9th Day Christmas novena "Look for your star"

 

Well, after these personal experiences of the characters... the key is to ask oneself... and who am I? 

In this story, in my story of salvation, who am I? What role am I playing? 

Who is giving me that role? My friends, my family, my partner, society... me? 

What role does God play in who I am? 

What character identifies me... what qualities/defects? 

What do I not want to have in the characters...? 

What is the attitude I would most like to have? 

How has my little heart been enlightened by these stories...? 

Where did it beat the strongest? 

In whom do I place my illusions, strength and hopes? 

Does God have a place in my important decisions or do I not even count on him because he is not relevant?

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

8th Day Christmas novena "Look for your star"

 MARY

I'm going to be honest, being a mother so soon was not in my plans, let alone being a mother in that way...because I would most likely be a single mother with all that implies. At times I felt ashamed... yes, it seems strange... but I was ashamed to wear the word made flesh (maybe you have felt the same way when you have said that you are a follower of my son).

It was all very particular, as much as it may seem now, the Angel was more of a scare than a joy... the scare he gave me... Buf! I was convinced that it was too big for me, and at some point I was thinking NO, and even after all that I thought it must have been something in my imagination. Living together as a family was so normal... that at some point I thought that it had been a dream, that nothing was real.

The first years were very hard, we moved several times... and well, what can I tell you about the hardness of the end... But if I am completely honest and taking stock... IT WAS WORTH IT, or as my son used to say, I was very FORTUNATE.

When I analyse nowadays I have to say that sometimes I wrinkle my brow a little saying... but... what do they think they are doing? My son, yes, he was God, but I was a normal person, a day-to-day person, going to the market, talking to my neighbours, helping my family at home...

I had the problems and the life of someone like you. It is true that I gave a YES that was not easy, but I am sure that you also have similar moments... hold on to them, to those difficult moments in which your answer was a YES. Don't be afraid... surrender and above all be faithful to your heart, fear is the tool to grow, any decision taken that does not involve a risk, in which we are not afraid... are usually easy and empty choices.

It is scary to go against the current, to go for the message, to become a Brother, to ask yourself what God is asking of me, to believe that God expects a lot from me because the one to whom God gave the talents has the obligation and the responsibility to put them at the service of God. I am Mary and I said yes even though I was afraid and unsure... and who are you?

How do you overcome your difficulties in discerning your vocation?

7th Day Christmas novena "Look for your star"

 

JOSEPH

Hi I'm Joseph, maybe you think I'm a bit of a prick in this whole story, maybe you don't know much about my story, and maybe you even see me as that enigmatic guy... Well the truth is that I considered repudiating María. Yes, I loved her, but... let's see, you have to understand... what could I do...

There was only one thing that could do more than the anger in my heart, and that was the shame of others knowing about it. Maybe right now you may think that I went a bit too far and that well... I wasn't all that nice to Maria... but haven't you felt ashamed in front of someone you love? Haven't you doubted your friends/family/partner? Can you tell me that you have not judged before knowing all the facts... or based on partial facts...?

Perhaps in this world of gossip, in which the corridors of the pastoral centres are like tabloids... or in which judging others has become an Olympic sport... or in which you watch programmes and "realitis" judging the miseries of others... or worse still, using them as a method of entertainment...

Yes, I judged Mary, I prejudged her and I didn't believe her... but I also trusted in my dreams, I believed that God had a dream for us, I trusted in God despite the circumstances and even despite the evidence... My name is Joseph and who are you?

What are the persons you trust?

6th Day Christmas novena "Look for your star"

 

DONKEY, MULE AND OX

Oooh, here we are with the classic contempt: they are animals... what do they know? They don't know anything, they have no feelings... and a long etc. in which human empathy is conspicuous by its absence. The truth is that we can proudly say what an important role we animals have... Remember that we were created before you... and if not, let's look at Genesis...

The idea was basically that you would take care of us, you would be in charge of the creation so that everything would work "well"... I don't know, are you doing it right? We are aware of our place, our role in the cycle, our role for others... but... I don't know if you humans are quite aware of all this...

