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MERRY
CHRISTMAS!
From all of us at PCM
"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out
a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be
taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor
of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own
city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city
of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is
called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage
of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being
great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there,
the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And
she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling
clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room
for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds
abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory
of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for, behold, I bring
you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,
which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you;
Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying
in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God
in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'
" - Luke, chapter two
Dateline: Nazareth,
a village of Palestine
Some 2000 years ago a young lady, named Mary, about 15 years
of age, was praying in her home. All of a sudden she saw a
stranger standing before her. She did not know how he had
come in. The visitor was brighter than the light of day, and
Mary frightened. She understood that he was not a man but
an angel, when he greeted her: " Hail, you who are full
of grace; the Lord is with you."
The angel told her not to be afraid. Then he conveyed her
the message that she would bear a son to be called Jesus."
He shall be great," said the angel. "and men will
know him for the Son of the Most High," which is one
of the names of God. The Lord God would give him the throne
of his ancestor, David, king of the Jews; he would make him
a king, but one different from earthly kings, for unlike human
kingdoms and empires, " his kingdom," said the angel,
" shall never have an end." Mary who was not yet
married, asked the angel how it could be. He answered her:
" The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of
the Most High will overshadow you."
Mary had always been obedient to the law of God, bow she confirmed
that his will was hers. Thus this humble maid was chosen to
become the mother of one, whom the angel called the Son of
the Most High, to be named Jesus, which means Savior.
She remembered that 700 years earlier Prophet Isaiah, had
foretold: "A virgin will conceive". It was also
announced that the Savior would be of the family of David
to which she belonged, as did Joseph, the young man to whom
she was betrothed. Mary, full of joy, thanked God daily for
his gift. Her elder cousin Elizabeth, the mother of John the
Baptist, also congratulated her on being God's choice.
Some time later, Mary was married to a young man of David's
clan, called Joseph. A carpenter by profession, he was God-fearing,
pious and of great virtue. Before the marriage, learning Mary's
condition, he had felt puzzled. But during the night, in a
dream an angel of God reassured him, inviting him to take
Mary as his wife, for it was by the power of the Holy Spirit
that she had conceived a child. "Mary", the angel
said, "will bear a Son, whom you shall call Jesus, for
he is to save his people from their sins." So Joseph
took Mary into his house; he kept her secret and protected
the all pure virgin, ready to become the guardian of her Child.
A few months after the marriage, Joseph and Mary left Nazareth
and traveled to Bethlehem, the birth place of King David.
The Roman Emperor, Augustus, wanting to know the size of the
population of his empire, had ordered a census to be taken.
In Palestine, a province of the Empire, the Governor issued
orders that all Jews should register their names in their
ancestral home town. Joseph set out for Bethlehem on foot,
leading a donkey on which sat Mary. They traveled peacefully
for 4-5 days. When they reached Bethlehem, the town and the
local inn were crowded with visitors. Joseph and Mary found
shelter and privacy in one of the grottoes situated outside
the town. There shepherds sometimes took refuge with their
sheep during the night. In this grotto Mary was delivered
of a son. She wrapped him in swaddling-clothes and laid him
to rest in a manger, where they kept the food for the animals.
Jesus, the Savior, was born into the world.
He was born in absolute poverty and simplicity. But God wanted
the world to hear of the good news without delay.
At a short distance from Bethlehem, a group of shepherds had
gathered their flocks for the night's rest. All of a sudden,
they were awakened and startled by a bright apparition, such
as they had never seen before. They heard an angel announce
to them: "Do not be afraid; behold the news I bring you
is good news of a great rejoicing for the whole people. This
day in the city of David, a Savior has been born for you,
no other than the Lord Christ. This is the sign by which you
are to know him; you will find a child still in swaddling-clothes,
lying in a manger."
Without delay, they started in search of the Lord Christ.
The city of David they knew was Bethlehem. There they went
to those grottoes and looked inside. In one of them, they
saw a man and a woman watching over a baby wrapped in swaddling
clothes. Entering it they told of the angel who had announced
to them the happy news. Having paid their homage to the young
king, and offered some little lambs in token of their devotion,
they went back to their flocks, their hearts full of joy.
