December 25 - Christmas

In The Middle of an Open Field
(Lk 2:1-7)

We were in Jerusalem, and in Mark’s house, a few days before the great feast of Pentecost, when Mary came up with her memories of Bethlehem, the town where Jesus was born….

Mary:  ….I was about to give birth when the Romans called for a census in the whole country… Those were difficult days, my God! The announcement of that law, which all of us Israelites had to comply with by hook or by crook, reached Nazareth when the weather was getting cold….

Female Neighbor:  How unfortunate!… If the Maccabees brothers could see what’s happening…! They would cut off the heads of these bandits!

Old Man:  What do these Romans want…? They think they’re our masters!

Male Neighbor:  You bet they are, compadre!… Or were you born yesterday? For forty years, they’ve held us by the neck!… Remember Egypt with Moses!… It’s the same thing!…

Another Neighbor:  And now, the census! They want to have a head count of all, one by one, like sheep, so they can bleed us dry of our money!

Mary:  The census law ordered each head of the family to transfer to the birthplace of their ancestors as soon as possible in order to be registered there…. My countrymen from Israel came from different tribes, so every family packed up their things, loaded their mules and set for the road reluctantly…. Some journeyed near, but others had to undertake a long trip…. Those were the days when Galilee was filled with caravans cursing the Romans while crossing the country… Since Joseph belonged to the tribe of Judah, of the family of David, we had to take a long trip to the south…

Joseph:  We’re going to Bethlehem, Mary, to the other end of the country, no less!… This is disastrous!… what with your big belly and the roads, too muddy on account of the rains…. And all this happening at the same time!

Mary:  Why don’t we stay here, Joseph? Let’s not go anywhere!

Joseph:  Okay, that’s what we shall do…!

Mary:  They can’t drive us away anytime it pleases them, my goodness!.... So what do we do now, Joseph?

Joseph:  Pfff... Then, you better get the two mules ready, Mary. If we don’t register, we’re in for more trouble later… You know how they control everything….

Mary:  But that’s quite a long trip, Joseph… The baby is almost due…

Joseph:  Would you rather have us imprisoned and the child born in jail?…

Mary:  So off we went to Bethlehem. I was mounted on a half dead mule…. The truth is, I didn’t feel uneasy at all, neither did the pregnancy weary me. I was scared at the thought that I would be far from my mother in a strange place at my due time… Up in Nain, those of us heading for the south banded together in one big caravan which was on its way to the same... There were several women in my condition. Although the trip was terrible for many, I was in very high spirits then…

Man:  Where are you heading for, countrymen…?    

Joseph:  Bethlehem, can you imagine that?… And you?

Man:  To a much nearer place, Siloam… I see that your wife is due… like my wife…!

Joseph:  That’s right… Well, as long as the baby is not born in the middle of the road…

Mary:  For God’s sake, Joseph, don’t say that…!

Man:  Tell me, do you want a boy or a girl?

Joseph:  All I want is for the baby to become a courageous person, that’s all!… If it’s a girl, she must be like Deborah, the woman fighter who’s got courage more than a man…. If it’s a boy, he must be something like Moses….

Man:  Oh let it be what it ought to be, blazes!

Joseph:  I hope they’re not twins, huh, Mary?… With that big bulge of yours…. No way!… Life is already too difficult to feed two mouths all at the same time.

Mary:  After three days on the road we arrived in Bethlehem, which they call “the house of bread”…

Old Man:  Attention, folks, Bethlehem is in sight!

Man:  Take off your sandals, countrymen, this is holy land! This is where the great David came from!

Woman:  And so did his great grandmother. If Ruth hadn’t fallen for Boaz, things would have been different! So, let’s move on and look for a place!

Mary:  When we entered Bethlehem, the place was teeming with people…. and it was beginning to rain…

Mary:  Where are we going to stay, Joseph?… Many people have come for the census… Apparently, David had sired more grandchildren than rabbits….

Joseph:  Don’t worry, Mary… I was told that the Galileans have found a place over there, in an open field… The inns here are only for the rich… These people here are known for their exorbitant fees….

Mary:  We tried to cross the town on the narrow, winding and swampy roads…. Alongside, the white houses with round roofs crowded together….

