“O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of heaven: come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into freedom.”
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold.
In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.
Our Novena readings are excerpts from the Christmas letters of St. Paul of the Cross.
The life of the true servants of God is to die every day: "We die daily. You are dead and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Now this is the mystical death that I want to see in you. Just as I have full confidence that in the celebration of the holy Divine Mysteries you will have been reborn in Christ Jesus to a new and godlike life, so I desire that you die mystically in Christ a little more every day and allow those butterflies that flit through your mind, those things of naught, to disappear in the depth of the Divinity. "Your life is hidden with Christ in God."
Many years ago I spoke with a poor, sick Neapolitan, and he told me: "Listen, my Father, I have in my head and think of one thing only." "What do you think about?" I replied to him. "I think in my head of death." "You are doing well," I replied and gave him good advice....think of the mystical death. He who is mystically dead does not think of anything else except living a godlike life; he wants nothing else than God the Highest and Best; he cuts off all other thoughts, no matter how good they might be, to have one alone, and that is God the Best. He awaits without solicitude what God disposes for him, cutting off everything that is outside so that there is no impediment to the divine work which takes place within, in the intimate inner cell where no creature can come near, neither angelic nor human, but only God dwells in the intimate center or essence or mind or sanctuary of the soul, where the powers remain attentive to the divine work and to that Divine Birth which is celebrated every moment in the one who has the good fortune to be dead mystically. I am in a hurry. This note is very mystical, not for silly devotees, but for strong souls, and must be taken seriously , for one can err greatly. Pray for me. I embrace you in Jesus Christ.