Nicole Berlucchi, Writer on a Mission

Image used with permission of Tribe of Many Arrows.
Check them out on Etsy: TribeofManyArrows – Etsy.

For the month of October the “That We May Imitate What They Contain and Obtain What They Promise” series will take a daily look at one mystery of the Rosary and how we have the opportunity to imitate it and rejoice in what it promises us.

Today, we look at the third Joyful Mystery of the Rosary: the Birth of Jesus.

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinnius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear.

The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today, in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is the Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest
And on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that they had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them. Luke 2:1-20 (NABRE)

The Birth of Jesus has so much to consider, and really I could go well past the initial part of the Gospel and include the visiting magi as well, but I’ve opted to limit it to the section titled for the birth of Jesus in Luke.

1. Be obedient and remember the Lord is in control. If there is anything we learn from Mary and Joseph, it is obedience to the Lord and to let go of control, allowing yourself to be led by His plans rather than your own. I imagine that Mary had some sort of hope as to how she would welcome the Lord into this world after His birth. I think she likely had clothes she was preparing and Joseph possibly even began building a cradle of some sort. A space was prepared, the house rearranged for the Lord’s arrival. And yet, we hear that Joseph and Mary didn’t decide that parenting the Messiah excluded them from
2. Handle the Lord with care. Regardless of this displacement and less than ideal housing, Mary still is prepared with the swaddle she likely made herself. She wraps Jesus in this swaddle and lays Him in the manger, Food for the world. I wonder what it must have been like to hold Jesus as a baby. We tend to hold babies a little more gingerly, and so how much more is that felt when holding our Lord? I wonder what Mary thought of as she laid Him in the manger. Could she have known 2000 years later some of us would swaddle Him with our hands to receive Her son in another very vulnerable, small form: a tiny white host, bread? Mary serves as our example of how we should receive Jesus in the Eucharist, wrapping him with gentleness and placing Him in our hearts. When you take Him in your hands, picture Him, tiny and vulnerable, trusting you with His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. Imitate Mary’s loving care and recognize how He is the ultimate Food for your soul.
3. Go in search of the Lord and give glory to God. These shepherds are often looked at as benefactors of this visit from the angels, and of course, they are, but I am astounded at their running in search of the Lord. How they believed that they would find exactly what the angels told them. I am amazed that they paid homage to Jesus by simply believing this was the baby the angels spoke about. I love how they leave praising God. I wish I could know what was happening in their hearts. They must have been bursting, infused with joy, first at the angels’ announcement and then actually sitting in the presence of the Lord. Let’s be like the shepherds. Let’s seek the Lord in adoration so that we might spend time with Him, paying Him homage. When we leave adoration, let’s leave giving glory to God that He would come to us in this way, so that we might have the opportunity to be physically close to Him.
4. Testify to what you have seen and know to be true. I try to imagine the scene of the shepherds going in search of the Lamb of God. In a way, they are the first shepherds to go in search of THE lost sheep. The Holy Family overlooked has been outsourced to a stable or cave. I look at them as people on the margins in this moment. I don’t think Mary or Joseph were questioning their own dignity at this point, but it paints a picture of how we are to go to those on the margins and tell them who we know they are, how we know they have dignity, how they are designed by God, how they are chosen. Look that homeless person in the eye. Tell that teenage mom she is beautiful and loved and has your support. Tell that person feeling isolated because of a disability or difference in their culture or skin color that you are their friend; you’ve got their back. These shepherds didn’t come upon Mary and Joseph and think there is no way these are the people we are looking for. They knew what they had seen and been told and they told Mary and Joseph, regardless of appearance and the humble accommodations.
5. Ponder over miracles, designs and messages of the Lord. Mary took nothing for granted that was happening around her. One might think that if an angel came to you and told you that you were to be mother of the Messiah, and then you go to visit your cousin and she calls you blessed among women and confirms the revelation of the angel, that at some point, one would cease to be amazed at anything else. Mary, however, continues to be amazed. She does not tire at marveling at the works of God, His designs, what is happening all around her. I imagine that she is thinking about how God chose shepherds to appear to with the news—what does that mean? Or maybe that He chose people at work rather than people asleep for the angels to appear to—what does that mean? What a sight were these angels to behold that these shepherds immediately came searching and did not overlook even the lowliest of circumstances as a place to find Jesus—what does that mean? She pondered, knowing God’s infinite designs, knowing with Him there is always more at work. More to ponder. More to wonder. More to be grateful for. Mary understood that God was giving her these gifts of confirmation so that both she and Joseph would understand Jesus was going to be different than what anyone imagined, that no one could plan as God planned.

As we look at the ways to imitate the mystery of the Birth of Jesus, we notice that it requires a great deal of humility and littleness in comparison to the majesty and glory of God. We must be prepared to do what He asks, even when it wouldn’t be what we choose; we must seek time with Him to adore Him. When we receive Him in the Eucharist, we must remember that we hold the Savior of the world in our hands. Our witness to Who the Lord is in our lives should always be shared with others, and of course, thinking about the Lord’s greatness and marveling on the amazing things He has done and continues to do, should be a daily offer of thanksgiving. All of these qualities will bring about in us the fruit of this mystery, poverty of spirit and detachment from things of this world. We will be placing Him as our top priority and focus, and anything else happening around us can be seen as in His hands.

Visit Tribe of Many Arrows on Etsy. These images are used with their permission, and I am grateful for these beautiful creations accompanying my reflections this month.

If you missed this week’s earlier reflections, catch them here: Annunciation and Visitation.