The Gaze of the Infant Jesus (season 3 episode 3)

In this Christmas episode Jenny Lochner, Fiona Whitehead and Alice Hall focus on encountering the gaze of the infant Jesus, and ponder the gaze of wonder in those we meet in the Nativity story. Scripture Luke 2:13-20, Matthew 6:6 Image In our conversation we reflected on three images: Adoration - Nicole Joiner: https://www.facebook.com/110312407540767/posts/182566303648710/ The Adoration of the Shepherds - Guido Reni: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/guido-reni-the-adoration-of-the-shepherds Adoration of the Magi - 17th Century Ethiopian Art: https://art.thewalters.org/detail/90659/adoration-of-the-magi/0 Music We have a Spotify playlist to accompany the podcast. This will grow with each episode. Check it out here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/46HvR2rtPn1TwP6QPvDc8o?dl_branch=1&si=PIZ_r5jyQMup6Ril5h8O-A Quoted antiphon from Christmas Matins Latin text O magnum mysterium, et admirabile sacramentum, ut animalia viderent Dominum natum, iacentem in praesepio! Beata Virgo, cujus viscera meruerunt portare Dominum Iesum Christum. Alleluia! English translation O great mystery, and wonderful sacrament, that animals should see the newborn Lord, lying in a manger! Blessed is the virgin whose womb was worthy to bear the Lord, Jesus Christ. Alleluia! See our Spotify playlist for two different settings of this antiphon to listen to. Journaling Prompts PAUSE to GAZE Have you had a moment to gaze at the nativity scene this Christmas? Take some time to pause and gaze, whether that’s at the crib at your church or in your home, or simply on a Christmas card you’ve received or one of the images in the show notes. GAZED UPON In the podcast The Five Love Languages we’re discussed. Do you know what your Love Language is? (You can find out more here - *insert website*) Is this one of the ways that you experience God loving you? If not, perhaps consider what it might look like for God to speak your Love Language. Take time to reflect on the times when you have felt most loved by the people in your life. What Love Language were they ‘speaking’? GAZING ON THE WORD Spend some time reflecting on the account of Jesus’ nativity in the Gospels of Luke (2:1-20) and Matthew (2:1-12) What word or phrase stands out to you in particularly? What might God be trying to say to you through this word or phrase or this Scripture as a whole? Get in touch We’d love to hear from you! Please send any feedback or questions to [email protected] We have an Instagram and a Facebook group. We will be sharing the images for each episode on our social media. It’s also a way to find others who are listening to the podcast and to share the experience, the challenges and the blessings that come from it. https://instagram.com/i_am.he_is.beloved?utm_medium=copy_link https://www.facebook.com/groups/belovedministry/?ref=share Support If you have enjoyed the podcast, we invite you to prayerfully consider donating to the work of Sion Community, by going to https://www.sioncommunity.org.uk/ and clicking the donate button. Bookings are now open for our next Beloved Retreat, visit https://sioncommunity.org.uk/adults/ for more information and to register