These joyous days have hopefully found us gathered as families celebrating the nativity of Jesus; in that light, the octave of Christmas fittingly concludes with today's feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. As we gather in our homes, we find them filled with relatives, memories, and traditions. My own home still cradles a treasured family tradition; by the mantel stands our aged and cherished family nativity scene.
As children, the advent season began when these porcelain figures magically appeared by the hearth of our home. Mary and Joseph stood patiently gazing at the empty crib with no one yet by their side. Across the room, stood four plush sheep. Each one was marked at its hoof with one of the four brother’s names. The mission was simple: get to the manger! This was no easy task. Each little sheep would draw a little nearer the crib only if we had been faithful to our prayers and charitable — especially in the home. Every day, we would rise eager to see our progress. As we rushed to the living room, we would find them magically moved a little bit closer, or tragically drifting away from the nativity scene if our behavior was found wanting. This great march was all the more pressing because our father had very clearly emphasized that the Holy St. Nick would distribute gifts in proportion to our proximity to the Lord!
As our little herd pressed onwards, the living room was transformed. Each day, more figurines appeared. The shepherds arrived eager to join us in this urgent pilgrimage; other animals soon crowded the manger, little villages sprouted, and mini-train whistles filled the landscape of our living room. By Christmas Eve, we were surrounded by a world of wonder bound with bated breath and faces set like flint upon our Bethlehem. Through God's grace and an extra dose of motherly generosity, the four sheep would inevitably patter their way to the scene's center with muzzles nestled in the straw, gazing at the adorable infant Jesus.
As we reveled in the scene, we unknowingly became what we adored: a holy — or at least holier — family. This was the meaning of Christmas: to be brought into the Holy Family and become a small reflection of that precious family.
In my naiveté, I would occasionally try to slide myself forward and go unnoticed. Still, all in vain “for human ways are under the eyes of the Lord, and he examines all their paths” (proverbs 5:21), and by divine justice, I found myself moved further back the next day. The lesson was clear: we are not the authors or arbiters of God's grace. Before, behind, and through it all, Christ inspires our actions. He alone draws us near to Him. Moreover, our little journey across the living room — long and arduous though it felt — was only half of the story.
As a wonderfully curious child, I asked: “We make this great journey; where is the Baby Jesus? Where does He come from?” When my mom silently pointed to the heavens, I was astounded! “How? That’s like 100 trips to school! Can we help him?”
The real mystery of this Christmas season is the fulfillment of Christ’s love, which is wonderfully made manifest in His incarnation. It is His journey down to us that calls us back to Him. Admiring this tremendous act of Love, we cry out with Simeon today: “for our eyes have seen the salvation which You have prepared in the sight of every people: a light to reveal to the nations and the glory of us your people.” He chose to come to us in the humility of a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes. In this most fragile state, He entrusted himself to the loving care of Joseph and Mary. A family was and still is the most fitting place to receive the Savior. In the family shone the first rays of salvation. How can we help? By preparing our homes, adorning them with virtues and that same Divine Love. By honoring the precious gift of the families entrusted to our care, we honor and welcome His dwelling in our midst.
As this Christmas season ends, let us thank the Christ-child for coming to dwell in the crazy, hectic, and beautiful messes we call home.
God Bless, and Merry Christmas!
Rev. Mr. Marcelo Ferrari, 4th-Year Theology Seminarian, Archdiocese of Boston
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