Sunday
We daringly believe that God’s presence was poured into a single human being, so that humanity and divinity can be seen to be operating as one in him—and therefore in us!
—Richard Rohr
Monday
What if, instead of doing something, we were to be something special? Be womb. Be dwelling for God. Be recollected, and be surprised.
—Loretta Ross-Gotta
Tuesday
Show us the face of the Christ who was gravely dependent, who needed to be held, fed, washed. Who needed to be soothed and rocked to sleep. If we are to honor the divine in us, may it be this divinity—fully embodied, fully dignified in the body. Amen.
—Cole Arthur Riley
Wednesday
The celebration of Christmas is not exclusively a sentimental waiting for a baby to be born. It is much more an asking for history to be born! We do the gospel no favor when we make Jesus, the Eternal Christ, into a perpetual baby, who asks little or no adult response from us.
—Richard Rohr
Thursday
Advent isn’t the acceptance of status-quo peace, but an incarnation of God’s peace that we live in the world. The peacemakers formed by advent are those who resist empire, who practice hospitality with neighbors, and who enter into solidarity with God in the work of liberation for everyone.
—Kelly Nikondeha
Friday
The full and participatory meaning of Christmas is that this one universal mystery of divine incarnation is also intended for us and continues in us!
—Richard Rohr
Week Fifty-Two Practice
Keep the Christ Candle Lit
Spiritual companion and writer Leslye Colvin suggests how we can continue to carry the gift of incarnation beyond the Christmas Season:
Once again, we have journeyed through the Season of Advent and arrived into the Season of Christmas. We ponder the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem where they were accompanied by uncertainty and the unexpected. The birth of the Holy One must have been ineffable for them in many ways. Even so, they knew that this prophesied and long-awaited birth was not the end of uncertainty or the unexpected in their lives.
God gifted the couple with the responsibility of loving and nurturing this child. Mary and Joseph prepared Jesus to grow into his true identity, human and divine. They were not removed from the challenges of this world, but surely their perspective and knowing were expanded by God’s grace. Sharing a special bond, they embodied a profound humility and a courageous faith. How many times must they have paused, prepared, and waited to discern God’s wisdom over the years?
Now, it is our responsibility. In the midst of the world’s challenges, how do we love and nurture the Christ? This question may be more challenging if we pack away the joy of this season with holiday decorations, or if we discard the awe of the Incarnation with the dried-out Christmas tree. It may help to remember that in spite of our lavish decorations and the size of our Christmas budget, neither reflects our living connection to the Holy One.
If we truly desire to celebrate the Incarnation let us consider paths leading us to seek Emmanuel, God is with us, as a way of life. We need not confine our attention to Christmas Day or the Christmas Season. The Christ light is always lit. We are sure to see it as we live the Beatitudes, and encounter our siblings on the margins. When we do, we may be surprised to recognize that all along it was the light of Christ guiding us there.
Reference:
Leslye Colvin, Seeking Wisdom’s Light: Reflections for Advent and Christmas 2024 (Washington, DC: Pax Christi USA, 2024), 22–23. Used with permission.
Image credit and inspiration: Nathan Dumlao, Untitled (detail), 2020, photo, Unsplash. Click here to enlarge image. We are born into this world a holy incarnation.
