Christmas II, Dawn
Luke 2:1-20
(Now is proclaimed the [middle of the Gospel[s], according to Luke in the second chapter.)
Now it came to pass in those
days that a proclamation went out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be
taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place
while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone set out to be enrolled,
each to the town of his ancestors.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he belonged to the house and lineage of David. He went to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed. And Mary was with child. And it came to pass that while they were there, the time was fulfilled for her to be delivered. And she bore her son, her firstborn. And she wrapped him in linen and placed him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks in the night. And an angel of the Lord came upon them [appeared before them], and the light of the revelation of God shone about them. And great fear came upon them.
And suddenly around the angel was the fullness of the heavenly angelic hosts: their song of praise sounded forth to the highest:
God's
Spirit reveals itself in the heights
And
brings peace to all on earth
In
whose hearts goodwill dwells!
And as the angels withdrew from them into the heavens, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go to Bethlehem to see the fulfillment of the Word that has happened here, which the Lord let be proclaimed."
And they came hastening and found both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger. And when they had seen, they made known the Word that was spoken to them concerning this child. [or, When they saw that, they understood what had been told them concerning this child.] And all who heard it were astonished about what the shepherds said.
But Mary treasured [or, preserved] all these words, pondering them [or, turning them over] in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God to everyone for everything they had heard and seen, which was just as it had been announced to them.
Christmas II, Dawn
December 25, 2022
Luke 2:1–20
It has happened. He has been born
into the world. After a hard journey under arduous circumstances, this original
Child, the Son of God from the beginning, is at last born in the midst of
humanity. And the world seems suddenly tenderly new, like the freshness of a
winter dawn. Over the whole earth, light flashes up, revealing jubilation in
the heavens, igniting the enthusiasm of joy in human beings. For in this
newborn Child, the dawning and rising of the Sun-King himself announces itself
as fresh as on the first day. In Him, the pure shining innocence of the first
human being radiates like a corona of light.
Mary, the representative of all
human souls, not only cradles the Child in the warmth of her arms. She also
cradles and treasures the first light of his great new Dawning in the warmth of
her heart.
The shepherds are filled with astonishment and fearsome joy. They actively seek the Child, speaking warmly to all about what they have seen and heard.
Tender cradling, wonder, and joy—all this ignites afresh in our hearts at today’s new dawning. We see the scene with our mind’s eye. With the poet, our hearts say:
I
would like to rock you and sing softly
artist unknown
and
go with you to and from sleep.
I
would like to listen in and listen out
into
you into the world….
I
have laid my eyes upon you wide
and they hold you gently….
Rilke, Book of Images,
trans. by E. Snow. p. 59.
