He was called Jesus (Luke 2:21)
The third chapter of Bringing Forth Christ: Five Feasts of the Child Jesus by St. Bonaventure is entitled: The Third Feast: How The Infant Jesus Is Named Spiritually By A Devout Soul.
The chapter starts with this quote:
Thirdly, we come to consider how this holy Infant, now born spiritually, shall be named. And I think there is no name more fitting for him than Jesus, for scripture says: He was called Jesus (Luke 2:21). This is the most sacred of all names. It was foretold by the prophets, announced by an angel, proclaimed by the apostles and desired by all the saints. 0 powerful name! 0 grace-filled and joyous name! 0 delightful and glorious name!
To read the entire chapter: click the link below:
The Third Feast: How The Infant Jesus Is Named Spiritually By A Devout Soul.
The Nativity, by Gerard van Honthorst (1590-1656)
The second chapter of Bringing Forth Christ: Five Feasts of the Child Jesus by St. Bonaventure is entitled: The Second Feast: How The Son of God is Born Spiritually in a Devout Soul.
The chapter starts with this quote:
“Secondly, let us consider and mark well how the blessed Son of God, already conceived spiritually, is born spiritually in the soul. He is born when, after good advice, due thought and prayer for God’s protection, we put into practice our resolution to lead a more perfect life. That is to say, he is born when the soul begins to do that which it long had in mind, but was afraid to undertake through fear of its own weakness. The angels rejoice at this most blessed birth, they glorify God and announce peace (cf. Luke 2:13).”
To read the entire chapter: click the link below:
The Second Feast: How the Son of God is Born Spiritually in a Devout Soul
Filed under: Advent, Biblical Reflections, Evangelium Vitae, Saints, Unborn Jesus
Our Lady of Hope
This beautiful statue can be purchased at Mother Angelica’s gift shop – click here for more information
St. Bonaventure wrote a small treatise called Bring Forth Christ: Five Feasts of the Child Jesus.
The First Feast: How Christ Jesus, The Son Of God, May Be Conceived Spiritually By A Devout Soul is a beautiful meditation on the Annunciation and Visitation. To read the entire chapter click below
The First Feast: How Christ Jesus, The Son Of God, May Be Conceived Spiritually By A Devout Soul
Here are 2 quotes from this chapter.
“Once a devout soul has been touched or moved by the hope of heavenly bliss, the fear of eternal punishment or the weariness of living long in this vale of tears (Ps. 83:7), it is visited by fresh inspirations, set alight with holy desires and taken up with godly thoughts. When at length it has rejected and despised previous imperfections and former desires for worldly things, and has resolved to lead a new life by the gracious kindness of the Father of lights from whom is every good endowment and every perfect gift (Jas. 1:17), it conceives mystically by the gift of grace.”
“Now, with Mary, the soul begins to climb the hill country (cf. Luke 1: 39) because after this conception earthly things lose their attraction, and the soul longs for heavenly and eternal things. The soul begins to flee the company of those with minds set on earthly things (Phil. 3:19) and desires the friendship of those with hearts set on heavenly things. It begins to take care of Elizabeth, that is, to look to those who are enlightened by divine wisdom and ardently inflamed by love.”
These next chapters (or feasts) all pertain to the Christmas season so we will cover each of them in the days to come.
The Second Feast: How The Son of God Is Born Spiritually In A Devout Soul
The Third Feast: How The Infant Jesus Is Named Spiritually By A Devout Soul
The Fourth Feast: How The Son Of God Is Sought and Adored Spiritually With The Magi, By The Devout Soul
The Fifth Feast: How The Son Of God Is Presented In The Temple By A Devout Soul
Photo by Lennart Nilsson
“Behold, he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle, or a young stag.
