Welcome to the final days of Advent and the beginning of Christmas!
While the synoptic Gospels of Matthew and Luke present a beautiful telling of the Christmas story, I love the Gospel of John’s account. John’s Gospel is a little less narrative and a little more poetic and theological in the presentation. John’s Gospel compliments the synoptic accounts and makes us dig deeper into the Christmas story.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace following upon grace” (John 1:1-5, 14,16.)
These verses proclaim the subtle yet profound majesty of Christ’s birth. Think of the magnitude of this event. Jesus, the Word of God from all eternity, through whom all life flows, took on human flesh to dwell with us. That reality should blow our mind away. He came as a little baby, born in the simplicity of a stable, in the quiet of the night. This baby is “Emmanuel; God is with us” (Matthew 1:23.)
This past week I had some time to reflect on the reality of God dwelling with us: the majesty and the humanity. Since I turned 21, I have spent my birthdays on a silent retreat. I try to take an overnight, or at least a day of prayer — to pray, reflect and write. It’s my intention to offer thanksgiving back to God for the life He has given to me. This time always ends up being much more about what God gives to me, than what I give back to God.
This year, as in some years past, I spend an overnight at Villa Immaculata Retreat House on Sound Avenue in Riverhead. The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth share their mission and their home with us right here on the North Fork. It is a wonderful blessing for me because I can be away and yet just a few moments from home. Although it was the reality of those few minutes from home that made me late for my silent retreat! When I woke up that morning, I quickly made my to-do list for the day and set to work on getting out the door.
But therapy appointments and laundry and phone calls caught me in a whirlwind, which culminated with an overflowing toilet, just as I was making my way out the door at 5 p.m. I quickly did the math and realized my husband would be home soon. So I left, sending him a text message with a promise of prayer! Truly, God dwells with us, even in the details of life. I had enough of all the details. Longing for the quiet and intimacy of prayer, I rushed out the door and headed to the retreat house on the Sound.
As I settled in, I felt the weight of life begin to lift off my shoulders and the presence of God fill me with new breath. Now that it was dark, I wanted to walk the property to the edge of the cliff to soak up the beauty of the star filled night. It was there, overlooking the Sound, in the midst of a beautiful dark night, that I witnessed the profound majesty of God.
The words and truth of John’s Gospel account of the Incarnation flooded my mind as the natural beauty of this night filled my senses. It was a windy, clear and starry night. In the distance, the sound of thunder competed with the rush of the waves hitting the shore. Lightening flashed over the water in a brilliant display against the dark night sky. It was breathtaking.
“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it” (Jn.1:4,5.) The majesty of God was all around me, in light and darkness, stillness and wind, sight and sound. God was present in this beautiful miracle of creation. In the midst of such majesty, I felt so insignificant. Still I knew that God met me in this grandeur as if I were the one He was showing off this display for; as a chosen gift to celebrate my birth. The night was so dark that the stars, the moon and the lightening pierced the darkness with certain light and gave life to these words of scripture. Truly, the darkness, as deep and wide as it is, cannot overcome the light. Emmanuel, God with us, shines brightly into the darkness of our world and shows us the way to eternal life.
I could see the white caps, as the crescent moon reflected on the water. The rhythmic sound of the waves crashing on the shore seemed to set the pace for every beat of my heart and helped to slow my breathing and clear my mind. The words of John’s Gospel again penetrated my thoughts.
“Of God’s fullness, we have all received grace following upon grace.” (Jn1:16.)
When I read those words, “grace following upon grace,” I heard the rhythmic beating of the tide against the shore. As the tide crashed my soul felt God’s grace permeating and filling the emptiness of my life. As the waves pulled out, the cares and concerns of my life seem to ebb out to sea, swallowed in the ocean of God’s mercy.
Scripture tells us that the angels appeared in the night and sang out in a display of God’s glory that first Christmas Eve. In my heart of hearts, that’s exactly how I felt witnessing the grandeur of God’s creation in the darkness of this night. In my mind I recalled how Mary, the mother of Jesus responded to the shepherds adoring her new born son and retelling the story of that glorious announcement.
“Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19.)
I spent the next 24 hours treasuring and pondering, writing and reflecting both on what the Lord has done for me and the plans we are making together for my future full of hope. It was a wonderful preparation for the celebration of Christmas and it gave me strength for the day to day journey.
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. In the midst of the parties and presents, I invite you to ponder with Mary, the gift of Emmanuel. I hope you have a manger displayed in a prominent place in your home. Light a candle and spend some time at the manger. Consider how God dwells with you. Soak up His love, like waves crashing on the shore and see God’s light permeating any darkness in your life. This Christmas, receive the gift of love brought to you in Emmanuel.
Image: Adoration of the Shepherds, by Gerard (Gerrit) van Honthorst, oil on canvas, 1622.
Eileen Benthal has a B.A. in theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is a writer, speaker and wellness coach at 40DaysToFocus.com and NOFO Wellness Center. She works with clients locally and around the U.S. who are excited about balancing their health in body, mind and spirit.
Eileen and her husband Steve live in Jamesport and have four young adult children. Their youngest, 16-year-old Johanna, is a teenager with special needs. Eileen can be reached at eileenbenthal@gmail.com and facebook.com/40DaysToFocus.
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