The Fourth Sunday in Advent

“And in the end, everything else will turn out to be unimportant and inessential, except for this: Father, Child, and Love.” – St. (Pope) John Paul II

“No one can celebrate a genuine Christmas without being truly poor. The self-sufficient, the proud. Those who, because they have everything, look down on others. Those who have no need, even of God – for them, there will be no Christmas. Only the poor, the hungry, and those who need someone to come on their behalf, will have that someone. That someone is God. Emmanuel. God-with-us. Without poverty of spirit, there can be no abundance of God.” - Oscar Romero

“Everything else will turn out to be unimportant and inessential.” We who pour a lot into "everything else," like gifts and careers and retirement plans, don't want to hear that they will be unimportant and inessential. We're strivers, some of us. Even if we're not, we're not keen to lean into the category of being truly poor. We may even be described as Oscar Romero does: self-sufficient and proud. He makes a point. When we have all we need, we're more inclined not to need God. Though no one wants to be poor or hungry, those are the people who are at most aware that they need a Savior.

These two writers suggest that having much may impede us from what is most true about this season – that too much gets in the way of creating a space for Christ. They suggest that when we consider our Christmas clothes, think of putting on the love of Christ. When we ponder our next acquisition, think of the love of Christ being our sole master. For “the human heart is made for Jesus Christ and cannot really be content with less.” (Brennan Manning)

A beautiful story is recounted each Christmas in the forest of Provence in southern France. It's about four shepherds who came to Bethlehem to see the child. One brought eggs, another bread and cheese, the third brought wine, and the fourth brought nothing at all. People called him L’Enchante. The first three shepherds chatted with Mary and Joseph about how cozy the cave was, how handsomely Joseph had appointed it, and what a beautiful starlit night it was. They congratulated the proud parents, presented their gifts, and assured them that if they needed anything else, they had only to ask. Someone asked, "Where is L’Enchante?" They searched high and low. Finally, someone peeked through the blanket hung against the draft into the creche. There, kneeling at the crib, was L’Enchante – the Enchanted One. Like a flame taking the direction of the wind, he had taken the direction of love. Throughout the entire night, he stayed in adoration, whispering, “Jesu, Jesu, Jesu – Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.”

At Christmas, like L’Enchante, we should have one pure passion: to love the Christ child. Even when surrounded by the trappings of Christmas, those of us who would be the first three shepherds, we are to give our best to Jesus. If we are more like L’Enchante – in circumstances or in spirit – we still can give Him our best. All are asked to be content with nothing less. It begins with taking our eyes off ourselves and focusing them on the child in the manger. For holiness is less about our right behaviors and more about an emptying of ourselves to make room for Christ. May He crowd our hearts with his love! May his mercy, kindness and compassion fill us. And may we find ourselves kneeling at the manger, whispering ‘Jesus, Jesus, Jesus’ to our King.