They marveled that the Child-King was so feeble, so approachable
to poor people like them, with dirty hands, patched clothes,
but hearts melting like butter in the sun of his life.
Eight days after birth the Boy was circumcised according to
the religious prescriptions of the Jews, and given the name
Jesus as the angel had told. On the 40th day Jesus was taken
to Jerusalem to be offered to God in the temple. As they entered
the temple, a man of great holiness called Simeon, stepped
forward to meet them. God had revealed to him that he would
not die before seeing the Savior. Led by the Spirit he had
come to the temple, where he met Mary and Joseph bringing
the Child Jesus.
The Child was also recognized by an old woman called Anna,
a widow 84 years old. Her husband died 7 years after the marriage
and it was since then she had lived a life of prayer, in expectation
of the Savior. The priest took the Child, and offered him
to God without comment; he did not know who he was. An old
man and an old woman alone had greeted the Lord coming to
his temple. They had acknowledged the end of the old Law,
which like Simeon could now retire from the stage of history.
The old Law was antiquated; the time had come for its exit.
The old order could retire with Simeon and Anna, whilst the
new order was being prepared into the world by Mary.
It was then Joseph and Mary came back to Bethlehem. They settled
down in a house where they were to receive some remarkable
visitors.
A group of wise men, called Magi, had seen an unknown star
moving in the heavens some time previously. They knew that
the Messiah was expected about this time, and connected the
appearance of this star with the birth of one. They felt an
inclination to follow the star, which seemed to invite them.
They set off on their camels, provided with presents for the
newborn king and journeyed to Jerusalem. In quest of a young
king, these scholars, men of high standing, entered into King
Herod's residence to enquire where they could find the newly
born king of the Jews. The news of Messiah' birth astonished
all in the palace. For they knew nothing of this. Herod, a
half-Bedouin succeeded in getting to the throne with the support
of the Romans, and contrived to remain on it with the help
of spies and assassins. This proud and selfish ruler was not
a man to accept any challenge to his authority and decided
that the young competitor must disappear. The scholars told
Herod that Bethlehem was named by the holy scriptures to be
the birth place of the Savior,
Herod had directed these pilgrims from the East to continue
their journey to Bethlehem, and find the young king out there.
He also instructed them to call again on their return journey,
to inform him of the whereabouts of the Child; he himself
wished to go and pay him homage, he added.
On leaving Jerusalem, the wise men were overjoyed to see again
the star. It led them to Bethlehem and stopped above the place
where the Child lay. They entered the house they prostrated
themselves at the feet of the Child with deep faith. Then
opening the treasures they had brought, offered their gifts
of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
After paying homage to the Child, the Magi started on their
way home. They avoided Jerusalem, having been warned in a
dream not to return to Herod.
Soon understood that they had eluded him. Greatly angered
and anxious for his throne, he sent soldiers to Bethlehem
with orders to kill all male children below the age of two
years. The soldiers reached there and did as ordered.
Herod did not know that this massacre was useless. For, Joseph,
warned by an angel in his sleep, had taken the Child and his
mother Mary away. They were on the road to Egypt, the road
to voluntary exile. The Light had come to the world and men
whose actions were bad tried to extinguish this light: they
preferred to live in darkness to keep their bad deeds secret.
To Joseph and Mary, Egypt meant safety, but also the bitter
bread exile in a land where the Jew had been a captive doing
the work of slaves. Despite all these the Child was safe.
Joseph and Mary, accustomed to hard work, with simple needs,
kept in perfect peace their soul centered on God. He had saved
the Child from the sword of Herod's executioners, he would
protect them in all circumstances.
Meanwhile, King Herod, a man of incredible cruelty and duplicity,
a killer of his own wives and grown-up sons had been arrested
by his own son. There he had developed fatal illness. And
died shrouded in curses and the hatred of the whole population.
With his death there spread over Jerusalem and the whole state
a general sense of relief. Once again the angel warned Joseph
in his sleep that he could now take the Child and Mary back
into his own country. Soon Joseph and Mary along with the
Child went back to his own country into Galilee to the village
of Nazareth. Henceforth, the Child of Joseph and Mary, the
Messiah, would be known by all as the son of Joseph, the carpenter
from Nazareth.
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