Do you know what a manger is?

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

When Christ was born, he was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.

But what is a manger? A manger is a wooden implement you’d find in a barn where hay is placed so the cows can eat it. The word “manger” is closely related to the Italian verb “to eat”, mangiare.

That Jesus Christ was placed in a manger is a foreshadowing that one day we would actually eat Jesus Christ. And that is what we do whenever we receive Holy Communion: we eat the Body and Blood of Christ. Now, we’re not cannibals. To understand this, think of the young mother holding her tender child and kissing the child saying, “Oh, I love you so much I could just eat you up.” Well, that’s what we do with Jesus Christ.

Remember to be well prepared when you receive Holy Communion. You should be in a state of grace, having kept the one hour fast from food and beverage, and be a practicing Catholic.

Thanks for joining us on this journey. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.