  The camels and the animals of the caravans were shivering, their rain-drenched hair tangled up…. I leaned on Joseph to avoid falling. Joseph supported himself on his long cane, as he pulled the rope of our mule…. The stubborn beast moved by fits and starts….

Joseph:  Are you okay, Mary…?

Mary:  I’m tired… Look… I’ve got a feeling it’s coming…. This baby is moving a lot… It seems in a hurry to come out…

Joseph:  Maybe it’ll turn out to be a dancer, like King David…. At least it should get something from him if the baby’s to be born here…!

Mary:  The rain didn’t last long. Then a fresh wind swept the clouds away. And at night the sky remained clear, and full of stars. We Galileans had our encampment in the open air, in a plain sown with palm trees, from where the stars of Bethlehem could be seen…

A Man:  If you want some more olives, here they are! Or you can have some dates if you like!… Tonight, anything goes, folks!

A Old Man:  Including your lice, man!

Mary:  I remember we built a big bonfire and we gathered around it to take something. Some men began to sing old songs of the land which they learned from their grandfathers… The children who had come in the caravan played by the fire…. We were so happy… We huddled together so as not to feel the cold, as we rested after the long trip…

A Man:  Imagine making us cross the entire country just to have our names listed in one of the papers. Shame on you, Romans!… You’ll pay for all this when the Messiah comes… He’ll make you eat all those papers and all those laws, and that’ll be the end for Augustus Caesar.

Another Man:  That’ll be a day of great rejoicing, yesiree, like a day of great harvest…! A day of feasting!

Another Man:  That’ll be the day, old woman! They say that the prophets have announced great things to come…. Do you know what  my grandfather used to say? That on this day, the wolf and the lamb shall be friendly neighbors, and the cow and the bear shall be sleeping together with their young…. Can you imagine this?… It’ll be a life of peace and tranquillity…!!

Old Man:  Well, well, go ahead young men, with your nice talk; the night is beautiful and so are your words… But, you know what I think? Either God has gone asleep or the Messiah has lost his way… Look how my teeth have gone yellow, and yet, I haven’t seen anything…

A Woman:  C’mon, old man, don’t despair… God has His own time… He keeps His word.

Mary:  Oh, Joseph, oh, oh, it’s coming, Joseph, it’s coming…!

Joseph:  What’s wrong, Mary, oh God…?

Another Woman:  What do you mean, what’s wrong with her? Man, the baby wants to get his head out!

Mary:  I don’t remember how it happened… Joseph and the other men had to carry me….

A Man:  Where do we put her, Simon?

Simon:  In that cave over there…!

A Man:  But it’s full of animals…!

Simon:  We’ll get them out, man!… Go and scare them out!

Joseph:  Hey, ma’am Noemi, come with us… You’re a midwife, aren’t you?

Noemi:  No, we’ll all have a hand in this!… We all go!

  The whole encampment was astir…. Beside the clearing where we were, by the hillside there were some caves where the shepherds kept their sheep…. The women ran toward us… Everybody wanted to help…. The men didn’t fell short of our expectations…. My God, what a hassle!

Man:  Hohoo…. Out!… Out you go!… C’mon, little lambs… out to the open air… This Galilean needs shelter!… Out you go!…

Mary:  They took me to one of the caves and lay me on a pile of dry straw…

Old Woman:  Well, young woman, this is your first, so it’ll be a little difficult… but everything will turn out fine.

A Woman:  All the men, stay out!… This is only for women!

An Old Man:  Hell, something stinks here!

A Woman:  So stay out! You’re not needed here! Hey, you better have that wick lighted, keep it away from the straw. We don’t want any bonfire here…. Hey, I told the men to stay out!

A Man:  I thought…. Hip… we said tonight was for everyone…. So, this baby is also ours, yesiree! Hip…!

An Old Woman:  Oh, yeah?… okay, deliver the baby yourself, rascal!… Out, out!…

Joseph:  Let me stay…! I’m the father, damn!

Woman:  Well, if you are, do something useful…. Bring in some hot water in a jug and some clean cloths…!

