Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
For many, the Christmas dinner with loved ones is a highlight of this season. This is understandable because it is an occasion to be fed physically and emotionally. Besides enjoying the great food, we recall what has happened since the last time we were together, retell evoke laughter and tears, and take and send multiple pictures of the celebration.
People, especially as they get older, will often remark after these gatherings, “That was the best gift I could have received, to spend time with family during Christmas!”
The most prominent image we have of the Nativity of Our Lord is one in which Jesus is lying in a manger. Among the thousands of artistic interpretations of that event, the ones that focus upon the Christ Child in that bed of straw are the ones that draw our attention when we celebrate his birth.
Years ago, after grace at the beginning of family holiday meals, my Italian grandfather would invite everyone to begin eating by saying, “Mangi, mangi!” The manger, whose Italian word derivative is “mangi” meaning “eat,” was the feeding place for animals.
The description of Our Lord being symbol and reminder of the truth that the one who was lying in that manger is the one who feeds us, sustains our souls. It is through the Incarnation — God coming to us in the form of man — that we are brought back into his saving grace. The birth, life, death and resurrection of his Son are God’s everlasting gift to us.
Just as we are in communion with family and friends at the Christmas dinner table, Christ’s birth is very much a eucharistic feast in which Communion with him by sharing in his body and blood. If not for the Incarnation and Nativity of Our Lord, this spiritual feast would not be possible!
As we prepare for a year in which we will highlight the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, this Christmas season provides us with an opportunity to meditate more on how it is that we are sharing in that Communion. It is a time when we can reflect upon how — being spiritually fed by him — we are continuing to be the Body of Christ for others.
We are, as was our Blessed Mother, “Theotokos” (Christ bearers). We are called, by our words and actions, to share in this Communion ourselves, and to proclaim his message to all, to invite them to share in his Communion as well.
May you and all whom you hold dear be blessed this Christmas season, and may you grow closer to Christ in the Eucharist throughout 2023.
Mangi, Mangi!
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Barry C. Knestout
Bishop of Richmond