“Y el Verbo se hizo carne y habitó entre nosotros.” (Jn 1,14)

Dios ha dicho:

“Sed santos, porque Yo soy santo.” (Lev 11,45)

Pero permanecía oculto en su luz inaccesible, y la criatura necesitaba que Él descendiera, que viviera su vida, para que, siguiéndolo, pudiera ascender hasta Él y ser santa con su santidad.

“Por ellos me santifico a mí mismo,
para que ellos también sean santificados en la verdad.” (Jn 17,19)

Aquí me encuentro ante el misterio escondido desde siglos y generaciones, el misterio que es Cristo, “nuestra esperanza de gloria” (Col 1,27).
San Pablo dice que le fue dada la inteligencia de este misterio, y añade que se trata de un conocimiento que “sobrepasa todo conocimiento: el conocimiento del amor de Cristo Jesús” (Ef 3,19).

Él es mi paz, dice el Apóstol;
“por Él tengo acceso al Padre” (Ef 2,18),
pues ha querido el “Padre de las luces” (Sant 1,17)
que “en Él habitara toda la plenitud,
y que por Él reconciliara todas las cosas,
haciendo la paz por la sangre de su cruz.” (Col 1,19-20)

“De su plenitud hemos recibido todos”, continúa San Pablo.
“Con Él fuimos sepultados en el Bautismo,
y con Él resucitamos por la fe en el poder de Dios.
Nos dio vida juntamente con Él,
perdonándonos todos nuestros pecados,
borrando el decreto de condena que pesaba sobre nosotros,
clavándolo en la Cruz.
Despojó a los principados y potestades,
los exhibió públicamente,
triunfando sobre ellos en sí mismo.” (Col 2,9-15)

Todo esto lo hizo “para presentarnos santos, inmaculados e irreprochables ante el Padre.” (Col 1,22)

Este es el trabajo de Cristo en toda alma de buena voluntad.
Es la obra que su amor inmenso, su amor sin medida, desea realizar en mí.
Quiere ser mi paz, para que nada me distraiga ni me aparte de la fortaleza invencible del santo recogimiento.
Allí me dará acceso al Padre,
y me mantendrá quieto y sereno en su presencia,
como si mi alma ya viviera en la eternidad.

Por la sangre de su Cruz, pacificará mi pequeño cielo interior,
para que sea verdaderamente el reposo de la Trinidad.
Me llenará de sí mismo, me sepultará con Él,
me hará resucitar en su vida.

“Mihi vivere Christus est.”
— Para mí, vivir es Cristo. (Flp 1,21)

Y si caigo, una y otra vez,
Él me levantará con ternura, me perdonará,
borrará mis faltas con celo amoroso,
y aún más, me despojará, me liberará
de todo lo que impida su acción divina.

Llevará cautivas todas mis potencias,
triunfará sobre ellas en sí mismo,
hasta que pueda decir con verdad:

“Ya no soy yo quien vive,
es mi Maestro quien vive en mí.” (Gál 2,20)

Y entonces seré “santa, pura e irreprochable” ante los ojos del Padre.

— Santa Isabel de la Trinidad

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🇺🇸 Twelfth Day — “Verbum caro factum est”

“And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14)

God has said:

“Be holy, for I am holy.” (Leviticus 11:45)

But He remained hidden in His inaccessible light, and the creature needed Him to descend, to live its life, so that by following His footsteps, it might rise toward Him and be holy with His holiness.

“I sanctify myself for them,
that they also may be sanctified in the truth.” (John 17:19)

Here I stand before the mystery hidden for ages and generations, the mystery which is Christ, “your hope of glory” (Col 1:27).
Saint Paul says that the understanding of this mystery was given to him, and that it is a knowledge which “surpasses all other knowledge — the knowledge of the love of Christ Jesus” (Eph 3:19).

He is my peace, the Apostle tells me;
“it is through Him that I have access to the Father” (Eph 2:18),
for it has pleased the “Father of lights” (James 1:17)
that “in Him all fullness should dwell,
and through Him He should reconcile all things,
making peace through the Blood of His Cross.” (Col 1:19–20)

“From His fullness we have all received,” Paul continues.
“We were buried with Him in Baptism,
and in Him we rose again through faith in the power of God.
He brought us to life along with Him,
forgiving us all our sins,
canceling the decree of condemnation that weighed upon us,
nailing it to the Cross.
He disarmed the Principalities and Powers,
making a public spectacle of them,
triumphing over them in Himself.” (Col 2:9–15)

And all this “to present us holy, pure, and blameless before the Father.” (Col 1:22)

This is the work of Christ in every soul of good will.
It is the task that His immense, boundless love longs to fulfill in me.
He wants to be my peace, that nothing may disturb or draw me away from the invincible fortress of holy recollection.
There, He will give me access to the Father,
keeping me still and serene in His presence,
as though my soul were already living in eternity.

By the Blood of His Cross, He will make peace in my little heaven,
so that it may truly become the rest of the Three.
He will fill me with Himself, bury me with Him,
and make me live by His life.

“Mihi vivere Christus est.”
— For me, to live is Christ. (Phil 1:21)

And if I fall again and again,
He will raise me up in faithful tenderness.
I know that He will forgive me,
that He will erase all my faults with jealous care;
and beyond that, He will strip me, free me,
from all that hinders His divine action.

He will lead away all my powers,
making them His captives,
triumphing over them in Himself.

Then I shall have wholly passed into Him and be able to say:

“I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal 2:20)

And I shall be “holy, pure, and without reproach” in the Father’s eyes.

— Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity