A Conversation with the Christ-Child

As often as I look at the place where the Lord is born, my heart enters into a wondrous conversation with the Child Jesus:
And I say, “Dear Lord Jesus, how you are shivering; how hard you lie for my sake, for the sake of my redemption. How can I repay you?”
Then I seem to hear the Child’s answer, “Dear Hieronymus, I desire nothing but that you shall sing ‘Glory to God in the highest’ and be content. I shall be even poorer in the Garden of Olives and on the Holy Cross.”
I speak again, “Dear Jesus, I have to give you something. I will give you all my money.”
The Child answers, “Heaven and earth already belong to me. I do not need your money; give it to the poor people and I will accept it as if it were given to me.”
Then I say, “Dear Jesus, I will gladly do so, but I have to give something to you personally, or I would die of grief.”
The Child answers, “Dear Hieronymus, since you are so very generous, I will tell you what you should give me. Give me your sins, your bad conscience, and those things that condemn you.”
I reply, “What will you do with them?”
The Child says, “I will carry them upon my shoulders; that shall be my sovereignty and glorious deed.”
Then I begin to weep bitter tears and say, “Little child, dear little child, I thought you wanted my good deeds, but you want all my evil deeds. Take what is mine, give to me what is Thine. So I shall be free from sin and certain of eternal life.”

Hieronymus, written shortly before his death in 420 A.D.