The Holy Family in Transit

Ten years ago, on Christmas Eve, I was a 10-year-old and remember being so excited that I could hardly sit still. I walked past the tree in the living room a thousand times, wondering if this would be the year I would find my most wished-for present waiting for me: the incredible, wholesome Barbie laptop. 

Every December in Nicaragua, my family and I take a walk around the town square to see a beautifully lit Nativity scene. The manger remains empty until midnight on Christmas Eve, when the figure of Baby Jesus is placed there, marking the moment when a child is born to us.

On Christmas Day, the town square fills with people gathering around the scene, all wanting to see the newborn Jesus.

Christmas is an opportunity for us to notice the many ways people move, travel, and return. As an international student, there is an old story that really resonates with me, one about a man named Abram, who one day heard God ask him to leave his land and move to the unknown.

“Go forth from your land, your relatives, and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you” (Gn 12:1) 

God asked Abram to leave his culture, comfort, and community behind. He left his father’s house, and even though Abram didn’t know where God was leading him, God did. God promised Abram that He would make him a great nation, bless him, and make his name great. Centuries later, Jesus was born to carry out the covenant made with Abram and to fulfill every promise God ever made to mankind. 

When Emperor Augustus ordered a census throughout the Roman Empire, everyone was required to register in their ancestral hometowns. A heavily pregnant Mary and Joseph set out from Nazareth to Bethlehem, a journey that might have taken them up to seven days. They walked through rough terrain, risking their safety, as the timing coincided with Mary’s labor.

When the couple arrived in Bethlehem, the town was crowded due to the census. It was not until a kind innkeeper offered the family a place to stay in a stable that they found shelter and rest. This person’s generosity, welcoming them despite having little, made Jesus’ safe birth possible, a moment the world rejoices in every Christmas, every year.

Moving has always been part of human history, and Jesus himself experienced this. Soon after his birth, the Holy family fled to Egypt to escape King Herod’s order to kill all the baby boys under a certain age.

When it was safe to return, they moved back to Nazareth, where Jesus grew up. Later, during his ministry, he traveled through Galilee, Judea, and the surrounding regions. Jesus, the very heart of this holiday, lived a life of movement and migration. 

Ten years ago, that Christmas in Matagalpa, my parents surprised me with a toy computer. It was not the Barbie one I wanted, but it was perfect. After finishing finals this semester, I am heading home for Christmas. I almost can’t contain my excitement when I think of seeing my family again.

Time and distance make coming together more meaningful, and no matter how many years go by, they will always welcome me back. For me, this is Christmas joy: a joy that goes beyond borders, finds hope in times of sorrow, and always, always welcomes you home.