JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM:
Outdoor Nativity Reflections

St. Pius X Catholic Church
ADVENT 2020
Written by Theresa Truxillo, Fr. Dennis Hayes & Deacon Ajani Gibson

Introduction

Saint Ignatius encouraged us to pray in a creative, unique, relatable way… by using our IMAGINATION!
Everyone is invited to join St. Pius X Church Community in a JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM!
Stroll around the church building to encounter figures from the NATIVITY along the way.  Read them all at once or pick one or two to visit each day leading up to Christmas. 
Use your 5 senses to enter into the scene from scripture:
Taste – taste the hay in the manger like the animals would have
Touch - feel the rough edges of the stable walls, feel the softness of Jesus’ tiny face
Hear – listen for the laboring breath of Mary, hear the voice of the angels as a shepherd would have
Smell – a stable would have had the smell of animals, put yourself there, smell the crisp, cool air in Bethlehem
See – look at the scene from Mary’s view – gaze upon the face of the infant Jesus for the very first time! 
This can be a powerful experience if you take your time. 
Nativity characters were drawn by parishioners and reflections are posted with each one.  They are also found on our parish website, if you want to read them on your phone, reflect at home, or share with others.
Thank you so much for joining us as you prepare for the coming of the Lord!
You are in our prayers!
 - Fr. Pat & the SPX Parish Staff
 

Ox

The ox has his eating trough, the manger, that he had to abandon temporarily while Mary & Joseph laid Jesus in the manger.  The ox is off in the distance in the stable, allowing the Infant His space.  This is not easy.  Notice how a dog acts if you take his bowl away, especially if there is food in it.  The hay would have still been in the manger. 
Can you smell the hay in the manger?  Can you see the shadows above you, as you are on the edge of the scene, looking in at the Infant Jesus in your manger?  How does it feel to sacrifice your food, your space, your home for someone so small?  Is it difficult to resist the temptations in front of you?  Or are you feeling peace by taking less food, less space?  The ox showed Jesus great reverence.

Donkey (Ass)

Pope Benedict XVI says no nativity is complete without the ox and the ass (donkey).
Imagine carrying the mother of God who holds in her womb the salvation of the world.
The donkey may be thinking: I don’t want to drop her.  I don’t want to go too fast.  Slow & steady I carry her, throughout the world bringing her & the peace promised to us to the place where love is born.
Do you feel a weight on your shoulders & on your back?  Perhaps this is a load you are called to carry or perhaps you are helping another person bear their load.  Take your time.  Remain steady.  Keep one foot in front of the other. 
Are you able to appreciate the slower pace that Covid times present?  Sometimes it’s frustrating to go slowly, but sometimes it’s important to take your time & to be careful.
Are you taking care to remain steady in your footing as Christmas approaches?
How are you carrying PEACE & LOVE into the lives of those around you?  How can you do better?  Where does your foot (hoof?) go next to get to the place God is calling you?
 

Sheep

Sheep are usually in large flocks, finding comfort in the care of their shepherd, who watches over them, keeping them from harm.
The sheep also provides wool, which gives warmth. 
In what can be a cold world (especially this year during a pandemic, where “large flocks” are not allowed), are you being called to provide WARMTH to someone? 
Warmth of affection?  Warmth of time?  Warmth of reaching out to another who may feel like a lost sheep?
Though meek & humble, even the sheep brings warmth to the Savior.

Manger

The manger is a feeding trough – a place of nourishment. 
In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “I Am the Bread of Life.”  Jesus wants to be our nourishment & give us life!
Where are you going to be fed these days?  Are you going to social media, to television, to alcohol, to video games, to gossip … or are you going to the MANGER?  Spend time thinking about the nourishment you are choosing and if that needs to be adjusted.
Perhaps you are being called to provide nourishment to OTHERS in this stage of your life.  What are you “feeding” them?  Are you noticing opportunities to share the Bread of Life with others?

