A meditation offered by Haswell Beni, Florence, Italy.
Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Purify our conscience, O Lord, as you once purified your temple in Jerusalem.
The season of waiting has come to an end. The Messiah was born in a humble manger because there was no room in the inn. Mary and Joseph, ordinary people of their time, as we are in ours, simply did their part in God’s great story of salvation. When the long-awaited Messiah entered the world, He revealed where His true passion lay. His passion was not the manger, but His temple, our hearts. The Apostle Paul reminded the Corinthians, “You are God’s temple” (1 Cor. 3:16). We too can welcome Jesus into our hearts, however filthy or unworthy they may seem. It is His passion to cleanse and dwell within them. Each of us is a living temple He longs to inhabit. You are His treasured possession. And the gift He desires most is your heart—His temple. When you offer it to Him, His passion will transform you into a living example of love—a good neighbor among neighbors – a Beloved Community.
Advent draws to an end and Christmas begins. Love enters the world. Let that love of Jesus transform you within and pour out of you to others.
The Good Samaritan tends to the unknown victim, welcoming a stranger into his life and on his journey.