How did people
meet their Savior? The stories about the shepherds, the wise men and king Herod
shows a wide range of emotions – from the pure faith to fear to hatred.
However, it is symbolic that first of all we encounter people’s ignorance
and indifference in them. Or course, those who were resting in their homes at that late
hour did not even realize that they all took part in the event of a universal
scale, as well as that the Child born in the cave would become the “Light of
People”. Although they all had to know the law of God ordering them to give a
shelter to the travelers, no one did that.
And then the
shepherds, who were herding the sheep on the neighboring field, came inside the
cave. They were worried and began to tell about “the great joy which had been announced to them by God”.
It seemed as if
their coming retuned them all back to the Old Testament. We often find mentions in The Holy Scripture of people who live with their herds as those who are closer to God. Sitting
around the fire under the night sky, Abraham, Moses and Amos listened to God’s will. They put their doubts aside and went where God told them to go. The same
was with the shepherds, who were the first people who saw the Savior.
As far as the
day of the Nativity was correlated with the day of the solstice, which is
December 25, often we associate the announcement to the shepherds and their
coming with the winter scenery. Indeed, sometimes at this time of the year snow
falls in Palestine. It is regrettable to part with the rooted tradition, but we should admit that it is not proven by the Holy Gospel. Apostle Luke wrote that “the
shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night”. In
December people kept their cattle inside. The cattle was herded from
March till November. Consequently, that means that Christ was born in this time period.
Of course, the
feast itself is much more for us than just a calendar recollection of the events.
It has a deep spiritual meaning. By the fact that the feast is celebrated on
the day of the solstice, the Church proves the coming of the “Light of Mind”
and the “Sun of Truth”.
The new day did not begin yet when everyone at home
knew already that the miraculous event had happened. The apostle continues:
“And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by
the shepherds” (Luke, 2:18). The
prophecy about the King of the world did not make sence for those people. They
could not believe that the Son of those poor parents, who had come from
Galilee, could be the King . However, Mary’s assurance in Her divine destiny
was strengthened even more, and She kept in Her heart the news brought by the
shepherds from the field.
Eight days after birth, the
Old Testament ritual of circumcision was performed on the Infant, and he got
his name, Jesus. We can say that many mothers in Palestine would often chose the same name.
But in case of Mary that name had a special meaning. Jesus, or Joshua, or
Yehoshua means “God’s Salvation”. The name of Christ banded together all the
prophecies and aspirations of the Old Testament world.
We do not know whether Joseph intended to leave
Bethlehem or to stay there forever. Anyway, he could not be in a hurry.
According to tradition, a mother was not allowed to leave the home for a
month after the birth of a child. Then they also had to visit Jerusalem, where
they had to go through additional rituals…
An excerpt from “History of the Religion, Book 6”
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