Fr. Frank Majka, SJ – The Bridge

Message of the Manger

What do we see when we look at the manger scene? We see something that may be a little startling (babies aren’t usually put in hay bins to sleep), but babies themselves are nothing odd or unusual. It would be different if the baby Jesus were floating in the air above the manger or having a conversation with Mary his mother, but the Child simply lies there on his bed of straw — an utterly “normal” scene.

For the Christian believer, however, the scene in the stable is startling, for to the eyes of faith it discloses something wholly unexpected, namely that God is more self-emptying and self-giving than we could have ever imagined and, just as amazing, that our human nature is, by God’s grace, capable of containing the divine and not being destroyed in the process. This is something we would have never guessed in our own thoughts and imaginings. No other scene in history reveals the truth about God and humanity in such an profound and unexpected way.

As you go through the days of the Christmas season — and remember, though Christmas Day ends the secular season of shopping, in the church calendar it begins a 12 day continuous celebration of Jesus’ birth  — pray that the message of the manger  will shape how you see (and treat) both God and other human beings, including yourself.

Merry Christmas!