Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

There must be hundreds of Christmas carols, from many countries and in many languages. St. Josemaria’s favorite is in Spanish, and it’s based on a beautiful medieval tradition of providing shelter for the homeless at Christmastime. It’s called “Madre en la puerta hay un nino” which means “Mom, there’s a kid at the door.”

A little boy, more beautiful than the shining sun, knocks on the door and says he’s freezing cold because he’s dressed in rags. The mother says, “Let him in and he can warm up by the fire place, because these days there’s no more love in the world.” The mother asks him where’s he’s from, and he says, he says, “Well, my father’s from heaven and so is my mother, and I’ve come down to earth to suffer!” It turns out, he is the Christ Child!

When we provide shelter for the homeless, we are providing a home for Jesus Christ himself.

P.S. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.