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Gospel: Luke 2: 16-21
The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.
When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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By now all of our Christmas gifts have been unwrapped and stowed away. Perhaps a few have been re-gifted or returned. We can literally say, “Christmas was last year.”
While that day has come and gone, we are invited to reflect upon the meaning of Christmas year-round.
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As we hear in the Gospel today, “Mary, kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.”
She didn’t go through the motions that first Christmas night. She paused. She pondered. She tried stitching together the meaning of it all.
I’m sure Mary thought about that providential encounter with the angel Gabriel nine months before; her 80-mile journey to visit her cousin, Elizabeth; Joseph’s acceptance of this divine plan; and the appearance of the magi from the East.
When she held the infant Jesus in her arms, she must’ve wondered, “Why me? Why was I chosen? Can I really care for this miracle made flesh?”
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Mary, “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.”
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But what is there for us to ponder about that first Christmas night?
Consider two minor details. First, Jesus was born in a “manger,” which was synonymous with a “feeding trough.”
Why would the Gospels describe Jesus being born in a “feeding trough”?
Just as animals feed from a trough, so Christians are meant to feed on Christ. He is nourishment for our body and soul. We feed on his Word at Mass, and, ultimately, we feed on his Body and Blood in the Eucharist.
Christians feed on Christ.
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Secondly, Jesus was wrapped in, “swaddling clothes.”
Just as a blanket was wrapped snugly around Christ’s body, so Christians are meant to conform their lives around Christ. We place our present, our past, and our future into his hands.
The opposite approach would be trying to wrap God around our own plans and desires.
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Although our Christmas gifts have been unwrapped and stowed away, we are invited to reflect upon the greatest gift of Christmas – Jesus Christ – year-round.
As we begin a new year, may we feed on his Word and his Body, and conform ourselves ever more to his will.
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Image credits: (1) Catholic News Agency (2) Archdiocese of Washington (3) Beautiful Baby Jesus, Twitter