Readings for the Day:
Sermon:
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There’s a book I remember reading years ago in middle school called The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder. A better title for the book may have been “The Magic Advent Calendar” because each chapter corresponded to a day of Advent. Within the story, a boy named Joachim reads through the stories placed in this magic Advent Calendar each day.
Each of these stories tells the tale of a young girl named Elisabet who travels backwards in time on her way to Bethlehem. Along the way, she meets new traveling companions. These travelers, it turns out, are also heading to Bethlehem, and each of them correspond to the various people in the story of the Nativity from the Bible.
Finally, on the 25th day, Elisabet and the rest of the traveling party make it to Bethlehem on the night when Jesus is to be born. All the other people with her go to their respective places to fill out their role in the Nativity story. When Elisabet, who has really had the responsibility as the focus of this journey back in time, asks what she’s supposed to do, the response she receives is merely to go in and see the Holy Family.
One of the aspects of this book that has remained with me over the years is the line in each chapter that Elisabet “treasured these things in her heart.” This mirrors what we hear Mary doing in the Nativity Story given in the Gospel according to Luke.
Throughout the Advent Season, Elisabet is being open to what is around her. She is taking the time to stop and listen and wonder at what it is that God is saying to her and doing in her life. That is my hope for what Advent has been for all of you.
And after that hard work, Elisabet is given time to rest. She is rewarded for remaining open and listening by getting to witness the coming of Jesus into this world.
This service on the Day of the Nativity is really about the same thing. It is the service we hold on this Major Feast in church calendar. It isn’t the one we often focus on. It is not the hustle and bustle of Christmas Eve. It is generally a time of quiet where the faithful of the Faithful gather to remember what this day is all about.
It is a time when we, with Mary and Elisabet, can sit and rest from all that has come before. It is a time where we, with Mary and Elisabet, can ponder and treasure our time with our Lord in our hearts.
Lest we forget, this is merely the 1st of a 12 day celebration. I hope this time can be for you what it was truly meant to be. I hope you too can take some time to sit back and ponder your time with our Lord in your hearts.