Dear Friend 

Door of Humility

Reflection by Rev. Msgr. Joseph Reilly

Several years ago, the father of a good friend of mine passed away shortly before Christmas. In many ways, though sad, it was a relief for the family, as he had suffered from dementia for quite some time. As I was preparing for the homily for his funeral, the Nativity gospel kept coming to me while I was praying (No! I was not trying to get a head start on my Christmas homily, I promise!!).

You could not deny the vulnerability that this poor man had undergone. Equally as evident was how his condition had drawn others together in kindness, patience and generosity. In the gospel account of the birth of Jesus, we see how God chose to come to us in the weakness and fragility that is ours as humans. Even more, we see God’s desire to share in His own life and love with us, that we can have communion with Him in Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary. This is the reason why Christmas evokes such wonder among young and old alike!

The Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem captures these two realities – of vulnerability and communion – with palpable, powerful signs. The main entrance to the church does not have the usual dimensions. It is a mere 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide. To pass through it, one must bow down. The lesson before us is that the proper disposition in approaching God is humility. So often in our lives we struggle to give God the primacy of place in our hearts that God deserves. Humility is the key and Jesus Himself shows us the way:

He emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

becoming as human beings are;

and being in every way like a human being,

he was humbler yet,

even to accepting death,

death on a cross.

Once inside, you make your way to the chapel marking the place where God entered the world. Inscribed on the floor are the words: “Here Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary.” God’s merciful love was so great that He sent his only Son that we might be saved and have communion with Him. Truly God is Emmanuel – with us in our weakness and vulnerability and need.

What defines life, yours or mine? Money? Power? Position? Security? Is it something transitory or something that lasts forever, eternal? The Church of the Nativity reminds us that God calls us to live in this life with our focus on the life to come. The means God employs are vulnerability and communion. Bowing down to enter can be uncomfortable and disarming at first. But inside are the treasures of healing and hope and life. This Lent, God invites us to “venture inside” for a while. And discover yet again how God continues to enter our world – through our vulnerability – and what God offers us on each occasion, without exception – communion of life and love. Only one way to enter, though: the door of humility. “I stand at the door knocking.” (Revelation 3:20)

Rev. Msgr. Joseph Reilly, S.T.L., Ph.D., former rector/dean, Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology. He holds a Bachelor of Sacred Theology from Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, a licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL) from Pontificio Istituto Teresianum, Rome, and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from Fordham University. He has served as a member of the Archdiocesan Priest Personnel Board, the Advisory Committee on Continuing Education and Ongoing Formation of Priests, the Archdiocesan Vocations Board, and the Board of Trustees of Seton Hall University. Pope John Paul II named him a Chaplain to His Holiness in 2005, with the title of Reverend Monsignor. In 2016 during the Holy Year of Mercy, the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization sought priests who were living signs "of the Father's welcome to all those in search of His forgiveness." He was the only priest from the Archdiocese of Newark formally commissioned as a Missionary of Mercy by Pope Francis.