Behold, there he stands behind our wall, gazing in at the windows, looking through the lattice.” Song of Songs 2:8-9
In this final trimester of growth within His mother’s womb, Unborn Jesus is dramatically growing in size; a tripling in weight and a doubling in length. More sleeping and less leaping. This sanctuary of Mary’s womb is closing in on Him as He grows in size. He is content, but as the weeks and months go by He will become lovingly restless for the world awaiting Him.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, initially within His mother’s womb. Let’s consider for a moment the ‘face of God’; the face of Unborn Jesus. By 25 weeks gestation, the retinas of His eyes are developed, He has eyebrows and eyelashes and now His eyelids can open. He now has a mature face, with distinctive features, and recognizable expressions reflecting in part His experiences even here in the womb, even now before birth. Dark hair is growing on His head. Even here and now, like His ancestor David, He “was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome” (I Sam 16:12).
“Thou hast said, ‘Seek ye my face.’
My heart says to thee,
‘Thy face, Lord, do I seek.’
Hide not thy face from me.” Psalm 27.8-9
The physiological bonding between Mother and Unborn Son is marvelously supplemented by behavioral bonding (for example, as Mary rubs her abdomen or repeatedly sings her favorite Psalms to God and her unborn child). But there is also a spiritual, redemptive bonding between Savior and Mother – which both would ponder in their hearts.
This pregnancy – like all pregnancies – gives glory to God and hope to humanity! But this pregnancy – unlike all others – will bring forth the only begotten Son of God!
Madonna and Child with two Votaries by Paolo Veneziano
“Behold, he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle, or a young stag.
Behold, there he stands behind our wall, gazing in at the windows, looking through the lattice.” Song of Songs 2:8-9
We consider Unborn Jesus in the Virgin Mary’s womb during the second trimester of this Redemptive Pregnancy.
By the 14th week (of gestation) He has significant cerebellar control which is reflected in a variety of coordinated physical movements and facial expressions. Unborn Jesus clenches His fists, somersaults, rolls over and kicks. For he is like us in all things, but sin (cf. Heb 4:15). 4 1/3 to 4 2/3 inches in length and about 2 ¾ ounces in weight.
His wrinkled skin is still somewhat transparent and noticeably we see His heart vibrant and beating 120 – 160 beats per minute (around twice the adult heart rate). Thirty years hence Jesus will say: “Come to me…for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt 11:28-29). This miniscule heart, is even now pumping the Savior’s blood, which will wash away the sins of humanity. A tiny red tide of mercy.
By the 20th week of gestation, Unborn Jesus can hear conversations between Mary and Joseph (and others) – Joseph’s deeper voice is easier for Him to hear. He recognizes their voices. When Mary visits with Joseph while he is working at his carpenter’s trade, Unborn Jesus exhibits a ‘startle reflex’ when He hears loud hammer blows and other noises. (After birth He will grow accustomed to these familiar sounds.) And when Mary sings Psalms, He is comforted. “Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day” (Psalm 96:2). By the 22nd week of gestation, He is about 8 ½ inches in length and weighs about 1 ¼ pounds.
Straßburg, Frauenhaus-Museum, Zweifel-Joseph (Detail) Mary and Joseph before the Birth of Jesus.
Painting from Gemaldegalerie Berlin
As we approach Christmas – keeping in mind the pregnant Virgin Mary and her growing unborn baby – this is a good time to ask, “What does our little Savior look like?”
The Zygote Christ Child is a mere one cell and you can’t even see Him. This cornerstone cell of the Christ Child’s Body is a male human living cell with 46 chromosomes. Jesus at this one cell stage is literally bursting with Grace! This is “the grace of union”, when the Son of God assumed a human nature from His very conception, which St. Thomas Aquinas taught was the source of every other grace. He is One Cell and one with us.
The Blastocyst Christ Child at about one week development now consists of more than 100 cells; a one hundredfold blessing for humanity. He is implanted into the lining of Mary’s womb and is clearly focused on His Incarnation Mission.
