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     One spiritual exercise that a person might try for the Christmas/Epiphany season is to choose each day one of the figures in the nativity scene and meditate on that figure for the day.  Today's gospel scripture features the "canticle of Mary" which she proclaimed on her visit to Elizabeth in response to Elizabeth's greeting: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb...."  So, today, some consideration might be given to the role of Mary in the scene.  The Canticle of Mary gives us a BIG picture which contains snippets from the Old Testament and outlines the plan of salvation, in which Mary plays a significant role.  But one might consider some of the earthier aspects as well.

     The "stable" in Bethlehem was hardly a modern birthing center!  And making a trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem, most likely on a donkey, while nine months pregnant could elicit considerable sympathy from any mom!!  There is no indication of a midwife or other people in the story at the time of delivery, so it looks like Joseph may have had that role to play - umbilical cord and all!!!  If this seems a bit too "messy" for meditation, one might remember that Jesus and Mary and Joseph were all very much human and as messy as the scene might have been, it means God is truly in our very messy human midst!!!  As the Canticle of Mary proclaims, "[God} has come to the help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy...."    Can our thoughts about the nativity be any less human than the suffering we contemplate on the crucifix on Good Friday?  Joseph may not have had cigars to pass out or blue balloons to announce "It's a boy!" but God provided a star and choir of angels!  That's as good as any human birth of divine significance can get!  AMEN