His Mother's Features

As we contemplate Jesus, growing in the womb, becoming our servant Savior, it is touching to imagine his developing face. This profile of a face in the womb is the merest suggestion of the growth of the human face of our God with us. At this point, he would already be taking on his mother's features and developing her eyes. He'd have her nose, her chin, her ears and eventually, her hair. On this face in the womb are the smallest signs of reacting to stimuli, even pain. This face would one day give joy to the shepherds, the first of his people to see it, and the Magi, the first of the gentiles to look upon him. When he was a baby, he must have cried and felt hunger and he must laughed and smiled a lot. We can imagine the developing face of the child of Nazareth, the Jesus who smiled at his friends, even though the rumors swirled that he was illegitimate. We can give thanks for the face which looked up to heaven at his Baptism and saw the sky opened, with that powerful affirmation from God, his Father, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.” And the loving face of Jesus, which developed slowly and inevitably, was the face which tenderly interacted with many who had the privilege of seeing it in his lifetime. This is the same face which was spat upon and was covered with blood from the mocking crown of thorns, all for us.


For more Advent Reflections visit Online Ministries at Creighton University