A Nativity Scene

After Mass on Sunday I viewed the Nativity Scene at the front of the church.  There was a donkey, a cow and some lambs.  Mary and Joseph were kneeling on either side of the manger.  In front of them were the three wise men [1].  The only figurine missing was infant Jesus.  What happened?  Did someone take the baby?  Then it dawned on me that Christmas was still four days away.  Jesus was not yet born. So what if the wise men got there early in this Nativity Scene?  When one has an appointment with Christ, showing up late is not recommended.

The farm animals that were around the stable were docile and ready to serve.  No predator figurines like wolves or lions and no vermin figurines like rats or mice were present.  I recall a sermon equating the stable animals to Jesus Who was born to serve, and like the lambs, perhaps the cow too, would one day be sacrificed for the sake of man.  That would come later.  Now, the Christian world is anticipating the arrival of December 25th, the day that Christ was born.

In the secular world, however, "Christmas" can apparently come early.  One newscaster announced that "Christmas" came early for certain folks because they won some kind of lotto.  The station showed how happy they were to receive a check.  Ah!  How money can buy happiness!

Happiness, so elusive and transient, is a feeling people will go far and pay dearly for.  And Jesus Who wants no money and has no cash to give can give the repented sinner true and lasting joy, yet many simply do not care.

Christmas will be here in two days.  What do people have on their minds?


[1] 12/23/14 5:42 PM:  On further examination, those figurines were shepherds.  Beside one of them was some kind of sheep dog.  The three wise men that I missed were actually on the right side of the Holy Doors "progressing" ever so deliberately toward the Nativity Scene situated on the left side of the Holy Doors.  The Magi, being ever so wise, would never be late to see Jesus on that momentous silent and holy night of His humble birth.