Mary:  The night entered its first watch… I was there, lying on the straw, bathing in sweat, in my tremendous struggle in childbirth, clasping the hand of one of those women helping me…

Woman:  C’mon, Mary, everything will be okay… Help him get into this world… that’s it, take a deep breath… fine, fine…

Mary:  Oh…! Oh…! Ohh….

Old Woman:  My, my!… Yesterday it was Rebekah, and now it’s Mary… Two childbirths in a row!… At the rate they’re going, we Galileans will be filling up the whole country!

Mary:  Those were long hours for me!… The pain kept on coming back like the waves of the Great Sea… The cave, still half-dark, was filled with women…. Outside, the men talked and sang, in anticipation of the coming child…. Everybody stayed awake that night…

Woman:  Is everything okay…?

Old Woman:  Of course…. I guess this is a big child…

Old Woman:  Give one last push, Mary, c’mon….

Old Woman:  Put a wet cloth on her head, Annette, to soothe her…

Woman:  Hey, it’s coming!… Noemi… that’s it…

Mary:  Ohh…. Oh… Oh…!

Woman:  Push some more, Mary… the head is almost there!

Another Woman:  It’s here!… Praise the Lord!

Old Woman:  It’s a boy! You’ve got a son!

Woman:  Run, Chichi and tell the father!

Mary:  Joseph came running…

Joseph:  Mary!!

Mary:  Isn’t he cute, Joseph…?

Joseph:  He’s a darling… and he looks like me! Heck! At least I must say something, no?… Oh, Mary, I love you…

Old Woman:  Enough of the cuddling, young man. Your wife needs to rest!

Woman:  Oh, these men…! Just because they don’t experience such labor!

Mary:  The women washed the baby, wrapped him in a clean cloth and lay him beside me, on the straw… They brought a little lamp near so I could take a good look at him….

Woman:  Watch out, young woman, the smoke is bad for him!

Old Woman:  Can you feed him now, my dear?

Mary:  Yes, I guess so…

Old Woman:  Go ahead, breastfeed him now…. Poor little thing…. He must be hungry…

Woman:  Look, my dear, this is how you do it… like this….

Old Woman:  Everyone may go inside now to see the Nazarene’s little boy!!

Man:  Hey, come over here and see God’s perfect little boy!!

  He was born amid his people, those people who for thousands of years, had waited for him, in clamor for justice… He was welcomed to this world by the calloused and suffering hands of the women of Galilee… He was born in the middle of the night, and in silence. The stars shone to announce the joyful news that he was in the middle of the open air, among us and like one of us….

Mary:  The people who walked in darkness saw a great light… and you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, have not been the least of the villages of Israel, because in you has been born the one who will free the people and bring the promised peace…

  In him shall rest the Spirit of the Lord, fluttering as in the beginning of the world, and its wings shall cover the breadth and width of his land, Emmanuel….

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   We do not know the exact year of Jesus’ birth. The reference by the gospel of Luke to a census ordered by Rome gives us an approximate clue. The information shows that Jesus came into this world in the years immediately prior to the final annexation of Palestine to the Roman empire, or a little later. It was during this period that the census was ordered, although nothing is certain about its duration and its exact dates. The census was an instrument of control employed by Rome over her dominions. What was implemented in Israel, according to Luke, was ordered by Publico Sulpicio Quirino, legate of Rome in the province of Syria.

   The census had of two phases: the registration and the collection of taxes.

   The first phase consisted of putting up the official listing of persons and properties all over the country. In the second phase, each was informed of the corresponding taxes to be paid and collection of the same would start here. The second phase – which some researchers simply refer to as “census” – seems to have taken place toward year 6 after Jesus’ birth. If we accept these data, the birth of Jesus would have occurred during the first period: that of the registration. In any case, Luke was particularly interested in this historical and political aspect, since the trips from one region to another on account of the census justify the transfer of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. Giving birth to Jesus in Bethlehem, the city of David, established between him and the great king of Israel, a relationship which is not only symbolic but familiar as well.

