The poem “In the Bleak Midwinter” is a perfect meditation to prepare our hearts for Christmas.Sometimes we may feel like we don’t have much to give Jesus on Christmas. Our Advent is filled to the brim with activities and by the end of it, we are entirely exhausted and look forward to the end of this busy season.
It may be the case that our Advent wasn’t spent very well and we may have never found extra time to pray. Even thinking about attending Mass on Christmas might seem stressful to us and we dread going there and all the activities that will follow. Basically, we are exhausted and have nothing to give Jesus on Christmas.
However, regardless of how well we have spent Advent, we can still give Jesus the present he wants the most.
This gift is perfectly summarized in a poem/Christmas carol written by Christina Rossetti. It is cherished by many and provides the perfect meditation for Advent. It reminds us of what truly matters and when we don’t have anything else to give, we can give Jesus our heart.
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.Enough for Him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.
Read more:
Prepare your heart for Christmas with the Great Antiphons
Read more:
Why you should spend your Advent with Mary
