Soon Advent will end and Christmas will come once more. The Darkness of Advent is giving way to the Incarnation, the Light of Christmas will soon be among us.
Every year I try to think back to that dark night, a frightened
probably very, young woman, her first Child. Darkness, who knows what kind of dangers
lurking in an unfamiliar city?
As a man, my thoughts often center
on Joseph. Trying to help, not sure what to do... Mary crying out in
pain, wanting to comfort her, the fears that must have gone through his
mind. What if she dies? That was a very common thing in those days. He
could not feed the Baby! He had no money to hire a wet-nurse.
This dark, scary, smelly scene doesn't quite match our glorious creches
enveloped in incense during our crowded, candle lit Midnight Masses.
The gleaming Angels and wondering Shepherds are n
ot yet arrived. There are no Kings offering expensive gifts. Only Mary, Joseph and pain and the every present Darkness.
There is no place in our lives that Jesus hasn't been. From the fear and darkness of that first Nativity, to the heights and Glory of the Mount of Transfiguration.
Joesph found that out that night, God was there, all was well, Darkness fled the newborn Light that he cradled in his rough, carpenter's hands.
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