Holy Night 1

December 24-25 – Capricorn

Christmas Eve, when Christ is born in the soul. The soul asks: Can I, with all my weaknesses, deficiencies and passions, be heard?

Symbol: The stable of Bethlehem, where the Light of the World is born in humility and poverty. The Voice of Silence penetrates the soul and teaches to joyfully affirm the good in us and in others.

Capricorn. The Divine Spirit is born in Matter. Spirit and Matter, the Alpha and Omega touch and life comes into being.

Mystery: The seeking soul in the darkness of a pathless forest.

Rudolf Steiner’s indications for the Holy Nights given to Herbert Hahn
Translation from German by Laura Zanutto 2015 adjusted by Mark Willan

1. Heilige Nacht in Bezug auf Januar

24./25. Dezember – Steinbock

Der Heilige Abend, an dem Christus der Seele geboren wird. Und die Seele fragt: kann ich mit all meinen Schwächen und Mängeln und Leidenschaften erhört werden? Symbol: Der Stall von Bethlehem, in dessen Niedrigkeit und Armut wurde das Licht der Welt hineingeboren. Die Stimme der Stille dringt zur Seele und lehrt sie, das Gute in uns und den Anderen freudig zu bejahen. Steinbock. Göttlicher Geist wird im Stoff geboren. Geist und Stoff, das A und O berühren sich und es entsteht Leben.

Mysterium: die suchende Seele im Dunkel eines weglosen Waldes.

First Contemplation: by Kristina Kaine 2019

Placing ourselves in the atmosphere of the birth of Jesus we face a sublime and sacred event. The purity of this event can make us feel inadequate. The image of the stable supports these feelings of inadequacy. The challenge is for us to see into the life of such a mighty being from the position of our “weaknesses, deficiencies and passions”, and this can be overwhelming. Somehow we must be able to stand in our weaknesses and see the being who does not judge us for these weaknesses. In fact, this being chooses to be born in this place of poverty.

This is a challenging idea because in this world we are continually judged for our weaknesses, just as we judge others for theirs. We don’t understand that our weaknesses, deficiencies and passions have a task to fulfil. They must never defeat us, they must stand as a sign of our task.

To be able to see our personal characteristics objectively, to understand that they have been formed in many lives lived on this earth, and that they bring us to a point of opportunity. Only when we can stand in the Silence will we hear about the true opportunity presented to us in our incarnation on this earth. This opportunity lies in a manger and we must look at it with wonder, with the same wonder of seeing a newborn for the first time.

This newborn fills us with awe because we see its perfection. We joyfully affirm the good in it, as others affirmed the good in us when they looked upon us at our birth. This goodness remains in us always. As we grow older it is covered over by karma. This karma presents itself as darkness yet all that is needed is the tiniest light of understanding to enable us to give birth to the Highest within us.

Each year we can acknowledge that within us is the purest being preparing to be born. We assist this birth by acknowledging that our deficiencies are simply the pain of the birth. What is born is the light this world is waiting for. All those who manage to give birth to the light show by example what is possible for everyone eventually.

The Nativity by Lorenzo Monaco 1406-10

The Holy Night Reflections written between 2011 – 2016 are available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M730YAV/