   The census was received with real indignation by the men and women all over the country. That law formalized the submission of the people and the nation to the Roman empire. At the start of the census, Palestine was constituted as a province of Rome. According to the imperialistic organization, since that time only the right of the Israelites to use the property (to cultivate and administer it) was recognized, its ownership being reserved for Rome. For the people, this was not only a form of political and economic domination, but a real blasphemy. For the people of Israel, the land was sacred. God was it’s sole owner and it was God’s will that no one should permanently possess it. The social laws of Israel underscored the above essence or meaning. From the start of the imperial domination, alongside such measures was nurtured a mute but fierce resistance to the troops and the imperial officials. The national ruling classes (priests, theologians) were also disturbed, reacting in a general manner, and trying to make the new order “acceptable” to the people. They sought nothing else but to retain their positions of privilege and power before the new foreign authorities.

   The journey undertaken by Joseph and Mary, as well as many of their countrymen, on account of the census – from Nazareth to Bethlehem – could have lasted about five days on the road. Bethlehem was an important city at the time of Jesus’ birth. It is situated about 10 kilometers from Jerusalem, toward the south of the capital, in the lands of the family of Ephrath. (That is why we say “Bethlehem of Ephratah”). The name Bethlehem means “house of bread.” David, the most beloved king of the Israelites was born here. He was a shepherd and was tending the sheep in the fields of that city when he was anointed as king of his country (1 S 16:1-13). The prophet Micah had also announced that from Bethlehem would come the future king of Israel, the new David who would shepherd the people (Mic 5:1-5). Luke as well as Matthew introduce Jesus as heir from David’s lineage and say that in him shall be fulfilled the prophecy of Micah’s announcement of the place of origin of the awaited Messiah. They make catechesis with this, explaining at the start of the gospel, “who” Jesus was and what was to be his mission.

   Bethlehem at present is a beautiful Arab city, with small white houses piling up over a hill. Stands out in the midst of all these is the Basilica of the Nativity which was constructed one thousand five hundred years ago. It still exists, and is one of the oldest churches in the world. It is a big church, with a narrow and very low entrance door, because it was built during the war. Having no other door than this, no armed horsemen were able to enter the temple. In the interior – ravaged by time, by the smoke from candles, and by the passage of thousands of pilgrims – there is a small grotto as a reminder of the place where Jesus was born. A star on the floor points to the very spot of his birth, in a manner more pious than historical. The following inscription is written: “On this spot was born Jesus of the Virgin Mary.” Very near is an excavation in the grotto venerated as the manger. These are dear and touching spots for any believer. Through the centuries, thousands of Christians have gathered in this cave to celebrate the Eucharist and to sing traditional Christmas carols.

   Hundreds of years of tradition, images, songs, carols, clay figurines and other beautiful manifestations of popular art have made Christmas the most deeply-rooted of feasts among the Christians and non-Christians in countries influenced by the western culture of the whole Christendom. Christmas is also a religious feast where one “sees” more. But, because of a literal interpretation of the evangelical text or because of the weight of several artistic tradtions, we have “seen” the new-born Jesus as a child born “mysteriously:” in solitude, in the silence of the night, away from everyone. Without denying the beauty and the history earned by these representations, it may be useful to see Christmas in another perspective. The traditional scene separates Joseph and Mary from their countrymen, who would have been under the same predicament during the period of the census. Then it separates the new-born babe, making him the only child and different from the rest. This imagery negates something essential to the mystery of the incarnation. God wanted Jesus to be like the rest, and his family to be one of the Galilean families. If Jesus was born for all, then it is important, right at the start of his life, to be born within the sight of everyone. It was precisely in our midst, in this encampment which is the world and human history, that he wanted to put up his camp (Jn 1:14). In Bethlehem, as in all relatively important cities of Palestine, there were inns, big lodging places for those who are on their way to Jerusalem or other cities. That “there was no place” for Joseph and Mary in one of those huge “caravansaries” (place for the caravans, where some people and animals stayed: horses, camels, donkeys...) was not due to the “unkindness” of the innkeepers who rejected the Son of God even before his birth. There was no room because the above-mentioned places were already filled or, probably the prices were so high that Joseph and Mary could not afford to pay them. Certainly, the businessmen took advantage of the census by charging more for accommodations. In any case, when the Galileans went to Judea, they tried to stay together. It is no wonder they put up collective tents, more so because of the special circumstances of that compulsory journey.

