Like many Catholic households around the world, my family deemed it
simply unacceptable to have the baby Jesus on display in the nativity scene
before Christmas morning. With the scene set up, the small figure of baby
Jesus had to be hidden elsewhere in the room, ready to be laid down in the
manger upon return from Midnight Mass.

‍
However, year in year out, that hiding spot would be quickly forgotten and
when the time came, we would find ourselves frantically searching at the
darkest hours of the night, dazed by exhaustion, to find the baby Jesus and
put Him in His rightful place: the manger, the eating place of animals, the
messy stable which according to common sense seemed in fact no place for
the King of the Universe. 

‍
And here is the lesson for us: when we are confronted with our darkest and
most exhausting moments, do we search for Christ in our lives? Do we let
Him into the messy areas of our hearts even when we cannot fathom it
being the place for our Saviour? Although we might not be able to see that it
is a place for Him, the image of Christ laid in a manger shows us this is
exactly the place He wants to be let in.

‍
Our campuses are filled with the hustle and bustle of our fellow students,
trying to find what their purpose is in life. So many students don’t know
that they are searching for a who not a what - that their purpose is found in
the person of Jesus Christ. Whilst we might forget to search for Christ in
our hardest moments, those around us don’t even know what they would
find if they looked.

‍
As Catholic students we have a unique call to witness to students around us
- to teach and witness to them about who Christ is and the light He brought
into the world, not just at the Nativity but for all eternity. Our CathSoc and
Chaplaincies provide a community of people carrying out this mission
together. These communities provide fellowship and should also welcome
and draw new people in with their warmth and light.

‍
Christ was born into the chaos of people around Him trying to find their
way, and it’s into this chaos the light of Christ pierced the darkness. How
can we, like the Holy Family in the middle of chaos surrounding them,
bring the peace of Christ into the world? How can our communities live out
our call to evangelise at university?