For I am meek and humble of heart

During my preparation, I was focusing on the nativity scene. It's popular portrayal in our culture – little Jesus perfectly bundled up, snuggled in a manger, surrounded by a blanket of unsoiled golden hay on the ground while Mother Mary and St. Joseph huddle over the manger and adore Him – is probably not the most accurate depiction. I think the scene was much more humble than that.

I’m well acquainted with barns and mangers seeing as ever since I was very young, my family has had horses. I can attest to how difficult it is to keep the hay that lies on the ground unsoiled. Mangers also get very dirty – their purpose is to hold the food the animals eat. And also the smell can get quite putrid. On another note – Mother Mary just gave birth and as beautiful as she must have been, no woman is going look so fresh. She must have been somewhat disheveled.

I’ve been searching and seeking to understand all the ways that Jesus was humble on earth in order to become humble myself. Mother Teresa once stated that what the devil fears the most is humility (even over strong faith) because having humility makes us more like Christ. And there is so much to learn!

Now how humble is the nativity scene? Christ didn’t enter the world with a big display/show/bang, He entered silently, humbly… Even when He left this world, He took His disciples and His Mother up to the top of Mnt. Olive and from there ascended into Heaven. He didn’t do it, for example, outside the temple where many people would have witnessed. When He proclaimed the Word, He never rounded up people and said, “look! I AM THE MESSIAH! Listen to what I say!” He simply taught and whoever listened, was drawn to Him by His teaching. His arrival was never announced, He just showed up, cared and taught those who would listen, and moved on.

As we are preparing ourselves during Advent for the coming of our Saviour, I challenge us to learn from His examples of perfect humility and humble ourselves before Him and our brothers and sisters :)  And what a perfect chance to allow Mother Mary to direct us to His humble heart!