Embrace the Baby Jesus

And the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us, and we saw His glory. Jn 1:14

The Word takes on flesh and comes as a little Child, so we will not be afraid to embrace Him. He makes Himself vulnerable, so we will acknowledge our own vulnerability and smallness of spirit.

He knows that we will not fall in love with someone who remains aloof. He also knows that we do not usually fall in love with those who are greatly superior to us in talents or gifts. We may admire them from afar, but we relate better to those who are our peers.

Knowing all of this, Jesus did not stay distant from us but came down from heaven, becoming one of us. Just like each one of us, He was a helpless baby born of a mother.

Mary lets us see that He, indeed, needed a mother before all else - not a mighty throne. He needed her embrace, her protection, and her guidance. This is what it meant for the Word to become flesh and to make "His dwelling among us" (Jn 1:14).

This is the mystery, the glory, and the splendor of Christmas at its best - the Mother and Child!

The Apostle Paul marvels over the humility of the Incarnate Word when he writes, "Though He was in the form of God, [He] did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness ... He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross" (Phil 2:6).

How should we approach such a loving Savior? Perhaps we can take a cue from parents and grandparents. They know that once they embrace their child, they will do anything for him or her. The Babe of Bethlehem wants that same kind of response from us. A tender embrace on Christmas.

Happy birthday, Jesus! Thank You for coming to me as little Baby. Thank You for making Yourself irresistible and approachable. Make my heart Your manger today. Amen.

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