Picture by Caravaggio
The story continues...
'While they were there, the time came for Mary to deliver her child and she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them at the inn'. Luke 2:6-7
Reflection
God slips into the human family barely noticed, creator of sun, moon and stars, born, held, comforted, changed and fed. This is the greatest mystery. This is the breathtaking humility of God, the God who risks being rejected, ignored and despised, coming in poverty and disgrace, born in an animal shed to unmarried refugee parents. What kind of God is this?
Exercise
If you can, become still and quiet, close your eyes and imagine you are in the stable in Bethlehem, with all its smells and sounds, the texture of the straw, the cold air. Let events unfold in your imagination. When you are ready end the time with silent or spoken thanksgiving. The darkest time in the year, The poorest place in town, Cold, and a taste of fear, Man and woman alone. What can we hope for here? More light than we can learn, More wealth than we can treasure, More love than we can earn, More peace than we can measure, Because one child is born. Michael Mayne
A blessing you may want to say aloud...
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in me. Attributed to St Patrick
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