"A Savior Has Been Born For You"

To what extent is each of us aware that Jesus was born to save us? To save me?

More than two thousand years ago, an angel announced great news for all of humanity: "a savior has been born for you" (Lk 2:11). It was given first to a group of shepherds, simple people who left their flock and went to Bethlehem to worship him.

For the shepherds this news came in an extraordinary way, with the appearance of an angel and then a heavenly court singing Glory to God in the highest! For each one of us, probably this great news was given to us by a loved one, our mother, our father, our grandparents, perhaps even mixing the birth of Jesus with the coming of Santa Claus to give us presents.

So from an early age we know that Jesus was born and his birthday is a big celebration. However, it may be that until today we are still not aware that this birth was because of me, because of you, because of the infinite love of the Father for each one of us who wants, one day, to be with us in the eternal joy of Heaven.

And in order for Heaven to be possible for us, it was necessary for God Himself to become incarnate in the virginal womb of Mary Most Holy and be born in a poor cave in Bethlehem. "A Savior has been born for you." With how much joy and gratitude should we celebrate this day! With how much love we should try to return that gesture of infinite love.

How can I increase this awareness that Jesus was born for me?

We live in a materialistic society, focused on the here and now, which doesn't care about the transcendent. So, we need to strive to have this vision of Heaven, that we need salvation, and that the Savior is a person who loves me and wants to communicate with me.

Therefore, the first step is to stop and contemplate. Take a few minutes a day to reflect this reality: "A Savior has been born for you" and He is among us! To look at nature, to look into the eyes of those we love and live with, and to see the love and goodness of God through these people and through all the created things that have been put at our service.

We can contemplate some event of our day, of the last week, and ask ourselves: what does God want to tell me with this? What do I say to myself? How can I respond to God? These three questions help us to see God's action in our concrete life, how Divine Providence leads the events to the realization of His plan of love for the life of each one of us.

Then we should give thanks. To be glad that we are alive, that we have the capacity to love and to be loved. To be thankful also for the difficulties that serve to mature us and bring us closer to God, who wants to take care of every little detail of our lives.

And finally, to give back. We receive so much every day, we can try to give back at least a little by bringing joy to someone, helping the needy, doing some renouncing, offering this sacrifice for the good of the ones we love the most.

In this way, by trying to bring into our daily reality the wonderful news that “a Savior has been born for you” and we have been really saved, that we are loved and that we just need to accept this salvation and live according to this reality, little by little we will be better and happier people.