Nativity by John Donne
Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb,
Now leaves His well-belov’d imprisonment,
There He hath made Himself to His intent
Weak enough, now into the world to come;
But O, for thee, for Him, hath the inn no room?
Yet lay Him in this stall, and from the Orient,
Stars and wise men will travel to prevent
The effect of Herod’s jealous general doom.
Seest thou, my soul, with thy faith’s eyes, how He
Which fills all place, yet none holds Him, doth lie?
Was not His pity towards thee wondrous high,
That would have need to be pitied by thee?
Kiss Him, and with Him into Egypt go,
With His kind mother, who partakes thy woe.
We offer some gifts of Christmas prose and Christmas music for prayerful reflection:
On Christmas films at the Center for Vision and Values: http://www.visionandvalues.org/2012/12/classic-christmas-films-creation-fall-and-redemption/
On Christmas faith in a Pastoral Prayer for the mourning of loss in tragedy at the Aquila Report:http://theaquilareport.com/the-time-of-giving-and-the-giving-of-time/
On an Advent Sermon at Crosswalk: http://m.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/christmas-and-advent/advent-zechariahs-song-of-peace-in-jesus-christ-11597001.html
In a music video from Faith for Living of the song, “Jesus Came:” http://youtu.be/25rn1YafPxk
Yet no gift to our friends, family and colleagues, no expression in words or music, is greater than the love in our hearts—immensity cloistered in our poor souls—from the love of our Savior, Jesus the Lord.
As Mae prepares our home to celebrate the festivity of this wondrous season in our quiet way, and John Michael is enjoying friends home from school and anxious to return to Grove City College, I get to read, and write, and watch plenty of old movies. In the words of one of those characters from The Bishop’s Wife, the bishop (David Niven), I also say to us all,
“…all of the stockings are filled…except one….the Child who was born in a manger…it is His birthday we are celebrating…don’t let us ever forget that…”
Amen. And Merry Christmas now and in every season of His grace.