   Mary gave birth to Jesus. Her baby did not come out miraculously over the straw. Jesus was born like all of us, the fruit of the labor and pains of his mother. It is completely logical that she be assisted by her countrywomen, who were more knowledgeable about childbirth than she at that moment. When the baby was born, his umbilical cord was cut, he was cleaned and was wrapped in swaddling clothes.

   He was also rubbed with salt as according to custom (Ez 16:4). The first thing to do was to inform the father so that the community could greet him.

   We do not know if Jesus was born in the months of winter or summer, much less on the 25th of December. This date, which has been the date of the Nativity for more than 1500 years, has its origin in the great Feast of the Sun which was celebrated in Rome and the whole empire with great popular rejoicing. The first Christians changed the original meaning of the feast and began to celebrate the birth of Jesus on the same day. This was so because they would see in him the light that guided them, because his birth meant the dawning of a new world, because Jesus had conquered death by offering his life and receiving from God the resplendent joy of resurrection as His response.

(Lk 2:1-7)

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Taken from the book: A Certain Jesus, Vol. 3 (Chapter 134)
Copyright @ 1998 by Claretian Publications, Philippines

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A Feast With The Shepherds
(Lk 2:8-20)

Jerusalem, like a vain woman, was adorned for the coming feast of Pentecost. Branches and flowers lined up the streets, torches were lighted by the walls, and the children of Israel segregated their first harvest as an offering in the Temple, in thanksgiving to God for the new harvest….

   A long time had passed, but no one could ever forget what Mary had shared with us during those days….

Mary:  I remember it was still night when Jesus was born. It took a couple of hours more for the sun to rise to the mountains and rid the cold, black sky of Bethlehem of those stars…

Mary:  Right after I had given birth, the cave was filled with all the Galileans who were in the encampment…. They came then left, to see the baby and to congratulate Joseph and me…,

A Woman:  Praise God, and what a beautiful little boy! For a first born, he really is…!

A Man:  Now you know, Joseph, once a thief, always a thief…. See to it that the rest will come out as beautiful and well-formed as this!

Another Woman:  So it’s their own thing, huh? Thanks! What about the mother?… Some men… and how they brag…!

Old Woman:  I believe this little Galilean will wage much war... what with the way he was born…!

Man:  But the mother is okay, isn’t she?

Old Woman:  Let the mother rest…. Don’t make her talk… Wet her lips, will you, Annette?… The poor woman has perspired a lot….

Woman:  You should’ve seen the father. He was more scared than the ass of Balaam!

Another Woman:  Look how the babe sucks his mother’s milk…!

Man:  Hey, little man, don’t be a glutton, the spring won’t run dry…!

Another Man:  Hey, folks, it’s not every night that a child is born… one was born tonight… and this calls for a celebration… Hik! Let music play and let wine flow…! Hik!

Woman:  Unless you yourself get some wine, nothing much remains of it….

Man:  Much or little, tonight we celebrate…. Hik!… Nobody sleeps tonight!

Old Man:  Anyway, soon the cocks will crow…. For once, let’s all have a sleepless night…

Woman:  Well, I’m so sleepy I could drop dead…

Old Woman:  Well, you can take a nap on that straw… if you clean it of the animal manure.

Man:  Why talk of sleep now, buddy…? C’mon, Tina, belt out a song, and let the fun begin!

Woman:  Okay, okay, lemme see… Here goes… “Hail to the most beautiful / like the pilgrim’s flower / let her live in pain / giving birth to her first babe.”

Man:  I’ve got something better… “Little lemon, little lemon / you have stopped blooming / weep no more little boy / no one will love you ever.”

Mary:  Near the cave, on the other side of the palm grove, some shepherds were spending the night quietly, tending their sheep. They had built bonfires to keep themselves warm and protect themselves from wolves. They took turns guarding the fire...

Cheph:  For heaven’s sake, what noise is that?!… I’d say it’s coming from yonder, from the cave…. That’s weird… at this time... Listen well, Cheph…. Yeah, I hear music for feasting... Hey, Samuel, Sloppy, wake up boys…!

