The Birth of Jesus


I meditate and contemplate on the Birth of Jesus, His first moment of independent human life. As always, I enter into God's presence and feel His gaze rest on me, and I offer to Him my whole self. Then I do three things:

First, I recall for a moment that I am going to think about sacred history: A young girl, nearly nine months pregnant, came down from Nazareth because the Roman Emperor levied a tax on a population that we have records of.  Joseph, her spouse, walked with her and they spent the night in a cave just down the hill from the little town of Bethlehem, overlooking broad historic fields.

Second, I compose myself in that cave, waiting for Messiah to be born.

Third, I ask for what I want: I want to know Jesus intimately, friend to friend. I want to share great love with Him. I want to go where He goes and do what He does.

Then I will enter into the event of Jesus' birth. I can do this in a number of ways.

Sometimes, I just watch the people: Mary and Joseph, and others. Or I catch something of what they say, and feel the emotion in it. Or I see what they are doing and everything that is going on. Whatever I contemplate, I let speak to me about my life world and myself.

In some prayer, I might just start in the middle of what is going on. Or I might move around in the event, just watching it happen around me.

Or thirdly, I might just stay with one or another person there, entering into their feelings and perception, while the events themselves go on their way.

At the end, I try to gather myself together and then tell the Lord what I have to tell, or perhaps talk with Mary or even with the Infant Jesus. As I always do, I close with the Our Father.