Where is Baby Jesus?

Spectacular. The ceramic figurines in brightly colored jewel tones shine when the light hits them, creating a stark contradiction against the simple bare stable. 

Like many of us Catholics, I cherish our nativity set. It is such an integral part of our Advent and Christmas seasons I, like many of you, have a particular creche that I cherish. It is spectacular in its beauty and while not life-size, it is large enough to be substantial. It has held a central position in our home and our hearts for more than 20 years. My daughter delights each year in arranging all the figures. And of course, we wait until Christmas to place Baby Jesus in the manger. Some years, we had little bales of hay purchased from the craft store also displayed. As we each perform an Advent kindness, we pull a piece of hay from the bale and place it in the manger so that our kind deeds create a soft and welcoming bed and heart for the infant King.

This year, our house has been undergoing remodeling. Walls have come down while disarray reigns. Advent and Christmas come regardless of whether we are ready or not. I have no place to display my beautiful nativity. 

And this is how I came to display my Fisher Price nativity set. My dining room- completely emptied for remodeling, became the perfect spot for our 9-foot-tall Christmas tree. In a place of importance, taking front and center stage in the entire room, proudly sitting underneath the tree, is our Fisher-Price nativity set.

These toys have been well-loved by four children and nine grandchildren over the years. Our newest pandemic-born baby granddaughter is almost 18 months old. I excitedly wait for her to arrive and discover the little manger scene under the tree. To push the angel and hear the songs of Christmas. The decorations are the perfect finishing touch on my Christmas decorations.

Each morning, I sat quietly with my cup of coffee, tree lights on, praying and admiring the beauty that this season brings as we take time to immerse ourselves in stillness.

And then along came Alfred. 

Alfred is my robot vacuum. He’s programmed to go off once every day. He does an amazing job at keeping the dust from the desert and the animal hair from our pets at bay.

Alfred loves Baby Jesus. Every morning Alfred goes straight for the creche. He crashes into it and pushes the Magi around, as if to say, “I know you want to find the baby Jesus, but it isn’t that easy. There is much in our world to distract you. You think you are on your way but watch this.” And just like that, the Magi are spread about the room.

Alfred crashes into baby Jesus every morning, as this scene repeats itself again and again. I find myself having to hunt to find Jesus and bring him back. I must set the Wise men back on the right path, as Alfred has led them astray.

And so it went, day after day. You would think I would learn. You would think I could easily come up with another solution, place the nativity set on top of something else, put some barricades around it. Sure, easy solutions that every day I said I was going to do. And every day I didn’t do. Because thinking of great ideas is the easier part. Moving into action, well, that takes more effort.

It became my morning routine. Get my coffee. Find baby Jesus. Set the Magi back on the path. Because nothing else could happen until Jesus was in his proper place.   

After several days of this, I realized that I loved the message I was getting through this odd ritual. Alfred had taught me that each morning, before anything else, I must find Jesus. First. That is the first To-Do of the day, before anything else. Each morning this ritual helped me to focus, to remember to find Jesus, to begin my day with Jesus. 

I loved the symbolism of physically finding and holding Jesus and making sure He is in the proper place in my home.” This physical connection of doing this every day has reminded me that throughout Christmas and the year, I must start each day by finding Jesus and making sure he is in his proper place- in my home, in my life, in my heart. Wow.  

Our world, like Alfred, creates many distractions that can cause us to lose sight of him. And yet, there he was always. I just had to look.

This Christmas Season and beyond, start every day by finding Jesus. Set your sights on Him.

“And you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13