All that which surrounds the true reality of Christmas—meaning the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ—is hardship, trial and suffering for these basic reasons: obedience to the will of the heavenly Father, and love for the salvation of all of humanity as well as for each and every one of us individually! Let us briefly contemplate the many hardships of good Saint Joseph as well as the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Mystery of the birth of the Lord Jesus.
1. THE TRAVEL. Mary and good Saint Joseph had to travel many miles to arrive at their destination—Bethlehem, the city of David, which translated actually means “The House of Bread”. How interesting and meaningful it is that He who would call Himself “The Bread of Life” would be born in Bethlehem “The House of Bread”. Contemplate this painful, but all too true scene of a young pregnant woman—already in her ninth month— travelling many miles mounted on a donkey! How uncomfortable, burdensome, and downright painful to travel as such! The weather? The Gospels do not tell us about the weather, nor the climate. However, we can imagine the cold; we can imagine the searing and cutting winds; we can imagine the real possibility of precipitation, at least some rains. All of this would have added to the suffering of the young maiden and her loving spouse, good Saint Joseph. Obviously the travelling was not done in one day, but would have taken several days. Where would they sleep at night? We really do not know, but possibly some place on the route; no real comfortable shelter to say the least. Bandits along the way, thieves looking for an easy prey, and other suspicious individuals could have been present on this long trek to Bethlehem. Do you think this crossed the mind of good Saint Joseph?
2. After we have travelled and arrived at our destiny, we normally await a warm greeting from relatives or at least friends. This is common courtesy! None of this happened when Saint Joseph arrived with his pregnant wife, mounted on a donkey. Good Saint Joseph made the most sincere efforts to find shelter, but all seemed to be an exercise in futility. After knocking at the doors of the inn, or most likely several inns, the response was always the same: “There is no room for you in the inn.” In a word, Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus within the womb of Mary received a cold and harsh rejection! All of us know the pain involved in having a door shut in our face, the pain of rejection! The Holy Family was rejected; this inflicted much pain. However, there was no bitterness on the part of Mary and good Saint Joseph. Despite the pain of rejection, they humbly submitted to will of the Heavenly Father. “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (The Our Father)
3. BIRTHPLACE OF JESUS. Jesus is both God and man. He is the Creator of the entire universe. All belongs to Him and all flows from His loving and creative power. Archbishop Fulton Sheen expresses the painful truth most eloquently: “The Creator of the universe had nowhere to be born in His own creation.” Where was He born? Not in a castle, nor a palace, nor in a luxurious mansion. No, none of these luxuries! He was born in a stable in Bethlehem. This stable was actually a refuge for animals who could find there shelter and rest from the inclement weather conditions. Should there be rain or sleet, or the wind kicking up its powerful force—this stable would serve as a sure and secure refuge. What animals might find refuge in this stable? Sheep, lambs, cows, and oxen. The climate and environment? Cold, dirty, musty, damp, smelly—the odor of hay and even animal dung, to be perfectly blunt and honest. Often I have contemplated good Saint Joseph, once he had safely reached the stable with Mary and gently taken her off the donkey, thinking about how he might heat up the little place. In your contemplation, imagine good Saint Joseph gathering up branches, sticks, and debris so as to start at least a small fire to provide Mary and the Baby to be born with some warmth. In your contemplation lend good St. Joseph a hand! All of this, once again, speaks of the great suffering that Mary and Joseph experienced for love of you and me.
4. BIRTH OF JESUS. Then in the quiet of the night, that “Silent Night”, as the angels contemplated from heaven and as the Eternal Father had decreed from all eternity, Jesus was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was a sweet, peaceful, calm birth in which the ever Blessed Virgin Mary did not lose the glory of her virginity but was indeed Mother, the Mother of God, the Mother of the future Church, and the Mother of each and every one of us in the realm of the spirit. Even though Jesus was born of Mary in the cold, in the night, in the musty damp air and on the hard floor of the cave, the overflowing joy of Mary was intense. She who said “Yes” to the angel in the Annunciation, now brought forth Jesus, the fruit of her womb, the Savior of the entire universe!
5. THE THREAT OF HEROD. Involved in the Christmas mystery is the person of the wicked King Herod. Insecure, proud and vain, ruthless in intent, the wicked King Herod planned to eliminate the little Child Jesus. Imagine the suffering of good Saint Joseph as well as Mary the Mother of Jesus knowing that this wicked King planned on murdering their Child! Traveling toward Egypt at night, possibly they heard the horses’ hoofs and even the footsteps of those who were looking for Jesus. What incredible, almost unspeakable suffering both good Saint Joseph and Mary experienced in this critical moment of their lives and the life of the little Jesus. The little Jesus was saved. However, the wicked King Herod sent out soldiers who brutally massacred the holy and innocent children, boys two years and under.
In conclusion, it can be of immense profit for all of us who seek to really live Christmas—the birth of the Lord Jesus—to the fullest extent possible to contemplate the pain, sufferings, and afflictions that Saint Joseph and Mary the Mother of Jesus had to undergo so as to to carry out the will of the heavenly Father, as well as suffer for our salvation. May the Lord Jesus who was born in the city of Bethlehem be born in the very depths of your mind, heart, and soul this Christmas!
Father Ed Broom, OMV, is Associate Pastor of St. Peter Chanel Church in Hawaiian Gardens, California. He is a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary and was ordained by Saint John Paul II on May 25, 1986. Fr. Ed teaches Catholic Ignatian Marian Spirituality through articles, podcasts, a radio show, retreats and spiritual direction.
