The Christian life is contemplative by nature; we Christians stand before the mysteries of our salvation. The honest reflection can only produce a deep gratitude and leaves us in awe of the mystery, an experience that is renewed as we become familiar with the mystery.
The seasons of Advent and Christmas, because of the symbolic force that characterizes them, create an atmosphere that favors the contemplation of the mystery of God who becomes a child; for this reason, we would like to propose some books of spirituality written by priests who were students of Sedes Sapientiae, which will surely be useful for your prayer.
Don Juan Carlos Vizoso, priest of the diocese of Segorbe-Castellón, proposes in Mirando al Misterio (Palabra, 2020) to contemplate the scene of the manger from the heart of Mary. Meditating on the Magnificat and the attitudes of those who came in contact with the newborn Lord, unfolded in the Christmas Gospels, the spanish priest proposes to move our imagination towards affection.
St. Joseph, through dreams, received indications from God on how he should react to the mystery that was presented to him and obviously to the challenges it entailed. In Dormir, como un sacramento (Buenaprensa, 2019) Francisco Armando Gómez Ruiz, priest of the Archdiocese of Morelia, through a biblical, theological and scientific journey, invites us to recognize the value, complexity and importance of sleep. Adam, Jacob and even Christ sleeping are presented as a good response to a fast life that can diminish our spiritual life.
That the Son of God chose to be incarnated in the bosom of a family gives us pause to reflect on how our families remain and will always remain a privileged place for loving God and neighbor. Fr. Jinu Thekkethalackal of the clergy of Tamil Nadu reflects on this in his book Kudumbam Adhunikayugathil (2011), written in Malayalam, the language of Kerala, India.
Merry Christmas and happy new year 2021!