Sloppy:  What the hell is going on?… I dreamed I was eating a plate of red beans and….

Samuel:  And what?… the wolves came?

Cheph:  Hey guys, I ’ve got good news…. Don’t you hear what I hear?

Samuel:  Yeah, but… what feast are they celebrating tonight?

Cheph:  I dunno, but, it sounds so near…. Hey why don’t we go see for ourselves!     

Sloppy:  Hmmm…! If there are pretty lasses, we still have time to flirt with some of them!

Samuel:  Well, let’s go before it gets dawn!

Cheph:  And before they run out of wine!

Sloppy:  Let’s bring the sheep…. Sheep!…. Sheeeeep!…. Let’s goooo!

Mary:  I was very tired, I couldn’t open my eyes… Half-awake and half-asleep, I could see those who were sleeping in the corners of the cave… They were muddled up in their blankets, lying on the damp straw on the ground…. Outside, my countrymen were dancing and singing…. You know fully well that any occasion is a good chance for the Galileans to get excited…. Joseph who was also singing with gusto, would take a peep every now and then to wink at me…. The shepherds came with their flock when it was almost dawn….

Woman:  “Praise God in heaven / and on earth / let there be peace in the world / for those who fulfill their work.”

Man:  “And for those who fulfill their work / let them rejoice too. Because God loves the people / day and night.”

Cheph:  Hey, you, young man, what’s the occasion here, huh? You’re making a lot noise. You took away half of our sleep…

Man:  Why, didn’t you hear the good news, my friend? A fellow-countrywoman has just given birth tonight!

Sloppy:  So what?… The women of Bethlehem do that everyday, but we don’t make a big fuss out of it…

Man:  But this is different…. A Galilean born outside of his land must be welcomed with high esteem…. Besides, we owe it to ourselves to celebrate, after a long, long trip, man!

Cheph:  And where’s the baby?

Man:  He’s there inside the cave, behind the palm grove…

Cheph:  You mean, in “my” cave…. This place belongs to me and my sheep.

Man:  Hey old man, don’t be a grouch…! Come, so you, too, can see him and give him a toast…. There ought to be some dates and wine left…

Cheph:  Leave the sheep in this clearing, guys…

Man:  Hey friends, these shepherds are here to celebrate with us!.... They heard our music, so they rushed here…!

Cheph:  That’s right… Where’s the baby’s father?

Joseph:  I’m the one, old man.

Cheph:  Is he your first-born, son?

Joseph:  Yeah.

Cheph:  I hope you’ll have many more. Show me your baby…

Mary:  When the shepherds entered, the cave was filled with people…

Cheph:  Where’s this lady who sneaked into my cave to have her baby…?

Mary:  I’m here, grandpa… Why don’t you give my baby your blessing?…

Cheph:  May God bless you, son! He’s very good-looking…. Not one of my sheep has had a lamb as beautiful as your son, woman.

Mary:  The old shepherd with the gray beard went close to Jesus and caressed his head…. The other two, young and robust, tanned by the sun of Judea, did the same… They were probably his sons.

  One of them went near Joseph…

Sloppy:  Here, take it. This is my present to him.

Joseph:  What’s that for?

Sloppy:  A little lucky bell. We hang it on his neck when a lamb is born. This will counteract bad luck and the animal will  grow strong and properly bred…. Put it on your son…

Joseph:  Well, I….

Sloppy:  C’mon, put it on, man. It won’t do him any harm…

Cheph:  Listen to me, you strangers: I just thought that if this child is born in a shepherd’s turf, then he’ll become a shepherd too.

Old Woman:  That was exactly what I was telling them outside.. if he was born where the sheep are, then a shepherd he’s got to be…

Joseph:  As far as I’m concerned, it won’t really matter, whether he is a shepherd, a carpenter or a fruit vendor, or whatever I can teach him…. What matters more to me is that he grow up to be strong and to be able to fight hard for our country…. Do you know how we shall call him?… Jesus, the fighter.

