December 25, 2016
Nativity of the Lord
Children are you ready to make a journey? We are not taking a train or catching the Polar Express to the North Pole. We are finding our way to Bethlehem! Can we fly? Not enough time. Can we use a time-turner like Harry Potter, Ron & Hermonie? No. Too dangerous. But by listening to the Gospel according to St. Luke and entering into the story, we find ourselves transported to Bethlehem. All aboard!
Upon arriving, who will we see? Joseph and Mary. What will we see? St. Luke tells us: “While they were there, the time came for her to give birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.†There were no “Comfort Inns†at this time. The Greek word for “inn†or better “lodging†may refer to a courtyard that provided shelter, a shared hearth to prepare food and elevated terraces for cots or mats to sleep. When Mary was ready to give birth, there was no fitting space in this crowded place, so they found a stall apart from the lodging where Mary gave birth. She wrapped her new born son in pieces of cloth to keep him warm – a gesture of love and caring that is still used in many areas of the world. Then, Mary gently set the baby in a manger or trough – a grain box for animals.
We must ask a critical question: What is the deeper meaning of whom and of what we hear and see? It is almost too wonderful to comprehend. As the angel tells the shepherds, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the City of David, a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.â€
Today at Eucharist, we must create a place in our hearts and in our lives for Jesus to be birthed in us. We are given the opportunity to enter into friendship with Jesus, the Christ, when his teachings will become more an essential part of our lives. We must not only celebrate his birth but walk in his way and discover eternal life in him.
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4th Sunday of Advent
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Mary, Holy Mother of God
