God With Us

Rosemary Bogdan pictures what it must have been like for Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds on that very first Christmas.

On this night of all nights, the Old Testament Prophecies are fulfilled.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign; the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

God is with us. Here. On Earth, as one of us. The greatest miracle of human history has come to pass.

But you, Bethlehem-Ephratha least among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. (Micah 5:1)

Bethlehem is crowded with people responding to the census order. There are no rooms in the inns. How desperate Joseph must have felt as he tried frantically to find a place for the Child to be born.

Mary and Joseph had to have been exhausted. It had been a long journey over rough roads. I cannot even imagine riding on a donkey while in labor.

And yet that is what Mary did. About to be born is the child, the mysterious child, whose birth had been spoken of by the prophets. The angel Gabriel had told Mary,

“He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke: 1:32-33)

And here they were in the City of David, in great awe of the peaceful Child lying before them.

In the end, only a stable could be found as shelter for the birth. Imagine the smell of the straw, the sounds of the animals and their gentle movements. Did even the animals have a sense of peace as the Presence of the Christ Child filled the lowly animal quarters? Where could the dear baby be laid? The manger, the feeding trough, would do.

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What striking irony. God has come to Earth. The God-man, the creator of the universe, a tiny baby, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, is housed with the animals.

In The Word on Fire Bible Bishop Robert Barron describes the shepherds:

We ought not to be romantic about shepherds, imagining them as winsomely bucolic figures. In New Testament times, shepherds were considered rather shady characters, ne’er-do-wells unable to hold down a steady job, unreliable and dishonest.

Well. To such as these God chose to announce the birth of His Son.

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The sky is filled with angels. Filled with angels. Imagine the sight. The shepherds had no doubt seen many a gorgeous night sky full of stars. These were not stars. So much more glorious, these were heavenly beings, beyond anything the shepherds could have imagined. The glory of the Lord filled the sky. It’s no wonder they were terrified.

The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2: 8-13)

How eager they would be to find this newborn king. How excited they would be, knowing that this news had been revealed to them from heaven above. Revealed to THEM, of all people!

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How excited the shepherds would be, knowing that this news had been revealed to them from heaven above. Revealed to THEM, of all people! #CatholicMom

The child would be lying in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes. Imagine them hurrying to the caves where they knew animals were kept. Surely, they marveled at the magnificent brightness of the star lighting the area as though it were daytime.

Perhaps they first noticed the light of Joseph’s lantern. Someone must be in there! I wonder too if there might have been a mysterious, gentle light emanating from the Presence of the Christ Child. Surely, the shepherds knew immediately, intuitively, that this was the newborn King. The quiet and grace-filled peace of the stable must have been remarkable. Even the animals must have felt it. And He who would be called the Light of the World lay there as a helpless babe.