BETHLEHEM: HOUSE OF BREAD. There are no coincidences or unplanned circumstances in God’s providential design. The word Bethlehem actually means House of Bread. No surprise that Jesus who was born in the city of The House of Bread would declare Himself the Bread of life and challenge us that our eternal salvation hinges upon our consuming Him in Mass and Holy Communion as The Bread of Life.
There are many lessons to learn from God becoming man, being in the womb of Mary for nine months, and finally being born as a little Baby. Let us dig deep into this goldmine of wealth and derive abundant treasures for our meditation and imitation, transformation and sanctification, and perseverance! What then are the lessons of the Child-Infant Jesus?
1. Even though the Baby Jesus was God, the Son of God made man, still He made Himself totally dependent on others, most especially Mary and Saint Joseph. Jesus would live this attitude of dependency on His Heavenly Father during the whole course of His life. In our spiritual lives we must develop and cultivate a child-like dependency on God in all times, places, and circumstances. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus challenges us to trust by contemplating nature—the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. (Mt 6:25-34) In His Public life Jesus had no permanent home, saying: The foxes have their holes and the birds of the air their nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to rest His head. (Lk. 9:58)
2. The littleness of the Infant Jesus is an extraordinary example of humility. God loves the humble but casts down the might from their thrones. (Mary’s Magnificat: Lk 1: 46-55) He chose the Pharisee over the Publican, humility over an overweening pride. (Lk. 18:9-14) When a man, on one occasion Jesus described His own Sacred Heart using these two descriptions: I am meek and humble of heart… (Mt.11:29) Arrogance, conceit, haughtiness, and self-importance are all alien to the person of the child, and most especially the Child-Jesus! May He inspire us to pursue a life of great humility!
3. Once again, even though Jesus was, is, and always will be God, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity, He chose to enter the portals of this world not in a palace, castle, or opulent mansion. On the contrary, He entered this world being born in a stable that served as a refuge for animals. A good part of the warmth of that little cave was the presence, the heat, and the breath of the animals present there! We must learn that pursuing money, possessions, power, and esteem will not fill us with an authentic joy. Pleasure, yes, but true joy, no! The Child Jesus born in Bethlehem teaches us to find true happiness not in the created world, but in the Creator of the world—Jesus the Lord. Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen penned it so eloquently: The Creator of the universe had no place to be born in His own creation!
4. In a world where innocence is being lost, even among our children due to an uncontrolled use of modern technology, the Infant Jesus teaches us clearly and unequivocally the importance of striving to live lives of innocence—freedom from sin. Still more, the Innocent Child Jesus in the arms of Mother Mary challenges us to strive to protect the innocence of our children threatened by so many modern wolves!
5. CHILDLIKE SIMPLICITY: INSPIRING TRUST. In the overly complicated world that we have created, we should all long for a more simple, humble, frugal, simple, transparent, as well as detached life-style. Models for us would be Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and the children of Fatima—Saint Jacinta Marto, Saint Francisco Marto, and their cousin, Servant of God Lucia de los Santos. By contemplating the Little Baby Jesus resting peacefully in the arms of Mary, His loving Mother, may we learn to strive for Evangelical Poverty and simplicity. Saint Ignatius of Loyola points out that nobody is afraid to approach an innocent little baby—a strong, aggressive warrior, yes!—but not an innocent little Baby.
May the Infant-Baby Jesus resting in the loving and tender arms of His Mother Mary inspire us to greater trust, greater dependency on God, greater humility, greater simplicity, and a life of detachment from things so that we can be totally anchored and rooted in God!
Fr Broom