The Adoration of the Shepherds, painting by Domenico Zampieri, 1610
Jesus Christ is Born
Today, we return to the book of Luke. There, we join Blessed Mary and Joseph on their 80-mile trek to Bethlehem. When they arrive, they find it crowded with people who, like them, had come at the command of Caesar Augustus. We will encounter the Angels and Shepherds who have much to share. Connecting your heart with the Angel’s Gloria and the Shepherd’s praises will help you find more JOY and peace.
No Home for the Creator of Creation
Join us today as we discuss these points: (1) Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the City of David, prophesied over 700 years earlier by the Prophet Micah (Micah 5:1-3). (2) Emperor Caesar Augustus issued a decree requiring a public enrollment of his subjects. (3) Joseph, a descendant of King David, had to travel to Bethlehem because he was of David’s lineage. Mary also went along—she might have been required to register, or Joseph wanted her with him. (4) Finding no room in an inn, Jesus, God Incarnate and the Savior of the World, was born and wrapped tightly in cloth by His Mother Mary, then laid in a manger where animals eat. (5) We join the Angel’s “Gloria” (Luke 2:14-20), named because the first word in St. Jerome’s Latin translation is “Gloria,” and then visit the Baby in the manger with the shepherds. (6) This is the night to create a “manger” for Jesus in your heart by inviting Him to be your Savior and Lord now and forever.
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Bishop Fulton J. Sheen notes: Joseph “searched in vain for a place where He, to Whom heaven and earth belonged, might be born. Could the Creator not find a home in creation? … A stable would be the last place in the world where one would have looked for Him. Divinity is always where one least expects to find it”(Life of Christ, 1958, p. 13-24).
Links
The episode is based on a chapter from my book: The Joy of Advent: Journey with the People, Events and Prayers at the First Coming of Jesus Christ.
For bookmarks or prayer points from The Joy of Advent Podcast series, go to: WRAPYourselfinJOY.com.
