As Christmas draws near, our gaze turns once more to the humble stable—to the quiet place where God chose to enter the world in “the very smallness of a newborn.” The closer we come to Christmas, the more clearly we see that the heart of this season is not grandeur or abundance, but simplicity, humility, and tender love.
Jesus came to us not wrapped in wealth but laid in a manger, while His first company was Mary, Joseph, and the lowly shepherds. To recognize and listen to the poor Jesus is to remember that God makes His home among the lowly, the vulnerable, the overlooked. And so, in this final week of Advent, we are invited to accompany Him by accompanying those in our world now who share that same vulnerability.
To accompany the poor is to walk with Christ Himself. It is to discover Him on doorsteps, in shelters, in voices unheard. It is to recognize that the stable is not a distant scene from long ago but a living reality among us.
When we choose to accompany the poor, we expand the walls of our tents, widening our hearts and making space for those whom God loves. Spiritual wisdom reminds us that communion is always widened by love—like leaven that quietly lifts the whole loaf by nourishing even its smallest part. True communion transforms everything it touches.
And so, this week’s invitation is simple and bold:
- Draw near.
- Listen.
- Open your heart.
Let Christ’s compassion shape your deeds. Allow His tenderness to guide your attention. Let His humility soften your instincts toward self-protection. Advent is not only a time of waiting—it is a time of moving toward those who need us most.
For when we walk with the poor, we walk with Jesus. When we tend to the vulnerable, we cradle the Christ Child. And when we accompany those on the margins, we carry the very Light that Christmas proclaims.
As the final candle of Advent is lit, may it illuminate the path of love before us. May it guide our steps toward the stable, toward one another, and toward the Christ who awaits us in every humble place.
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