Vol.5 No.14 DoM E Message
Spiritual Gift of the Week
We pray for God’s gentle mercy,
Through the intercession of the Immaculate Conception—
And we ask for the grace to be gentle and merciful toward others.
Spiritual Instruction of the Week
God is gentle and merciful. Let us pray.
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Dear Beautiful Daughters of Mary,
The Christian story begins with the gentleness of an infant in a manger. An infant, a most exquisite and gentle creature—with the power to elicit gentle strength from all those who are close. During this 2nd week of Advent, we are moved to contemplate our Savior as an infant. The Nativity of Christ is truly our most exquisite revelation of God—the revelation that begins a revolution—a revolution that begins with the birth of Jesus. The Incarnation is a gentle revolution.
Before the birth of Jesus, the story of God was not so gentle. Divine wrath permeates the pages of the Old Testament. The Hebrew people often interpreted the events of history in terms of Yahweh’s anger and wrath. Wrath was, in Hebrew thought, Yahweh’s response to Israel’s infidelity. The Prophets however reinterpreted history and the character of Yahweh. Their message: To proclaim that God is gentle and merciful, never wrathful, vindictive or vengeful. Their intent: To announce that wrath is not intrinsic to God’s being. The prophets professed God’s gentleness. And announced a revolution.
“He will not break the bruised reed. A dimly burning wick he will not extinguish.” (Isaiah 42:3 )
Gentleness is encountered in the person of Jesus. As Jesuit John Hardon wrote: “In his public life, the Savior was gentle with so many irritating people. That’s almost a description of the twelve apostles. The twelve men who irritated Christ. How many reasons they gave him, from Peter on down and Peter perhaps more than anyone else—forbearing, kind, understanding, repeating, explaining, gentle with sinners. Magdalene at Christ’s feet. The woman taken in adultery. The mothers whom the disciples told to get these kids out of the way. And most tellingly, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ was even gentle to the traitor who kissed Him. In his passion, until he expired on the cross—gentle, forgiving to those who had crucified him, and his last dying act was an act of gentle mercy to the thief at his side.”
To be gentle is to be meek. To be meek however is not to be weak. It is rather to have ‘strength under control.’ As Francis de Sales said, nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength. And in our tradition gentle strength mercifully forgives and tenderly corrects fault.
“Even if a person is caught in some transgression,
you who are spiritual should correct that one in a gentle spirit.” (Galatians 6:1)
We may be tempted at times to be harsh with others. And also, we are at times hard on ourselves. Women are especially subject to self criticism. Once we meet the warmth and love of Jesus in prayer however—we experience an interior revolution. We receive the grace to be gentle with ourselves and compassionate toward others. Just to glimpse God’s merciful, tender love transforms our hearts and our relationships.
It matters not what we have done, or what we deserve.
God’s justice is mercy.
He comes to us not “with a whip [but] in love and with a gentle spirit.” (1Cor. 4:21)
In our Christian tradition, gentleness signifies closeness to God. In his Letter to the Philippians Paul wrote, “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” (4:5) The season of Advent is in fact a celebration of the nearness of Our Lord. In the Incarnation, Our Lords comes, into the world, into human history and begins his peaceful revolution of the human heart. And through his tenderness on the Cross and his very real and gentle presence in the Resurrection, he continues it down through the ages.
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“Gentle Revolution: Pope wants the Year of Mercy to tenderly transform the world. “
The Catholic News Service donned this headline on December 3 to describe our Holy Father’s hope for the Church and for the world. This week he “opened the Holy Door” to the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. For sure, there is no better time for us to reflect upon the gentle mercy of God. In fact, we commemorate several events which celebrate the revelation of God’s mercy. December 8 was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and also, the day we honor Mary, as gentle protectress and patroness of the United States of America. December 12 commemorates the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe who appeared to the young and gentle boy Juan Diego. December 6-10 we mark the 50th anniversary of Vatican Council II, which detailed the ‘gentle’ mission of the Church (Missio Ad Gentes). And then finally, we now observe Advent—and this season is perhaps the most apt when reflecting upon our gentle God.
Gentleness is our fruit of the month ——it is the grace we desire during this Advent season. And yet dear beautiful Daughters of Mary, Jesus began this gentle revolution, that we may become, as Paul encouraged the Ephesians, “unfailingly gentle in all seasons.”
Rendiamo grazie a Dio—Thanks be to God,
Deb
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