That Jesus made it clear... he wanted to be born in the place where we live... he came triumphantly into Jerusalem on the lowly animal... he didn't enslave us, he put us at the mercy of the Lord… he put us at the service of the Gospel and dignified us with his constant winks to make us participants in his message...

Although, as usual, you are so fond of the limelight... we are aware of our place in history and of our role... We know we were not the most important... but you know what the master said... "Whoever wants to be the most important of you... let him be the servant of all". We are the animals (donkey, mule and ox) and who are you?

Have you felt the presence of God in the acts of service you have done?

Virtud nazarena: Solidaridad

 

SOLIDARIDAD 

Solidaridad más fraternidad = comunión.

Mantener siempre atentos los oídos al grito de dolor de los demás y escuchar su llamada de socorro, es Solidaridad.

Mantener la mirada siempre alerta y los ojos tendidos sobre el mar en busca de algún náufrago en peligro, es Solidaridad.

Sentir como algo propio el sufrimiento del hermano de aquí y del de allá hacer propia la angustia de los pobres, es Solidaridad.

Llegar a ser la voz de los humildes, descubrir la injusticia y la maldad, denunciar al injusto y al malvado, es Solidaridad.

Dejarse transportar por un mensaje cargado de esperanza, amor y paz, hasta apretar la mano del hermano, es Solidaridad.

Convertirse uno mismo en mensajero del abrazo sincero y fraternal que unos pueblos envían a otros pueblos, es Solidaridad.

Compartir los peligros en la lucha por vivir en justicia y libertad arriesgando, en amor hasta la vida, es Solidaridad.

Entregar por amor hasta la vida es la prueba mayor de la amistad, es vivir y morir con Jesucristo, es Solidaridad. 

LEONIDAS Proaño

5th Day Christmas novena "Look for your star"

 

INNKEEPER

To say in my favour is that it was all busy... Like them, thousands of people had previously come with the same or worse circumstances... I can't say yes to everyone, doesn't that happen to you? Aren't there times when you can't say yes to everyone? It's true that they inspired me a lot of tenderness... and you could even say that I felt very sorry for them. But as I say, there was no room. That day I was busy with a thousand things... I couldn't stop to attend to the requests of someone to whom I couldn't give service. Haven't you sometimes had more important things to do than to attend to Jesus?

The life of an innkeeper is hard... Always on duty, always making sure that everything is perfect... always ready to attend to the requests of the clients. The hustle and bustle is non-stop, there is little time to stop, he will think about enjoying himself, share... You can't get too involved in the lives of others because the reality is that everyone here is just passing through... Some come and some go... You can't involve your feelings in your work... otherwise you'll end up in a bad way. You have to keep your manners, your head up and above all not get personally involved, I'm overwhelmed when I hear stories and dramas... and if I get involved with each one I don't live!

The truth is that I did what I could with what I had, they should be happy that I got them a place... We do what we can with the way things are... I am Andrew the Innkeeper and who are you?

Does the suffering of the others affect you? When it was the last time you feel compassion for someone?

4th Day Christmas novena "Look for your star"

 MAGI

What madness the three of us got ourselves into! The truth is that we didn't really agree on how to approach that event, setting out on the road was the most difficult thing, we each had our own opinion, and on the other hand there was the question of what we had to take with us...

We didn't leave empty-handed, in fact you could say that we were carrying too much... on the way we had to get rid of a lot of things because otherwise we wouldn't get there in time. It's true that many things were important, but so important that we didn't make it to our appointment with destiny/history... GOD!

Of course the road wasn't easy, as you know, leaving the comfort zone... (but what are we going to tell you? Being Christians you must have overcome that, right?)

There were many moments of doubt and the signs were not always so obvious. The desert has something very curious and that is that it connects you with that side of smallness next to that immensity so big and at the same time it makes you feel unique in that eternity of sand. 

I think it can be said that each of the three of us connected with ourselves... that there was a personal process in what we were all living... But it was also nice to share the path in company... What's more, I dare say that, although the decisions of each one were personal, if we hadn't shared the path we wouldn't have got so far (we each contributed the best of ourselves and our knowledge at the service of the other... something similar to what you experience in your communities and groups, right?) We are the Magi... and who are you?

Who is going along with you in the way to searching for God´s will?