December 13, 2010
To see or not to see the Child! Among the Gospa’s faithful apostles, physicians and all kinds of specialists are found. One of them, a famous cardiologist, told us this unusual story:
A woman, 6 months pregnant, was sent to him for cardiac advice: a fetal ultrasound suggested that there was a problem with the coming baby. After expert collaboration, the Doctor confirmed the presence of a cardiac malformation in the child. But he reassured the family saying that the malformation is something quite operable, with very good results.
However, this type of heart malformation could be associated with Down syndrome in 30% of the cases. Then the couple accepted to have an amniocentesis done (biopsy of the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby), to see whether their child was Down syndrome, and to give some thought as to whether or not they should keep the baby. (We know too well how much pressure physicians put on parents to abort a child with genetic malformations.)
The “verdict” of the amniocentesis fell: the baby was unquestionably a Down syndrome child.
The couple decided to interrupt the pregnancy at 35 weeks, about 8 months. This means that, in a provoked delivery, the child is killed by a doctor before being able to come out of the maternal womb. Nowadays, the vocabulary is significant in the will to water down the terrible reality: one does not say that “the life of a human being is condemned to die”, one talks about a “bad pregnancy” and affirms that the best solution for everyone is “to stop it and make another one”.
In this case, many people who believe in the power of prayer began praying fervently so that the child, a creature of God, would have the chance to be born.
“D-Day” came for the mother to let her baby die. The day before, our friends called her to ask how she was doing. There was no changing their minds, the couple was determined to interrupt the pregnancy, and the mother was to be admitted to the hospital at 7 am the next day. Our friends, broken-hearted by the decision, continued to pray.
Indeed, their prayers were said not in vain. The next day, around 3:00 am, the mother suddenly had very close contractions and, in less than an hour, she gave birth at home before being transferred to the hospital! The little one had the good idea of being born, spontaneously, a few hours before his execution!
As the cardiologist arrived at the hospital, he found the parents astounded and overwhelmed. They were then holding their baby in their arms and tapping their foreheads saying, “We are criminals!
Yesterday we signed his execution ourselves. We were going to kill this little baby! We are unworthy to be his parents! Doctor, please, do whatever it takes to save him!” They kissed the little one with tears and tenderness.
Parents, isn’t your baby the same person within the womb as it is out of the womb? Why, was the little one condemned to die while he remained hidden, then when he was born, when he was visible, he had to be kept and protected at any cost? Do we need to wait until we see our baby with our own eyes and hug it with our own arms, to realize that it is a treasure, a creature of God who deserves to live?
The child, who was able to trap the trap-layers of his life, was operated and is now in good health. With his Down syndrome problem, he belongs to those who, in the middle of our agitated and materialistic world, are blinking signs. Let us not reject them! They remind us that the human heart and its huge capacity for love are more important than everything, and that on the last day, it is the innocence of the children that will win over all the destructive Goliaths who spread our sad culture of death. True greatness is on their side, and on the side of those who welcome them!
Hasn’t Jesus, the Son of God himself, told us: “Whoever receives this little one in my name, receives Me”? (Luke 9:48).
Child Jesus is waiting for us at the manger!
Child Jesus is still hidden in the womb of Mary during Advent, but He hopes to find a warm welcome and be able to rest in our hearts - His little mangers of today. “Dear children”, Our Lady says. “I wish my little Jesus to be born in your hearts!” She asks that we gather every day for family prayer in front of the manger prepared as early as the beginning of Advent.
In a conversation with a young Vietnamese, Marcel Van (who is on the way to Beatification), Child Jesus said that he was cold when he was born in the stable in Bethlehem. But we are able to warm Him up! Not only through prayer, but also by very simple acts that testify of our love because, as He said in the Gospel, “Everything that you do to the littlest of mine, you do it to me.”
Here is a famous dialogue between Jesus and Van, during the third Mass of Christmas 1945, in which the little Flower (of Lisieux) takes part. Van notices that Jesus is very beautiful, and he asks Him, “O Jesus, who dressed you with such beautiful clothes? And who made these beautiful clothes for you?”
Jesus : Marcel, you tell me that I was beautifully dressed ? And who could have dressed me so beautifully if not you Marcel?
Marcel : But Jesus, I never learned how to make you clothes.
Jesus : Then, Marcel, ask your sister Teresa to see who dressed me so well, by getting me such magnificent clothes.
Marcel : Sister Teresa, didn’t Mary make these clothes for Jesus?
Teresa : These clothes, neither Mary made them, nor me. So guess who it may be… But, it is you, little brother! As for me, I only helped you to make them, and you dressed Jesus with them yourself.
Marcel : What could I have done to make these nice clothes?
Teresa : First, my dear little brother, let me give you a kiss. And now here is my answer. Listen to me carefully. Each one of the sighs that you let out through the sufferings endured during the last weeks, each one of these sighs was enough to make a wool strand or a flower; so I used these strands of wool that you were weaving everyday with your sufferings, like the flowers that you were picking, to knit these beautiful clothes for Jesus. Do you understand little brother? And does it make you happy to see Jesus with such beautiful clothes? If today Jesus’s clothes are already so beautiful, they are going to be even more beautiful on the day of your union with Him. Where is the beauty going to come from, you need not worry about it. Now that Jesus gives you His kisses, first think of staying joyful and push away every thought of sadness and disgust. (Marcel Van, Colloques p.98, Preface from Cardinal Schoenborn, Ed. Saint-Paul)
Merry and Holy Christmas to all of you!
Dearest Gospa, you are the Morning Star that announces the new dawn!
We turn our look toward you, and we see Life!
(Translated from French)
------------------------------
