Beautiful Advent Reflection

My friend Nancy had this beautiful reflection on her blog:

Reflections on Mary's Advent
"It must have been a season of joy, and she must have longed for His birth, but at the same time she knew that every step that she took, took her little son nearer to the grave.
Each work of her hands prepared His hands a little more for the nails; each breath that she drew counted one more to His last.
In giving life to Him she was giving Him death.....But Christ is life: death did not belong to Him....That is what it meant to Mary to give human nature to God.
He was invulnerable; He asked her for a body to be wounded.
He was joy itself; He asked her to give Him tears.
He was God; He asked her to make Him man.
He asked for hands and feet to be nailed.
He asked for flesh to be scourged
He asked for blood to be shed
He asked for a heart to be broken.
The stable at Bethlehem was the first Calvary.
The wooden Manger was the first Cross.
The swaddling bands were the first burial bands
The Passion had begun
Christ was man........"

The REED of God by Caryll Houselander