Joseph

Pope Francis just declared next year as the Year of Saint Joseph – so he is a good figure to reflect upon right now!
Joseph is a man of SILENCE.  As important as he is in Jesus’ life, NO WORDS of Joseph are recorded in Scripture. 
Maybe it’s time to stop talking.  Maybe it’s time to model with actions, not words.
Covid times have forced many of us to be STILL & SILENT.  Think how exhausted Joseph would have been after guiding a pregnant Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem.  What is going through his mind as he is told there is no room for his young family at the inn?  Joseph “makes it work” & finds a stable for his wife to rest & deliver her baby.  Are you “making it work” right now?  Are you trusting God to provide for your family, even though things may not be going as planned?
Joseph is Jesus’ earthly daddy.  It is in the strong arms of Joseph that Mary & baby Jesus rest right after He is born.  Joseph provides comfort & QUIET as the Holy Family sleeps in the manger.  Can you feel the weight of the sleeping Mary & Jesus resting on your chest?  Can you remain quiet as they rest and recharge?  Are you thankful for the opportunity to protect them & just HOLD them close?
How are you embracing SILENCE this season?

Stable

A stable is like a barn – messy, chaotic, … maybe dysfunctional.  It’s not the “inn” the Holy Family was hoping for… the STABLE is less than perfect… BUT this is exactly where God chose to arrive!  In the MESS! 
Are you overwhelmed with messiness in your life?  Do you feel “less than perfect”?  Is your home/life/heart not quite the Ritz Carlton, but more like a chaotic STABLE of animals?!  Great!  God wants to dwell in YOU!
This season we celebrate “Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us.”  Take a moment to let that sink in.  Accept the chaos, the messiness, the dysfunction.  Forget about being “perfect.”  GOD IS WITH US.
“All this took place to fulfil what the Lord has spoken by the prophet:  ‘Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emman’u-el’ (which means, God with us).” Matthew 1:22-23

Star

The Ephiany Star stands out from all others!  Everyone would have noticed it – the shepherds, the wise men, the people of the town of Bethlehem.
Are you in a position of leadership at work, in your community, or at home?  Are others looking to YOU for guidance?  Are you able to step back and view your situation from ABOVE – noticing all parts and players at once?
If others are looking to you – as a boss, a leader, a parent, a teacher – are you a LIGHT leading them to Christ?  Is God perhaps calling you to BE a leader, maybe even here in our community of St. Pius X?
Are you aware of a darkness in this world – homelessness, sickness, hatred, violence, abuse, loneliness, loss – and can you step in somehow to be a LIGHT?
Listen to Him & pray for His guidance.

Bethlehem

The town where Jesus was born is Bethlehem, the name meaning Beth = House, Lehem = Bread.  So the tabernacle in our church is like a little Bethlehem, the Church is like a little Bethlehem, a disciple of Christ is a little Bethlehem … when you receive Him in the Eucharist – YOU are like a little Bethlehem, too!
What a privilege to be a Catholic and to be offered the Bread of Life on a regular basis at Mass!  Are you appreciating and taking full advantage of the Eucharist?  Could you visit Jesus in Adoration or at Mass more often?  He wants to DWELL in you.  Pray for a moment about being a little Bethlehem.

Shepherds

Imagine having waited for a savior for 400 years & then one night an ANGEL appears to you in a field!  The shepherds were just doing their ORDINARY thing – tending the flock, maybe eating dinner, maybe gathered around a fire to keep warm in the night.  We read in Luke’s gospel that when the angel appeared to them they were filled with FEAR.  “And the Angel said to them, ‘Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people,” Luke 2:10.
What a wild event for these working people!  Imagine being a shepherd in the field that night, surrounded by your flock of sheep.  Then you suddenly hear angels singing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men!”
This year has been filled with unexpected, even frightening INTERRUPTIONS.  How do you feel when you are interrupted?  Maybe you are frustrated or you feel inconvenience. 
Even though we may feel afraid at first, can we listen closely during this time of suffering?  Is there Good News to be shared in this interruption?  When is a time in your life that God has interrupted the ordinary?  What is God telling you in those times?
Do we even go so far as to THANK God for interrupting our lives, giving us guidance, love, and support?

