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Today's text
Now it happened that when the angels had gone from
them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go to Bethlehem
and see this event which the Lord has made known to us.' So they hurried away
and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger (Luke 2:15-16).
Reflection
For years, I have prayed this
story in my imagination, and each time I see a dumbstruck shepherd holding the
infant Jesus.
But the story starts
elsewhere. It begins with feet stumbling over rough ground. A handful of
shepherds rush to see what is happening, thankful that something--they know not
what--has interrupted the boredom of another long night among dumb sheep.
Coming to a stable, they
stand mute at the opening, not ready to enter.
A small fire illumines the
dark interior. A cow and three or four sheep lay in an enclosure to the right.
A man on one knee looks down at an exhausted woman, turning his head as they approach.
He gestures, and they
hesitantly enter, unsure if they should intrude. But they are not intrusion.
They are the reason this whole thing is happening.
Coming close, they stand wide-eyed
before a mother and infant child, nestled close amid the cold. The oldest of
them steps closer to see the beauty of new life in Mary’s arms.
This is not strange to them. The
shepherds know birth. They have helped ewes give birth and held their fragile
young in calloused hands. They know what to do.
Mary looks at her child and
into the eyes of the old shepherd and slightly lifts her bundle, a gesture he
understands. She lays her child in his arms.
He says nothing but looks at
the child, holding the blessing of midnight he will never understand. He
understands only that it’s a night like no other he has seen: angels in the
starlight, songs in the night, a child in his arms, his old eyes beholding the
life he tenderly holds.
What he cannot understand is
that the life he holds in worn hands is the life who holds him. He holds heart
of God beating in the heart of a tender child. Looking into Jesus infant face,
he cannot know that he gazes into the mystery of Love Unbounded.
Theologians of every age have
sought to answer the question of why the Inexpressible God became mortal flesh.
Some read the Scriptures and conclude the primary purpose of the incarnation
was to atone for sin and forgive human guilt.
Others say, “no,” the
incarnation did not take place because of human sin. God always planned to
appear in mortal flesh, taking all that we are into himself, holding it close
and loving it all, just like the old shepherd cradling Mary’s child.
Christmas Eve will soon be
upon us, and once again we are the shepherds, beckoned to hold the child who
holds us all.
For prayer and reflection
- What did you see, feel, hear and notice as you imagine the scene of the shepherds coming to the manger?
- What message comes to you as you see the shepherd holding the child? Can you put yourself in the scene, holding Jesus?
- How do each of us complete creation, allowing God to be incarnate in our flesh?
Another voice
Jesus, Lord of all creation, sleep now close beside
your mother, Mary. Bring us light amid the darkness, promise of life without
end. For a child is born, the world rejoices! Shepherds and angels proclaim his
birth. This is Jesus the Lord, our Savior and brother, bearing God’s peace to the earth.
(“Nativity Carol,” Francis
Patrick O’Brien, 1992)
