Brothers and sisters in Christ—
Today we mystically draw near to the manger of the Lord, to see the Lord, God of all Creation, born among us as a man, having become a little child for our salvation.
Let us meditate today upon the manger itself, this humble piece of furniture, which we see being used for a purpose for which it was not designed. The manger is a trough that holds the feed of animals, but today, we see God sleeping in it. What sense can we make of all this? What is the meaning of such a sign? We perceive that God's place is on His throne in Heaven, in temples, in the Church itself, but we do not think of God as inhabiting barns and stables. God is everywhere; He fills all things, but today He is present in a different way in the manger. Incarnate, having become man, He inhabits the trough filled with the feed of animals, and, in so doing, He teaches us something essential about His nature as well as about our own.
Step back and rise above, and see the situation of the manger; notice where it is. The manger is in a stable in Bethlehem of Judea. Bethlehem is the Hebrew Beit-Lechem (The House of Bread). Our God is born in the House of Bread, because He came to become bread for us. He descends from Heaven in order to visit His people, the same people, who once traded Him for the image of a calf that eats grass. He is born in the House of Bread, but He descends to a human race that had become depraved, slaves to their passions, like animals. The God, Who is born in this cave, has become the food of our depraved nature. If we feed at this manger, we will have everlasting life.
But what is food, and what does it do? First of all, food, as we well know, nourishes. It gives us strength and builds us up. On a corporal level, food plays an essential role in making us into what we should be. Without proper nutrition, we do not reach the stature that we should attain. Secondly, food comforts us, giving stability to our minds. It is notoriously difficult to reason with hungry people, because their minds are filled with uncertainty and doubt. Thirdly, food heals us. Yes, all the most powerful medicines are foods, and even other medicines, that are not foods, depend on proper nutrition for their effectiveness.
Well, we are being invited to feed at this manger of salvation. Our God has come, in order to become our food. He has done this to nourish us spiritually, so that we reach the spiritual stature, which God created us to have. He wants to comfort us with this spiritual food, by renewing our minds so that we perceive the truth of everything that exists, and know the proper purpose and use of things. He dispels our uncertainty and doubt. Further, he wants more than anything to heal us from our disease and sickness of sin and death.
Approach, therefore, and feed at the manger of salvation. Receive life from the flesh of the Son of God.
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