Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Lit. Yr. A)

In our time, few of us remember a scene which in the past was very common; I am referring to a shepherd tending his flock. In the time of Jesus, the countryside was filled with sheep and shepherds took care of them. At that time there were two types of shepherds: there was the shepherd who owned a small flock and went out to tend it himself, and there was the hired shepherd. The former was most likely a family man, living in a certain poverty from what the land and his flock provided for him; every day he would take out his flock, but in the evening he would return and bring his flock into the sheepfold.

The hired shepherd worked for a master who owned large flocks which remained in the countryside even during the night, with shepherds taking care of them. These were people with little education, without skills, and of poor reputation. On the holy night of Christmas, when Jesus is born, it is these shepherds who go to adore him first. This is something very interesting and which should make us think deeply; why does God choose those who were in the lowest class of Israelite society, send them an angel, and thus make them the first guests in the great event of the birth of his beloved Son?

I hope that in our homes we all have the crib; the crib is not there to decorate the house like any other decoration. Those among us who stop and meditate on the scene of the birth of Jesus in a poor cave learn from it the teaching of heaven. How much simplicity, poverty, love, an event which, when it happened, made no noise. Why did God want to become man like us and, as a human condition, choose for himself poverty and simplicity, in one word choose all that we push aside?

I think that God chose to be born in this way and chose that on Christmas night he would be adored by the most marginalised shepherds, to show us that the true meaning of life, peace of heart and true love are not found where we humans look for them. We want luxury, comfort, wealth, someone to serve us, and the Lord chooses for himself poverty, humility, and above all to become a poor child who fills you with tenderness. He came to serve and not to be served, choosing for himself what the world casts aside.

How misguided the world of today has become. Through the scene of the crib, the Lord wants to show us the reason why peace and respect have diminished so much among us, why the spirit of fraternity and humble help for one another has diminished so greatly, and therefore why fighting, hatred, distress, jealousy, and all that is destroying our society have increased so much, a society which is very capable of making cribs but hardly stops to reflect on this event of all events.

Lord, you are the greatest gift ever given to us; help us and open our minds and hearts so that we may understand the mystery of this event. Help us to draw close to you with humility and simplicity, so that it may be you who kindles in our hearts that love which we so greatly lack and which only you can plant within us, so that even today the angels may sing, “Glory to God in the highest heavens and peace on earth to people who are pleasing to him.” Amen.