THE CHRIST CHILD

The great event of the birth of the Redeemer of the world was not to remain hidden from us. God sent angels to the earth as messengers to bring the good news. Plain shepherds were the first happy people to receive the tidings of joy. They hastened to Bethlehem and there found everything just as the angel had said: Mary and Joseph, and the Child in the manger. They knelt down in adoration to their Lord.

Who can describe the feelings that filled Mary and Joseph at the sight of the new-born child Jesus. Especially in these days, we too should imitate the example of the holy couple and be glad to spend your time in spirit at the manger. Enjoy the sight of the Divine Child, the joy in the heart of Mary, and the protective care of St. Joseph.

THE SHEPHERDS OF BETHLEHEM

It was not the rich, not the great and noble, not the immediate relatives of the holy family that were first called to the manger to adore our Lord. They were plain, honest shepherds of the surrounding fields, who were tending and keeping night watch over their flocks. They admire him with joy, , and honor the new-born Savior of the world. Our Savior was born into poor surroundings and wanted to be with the poor during His life on earth. For that reason He chose his friends from among poor people that could not offer Him anything material in return. For this reason the good tidings are announced first to poor shepherds. He is the God of kings and shepherds, he himself being the supreme Shepherd and King of Kings. The Jews expected that the Redeemer of the world would have to come with great outward power and glory. How altogether different was the reality. Our Savior came into the world as a poor child, and a stable was his palace.

The poor and simple are the preferred of the Lord. Let us have great love for the poor and lowly, and gladly associate with them. That is why St. Francis too loved Gospel simplicity so much and continually urged the practice of it. What about your simplicity of heart ? Seek to understand the designs of God in the birth of His Son.

In the stable at Bethlehem we find the greatest poverty imaginable. Everything about the stable of Bethlehem is poor. Look at where he was born: it affords only the most minimal shelter, with the least comforts. St. Paul says: "You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that rich as He was, He became poor for your sakes that through His poverty you alight be enriched" (2 Cor. 8, 9). To obtain for us the graces of the Redemption, that is why Jesus was born. Poverty, not wealth, was the means to achieve our Redemption. Unnecessary craving for worldly goods has sent men to ruin. With his poverty Jesus wished to condemn the vanity of the world. St. Bernard says, "Indeed our Lord chose a stable as His birth place for no other reason than to condemn the vanity of the world. Because Christ was born poor, poverty has altered the world. Among Christians it is no longer a disgrace and a misfortune for which there is no consolation. Countless people since then have given their riches away and chosen simplicity of their own accord for the sake of Christ. Sons of kings have renounced their crown and donned the habits of monks. Poor and rich, high and low, shake hands as brothers; gold and precious stones have lost their value for true followers of Christ. "A Child is born to us, and a Son is given to us," says the prophet Isaiah (9, 6) . Let us be glad, for the child Jesus belongs to every one among us, "Every one of us should be thankful, as if he had come for nobody else; for he would not have refused to go to the same lengths even for a single one of us, since he loves every one as much as the whole world" (St. Chrysostom).

FRANCIS AND THE CHILD JESUS

St. Francis never ceased dwelling on the life of Jesus, Francis had a very special devotion to the mystery of the Incarnation. He liked to meditate especially on the child Jesus. Once he was sitting at the dinner table with his brethren while a brother spoke of the poverty of Jesus at his birth in Bethlehem. Grief overpowered the saint. Sobbing, he got up, sat down in the middle of the floor, and wept over the poverty of the child Jesus.

His tender devotion to the Divine Child filled St. Francis with Christmas joy. Of all the feasts of the Church he celebrated the birth of our Lord Jesus with the greatest delight. He regarded it as a day on which everybody should be happy, even the poorest people. Further proof of how much he loved the Feast of the Nativity is his Crib celebration that night at Greccio, three years before his death. He sent word from Rome to a friend to make preparations for a feast. When Francis arrived on the holy night, he found everything prepared as he had requested. A manger had been set up in the woods, with straw and hay in it; standing by were an ox and a donkey. Happy groups of people came, carrying candles and torches. The Woods looked as if filled with the light of day, and the mountainsides echoed the hymns that were sung. At midnight the Mass was celebrated, with St. Francis as the Deacon. He sang the Gospel and gave a sermon on the of the Child of Bethlehem. St. Bonaventure tells of a trustworthy man who told him that with his own eyes he saw St. Francis take up a sleeping babe from the manger and hold it in his arms. (The manger was empty just before this.)

We should admire the childlike spirit of St. Francis and his love for the Baby of Bethlehem. Join him in venerating the Divine Child.

Like St. Francis you can take the Christ-child in your arms and offer him your heart.

I want to love you, Jesus, Savior,

My strength, my joy, and all my pride,

To love you still in my behavior,

I want to love you, Light Divine,

Till death do seal these eyes of mine.

Br. Rich SFO

-- Br. Rich SFO (repsfo@prodigy.net), December 23, 2000

Answers

Dear Brother Rich,
Thank you for the wonderful story in such a rich Christmas spirit.

I also like to remember Blessed Anna Caterina Emmerich's descriptions of the first Christmas. In her visions she saw the Virgin Mary and her loving husband Saint Joseph, travelling to Bethlehem where the Holy Child was about to be born. By her account, Joseph and Mary were quite happy on their way there. Bethlehem was Joseph's own birthplace, the home of his youth, which he loved very much. On the way he was very happy and enthusiastic, telling Mary what a good town Bethlehem was, and how happy they would be there; because surely his relatives and everyone would know him, and they would be welcome everywhere. It could be no other way; after all, this was his own place and his people! He was so glad to be taking Mary his wife there; and she would be thrilled with Bethlehem when they arrived.

Anna Caterina describes the great disappointment and desperation dear Saint Joseph suffered upon arrival. No one wanted them, and nowhere were they welcome to enter. His tears never stopped flowing all that lonely night in the dark stable, a cave really, where they finally found shelter. Poor Joseph's heart was breaking and his eyes would not look up at the tender eyes of Mary; such was his pain and humiliation. Yet, he was later to behold the Son of God in the arms of His Blessed Mother, and even to hold him in his own arms; the greatest Christmas blessing ever given any man!

I think now-- how Joseph must be loved and exalted for all of heaven to see, during the celestial Feast of Christmas. Surely Our Divine Lord must love him tenderly!

Here's wishing you and all in this forum a very Blessed and Merry Christmas!

-- eugene c. chavez (chavezec@pacbell.net), December 25, 2000.