Why it was not communicated through the official channel like high priest or king? Greek inscriptions reveal that Augustus was regarded as “savior” and “god” in the empire. Jesus chose to … During those days, there was no common religion. (3) So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. In the Incarnation, in the birth of Jesus, God gave of Himself to us. Since they were of low status in the society, only people close to their status would listen to them and believe in their message. History of St. Thomas SyroMalabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago, established by His Holiness Pope John Paul II on March 13, 2001. So Fathers of the Church believed that Mary was free from pain when she gave birth to Jesus. Picture Window theme. Jews kept their genealogy tracing back to the 12 sons of Jacob. (8) Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. They became the first believers in the Messiah. This is compared to sun rays penetrating through glass. The Manger. (15) When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” (16) So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. By Pope Benedict XVI Emperor was considered as god or son of god. Since the heaven came down to the earth by the birth of Jesus, the heavenly hosts had to come down praising the Lord. So this became a sign of identification for the shepherds to identify the newborn “Son of God.”. Though called for a noble task, life of Joseph and Mary were not comfortable in this world. Many might have visited the infant Jesus based on the witnessing of the shepherds. DEVOTION Knowing the Will of God: Reflections on Mary, the Mother of Jesus By Laura J. Bagby Guest Writer. These are two versions of the translation. So Jesus is God incarnate. Jesus, the “Son of David” was also wrapped in the same manner. (CNS/Greg Tarczynski). (6) While they were there, the time came for her to have her child. (17) When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. Bethlehem means “the house of bread” because it was a fertile land for agriculture and rearing animals. Benedict finesses the issue of the relationship between event and interpretation because, in his reading, details matter less than the symbolism they evoke. “The whole world” can also mean “all the people of the emperor’s domain.” Periodic census was taken every 14 years for taxation purpose and to take account of those who are eligible for military service. Informed by Gabriel of the impending birth, Mary says in Luke 1:34, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" (4) And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,(5) to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. However, Luke, the evangelist presents the true God and Savior who brought peace into the world in the child Jesus. Address: 372 South Prairie Ave, Elmhurst, Illinois 60126. The prophesy would have failed if the governor had not implemented the order of the emperor at that time or if Joseph and Mary had delayed their journey to Bethlehem. Fathers of the Church taught that Jesus was born while his mother’s womb was closed. Jesus taught us to see God in the poor and those who need assistance. Advertisement. The paramount issue is how the Gospels amount to one whole Gospel: the announcement of who we are to be in relation to God. The ox and ass who face the manger might warm the baby in the cold winter. (1) In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. (11) For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. In the Canticle of Mary, she had mentioned how God favors the lowly and lifting them up while throwing down the rulers. Mary who had good knowledge of the Holy Scripture from her training in the Temple of Jerusalem, realized that all the prophesies about the Messiah was coming true at her sight. Nothing in the infancy narratives goes by simply as a matter of chance. “The angel of the Lord” is different from regular angels. Yet planetary convergence is not rare; a later dating -- another scholarly option -- can be approved by observing the alignment of Saturn and Mars by Oct. 23 in 2 A.D. Advertisement. That is why we have separate genealogical accounts of Jesus through the ancestral lines of Joseph and Mary in the gospels of Mathew and Luke. He was rejected by the public and Jewish authorities at his birth and death. We observe the birth of Jesus on December 24th evening when the days began to increase day by day. The shepherds become the first evangelizers of Jesus. ], Send your thoughts and reactions to Letters to the Editor. Solomon the physical son of King David narrates in Wisdom 7:4 that he was wrapped in swaddling clothes when he was born. (April 19, 2019), Sunday Reflection : Jesus, the Way to the Father (Apr 15, 2018). They had no difficulty in believing and welcoming such a humble God. After becoming emperor, Caesar Augustus maintained peace in the empire called “pax Augusta.” Jesus was born during his reign. Jesus who said, “I am the Living Bread that came down from Heaven” (John 6:51) was born in that house of bread that produced food for the Jews.

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