Daily Meditation for December 24, 2024

When Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem, there was no room for them to stay. The town was far too small to have an inn, so Joseph must have expected to stay with relatives. Due to the census, guest spaces may have been already crowded. In the Bethlehem area, it was common to build houses adjacent to caves, using part or all of the cave as a shelter for animals. There is an ancient, lasting tradition that a cave was offered to Joseph for the impending birth. In 200 AD, the Church of the Nativity was built over this site with the cave a treasured part of the basement that is still visited today. So, the Holy Family may have squeezed into a stone shelter with animals; quite different from the charming manger scenes so familiar to us. It is not known how long after their arrival Jesus was born. It may have been days or weeks. We can reflect on their sojourn there as a lesson in how to survive edgy Advent waiting.

By Mary Jackle, OSB