# The narrow door of Bethlehem
*2016-12-23*

> Bill Young shares a reflection by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) on the mystery of the Incarnation and the spiritual significance of the Church of the Nativity.

## The Lesson of the Low Door

On Christmas Eve, we reflect on a narrative titled 'The Narrow Door of Bethlehem' by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. He describes the church built by Emperor Constantine on the site where Christ was born. Over time, the main entrance was walled up, leaving only a secondary entrance that requires visitors to stoop in order to enter. While this happened by chance, it expresses a deeper spiritual truth: the low and narrow door is more befitting of the event venerated there than a magnificent portal.

God made himself small to dispel our fears and allow us to come close to Him. He humbled himself to the point of coming down to earth, penetrating the mystery of our humanity. As the Fathers of the Church tell us, He lowered Himself so much that He could rescue a lost sheep from the thicket, take it on His shoulders, and bring it home. To enter the place where Jesus was born, we must stoop just as God stooped. We must abandon our presumptions, arrogance, and prejudices to become simple once more. Only then can we meet the God who wished to become a child.

## A Barometer of History

The Church of the Nativity has served as a barometer of world history. Located where Asia, Africa, and Europe touch, it has seen the conflict of religions and world powers. Throughout the centuries, the church has often suffered and come near to total ruin; even today, disputes among Christians have hindered its full restoration. 

In this place, we see both the decline of community and the strength of faith. It is saddening to see the human inability to renounce demands for the sake of unity. Yet, it is tremendously consoling to see that the structural frenzy of humanity has not succeeded in quenching the light that originated here two thousand years ago.

## The Mystery of the Cave

Descending into the grotto where Mary gave birth, we encounter the truth of the first sentence of the Gospel of St. John: 'The Word was made flesh.' In this place, we are called to remain silent, kneel, and allow ourselves to be penetrated by this mystery. Among those who pray and kiss the ground, regardless of origin, culture, or creed, a bond is born. Near the Child, the walls of separation are torn down, and we perceive the heartbeat of something greater: the heartbeat of God.

## The True Light of Christmas

Ratzinger reflects on the silver star and lamps in the grotto, noting that heaven has shaken the earth—not with a destructive blow, but with a timely joining that left behind a fountain of light. He contrasts this with modern Christmas lights, which are often glittering tools of business that provide no heat and sometimes hide the light of the stars above. 

However, we should not become embittered by consumerism. A warm and humble light still twinkles in our hearts from the cave of the Nativity, awakening the goodness buried within us. If the Incarnation had not occurred, we would be left in a frightful darkness. While the Incarnate God did not cast a spell to transform the world into an earthly paradise, He brought a calm light of love and mercy that can never be extinguished.

*The light of God is not overpowering or forceful, but it invites us to be liberated and to love.*