The Third Joyful Mystery // The Nativity of Our Lord
Fruit of the Mystery // Poverty of Spirit
Reflect
My mom collects nativity scenes. Through over a decade of living and traveling abroad, she has amassed quite the collection, each one more unique than the last. Some cover an end table while others fit in the palm of my hand. Some are carved from wood, others are delicate porcelain. No matter the size or materials, they are all instantly recognizable. This is the moment Heaven touched earth.
There is brave Saint Joseph, relieved and grateful, but on alert. From this moment forward, he lives to protect and provide for his wife and the Christ Child. There is our Blessed Mother, a mother for the first time, kneeling beside the manger, gazing at her newborn Son. And there, wrapped in swaddling clothes, is Our Lord, come in the humblest of ways to redeem the world and open the gates of Heaven.
Poverty of spirit is the acknowledgment of both who we are and Who God is. He is God. We are not. Our wealth, our resumes, our accomplishments, our degrees, our follower counts...none of it makes us more powerful or honorable in the sight of Heaven. This is not to say that any of these things are pointless; rather, how we conduct ourselves and serve God through our earthly lives matters a great deal. But the accolades themselves? God does not need them.
Saint Joseph humbly accepted the situation—that no rooms were available to them—and made the best of the innkeeper’s offering of his barn. Mary, knowing full well Who the Child was that she was going to deliver—despite what the popular Christmas song may wonder—graciously released any hopes she may have had for an ideal birth experience. How very astounding was their poverty of spirit. They deserved the finest, most majestic place for this miraculous birth. Not for the first time and not for the last, they fully trusted God’s plan for the redemption of the world.
Let Us Pray
Lord Jesus, You came to us in the humblest of ways—a Baby born in a manger. Help us to learn from Your Blessed Mother and foster father how to trust in Your perfect plan and to humbly accept whatever role You may ask us to play in it. Amen.
For Discussion
Share about a time when God’s plan was completely different from your own.
Are there any particular areas where you struggle with pride? Commit to praying for one another in these areas.
Praying the Rosary
Throughout the Prayer Pledge and beyond, we really encourage you to pray the Rosary! Since we will be looking at the fruits of the Mysteries of the Rosary, it only makes sense to actually pray it!
Here is a guide on how to pray the Rosary.
I like this podcast and this podcast for praying the Rosary.
Hallow also has a marvelous Rosary meditation.
And if you want to go even deeper in to the Rosary, check out Mystery!
By Their Fruits: The 2021 Prayer Pledge // Day 6 #BISblog #prayerpledge //Click to tweet
Lisa Kirk is a regular contributor to the BIS blog. New York City-born and internationally raised, she now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her study-abroad-crush-turned-husband and their two children. A former wedding magazine editor and fashion copywriter, she now writes primarily for Something Pretty, the Catholic living and classic style blog she began in 2010. She loves learning about the Saints, wandering the city with coffee in hand, and making new friends on Instagram. Read all of Lisa's posts here.
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