Angel

The word “angel” comes from the Greek angelos, which means “Messenger.”  The angels in the nativity are bringing the joyful message that Jesus is born!  That God himself has come to earth!  Angels are the couriers of our Lord.
Have you ever had REALLY, REALLY good news to share?  How does that feel?  Do you just want to BURST with excitement and anticipation of sharing your news with others?  Perhaps you got a good grade, you landed the job you wanted, you got engaged to be married, or you found out you are expecting a baby.  While we are humans and we can not literally become angels, we can act like the angels and be messengers for God. 
Where in your life can you be a messenger of JOY?  Where can you plant seeds of HOPE?

Mary

Mary gave God her “yes” in the full knowledge that it was going to be incredibly difficult.  She has made it on her long journey to Bethlehem and is having her baby in a stable.  She has just labored and given birth with her new husband, Joseph, by her side.  Imagine yourself right next to Mary, watching her carefully wrap baby Jesus in swaddling cloths.  Do you see the glisten in her eyes as she gazes upon her baby’s face – the face of GOD! – for the very first time?  Do you hear her breath, tired from giving birth, but also elated in this moment?  Imagine Mary looking over at you and gently asking, “Do you want to hold him?”  You do!  So you hold your arms close to your chest as Mary very carefully places baby Jesus in your arms.  Do you feel the weight of him?  Do you sense his innocence and vulnerability, as he counts on YOU to protect him?  Do you feel him snuggle close to you, as you tuck the cloths around him even tighter?
We know Jesus’ full story – we know how he grows up, dies for our sins, and is risen from the dead.  But at that moment, Mary did NOT know… she only trusted God & loved Him. 
There are always things in our life that are UNKNOWN.  Can we TRUST God enough to say ‘yes’ to Him?  Can we let go of control and worry?  How can we be more like mother Mary?

Baby Jesus

God wore diapers.  Think about that.  God could have come to earth in any form he wanted, but he chose to become fully human – to be with us on earth – as a BABY.  Infants are small, depend on their parents for everything, and are vunerable. 
Do you try to “hold it all together” and resist asking for help?  Do you allow yourself to be cared for?  Do you allow yourself to depend on the love of others?

3 Kings & Gifts

Kings, Magi, Astrologers, Wise Men – whatever you want to call them, these guys are important to the nativity story!  Did you realize they have names?!  And stories!  It’s true – look it up!  The 3 kings arrive on the scene 12 Days after Jesus is born (…sound familiar?!  12 days of Christmas?!).  Their arrival marks the END of the Christmas season.
Imagine following a STAR as your guide to bring gifts to your savior!  The Kings travel thousands of miles to visit baby Jesus, which is very risky.  They do not travel alone, rather they are companions – caring for one another along the way.
Who travels alongside YOU in life?  Do you have good companions, caring for you and encouraging you? 
What risks are you taking in your faith journey?  
Is there a STAR you are following?  What is GUIDING you toward Jesus?
(…and YES – in New Orleans we also look forward to the Epiphany because it’s KINGS DAY & we can finally eat KING CAKE!!  YUM!)
 
 
MANY THANKS to our Parishioner Artist Families!!  Your drawings are GREAT!
Ox: The Bravo Family
Donkey (Ass): Finn Richmond & Family
Sheep: The Moore Family
Manger: Lucy Richmond & Family
Joseph: Stephen & Jeni Bertucci & Children
Stable: The Rodriguez Family
Star: Leo Arrieta, 5 yrs.
Bethlehem: The Grundy Family
Shepherds: The Gannon Family
Angel: Camey & Ben Grau & Kids
Mary: The Lazaro Family
Baby Jesus:  The Marascalco Family
3 Kings & their GIFTS: Leah Wehmeyer & her son, Christian Smith
Intro Poster/ Instructions for Meditation: The Truxillo Family