Bishop delivers Christmas Reflection

The Bishop of Meath, Most Rev Dr Michael Smith, has delivered his Christmas Reflection 2012: News reports commenting on Pope Benedict XVI's recently published book on the birth of Christ and His early years in Nazareth raised a few eyebrows. One headline boldly declared: "Pope kicks ox and donkey out of the crib". The reporter may not have had a chance to read the whole script. For on page 69 of the book, Pope Benedict states that "no representation of the crib would be complete without the ox and donkey". St Francis of Assisi was the first to create the crib. His wish was that the crib, depicting Christ's birth in Bethlehem, would speak to people in a language beyond words. As with much of the spirituality of St Francis, it is the imagination that opens us to the wonder and beauty of God. For eight hundred years, children and adults alike have recreated their own version of the crib, each one according to their time and place. For many decades now a large crib adorns St. Peter's Square in Rome. Yet the essence of the crib remains the same: a baby in the manger, Mary and Joseph on either side, straw on the ground - and yes, the ox and donkey in the background. In his book, Pope Benedict takes some time to reflect on the presence of the animals. He delves into the pages of the Old Testament and finds the following reference: "The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib; but Israel does not know, my people do not understand" (Is. 1:3). Using this biblical text, the Pope suggests that "the two animals appear as an image of a blind humanity which now, before the child, has learned to recognise God". Here we begin to touch the purpose of Christ's birth - that we would recognise God in the presence of the child. God has uncovered His face, and His face is that of a child in a manger. It is little wonder that, for St Francis, this mystery was too great for words. Only the imagination could begin the grasp the significance of what took place on the night when a young mother gave birth to a child, the Son of God. And one might go so far as to suggest that, because they were unhindered by words or language, the ox and donkey could better sense the presence of their Creator. The birthplace of our Saviour was a frugal setting, and not by accident. God intended that His entry into humanity would, from the outset, be consistent with Christ's earthly mission. Later Jesus would stand on a hill outside Capernaum, overlooking the Sea of Galilee, to deliver the Sermon on the Mount. There He proclaimed that they are blessed who are poor in spirit, who are meek and gentle, who are pure in heart, who mourn, who thirst for justice, who seek peace (Mt 5:1-8). When He overheard His disciples argue which of them was the greatest, He placed a child in the centre among them and said that 'anyone who welcomes a little child like this welcomes me'. (Mt 18:4). By His birth as a child in a bed of straw, Christ has told us that our true value lies, not in power and achievement, but in our dignity as children of God. For many households, this Christmas is a more frugal experience. The gifts are less than they were before; the struggle to make ends has become a greater and demanding priority. The absence of loved ones away from home, perhaps for the first time, will be felt by those who miss them most. Poverty is never a virtue, and the burdens on families in need call for generosity and solidarity on the part of the whole community. I hope that the frugal setting of the crib will speak to us this Christmas of God's solidarity with us, whatever the circumstances in which we find ourselves. God found a way of making Himself totally accessible to all humanity by His birth as a child on a bed of straw. The stable door was open when the shepherds found their way. There is no bolt on the door that leads us to the love and the all embracing heart of God. The very essence of Christmas invites us to lift our minds and hearts beyond the horizon of this world, beyond the material that so often enslaves us, to the God who in the very name of Jesus - God with us - seeks to envelope us in His eternal love. It invites us to ponder on the "why" of life, its meaning and destiny. Faith does not rest on personal convenience but it builds a relationship with the one who, born of Mary in Bethlehem, stooped down to each of us. God Himself has removed all obstacles to us finding in Him the hope and peace which no earthly possession could ever provide for us. Even the ox and donkey share a sacred space, not just with shepherds, kings and joyous parents, but with the Son of God in the presence of a child. The real joy of Christmas comes to those who gaze in awe and wonder before the miracle that God has come among us in such a lowly, yet beautiful way.