January 24, 2026
Summary of the Morrow’s Meditation
We will consider tomorrow: 1st, the gratitude; 2nd, the confidence that we owe to the Child Jesus in the cradle. We will then make the resolution: 1st, to produce often aspirations of gratitude and love toward the divine Child; 2nd, never to let ourselves be cast down or discouraged by our weaknesses, but to constantly encourage ourselves to a better life and to confidence in the helps of Jesus. Our spiritual nosegay shall be the chant of the Church: Who would not return love for love to a God so loving?
Meditation for the Morning
Let us approach with love the cradle of the Child Jesus. Let us consider Him in this humble bed entirely occupied with us and our salvation. Let us thank Him, bless Him for so much love, and love this God who loved us first.
FIRST POINT
Gratitude Due to Jesus in the Cradle.
The life of Jesus in His cradle was not an unoccupied life like that of other children. In this state where the human eye sees only a child who seems to sleep, Jesus is continually occupied with each one of us, and makes profitable use of all His moments to save us. The zeal for our salvation absorbs Him entirely. It is this zeal which, eight days after His birth, makes Him shed the firstfruits of His blood under the knife of circumcision; it is this zeal which, from His cradle, raises His little hands toward heaven to avert the blows against our first cries to wash away our stains, and to extinguish the fire of heavenly anger. It is this zeal which day and night draws from His heart such fervent prayers to call down upon us all the graces we have received until now, and which we will receive in the future, not only for us, but for all Christians; for He embraces in His prayer all centuries and all countries. It is this zeal which makes Him cherish and precious the swaddling bands that bind Him, the linens that envelop Him. He delights to present Himself in this state before His Father to deliver us from slavery by the merit of His bonds; and before us, to make us renounce, by so great an example, this unhappy freedom that wants everything that pleases, all tastes and comforts. It is this zeal, finally, which determined Him to take upon Himself all our infirmities, to pass through all degrees of weakness, even to be distinguished in nothing from other children, and to be looked upon with pity by the crowd as a weak and powerless being. O my Jesus, how can I thank You enough for so many sacrifices, so many prayers, so much devotion to our salvation? Oh! that I had the heart of all the angels and all the saints to offer You worthy acts of thanksgiving! Thank You a thousand times, my God, who have loved me so much; thank You, I will say it again throughout all eternity.
SECOND POINT
Confidence Due to Jesus in the Cradle.
When God gave His law to the ancient people, He promulgated it amid lightning and thunder, because He wished to hold in duty by the sentiment of fear this gross and indocile people. Under the new law, it is no longer by fear that the Lord wishes to lead us, but by confidence and love for children; fear is for slaves, and the discouraged soul is good for nothing. Fear can sometimes prevent evil; confidence alone gives the courage to do much good; it multiplies strength and repairs past evil by the present. This is why our great God, descending to earth to give the world a better and more perfect law than the ancient one, takes the form of a little child, the most proper to inspire confidence. And indeed, who would fear to approach a child and not speak to him quite freely? Let those tremble who want to persist in evil; but let those who no longer hope and who want to love the God become a little child through love. Let their hearts expand with confidence at the sight of the benignity of His face, the sweetness, love, goodness that shine in all His features; let their abated courage rise again and let them cry out with the prophet: Behold the God my Saviour, I will go with Him in confidence and no longer let myself be troubled by fear. I will rejoice to see my salvation in the hands of a good God rather than in my own. Never will I have so bad a surgeon, nor so much power, nor so much wisdom, nor so much zeal of love; but I will never let myself be discouraged; I will always encourage myself to live better, to repair the past by better conduct and more zeal for my perfection.
Resolutions and spiritual nosegay as above.
Note on Recovery of Missing Meditation (Second Week after Epiphany: Saturday)
This meditation (Saturday of the Second Week after Epiphany) was lost in the original English publication by Benziger Brothers (1894 third edition), where pages 251–282 (and beyond) are missing from the available digitized copy.
The content has been recovered and translated directly from the corresponding section of the original French edition (Méditations pour tous les jours de l'année, by Rev. M. Hamon, 3rd edition equivalent, 1894), preserving the exact meaning, style, tone, and meditative structure of the 1894 English translation as closely as possible.
This recovery ensures continuity of the work while respecting the historical source material.