So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what they had been told them about this child. (Luke 2:16–17)
The shepherds promptly go to look for that which had been told them, which shows the graces they had received. Like them, we must not delay when we seek Jesus Christ. When the shepherds went to find Jesus Christ, they found Mary and Jesus Christ, the mother and the child. We also discover the mystery of this holy family: like these innocent souls, we know them through our interior. It is there that we discover them. Nothing is said of the state of Mary and Joseph because the immense grandeur of their interior state does not permit us to speak. It is necessary to come to Jesus Christ to know and discern Mary and Joseph. It is the Son who gives intelligence about these profound states of these holy parents. The state of Mary and Joseph was an entirely interior state. O admirable uncreated Trinity! Who could ever speak of the sacred communion you had with the uncreated Trinity? These three holy people spent thirty years in a continual silence, in a communication that was entirely of the heart. There was a movement and response continually between them. Jesus Christ communicated continually with Mary, and Mary with Joseph. They gave to each other in the state of holy purity that they had received.
O the advantage of the interior life! There we discover the infant lying in the manger. That is to say, we discover in the interior this divine infant, who reposes in the foundation and center of the soul. He reposes so he can communicate his infant simplicity and his innocence. We can only comprehend this mystery by experience. Also, scripture tells us, that when they saw this, they made known what they had been told them about this child. As soon as the soul wants this experience, and she goes into her foundation to search for this, she proves the truth of what has been said, and tries to express the truth of this. O all of you who have difficulty believing this, experience this. You will discover Jesus Christ in your foundation and you will prove many times over what this scripture says.
And all who heard were amazed at what the shepherds had told them. (Luke 2:18)
Nothing arouses so much admiration as seeing this discovery by simple people. We know and believe how the simple are susceptible to impressions of grace, as it is written in that God says, “You who are simple, turn in here!” (Proverbs 9:4). Simple people who are susceptible to the impressions of grace have a singular privilege and a gift to communicate to others that the wise do not have. In this experience, we are filled with admiration.
But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19)
Mary who is the realized model of the truly interior soul pondered these words in her heart. Scripture does not say that she thought these things in her mind, although the mind is the source of thought. We see that in her heart she discerned and distinguished these things, not by the reflections of the mind. She ponders these things in herself in a profound silence and understands much more than she expresses.
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Luke 2:20)
Souls who have experienced this know so clearly that everything they have been told will happen. This charms them and ravishes them with admiration.
After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. (Luke 2:21)
After Christ is born, he is circumcised. In a like manner, the soul enters into the first days of the spiritual life, days of tenderness and caresses, and then enters into circumcision. However, the soul experiences this passively and not in action. It is God himself who subtracts a small part of what he himself had given the soul. O God! You are a wonderful father who circumcises all his infants! This is why on the day of circumcision the name is given to Jesus Christ. We see that the adorable name of Jesus is the name of salvation, which happens only in circumcision and the taking away of death and corruption from all creatures. Salvation needs this circumcision taking away death and corruption. This circumcision is something that must be done to enter into interior life. This is taken away from the creature so that our Savior imprints his character of salvation in our soul.
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), 24 and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” (Luke 2:22–24)
After the circumcision is accomplished, purification is necessary. It is strange that to reach consummation through this purification, it is necessary that the soul offers again the sacrifice of this divine infant, that is to say, after the soul has taken pains to find in his foundation this divine presence and to possess this, she is obliged to lose what is sensible and perceptible, and to make a sacrifice to the Lord our God, like the rest. O God! Everything should be presented, abandoned, and sacrificed to your will because God does not withhold any of himself from us.
As it says in scripture, all shall be designated as holy to the Lord, means that the soul passes through the circumcision and purification, which are the first movements of going to the foundation, the source of grace, and the soul must follow. If she is faithful to follow the grace of the foundation, she will live perfectly within the will of God. All the instincts that come from the foundation of the soul, which are the first movements of the heart, are called holy to the Lord because they all belong to him. The passions no longer rule the soul because the purification cleanses the soul and the soul is no longer in war with itself. Now movements from the foundation of the soul (which are the motions from the Holy Spirit which are in us) make us holy to the Lord. These motions are from God. Anything contrary and opposed to God are only superficial reflections.
God still wants the sacrifice of two turtledoves or two pigeons, to show that these are agreeable to God, if they are done in simplicity. God loves this simplicity and only in simplicity are they agreeable.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. (Luke 2:25–26)
When we look forward to the consolation of Israel, we never fail to receive consolation. This consolation is none other than Jesus Christ himself, who the soul desires to find. This is the consolation of interior souls, and they want only him. When a soul faithfully rests in a disposition of waiting, Jesus Christ never fails to manifest himself sooner or later.
The Holy Spirit rested on him. Simeon receives the revelation of Jesus Christ and says, “Now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation.” The knowledge of the life of the Word is finally given to him in this place with full power.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit. Therefore he was filled with the knowledge that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. We may see Jesus Christ without death but one cannot possess this life of Jesus Christ without death. The scripture also promised that he would see the kingdom of Jesus Christ given and that of the demon destroyed and annihilated.
Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law. (Luke 2:27)
This passage proves the interior motion and how the true servants of God are faithful