Continued 👇🏾
✍🏾However, the revelation witnessed in the Gospel was not terrifying, but gentle and humble. The same living Word of the Father who descended upon Mount Sinai was born of the Holy Virgin Mary in the flesh. He appeared not in fire and thunder, but as a humble man for the salvation of the world.
✍🏾For this reason, the Holy Virgin Mary is called “Debre Nebabit be Tehetna,” which means “the Holy Mountain where God appeared and spoke in humility.” The revelation of God in the flesh, as seen in the Gospel, is greater than the revelation given in the Torah, because through it the hope of salvation for all humanity was fulfilled.
✍🏾Therefore, as we study the story of the Lord’s birth, let us remember the love and grace of God and offer praise and thanksgiving to Him.
✍🏾The Gospel Account of the Nativity(Luke 2:1–14)
✍🏾In those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This first registration took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone went to his own city to be registered.
✍🏾Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David. He went with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
✍🏾While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to her firstborn Son, wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
✍🏾In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. But the angel said to them:
“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will.
✍🏾Three Great Teachings from the Nativity
1.The Birth of the Lord in a Manger
Let us reflect on three great lessons from the story of the Lord’s birth.The first lesson concerns the birth of our Lord in a manger.
This event reveals:
👉🏾The first coming of our Lord
👉🏾His manifestation in the flesh
👉🏾The astonishing humility of His birth
👉🏾How marvelous it is that the Lord of lords was born not in a palace, but in a manger. He came from a poor household and found no place to stay. As He Himself later said:
👉🏾“Birds have nests and foxes have dens, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
(Matthew 8:20)
✍🏾Though He is the King of kings, He chose the lowest place. He was wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger like a helpless infant. This was not by necessity, but by divine will.
✍🏾He came into the world in the likeness of fallen and humiliated Adam, in order to save Adam and all his children. After Adam departed from Paradise, his heart was filled with sorrow and rejection. Desiring to restore Adam to his former glory, the Son of God descended from heaven, took human flesh, and was born in a cave, bearing our humiliation and our sins.
✍🏾The Lord chose such humility in order to touch the hearts of humanity, to renew and raise the fallen human heart. Through His birth:
👉🏾He gives us a new heart
👉🏾He grants us a resurrection heart
👉🏾He took our flesh so that we might receive His Spirit
👉🏾He bore our death so that we might inherit His glory and eternal lifeIn this way, He made us a new creation.
✍🏾For this reason, Scripture says that before the Lord accomplished all His saving work, He “created wisdom” (Proverbs 8:22), which the Church understands as the mystery of His birth in the flesh, prepared from the beginning for the salvation of mankind.
Continues 👇🏾