Patriarch Daniel: Pro-life students perform soul-saving work. Christ the Child reveals mystery of humble and generous love

Christ came into the world as a Child “to reveal the great mystery of humble and generous love: a child can be ignored, as it often happens, it can be rejected, it can be killed in the womb or it can be granted all the attention, all the care and all the affection fit for the great mystery of life – the mystery of God’s co-working with man,” said Patriarch Daniel on Monday to the first Christmas carolers of this year.

“The child cannot survive if it doesn’t receive help, if it is not carried in the womb and then in our arms. It cannot feed by itself in the first part of its life, it cannot dress, it cannot walk by itself. Thus, God the Child totally depends on the affection offered by the Mother of God, on the care ensured by Rightous Josef, His adoptive father, on the benevolence of those surrounding Him and on the holy angels, who protected Him when His life was threatened by Herod the Great,” added the Patriarch.

“Therefore God the Child totally depends in His humanity by the surrounding people’s love. We can see revealed here the mystery of His humbleness and also the mystery of our freedom: a child can be neglected, forgotten, ignored or it can be loved and helped.”

This year’s first group of Christmas carolers received at the Patriarchal Residence was made of two pro-life organizations: Studenți Pentru viață – Romania’s pro-life students’ association – and România Pentru viață – “Romania for Life” association.

Both entities are involved in organizing Romania’s March for Life and in supporting women in pregnancy crisis.

His Beatitude said they perform soul-saving work by reminding people that they are called to lovingly protect the most vulnerable – born and unborn children.

“You have emphasized the mystery of Jesus the Child,” Patriarch Daniel told them. “This is also the focus of the pro-life students’ association, as we have been taught that the mystery of Jesus the Child is the mystery of God the Child.”

“Theologians have insisted less on this great mystery of the Almighty God Who is making Himself totally powerless at two crucial moments: His Nativity and His death on the Cross. These moments show us that God’s humbleness, according to St. Basil the Great, is stronger than His almightiness. Better said, His almightiness is best revealed by His becoming Flesh – it is revealed not so much at the creation of the world, but rather at His Incarnation, through His ability to humble Himself as a Child, obeying even in death – and even willingly-accepted death through crucifixion,” added Patriarch Daniel.

“Blessed Augustine says Jesus the Child runs the galaxies from His Mother’s womb. Therefore He humbles Himself by becoming a Child, never ceasing to be the Almighty Creator in Whom, through Whom and for Whom everything was created.”

Holy Apostle Paul, in his Epistle to the Colossians, “is the only biblical author who says the world was created for Him. Thus, the whole universe is the gift of the Father for the Son, since the Son was to descend into the world in order to consecrate it and perfect it,” the Patriarch of Romania further explained.

“Therefore, while running all the galaxies, He is also a little Child in Virgin Mary’s womb,” reiterated His Beatitude. “We have here the great mystery of Christ, Who, while remaining what He is, that is while remaining God, He also became what He was not, He became a Man.”

“The question is why Christ did not come into the world as a 30-year old man, to fight with the surrounding world and to teach people how to go through death and Resurrection? Why did he have to be a Child first?”

“It was needed that Christ the Lord show, through the mystery of His Incarnation, the importance of the child in the life of its parents and in the life of mankind,” explained the Patriarch of Romania.

“Through each child, the parents remember they were once children and they were cared for, fed, protected and, later, educated. So, Child Jesus’ humbleness calls upon the adults to increase their attention, care and responsibility, and urges children to show gratitude.”

Patriarch Daniel added that scholastic theology put less emphasis on the mystery of God’s Incarnation, which “remains, to the end of time, the mystery of God’s humble love.”

“Generally, people are used to believing that God is almighty, but the Nativity of Child Jesus shows us that God’s love is essentially humble, generous and merciful. That is why the salvation of one’s soul will depend on how much merciful love we have shown – not possessive love, but merciful and giving love.”

“Therefore, the pro-life students perform soul-saving work: salvation is attained only through communion – communion among people and between people and God. This is also the mystery of the Church,” His Beatitude mentioned.

“We wish you happy holidays, help from God in your activity and may you announce the good tidings of Christ’s humble and giving love as the mystery of eternal life, which starts here, in history, and continues in the heavenly love of the Holy Trinity. Merry Christmas!” concluded the Patriarch.