Cheph:  I like the way you speak, young man!… We are in need of fighters, because our country is like a lost flock. Our leaders aren’t bad shepherds, they are extremely bad!… They gratify no one but themselves… They milk us like cows, shear us, put the yoke on our necks and in the end… have us beheaded!… But they say everything will turn out fine in the end….

Samuel:  But if God does not lift His cane to lead us to the right path…!

Sloppy:  Yes, buddy, how God wishes His little child to be one of those leading his flock to where there is good pasture…. How I wish so, too!

Woman:  Well, well, you’ve been here arguing if the boy will be this or that, but not one has even thought of reading his luck…. Am I right?

Old Woman:  Well, you are… Let’s see… will you tell Charlotte to stop dancing and to come inside, as she is the expert in this matter…

Cheph:  And how do you do that, woman?

Old Woman:  We, who come from the north, read it in the palm of the mother’s hand.

Samuel:  Well, we shepherds do it with the umbilical cord of the child.

Old Woman:  What?… Holy God, this we have to see!

Man:  Palm or umbilical cord… it doesn’t really matter…. What is important is you make a prognosis of the boy…

Woman:  Let’s see what’s in store for this Nazarene!

Mary:  An old, wrinkled woman, with silver rings hanging from her nose and wrapped in a dark blanket, slowly went near the pile of straw where I was lying down…

Charlotte:  Gimme your hand, Mary… your right hand…. “If you wouldn’t grow up, my child / if you remained a child, / but time will pass/ sooner than a wink….” Will you bring that lamp closer, my child, so I can see… so I can see…. This is the footline… Yes, it says this boy will cross the country northbound and southbound and then, vice-versa.

Man:  Then he’ll have to use up lots of sandals!

Woman:  Psst!… Quiet, man, this matter is a serious one…!

Charlotte:  This is the heartline…. I see several children… Mary’s son’s gonna have a lot of children… as many as the mature grains of wheat in a spike…

Woman:  Hey, Mary, your house will be too small for your grandchildren!

Charlotte:  Now, the money line… Hmmm! It’s blurred! I suppose, if this child does not make it in a raffle, then he’ll have to walk down the street with his hands covering his private parts….

Man:  Old woman… that’s how we’ve always been in this country… hik! walking like Adam did before the great sin…! Hik!

Woman:  More prognosis, please, Charlotte…!

Charlotte:  You still want more?… no, let somebody else do it. I’ve already said a lot for free!

Man:  I’d like to see how this is done through the umbilical cord, as the shepherd has claimed…. Tell us, old man, how do you read one’s luck this way?

Cheph:  Where’s the cord?

Joseph:  Must be some place here…

Cheph:  Go, get it!… Without it, no prognosis can be made!

Woman:  Look, it’s here!

Cheph:  Let’s go outside… this must be done in an open field!

Cheph:  See?… The cord is thrown upwards while everybody prepares to catch it…

Woman:  Then…?

Cheph:  Whoever catches it will have good health, good fortune and love!… Here goes!…

Man:  I got it!… I got it!

Woman:  Again!!!! Again!!

Cheph:  Ha! Bring it here, son…. Whoever catches it this time, will have a hundred years of happiness!… Here goes!…

Mary:  From the cave, where I lay over the pile of straw, I could hear the laughter, the applauses and the excitement of the party organized by the Galileans and the shepherds. They said my son would bring them good fortune and deep inside me, I was praying the same from God…. It was already dawn when my eyes became heavy and I fell asleep, while holding Jesus close to me….

Old Woman:  “The night has gone mad / because my countrywoman gave birth to a baby / and in the feast we had for him, / the night had caught us.”

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   The surrounding areas of Bethlehem were appropriate for pasture. Those were the same fields where David had nourished his sheep before he became king of Israel. Until now, the Arab shepherds lead their flocks through the vast terrains surrounding Bethlehem. Outside the city, in the so-called “shepherds’ field,” there is a church in the form of a Bedouin tent which reminds those shepherds from Bethlehem of their enthusiastic celebration in honor of the newly-born babe from Galilee.

