“The angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.’” Luke 2:10-14
Good morning Baby Jesus.
As much as I wanted to stay awake to guard the cave to keep You and your Mother safe, I was so exhausted that sometime during the night, I just felt asleep next to Mary.
Before I laid down, I cleaned and prepared a manger that had been left by the shepherds for their animals. I placed hay inside it and over the hay, the baby blanket that Mary had brought with her. I wanted to be prepared in case You decided to arrive early. I must have had a premonition because You made your entrance into our world during the night.
A commotion outside the cave caused me to wake up. When I saw You in your mother’s arms, my eyes opened wide. I hugged Mary and her tears got mixed with mine. In the meantime, we could hear voices approaching the cave. I went outside to check who was there. And to my surprise, I found a bunch of shepherds who had come to meet You. How in the world did they know?
I went back inside the cave and told your Mother: “Mary, there are shepherds outside. They are coming to see the Baby.” Mary told me to allow them entrance. They walked in, and knelt before You, the Son of God. One of them told us that while they were guarding their flock during the night, an angel had appeared to them. The angel said to us: “Today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (1) And as we were walking towards the cave, we saw a multitude of angels praising God and singing.
The shepherds were dancing with joy. Their happiness was contagious, and at that moment, I realized that You would never be fully ours. You belonged to the world, and specially to the poor and humble, like the shepherds. They asked Mary if they could carry You, and she nodded. You were passed around, from shepherd to shepherd, and their joy made us laugh. When the shepherds left, they gave us milk, cheese, figs and honey.
When we were left alone, I asked Mary how it was possible that You were born, and I did not hear a thing. Mary said that even though she did not feel any pain, she felt as if her whole body was going to explode. She said that she knew instinctively that the time of God’s coming into the world had arrived. “The infant God was brought forth from within me without pain or hardship. It had happened so simply and so beautifully, that it could only be by the divinity of God. I felt and saw that the body of the infant God began to move inside my womb. This movement filled me with incomparable joy and delight. My body became almost spiritual with the beauty of Heaven. It emitted rays of light, like a glowing sun, and it shone in indescribable earnestness and majesty, all inflamed with fervent love. In this position, I gave to the world the Only-begotten of the Father and my own, our Saviour Jesus Christ, true God and man. Just like the rays of the sun penetrate glass without breaking it, that is how Jesus emerged from my body. He left me untouched in my virginal integrity and purity, making me forever sacred. My Son, God’s Son, was born in Bethlehem. I grabbed Him, wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and placed Him in the manger. I wanted to laugh, but instead, began to shed tears of joy. At that moment, I did not care if I was in heaven or earth, in a cave or in a palace. My Prince had been born,” she told me as tears rolled down her face.
I am now kneeling down in front of You, and I give You glory, thanks and praise for choosing me, this humble servant, to be Your earthly father. I raise my eyes to Heaven, my hands joined and folded in front of my chest, and my soul wrapped in the Divinity of God. At the same time, I ask God to shine His light upon me, and for His grace in order to be able to undertake the service, worship and rearing up of the Word made flesh. I feel a profound humility because I hold myself unworthy of becoming the earthly father of God incarnate. I humble myself in front of You, dear Baby Jesus, and I acknowledge my nothingness in the presence of the Almighty.
It was all so simple that it was extraordinary. God had chosen a group of humble shepherds to be the first ones to receive the Good News. They had been chosen, just like Mary and I, to comprehend not with the mind but with the heart. While I looked at You in wonder, Mary hugged You and sang You your first lullaby. It was the song of Israel to their Messiah. It was the song that the whole world would sing to You forever: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” (2)
Reflection:
On this day, when the Messiah came into the world, many will be thinking how to spend more money, move to a bigger house or get a better job. What about me? What am I thinking today? Will I dance with joy like the shepherds or will I be like those people in Bethlehem that had turned their back to the Messiah? Jesus was born in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. Does it matter? Will I allow Him to be born in me or will this be just another meaningless Christmas?
Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.
References:
- Luke 2:11-12
- Luke 2:14
Resources from the following books are being used on this journey:
- The Mystical City of God: A Popular Abridgement of the Divine History and Live of the Virgin Mother of God by Venerable Mary of Agreda
- Consecration to St. Joseph by Fr. Donald H. Calloway
- Las Palabras Calladas: Diario de Maria de Nazaret by Pedro Miguel Lamet
All Bible references are from the New American Revised Edition Bible (NAREB) unless otherwise specified.
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