Stations of the Nativity
Meditations on theIncarnation of Christ
Raymond Chapman
with illustrations selected by
Dame Winefride Pruden
Also from the same author
and available from Morehouse Publishing
The Habit of Prayer—a round-the-year prayer guide and Stations of the Resurrection
Stations of the Nativity
Copyright © 1999 Raymond Chapman
Originally published in English under the title Stations of theNativity by the Canterbury Press Norwich of St. Mary's Works, St. Mary's Plain, Norwich, Norfolk NR3 3BH, UK
Morehouse Publishing, 4775 Linglestown Rd, Harrisburg PA 17112
Morehouse Publishing, 445 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10016
Morehouse Publishing is an imprint of Church Publishing Incorporated.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.
The Author asserts the moral right to be identified as the Author of this work.
Cover design by Corey Kent
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Chapman, Raymond
Stations of the Nativity : meditations on the incarnation of Christ / Raymond Chapman ; with illustrations selected by Winefride Prude.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-8192-1804-9 (pbk)
1. Jesus Christ—Nativity—Prayer–books and devotions—English. I. Title.
BT315.2.C47 1999
232.92—dc21
99-052331
Printed in the United Satates of America
08 09 10 11 5 4 3 2
Contents
Suggestions for Using this Book
9 The Circumcision or Naming of Jesus
13 The Massacre of the Innocents
A Little Anthology of the Nativity
A Note on the Illustrations by Winefride Pruden
Suggestions for Using this Book
The Way of the Cross is a traditional exercise of devotion, in which we follow with awe and penitence the steps of Jesus to Calvary and the tomb. In a previous book, Stations of the Resurrection, I have offered a similar series of prayers and meditations on the Resurrection appearances of our Lord. The redemptive suffering of the Cross and the glory of the Resurrection were made possible by the coming of the Son of God into this world, to take our human nature upon himself. It is in Bethlehem that the story of our salvation begins.
The events preceding and following the Nativity are here set out in fourteen stations. The meditations and prayers accompanying each of them may be used for either personal or corporate devotion, as the Stations of the Cross are used by many worshippers. In a conducted progress around a church, in gathered prayer or in private reflection, the devotion may be particularly suitable for the forty days from Christmas to the Feast of the Presentation, but it is appropriate for any time in the year because the grace of the Incarnation is always among us.
Each of the stations has the relevant biblical passage, a short consideration, and prayers of thanksgiving and penitence with versicles and responses to introduce and link each station. Pictures are added which may aid devotion. Suggested prayers and hymns for beginning and ending the whole devotion may be appropriate when it is led by a conductor.
All the stations here set out are based on Gospel accounts. It is not necessary to try to harmonize them into a continuous narrative; each reveals some truth of the experience of the witnesses, and of ourselves.
For more extended use of the stations, each has a longer meditation focusing more fully on what that particular event in the early life of Jesus may be saying to us and more intimately relating it to the recorded story. These meditations are probably most suitable for individual devotion with one or a few stations at a time. It is suggested that those following this method should first reflect more deeply on the Gospel reading. You may wish to follow the shorter devotions of the station as a preparation for meditation and resolution. Each meditation ends with a short petition, to carry the fruit of devotion into the life of the day.
Introduction
Christmas is certainly the most popular festival of the Christian year. For many people it begins with preparations over a month before, is celebrated with cards, presents, parties and special meals, and is considered to be over within a few days. It attracts more people to at least one church service than any other time, with congregations almost everywhere outnumbering those of Easter.
Christians are by no means required to stand apart from the more secular pleasures of a break in the middle of winter and the many things that are good in shared rejoicing. This is part of