St Mary Redcliffe Church Parish Magazine - December 2015 -January 2016

GAZE ON THE NEW-BORN BABY
Kat Campion–Spall prompts
reflection on the Nativity Window
Behind the altar in the Lady Chapel is
our wonderful nativity window. At the
centre is Mary, reclining next to the
manger on the straw, in which her
new-born baby is lying. I seem to
remember spending quite a lot of time
lying down as a new mother, partly I
think due to exhaustion, partly
because of the shock of the world
turning upside-down – the world feels a bit more stable when
you’re horizontal – and of course often also because I was
stuck under a sleeping baby! But that time spent lying around
is often also time just gazing at the little one, falling in love with
them, marvelling at the sheer wonder of their existence,
knowing that their birth changes things forever.
The nativity scene in the Lady Chapel is, on one level, very
busy. The usual visitors crowd around – shepherds with their
lambs, magi, a host of angels overhead. Below them,
contemporary visitors and figures from the church’s history
gather. But they keep a respectful distance, separated from the
holy family by the stonework, and at the centre Mary simply lies
gazing at Jesus. It is an image of stillness and absorption.
Finding space to pray at Christmas can be really difficult. Even
at church things can feel busy, and many people are involved in
a lot of extra events and services. Most people don’t
appreciate having anything added to their Christmas to-do lists!
But we are missing something important if we don’t give
ourselves that time to gaze at the Christ-child, marvelling at the
sheer wonder of his existence, knowing that his birth changes
things forever.