Smelly Animals

The other day I was thinking about farms and barns and animals and Christmas. Most of my life I have heard of Christ being such a sign of humility b/c he was willing to be born amongst the smelly barn animals. So much emphasis on how horrible that place of birth would be. Then it struck me that it might also be a sign of the type of kingship he was seated on. He is not only king of man, but King of Creation. He created it and it is good. The animals are an essential part of the creation that he made. He did not want to profess only his humanly kingship that he could boss people around and be lord over them but rather wanted to profess with his birth that he is King of ALL CREATION!!! He was the Prince of Peace and rightly his birth exemplified that name from the prophecies. St. Francis's mother found the same thing when she went to have him. He would not be born in the fancy upscale house that she lived in (think of what a sterile hospital would have done to stall her labor) but rather she had to humble herself so that he could be born in a stable amongst the animals that we all now know he loved so dearly, understood so indepth and preached to of the glory of God. So this Christmas season, I am going to work not only on growing in humility but also to grow in a deeper understanding of the many facets of the creation that God planned thoroughly and so perfectly.

Enjoy your advent and Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord.