From the Crib to the Cross

One of the most meaningful Christmas photos I took was back in 1993, when I was stationed at St Anthony of Padua parish in Rocky Point, New York. I was preparing my Christmas cards for that year and thought of connecting the nativity with the crucifixion, the beginning and the end of Christ’s life. So I placed the figures of Mary and Joseph in the foreground with the crucifix out of focus in the middle, set at a distance. The result was very meaningful and I share this photo with you today as we meditate on the journey Jesus was prepared to take, from the crib in the stable at Bethlehem to the Cross on Calvary, 33 years later. This was also foreshadowed by the words of Simeon the at the Presentation of Jesus, when he told Mary..."A sword shall pierce your heart," referring to the cruel death Jesus was to suffer on the cross.