Padre
Pio says, “For the feast of the Infant Jesus, my wish for
you is that your heart may be His cradle adorned with flowers, where
He can rest without the slightest discomfort.”
How are our hearts looking
right now? Are they weak? Are they dirty? Are they hearts of stone?
Are they dark? Or are they strong, pure, and pointed to Christ? In
light of what Padre Pio said, let us ponder the wonderful thought of
our hearts as cradles for the precious newborn. Would that child be
able to rest there taking delight in its softness and cleanliness? Or
are our hearts so hard and filthy, corrupted with sin that the poor
baby Jesus would cry upon touching it, seeking for Mother Mary and
Father Joseph to pick him back up and console Him?
Our Dear Lord Jesus will have no part with a sinful manger. He will
not and cannot rest in a heart that loves the sinful pleasures of
this world more than it loves Him. Our hearts are either residences
for Satan and therefore a breeding ground for sin or residences for
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and therefore a breeding ground for
love. Jesus desires
so much to reside in our hearts so His love, peace and joy can
permeate through our entire being, and then radiate forth to other
souls. He seeks to find a home in our hearts every waking moment of
every day. He knows that Satan is trying to steal our hearts or at
least turn them away from the One Who truly loves them. He knows that
the effect of this person taking residence in our hearts is only
death and therefore cannot experience the wonderful miracle of life
and love.
Look
at how much Jesus longs to make our hearts his dwelling place. Let us
want the same thing with the same furious desire. Knowing that Jesus
cannot share space with sin, let us genuinely reject all evil and ask
God for forgiveness. When we do this, it is like opening the door to
the Holy Spirit who has been knocking on our hearts exclaiming,
“Housekeeping!” And then Boom! Our hearts are rendered spotless.
And if they were mangers, they'd be the perfect place for the baby
Jesus to lay His head.