   The shepherds from Bethlehem, like the rest from other parts of Israel, were not “affectionate, charming and sweet,” as they are generally portrayed in stories about Christmas. They were not only men from the lowest social ladder, they were also considered “dangerous” elements. The shepherd was a real outcast in that society. He was regarded as a delinquent, a thief, and a cheat. Although there were no proofs, they were always suspected of leading their animals to properties not their own and of stealing part of the produce of their flocks. Some “religious” communities had prohibited purchase of wool, milk or young goats from them. In disregard for a number of important texts of the Old Testament, where God and His Messiah are represented as shepherds, or of the traditions showing Moses and David as shepherds of their flocks before becoming leaders of the people, the literature of Israel, specially that of the time of Jesus, is replete with very critical judgments against the shepherds. If the gospel of Luke presents the shepherds as the first to know about the birth of Jesus, he is not only providing us with a historical information, but basically he contributes to us a theological element. It is not a coincidence, much less a poetic detail, but it is a clear indication from the beginning of the gospel of who were beside Jesus, who were around him when he was born, and for whom he was born. The good news, the joyful news was received by the shepherds, who readily understood they had a liberator in their midst. Those men, poor and despised, represented in their poverty the people to whom Jesus would proclaim the gospel. Those “poor of Yahweh” had nothing but hope in the Lord, the desire to be free from centuries of oppression. As in the text of the annunciation to Mary, Luke, in this narration, employs the angels once again as messengers of the news of liberation. If, in biblical language, the figure of an angel is used, the purpose is to give solemnity to a given moment, to highlight the importance of the narrated event. It is very important that the awaited Messiah be born among the poor and refer to his community, the “least of all” as the first; and that “it is necessary” that the angels should appear. Matthew, the other narrator of the infancy of Jesus, who also wants to underscore the universality of the message of Jesus – vis-à-vis his countrymen’s nationalism –, would say that wise men (with another religion) from the Orient came to Bethlehem. This would show that Jesus did not come to solely liberate Israel but all the peoples of the earth, that he would break barriers among nations. A manifestation of this is inspired by the prophecies of Isaiah (Is 49:12 and 22-23; 60:3-6). The mention of a star is a reminder, at the time the gospel was written, of an old prophecy of a foreigner, who, in the beginnings of the history of Israel, saw a star, announcing the coming of a king, who was to rule all the lands of the earth from Israel (Num 24:15-19). The birth of a child is a reason for celebration in all cultures. Surrounding this event is an infinity of popular customs. Burying the placenta in the cultivated land, asking God for fertility, or sprinkling mother’s milk over the furrows of the land for good harvest are some of the many rituals involving childbirth in a number of towns. The Nativity, a feast deeply rooted in the Christian tradition, ought to look for more profound, popular roots, in order to get closer to the origins of Jesus. An excessive and artificial consumption, utter extravagance that is common these days, have nothing or little to do with the birth of that child, who was himself surrounded by great joy and celebration, but never by pomp.

   Through the angels, Luke gives a proclamation that is traditional song and acclamation among the Christians: “Glory to God in heaven and peace to men on earth,” whom He loves so much. This, in synthesis is the meaning of the birth of Jesus for mankind. The “glory” of God throughout the Bible is the revelation of God’s authority and Holiness. In this poor child, born like the rest, amid a group of rejoicing countrymen, is found all God’s glory, His definitive revelation. From now on He is there, amid the people, from whom we must seek God, where He wanted to reveal Himself. Jesus’ birth also signifies “peace.” In the Bible, the word “peace” is one with the richest of meanings. Peace (“shalom” in Hebrew) may be translated, for example, twenty-five ways in Greek. Peace is health, salvation, joy, contented life, complete life, full life; well-being, material and spiritual prosperity for each one and for the community. All this is what that child born in a cave for the sheep has come to bring us, and for whom the shepherds of Bethlehem had feasted with great rejoicing.

(Lk 2:8-20)

Taken from the book: A Certain Jesus, Vol. 3 (Chapter 135)
Copyright @ 1998 by Claretian Publications, Philippines

This book offers a new approach to appreciating the life of Jesus. The first part of the Chapter is in dialogue form in an up-to-date conversational language. This makes the reader realize that Jesus was once a very ordinary guy, a typical man in his time. The last part of each chapter contains an explanation of the biblical references, thus giving one the perspective for reflection.

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