Religion & Spirituality
To kick off this Christmas season, Fr. Ruff shares a Meditation on the Nativity from St. Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises. By walking through the mystery of Jesus' birth through Imaginative Contemplation, we can come to know God in a more personal way. This is a good thing, because that's what God wants to offer to us this Christmas: a personal relationship with him, the King of Kings.Meditation on the Incarnation (Part 1)Meditation on the Incarnation (Part 2)Meditation on the NativityPrelude 1: Recall the basics of the story“How Our Lady went forth from Nazareth, about nine months with child, … seated on an ass, and accompanied by Joseph and a maid, taking an ox, to go to Bethlehem to pay the tribute which Caesar imposed on all those lands.” – Luke 2: 1-20Prelude 2: Imagine the Nativity Scene“See with the sight of the imagination the road from Nazareth to Bethlehem; considering the length and the breadth, and whether such road is level or through valleys and over hills; likewise looking at the place or cave of the Nativity, how large, how small, how low, how high, and how it was prepared." Prelude 3: Ask for the “Godspell Grace”“To see Jesus more clearly, to love him more dearly, and to follow more nearly.”– Richard of ChichesterThe Meditation:1. See the Persons of the NativityDoes Mary look tired? Does Joseph look anxious? Is the baby small and scrawny or round and fat? And how do I, as their servant, respond? Am I frightened by Mary’s pain? Sympathetic? Do I distract and comfort Joseph? Does Mary offer to let me hold the baby? Do I do so? What is THAT like? How do I feel cradling the Son of God in my arms2. Hear the Sounds of the NativityFor instance, do the animals there make noise? Does Mary groan with discomfort during childbirth? Does Joseph call for me to get some hot water and clean towels quickly? Does the newborn baby cry? Do Mary and Joseph speak in adoring baby talk to little Jesus, as new parents are apt to do? 3. Look, See, and Consider what this all meansWhat does Emmanuel, “God with us,” really mean “for ME”? And what all does God’s startling choice entail in its human details? For instance, why bring up the cross with the baby barely born?! What feelings does the whole experience stir up in me?4. Enter into a ConversationWhat should I say to the Jesus, to Mary, to Joseph? How do I feel about what is happening?Let the Christmas Mystery become up close and personal, to chat with Mary and Joseph and God as friends.“Come to Bethlehem and see him whose birth the angels sing,"“Come adore on bended knee Christ, the Lord, the newborn king.”Understanding the Spiritual Exercises:St. Ignatius of LoyolaJesuits / Society of JesusThe Spiritual Exercises Imaginative ContemplationConnect with Fr. Ruff:Please send your comments, questions, and feedback to rufflyspeakingpodcast@gmail.com. We would greatly appreciate any thoughts you have about this podcast project!