In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
~ Luke 2:8-20
My favorite song has to be “O Holy Night.” It speaks to the awesomeness of God and how He came to earth as a baby. The majesty of it all makes me automatically fall to my knees in awe.
I imagine a dark, quiet evening. The stars fill the sky. There’s only a hint of a moon. My eyes have adjusted to the night. I can see the sheep huddled together.
Suddenly, there’s a massively bright light that fills the sky. Then, there is a person standing in front of me. I don’t know whether to cower in fear or look for a place to hide.
This definitely is not a normal night.
The person (Angel) standing there says “Don’t be afraid.” And as suddenly as the light appeared, I’m no longer afraid.
He says something about a baby being born in a manger in the City of David. Well, that’s not too far away. It’s just up the hill a bit. Right when he finishes saying that, a huge crowd appears in the sky praising God. Then they are gone.
It’s pitch black again. It takes me several minutes before my eyes can even start to adjust from the massive light that was just there. My eyes finally adjust and the sheep are as calm as they were before the heavens opened.
My friends and I look at each other and realize there is only one thing to do. We must do to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened.
Sure enough, we find Mary, Joseph, and Jesus laying in a manger, wrapped in bands of cloth. We tell everyone who will hear our story of what happened in the fields. They are awestruck by what has happened. Meanwhile, Mary smiled and thought about how life would never be the same for their family.
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How amazing would it have been to be in the fields and experiencing what the shepherds had seen that evening? Whether it’s going from being terrified to calm, or making the journey to see baby Jesus and the Holy Family.
When I ponder that from where I’m sitting today, I think about how life-changing it must have been for them. They were some of the first to know that the Savior of the world was being born that night.
How amazing would it be to witness an event like that – now?
I think my reaction would be about the same. I’d either be cowering in fear or looking for a place to hide if the sky suddenly became brighter than daylight and someone was suddenly standing in front of me.
What an amazing entrance our Lord and Savior made. He was ushered into the world by a multitude of heavenly hosts proclaiming His glory.
As we wait for that wonderful date to come again, take a moment and place yourself in the story. After all, Jesus came for you too.
Patrick O’Connor (Director of Communications)
Photo Credit: Family Radio 316
