Not long ago I read the following verse from the poem The So Present Future, by Benjamín González Buelta:
I will no longer ask you when we will be numerous, but rather I will ask, “Where is, today, the manger of Bethlehem?”
I liked the idea of focusing on where the manger is today for us. Not where is success? Or where is the world evangelized? Or where is the church full? Or even where is there a happier world? Rather, where is—around us—a home filled with love. We may find it within our family, or with our spouse, or with our best friends: the manger of Bethlehem it is an intimate place that is pleasant, protected, full of affection, tenderness and honesty.
Once we have succeeded in recognizing where the manger of Bethlehem is for us, let’s begin to think which gifts are we going to bring to the manger. We are approaching the days when we all think about presents, and we could try to imitate the shepherds, who arrived at the manger with the simple presents that they could offer, and also those that were necessary at the moment.
One present could be a few days dedicated to our loved ones, or a dose of affection to someone in need, or a few pounds of dialogue, or some gallons of just having fun with a friend. And, why not give ourselves something, for we, too, are part of the manger? This gift could be some peaceful time, to just “be”, meditate, breathe and pray. An empty present, a present full of nothing—in order to detach ourselves from all that matters little and occupies much space and time. This Christmas, what gifts could be better than these, for our own manger in Bethlehem?
