Jesus, Mercy Incarnate

child, and sometimes with no other clear purpose in doing so than simply to fill her with joy, and to kindle her affections for Himself. For example, as she wrote in her diary (entry no. 608-609): When Mass began, a strange silence and joy filled my heart. Just then I saw our Lady with the Infant Jesus, and the Holy Old Man [St. Joseph] standing beside them. The most holyMother said to me, “Take my dearest Treasure,” and she handed me the Infant Jesus. When I took the Infant Jesus in my arms, the Mother of God and St. Joseph disappeared, and I was left alone with the Infant Jesus. I said to Him: “I know that you are my Lord and my Creator even though you are so tiny.” Jesus stretched out His little arms tome and looked at me with a smile. My spirit was filled with incomparable joy. Then suddenly, Jesus disap- peared, and it was time for Holy Communion. I went with the other sisters to the Holy Table, my soul deeply moved. After Holy Communion I heard these words in my soul: “I am in your heart, I whom you had in your arms.” 7 This account from St. Faustina’s diary calls to mind the mysti- cal experiences of another great holy soul: St. Francis of Assisi. 8 One Christmas eve, St. Francis attended the celebration of Mass in the little town of Greccio in Italy. That night he illustrated the low- liness of Christ’s birth by bringing a live ox and a live ass around the altar, and then by amiracle, the baby Jesus appeared on the altar as well in the sight of all the people. The Christ Child appeared that night not to teach, or admonish, or communicate any complicated message. Evidently, He simply came to express to St. Francis and the people of Greccio an aspect of the mystery of His Incarnation: that He was born on Christmas night, first of all, in such a “charming and irresistible” form that He might thereby draw our affections toward Himself. Such is the attractive power of God among us, as a babe in a manger. Perhaps it is true, as some theologians in the Franciscan tradition have speculated, that even if mankind had never fallen into sin, the 24 Jesus, Mercy Incarnate