Smiling Babe

Dear Friends and Benefactors,

Last Sunday morning, in a village 100km south of Chennai,  I baptised a baby girl. It was a happy occasion and an edifying one too because throughout the ceremony the baby girl was wide-awake and smiling with joy. She was not in the least intimidated by the signs of the cross on her forehead, chest and between her shoulders, and she appeared to even enjoy the first taste of salt sprinkled into her mouth as she gazed lovingly into her godmother's eyes. Then, when the baptismal water was poured upon her forehead, she was as silent as a lamb. And finally, after being anointed with holy chrism and covered with her baptismal garment, she fell fast asleep.

Meditating on this happy event, it occurred to me that the Child Jesus is often depicted as a sombre and serious child - sometimes even with a face beyond His years. This is done, no doubt, out of respect for His dignity and wisdom - as befits the dignity and wisdom of the God-Man, but it is done perhaps at the expense of His humility and even His humanity. When the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity became man, He became fully man. He lowered Himself from the infinite height of heaven to become one of us. He entered into His creation as the perfect child of a perfect mother. Having crossed the infinite abyss, the act of smiling and gurgling with glee could not have been an humiliation too far for the baby Jesus.  He had come so far and He would go much further to redeem us from Hell and sin that it would not have been too much for Him to give pleasure to His mother, to St. Joseph and the shepherds by smiling, smiling ..well.. like a child.

We adore Thee dear Jesus with divine adoration and we love Thee with the love of Thy Blessed Mother.

May the Child Jesus bring true love and joy into your lives this Christmas. On behalf of the priests, brothers, sisters, volunteers and faithful of the Indian Mission, thank you for your prayers and sacrifices throughout this year of grace and may God bless you all for the next!

In Jesu et Maria,

Father Robert Brucciani