I have a dear friend whose sister is expecting a baby in December.
Ultrasounds have confirmed that the child is a boy. The mother is young and unmarried. The father is currently making his way guardedly through life, trying to provide for his new family by doing the right thing and is away preparing for his future service to the military. While they have an extremely supportive family, the couple certainly could be described as poor.
Sound familiar? All analogies aside, the circumstances of this story are a great reminder of a simple truth.
The Christmas story did not just happen 2000 years ago in Bethlehem, a land far away and often glorified in our imaginations. The Christmas story is as real today as it was then, and we can learn much by reflecting on the humble circumstances of both of these very special families’then, and now.
We are in the middle of the Advent season, a time of preparation for the season of Christmas.
During this season, Christians are called to be watchful and hopeful, preparing for the coming of Jesus and reflecting on the very real ways Jesus meets us in our everyday lives.
Traditionally, the four Sundays of Advent represent the coming of Jesus manifested in four different ways: as the Incarnation, God made man; at the end of time, the Second Coming; at our own natural death; and finally, into our hearts, which we might describe as the process of conversion.
It is this coming of Jesus into our hearts that has compelled me to become so interested in the family I described above.
Their story has gotten me to thinking that none of us can predict the circumstances of our lives or anyone else’s for that matter, but that we can prepare ourselves spiritually to react to them.
One of the best ways to prepare is to seek first to understand the people we meet and do this without first passing judgment upon them. Mother Teresa once remarked that her spiritual discipline was to seek to see the face of Jesus in everyone that she served, no matter their race, creed, economic situation, or health.
In our Advent prayer, we might ask ourselves how well we accomplish this. Who will you come into contact with today that deserves your understanding and compassion?
Remarkably, when we practice understanding and compassion, we transform ourselves at the same time we cast the light of Christ onto others.
This manifestation, or sign of God, is an indication that something very real is present. It will not go unnoticed. Jesus comes into your heart in a profound way and has an effect on all for whom you pray or serve.
I do not personally know the little family I described above, but I can tell you they have been an integral part of my Advent prayer. I thank God for them, for the reminder that I am called to be understanding and compassionate toward all God’s people.
Have a blessed Advent season, and a joyous Christmas!
Cheryl Smith is director of Adult Faith Formation at St. Daniel Catholic Church.