The Little Maid & The Companions of Heaven – Christmas Meditation Day 5 (Dec 29)

The Little Maid

Salame is the name of the maiden to Our Lady tradition passes along. She is shown here with water on her head to bathe Baby Jesus.

Tradition asserts that besides Joseph and Mary there was present in the stable at Bethlehem a little maid, who had accompanied them from Nazareth and ministered to Our Lady and the new-born Child. 

1.  Consider the happiness of this little servant who was privileged to wait upon the holy Mother of God.  If to wait upon a queen is considered an honor worthy of maidens of the highest birth, how much more to wait upon the Queen of heaven!  Angels must have envied her the task, and longed to be allowed to share in it.  I, too, can wait upon Mary by walking in processions in her honor, by kneeling before her statue, by offering her flowers or votive candies, or, if this is out of my power, by declaring to her my loyalty and desire to serve her. 

2.  Consider this maiden had a still greater privilege.  She ministered to God Himself as He lay in the manger.  She had the singular honor of being the first after His Mother and St. Joseph to wait upon the King of kings; nay, to carry Him in her arms, and to look upon the face of God; to fold Him to her bosom.  How pure and holy she must have been!  How pure and holy I ought to be who in holy Communion am brought into still closer contact with the sacred body of Christ!  

3.  Consider how you would have acted had you been that little servant.  Imagine yourself ministering to the Infant Jesus.  How unworthy of the task, yet how eager to fulfill it well, to anticipate the wishes of Mary!  Do I thus minister to Him in His brethren?

 

The Companions of Heaven

Their lot is among the saints. (Wisdom v. 5.) 

1.  How much of our happiness depends upon those among whom we dwell!  There are some whose very presence is enough and more than enough to satisfy us; the mere fact of being in their company is a source of continual pleasure.  If this is the case with those who are still full of imperfections and faults, how much more in heaven, where every one will be purged of all that offends us in them on earth!  Every one of the saints and angels will be not only a congenial but a most delightful companion. 

2.  But there will be some who will feast our souls with their company and conversation beyond the rest: our friends on earth will be our friends in heaven; we shall recognize each and all.  All to whom we have done any kindness for Christ’s sake will come to thank us then; above all, any whom we have had the happiness of saving from sin by precept or example will never tire of pouring out upon us the abundance of their gratitude.  What more delicious pleasure than this?  

3.  Yet there will be dearer companions still.  The saints of God, our patron saint, our guardian angel, how shall we linger in their sweet society!  The saints to whom we have had a special devotion, before all St. Joseph and Our Lady, how surpassing sweet to be with them!  Yet all this is only a reflection of the joy we shall derive from beholding the Lamb Who had been slain, our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

Pray to dwell now in heart in the company of the saints and angels.

 


This article, The Little Maid & The Companions of Heaven – Christmas Meditation Day 5 (Dec 29) is a post from The Bellarmine Forum.
https://bellarmineforum.org/devotional/the-catholic-daily/christmastide-meditations/the-little-maid-the-companions-of-heaven-christmas-meditation-day-5-dec-29/
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