“She wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7)
The fact that there was no room for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in the inn at Bethlehem on the first Christmas should make us wonder, because the birth of Christ was foreseen and planned by God from all eternity. Hundreds of years before it happened, the prophets announced He would be born of a virgin (Is. 7:14) and that Bethlehem would be His birthplace (Micah 5:2). Many other details of His life and death were also foretold. Did God, then, forget to make room for His only Son?
Obviously, God did this on purpose. There was no room in the inn, because the world has rejected God. The world makes no room for the God who created it. When our hearts are filled with all kinds of other desires than God, we gradually crowd Him out altogether. The lack of room in the inn symbolizes the lack of room we make for Him in our hearts.
Luke’s Gospel this year brings to mind the much-reported story of a mother in Texas who sued the state to be able to abort her baby girl after receiving a diagnosis of Trisomy 18. I am not judging this mother, this couple, because that is not my role. But I do see in this young couple’s unwillingness to make room in their hearts and their lives for this imperfect baby a parallel to Mary and Joseph’s search for a place for their baby.
[Click here to subscribe to Pregnancy Help News!]
I know from my work in pro-life advocacy that couples facing a poor prenatal diagnosis are pressured to abort their babies and “try again.” Doctors worry – not without reason in our litigious society – about medical malpractice and “wrongful life” lawsuits. Parents fret about being able to rise to the challenges of a special-needs child.
In the case of Trisomy 18, it’s very possible the baby would die before ever being born, or shortly after. Parents are convinced they are doing their baby a kindness by preventing her from suffering, and saving themselves the heartbreak of having to say goodbye to a newborn child. But whether the baby is killed by abortion or dies in the arms of her parents, there is no getting away from the heartbreak.
Tweet This: Whether a baby is killed by abortion or dies in the arms of her parents, there is no getting away from the heartbreak.
The abortion-friendly media, of course, is incensed that Texas dare enforce its own laws and deny an abortion. Only in the pro-life news do we read about other options, like perinatal hospice, and trusting in God’s plan for that child.
Tweet This: Only in the pro-life news do we read about other options, like perinatal hospice, and trusting in God’s plan for that child.
We can’t know what God had in store for this baby. Some children born with Trisomy 18 live to their 20s or 30s. The oldest known person in the U.S. with the chromosomal disorder is 43 years old. The most famous American with Trisomy 18 is Bella Santorum, the daughter of former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum and his wife, Karen. Bella turned 15 in May.
Admittedly, most babies do not live that long but those parents who have been willing to trust God’s plan say their babies changed their lives for the better. On X (formerly Twitter), a writer named Allie Beth Stuckey asked families to share their stories. Here are just a few:
* Ingrid was born on Good Friday and died on Easter Sunday. Her mother wrote, “I wouldn’t trade the forty-nine hours we spent with her for anything in this world… We were fully her parents and it was beautiful.”
* “Our son, Isaac, had Trisomy 13. We’re forever thankful to the Lord for our time with him.”
* “Here for a blessed six hours. Stephanie Marie. I held my baby her whole life and felt her leave in a whisper. Her sisters celebrated her.”
Christ comes at Christmas to open our hearts the way these parents opened theirs. Today, He does not seek an inn; He seeks room in our own hearts and lives. And He asks that as we welcome Him, we welcome everyone whom He welcomes, including the children most defenseless and forgotten.
We welcome the Divine Child, and in doing so, we welcome every child.
Editor's note: Father David Begany, SSJ, is a priest associate for Priests for Life and pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Baytown, Texas. This article is a Pregnancy Help News original.
