The Nativity

Jesus Christ is born. We are standing at the moment of the Birth of Christ. The Incarnation began at a certain instant in time. The Birth of Jesus took place in Bethlehem, bringing to light what had begun in secret. All of Creation has a share in the glory that is revealed in the Birth of the Messiah, the Redeemer Who was promised to our first parents. Advent and Christmas invite us to contemplate the Gift and the details surrounding its unveiling. Every Sacrament we experience suggests that it is still bearing fruit.

The birth of a child deserves to be met with joy by all. Each new human being should be recognized as a miracle, a precious reminder that God is still in the business of bringing forth our human nature, no matter how badly we may be responding to His generous Love. Sadly, in our day, the birth of a child is often looked upon as something to be avoided. And yet, the whole world still celebrates Christmas, even in a secularized form.

It has become commonplace to consider the child in the womb as an abstraction, a being that has no value or worth until it is brought to birth. Every mother knows that the child in her womb is a living being, a unique and unrepeatable gift. She acknowledges this deep within, even if she does not consciously hold this view. Women who have rejected their children at one level still long for them and mourn for them when they are gone at the level of being.

The simple fact that God chose to become one of us makes the birth of every human being something of eternal significance. It is the hope of Eternity that enables us to see goodness in the world. We want children to be born so that they and we may live our earthly lives and reach a fulfillment in Eternity. This same hope promises healing for those who make another false and deceptive "choice."

Mary and Joseph gave Jesus a place, albeit a humble place chosen by default. The Angels sang the truth of Salvation and the Glory that was revealed in that humble birth. Shepherds acknowledged the birth of the Good Shepherd, Christ the Lord. Magi journeyed from afar to acclaim the Universal King and Savior. We are invited to accept the One born in Bethlehem of Judea into our own lives. And so, Christ is born in us. In Him, Time and Eternity meet. Our time makes sense in the light of Who He Is and all that He reveals. He makes known to us the Truth of who we are and all that God wants for us. Born in Time, He brings us to birth in Eternity.