The Embryonic Christ Child is between 1/12 to 1/6 of an inch in length (around 4 weeks gestation). He is “the least among us” but has the most to give! His primitive Sacred Heart is beating for love, a tempo that this world has never heard before, with a meaning that will take a life time to comprehend. (Memo to Mary: Your little baby has taken charge of this redemptive pregnancy already, sending chemical-hormonal messages from His body to yours – thank you Mary for passing on essential nutrients to your Embryonic Christ Child, you are building up His tiny body and preparing Him for His Redemptive Mission.)
The Fetus Christ Child (around 8 weeks gestation) is 1 ¼ to 1 2/3 inches in length and weighs about 1/3 ounce. He is not heavy, He is our brother, in solidarity with all unborn children, embracing our humanity in His body and Soul. In proportion to the rest of His rapidly growing body, Christ’s head and heart are very big; He knows us and loves us. His Sacred Heart beats at about 140 beats per minute.
As His First Trimester ends, Unborn Jesus shows extraordinary signs of typical growth for an unborn baby. All vital organs are fully formed, His hair is growing, you can count the fingers on His hand and His finger nails are growing too! See each ear taking on its final shape and the iris forming in His eye. “Incline thy ear, O Lord, and hear; open thy eyes, O Lord, and see….”(Isaiah 37:17) In the buoyant liquid environment in which He grows, Unborn Jesus is showing not just a ‘walking reflex’ but vigorously stretches His limbs and can even be seen leaping.
“Behold, he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills.
My beloved is like a gazelle, or a young stag.
Behold, there he stands behind our wall,
gazing in at the windows, looking through the lattice.” Song of Songs 2:8-9
Maestro Francesco, XIII century
Madonna Platytera fra tre santi , Venezia, Scuola di S.
The picture above is a mural on the Visitation Church in Ein Kerem on the outskirts of Jerusalem which commemorates Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth and the Magnificat
Certainly as we accompany the Church from the First Sunday of Advent to Christmas Eve, we are exposed to many traditional and beautiful readings from scripture and powerful themes for our edification.
We look back historically – and hear the prophets proclaim the Messianic Age.
We look forward prophetically – to the Great Mystery of the Final Coming of Christ.
We live the present expectantly – preparing for Christmas and our encounter with Christ!
In a General Audience in 2002, John Paul II spoke of the Church providing us with 3 guides for Advent: The Prophet Isaiah, John the Baptist and Mary the Mother of Jesus.
In the Penitential Season of Lent – we discover our Savior and our need of Redemption.
In the Penitential Season of Advent – we seek a Baby and contemplate His Incarnation.
One way to travel your Advent weeks to Christmas is to accompany Mary (and Unborn Jesus) on her (and His) nine month journey. Their journey together is gestational and spiritual….but when you join them on their journey it becomes very personal.
Enter into the Mystery of the Incarnation. Mary is overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and conceives the Son of God – then she leaves in haste on a 4 day journey to the hill country of Judah to visit her pregnant cousin Elizabeth. When she arrives remarkable events unfold – her unborn Child right in the middle of it all (CCC #717). On one level, Mary is visiting Elizabeth, on another level, God is visiting His people. You can join in this visit.
Three months later, Elizabeth gives birth to her baby John, and shortly thereafter, Mary (and Unborn Jesus) return to Nazareth. Trusting Joseph encounters Mary (and Child) and becomes perplexed, then resolved upon a course of action. But God introduces into the marvelous mystery of the Incarnation a simple human institution called ‘adoption’. The angel of the Lord visits Joseph in a dream and the rest is salvation history. You can visit Nazareth during the second and third trimesters of this singular Redemptive Pregnancy.
Travel to Bethlehem with the Holy Family. Witness the rejection this young pregnant mother experiences as the door to the inn is closed in her face, and the babe in her womb vigorously stirs within her. Behold Joseph’s resolve now. Watch God the Father provide for the birth of His Son. The angels tell all! The shepherds teach all!
Finally, you can welcome God’s newborn newfound Love at journey’s end with worship and a promise to be childlike yourself, and always respectful of the child.
