Enter the Stable: Embracing a Spirit of Poverty for Christmas
If we were asked to describe December in a few words, what would come to mind? Many of us would say “Christmas,” “shopping,” “decorations,” or “presents,” thinking of the many things we have going on during the month. A few of us would add in “family,” “friends,” and “faith.” Most (if not all) of us would agree on the same word: “busy.”
It may be contrary to our experience, but in reality, December is a month of space, patience, and hope. Advent, which lasts most of December, is an opportunity for us to go deeper—to grow in wholiness™, quiet, humility, and adoration of our Lord as we prepare for His coming.
The season of Christmas that follows is also an opportunity. At Christmastime, we can remember and celebrate the Eucharistic mystery in a wonderful, mystical way: namely, in the same way Jesus became flesh and dwelled among us two thousand years ago, He still comes among us each time we celebrate Mass, through the Blessed Sacrament.
These wonderful mysteries are at the heart of December. The risk we face is getting caught up in the regular pace of seasonal expectations, missing the truth and beauty this month offers. When we dwell too much on what’s external, we lose focus on what’s internal—and we lose sight of the eternal. How can we combat the hectic pace of ordinary “pre-Christmas” and reclaim the fullness of these liturgical seasons?
Enter the Stable
Dorothy Day once said, “I am so glad that Jesus was born in a stable. Because my soul is so much like a stable. It is so poor and in unsatisfactory condition because of guilt, falsehoods, inadequacies, and sin. Yet, I believe if Jesus can be born in a stable, maybe he can also be born in me.”
What Dorothy Day so beautifully describes is what it means to be poor in spirit. Matthew’s Gospel declares, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:3). When we think of what it means to be poor, we usually picture an insufficient amount of material goods or support—but poverty of spirit is something we all share equally. We are all poor in our fallen nature. We have to rely on God—in everything, for everything. Our very existence depends on our heavenly Father; if He stopped thinking about us, we would cease to be. As St. Augustine once said, “Man is a beggar before God.”
The poor in spirit are those who are aware of this dependency—who, despite whatever resources they have or lack, live in such a way that they acknowledge all they receive from God. They recognize God as the source of every good gift, the fulfillment of our deepest desires. They make each day an offering back to God, turning their very lives into a gift given back to Him in return. They are the opposite of self-reliant; they are God-reliant.
To reclaim the true substance and significance of the present liturgical season, we need to “enter the stable” of our hearts—not only to acknowledge our poverty and definite need for God, but to make room for Christ to dwell there.
Prepare Your Gifts
As we enter the stable of our hearts—recognizing our utter dependence on God and embracing a poverty of spirit—we can likewise better understand what we can offer God in return as a gift of our lives. Making an offering of our lives starts with intentional daily choices. We may not think we have much control over the hectic pace of December, but we do have the freedom to choose how we dedicate ourselves each day, how we spend our time, and Who we honor with these decisions.
What can we give to God in return for all He has given us? We can give Him our time, our tasks, our struggles, our service to our neighbor, and so much more. Here are a few ideas based on some of our Reform Wellness Pillars, gifts that you can prepare and offer throughout Advent in anticipation of Christ’s coming:
Faith: The most reasonable gift is taking time with God in prayer. Honor a daily Sabbath, a stretch of time reserved just for yourself and God. To go deeper in conversation with Him, spend less time listing your intentions and more time listening to what He wants to whisper into your heart: “You are a beloved son, you are a beloved daughter, you are Mine.” Though it can be easy to get caught in the whirlwind of the holidays, we can slow down, reform our hearts, and reclaim advent as a holy season. If you’re searching for more direction this advent, we invite you to watch the recording from our 90-minute Advent Workshop with Fr. John Burns or purchase Fr. Burns’ book, ”Adore: A Guided Journal for Prayer and Meditation.”
Sleep: Sleep might seem like an odd gift to offer back to God—but in many ways, sleep is an act of surrender. We assume a stance of being poor in spirit when we choose to follow the rhythms of nature. God’s ordained timing serves us better than keeping ourselves awake with distractions that spiritually deplete us. We can also make going to sleep an act of trust in God—and when we rise, we can offer thanks for the new day He has given us.
Community: We can share what we receive from God with others, whether through our time, our ability to listen, our availability to volunteer, and so on. (It’s important to be honest about whether we have more to share with our community, or less.) What we bring to the table is another way to live as gifts for God in this season. We can also support the Reform community by donating to Reform Alms and helping someone else pursue Christ-centered wellness.
Stress Management: December can be a stressful time, which can trigger many temptations—from certain food cravings to troubled sleep to less capability for ourselves and our true duty. It’s tremendously important to keep supporting ourselves in body, mind, and spirit. When we are in the middle of a high-stress situation that is luring us toward an unhealthy or sinful choice, we can “stop, drop, and roll”: stop what we’re doing, drop the act, and roll away. We can also give ourselves permission to say “No.” (That’s a complete sentence.)
Nutrition: Especially at this time of year, we should receive the Eucharist with quiet reverence at the mystery of His Incarnation: He dwelled among us thousands of years ago, and He still dwells among us today in His Body and Blood. At the Christmas dinner table, there are likely certain traditional foods you partake of with family and friends, and sharing in that is meaningful. However, consider your wellness account when it comes to all the sweets and treats that come your way, and don’t give in to an inordinate amount of unhealthy foods or alcohol. Instead, consider fasting from them to create space for your body to heal and for your spirit to reflect in gratitude for how God nourishes us.
Functional Movement: To glorify God through our bodies and offer our movement to Him in a spirit of poverty, we can participate in a seasonally themed activity. Christmas caroling through the neighborhood or local nursing home, hosting a gift-wrapping party for Toys for Tots or Operation Christmas Child, volunteering for a local homeless ministry to serve meals or deliver clothes, etc.: These are all options to put our bodies at God’s service at this time of year.
Play: While some of us look forward to outdoor cold-weather activities, many are unable to enjoy the same amount of time outside during December. More time indoors, especially during the longer nights, is a perfect opportunity to learn a new game, hobby, or craft. Don’t worry about knowing all the right answers or next steps, either—playfully surrender to God and enjoy the simple act of playing or creating.
Personal Growth: Much like with play, we can surrender to God throughout this season to find gratitude for the opportunities that stretch us from our comfort zone. When we lean into discomfort, we can discover how God wants to lead us. We can also uncover ways in which He is calling us to put our God-given talents and charisms into practice for the sake of glorifying Him and drawing others closer to Him. Use our Wholiness™️ Journal & Daily Formation Notepad Bundle to track your formation day by day and write down reflections.
Space: One of the more challenging but rewarding gifts we can give this season is the gift of space. We can make space by cultivating silence, being careful of how we fill our calendars, and intentionally reserving meaningful time for God and others. We can also go through a space in our homes, such as a closet or storage room, to select clothing or items which no longer serve a purpose in our lives that we can donate. Just as the empty stable welcomed Him at His Nativity, we can empty ourselves of needless attachments to welcome Him anew in our hearts.
Come, Let Us Adore
The poor in spirit know that, when we make room for Christ in the stable of our hearts, we will receive the greatest riches. The choice is ours: Will we allow the pace and busyness of this season take over, or will we choose to put things in proper order? If we do allow Him to be the center of our lives, we can find the peace, stillness, and beauty of Christ’s coming—and beyond.
