowly, to live a hard life, and to die a cruel death, in order to show man the love which he bears him. “In the stable we see power reduced to impotence, and wisdom become mad through excess of love.” (St Laurence Justinian). We see the power of God, as it were, annihilated; we see God, who is wisdom itself, become as it were a fool through the excess of love which he bears to men.
My infant Jesus, now that I am about to approach Thy feet, inflame me wholly with Thy holy love, and bind me to Thee. But bind me so effectually that I may nevermore be separated from Thee, O my God who didst become a little child for my sake.
Let us enter; let us not be afraid.
But I love you very little; I desire to love you very much, and you have to enable me to do it. I come then, to kiss your feet, and I offer you my heart. I leave it in your hands. I will have it no longer. Change it, and keep it for ever. Do not give it back to me again, for if you do, I fear lest I should betray you afresh.
(Edited excerpts from St Alphonsus de Liguori, Novena for Christmas in: The Complete Works of St Alphonsus de Liguori. Rev. Eugene Grimm (Ed.)
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