Why was Jesus born in a stable?

A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

Our parish church, as so many other Catholic Churches around the world, has a wonderful Christmas Crib display. Placed amid a sea of poinsettias is a magnificent Crib display with Fontanini figurines. Looks wonderful and colorful, and so festive. But it's all wrong. Jesus was born in a grotto or at least a cave, and there were some animals there, cows or perhaps oxen. And the manger Jesus was lying in was an animal feeding trough. We do well to remember this reality: Jesus, the Son of the Living God, was born in a stable! The question is why?

"And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!" When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. (Luke 2:7-19)
 
Could His arrival on earth in poverty have something to do with His death... in poverty, without friends, without anyone except for His mother, and the Apostles?
 
He could have come in great splendor and riches but He came to Bethlehem among the farm animals, the sheep, the oxen, and among the shepherds, people of minimal education, especially in those days 2000 years ago. Was it because the poor are meek and humble, just as Our Lord is meek and humble of heart?

The 2000 intervening years in the history of the Church has been one conflict after another. If you read the History of the Catholic Church ("c. 107: St. Ignatius of Antioch was martyred at Rome. He was the first writer to use the expression, “the Catholic Church.”"¹) you'll find that the Catholic Church was attacked by all sorts of doubters and that the Body of Christ really had a tough struggle getting it, in membership and authenticity of teaching, where it is today. And even today there are scandals in the Church, surely the work of the devil who does not want Jesus to succeed. He (Jesus) said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Mat 16:15-19)

The "powers of death shall not prevail against it," - the Catholic Church will survive! Sure, it may go to yet more rough times but it will survive! And people who love the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and those who love Mary the Mother of God, and the Angels and Saints, they too will survive... they will find themselves welcomed in His Heavenly Kingdom."He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." (Luke 1:32-33)

Just as Jesus was born in a stable, and died a gruesome death alone on the Cross, He comes to us in a very lowly form...In the Holy Eucharist of the Catholic Church He comes to us in the form of bread and wine. Common staple even to this day in all parts of the world. These substances, consecrated during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, are so common we don't even think about them for we know that in these staple forms He is really present in Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. And so, we adore Him, coming to us in a small way, in a humble way, in an unambiguous way we can identify with. God made all this possible so that His only begotten Son will be in the hearts of men and women throughout the ages.

Fred Schaeffer, OFS (1-6-2004, republished 1/6/2024)

1. Our Sunday Visitor Catholic Almanac

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