7. The Birth of Jesus (Mt 1:18-25; Lk 2:1-7)

The birth of Jesus the Messiah, happened like this: after his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, she became pregnant. Joseph, being a righteous man, and not willing to make a public example of her, considered ending the relationship quietly. But as he thought about these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary to be your wife, for what is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She shall give birth to a son. You shall call him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

This happened, to fulfill what was said by the Lord through a prophet:

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child,
    and shall give birth to a son.
They shall call his name Immanuel”;
    which means, “God with us.”

Joseph arose from his sleep, ready to do as the angel of the Lord commanded: he would take Mary to be his wife, and would not sleep with her until she had given birth to her firstborn son.

Some months later, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the world should be taxed, and all went to their ancestral city to be enrolled. Joseph went from Nazareth in Galilee, to Bethlehem in Judea, the city of David, his ancestor, to be enrolled with Mary, who was pregnant.

While they were there, the day came for her to give birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 

For Reflection

Joseph faced an enormous dilemma when he learned of Mary’s pregnancy. He had to have felt torn between accepting either the unthinkable or the unbelievable. The message from the angel didn’t promise an easy path, but at least the right thing to do became clear.

What have been some of the most difficult decisions you’ve had to make? Have you sensed God making it clear to you what was the right thing to do even when it was not the easiest?

Prayer: When I’m faced with seemingly impossible choices, help me know, Lord, which way to go.

6. The Birth of John the Baptist (Lk 1:57-80)

When the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, her neighbors and her relatives rejoiced with her at the Lord’s mercy. On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child; they would have called him Zechariah, after his father, but his mother said, “No; he will be called John.”

They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” They made signs to his father, to learn what he would have him called.

He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.”

They all marveled. His tongue was freed immediately, and he spoke, blessing God. Amazement came on all who lived around them, and all these sayings were talked about throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying because the hand of the Lord was with him, “What then will this child be?” Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying,

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people; and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets who have been from of old), salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us; to show mercy towards our fathers, to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he spoke to Abraham, our father, to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before  him all the days of our life.
And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dawn from on high will visit us, to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

The child grew, becoming strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

For Reflection

In the course of nine months or so, Zechariah went from doubt to ecstasy. Maybe some of his enthusiasm at the birth of his son came from having been silent for so long.

Have you ever known anyone with aphasia, the inability to speak, perhaps due to a stroke or other cause? Do you value your ability to speak? Do you choose your words wisely and well?

Prayer: May the words of my mouth, Lord, consistently express my joy rather than my irritation.