Christmas Day Mass

An early Church Father, Justin Martyr, writes, “When the Child was born in Bethlehem, since Joseph could not find lodging in the village, he went to a cave nearby; and while there, Mary brought forth the Christ and placed Him in a manger.” 

May years ago, I visited that cave high up on a hillside at Bethlehem.  When I looked across the valley stretched out below all the way to the Dead Sea, there is one site that dominates the view.  It is the fortress of King Herod, called the Herodian, built on top of a cone shaped mountain, rising almost 2,500 feet above the plain.  King Herod built this fortress as a defense against those who would try to topple him from his throne.  But his best hope for the future was not in a fortress.  It was in a baby born in a cave only three miles away, a Child that he tried to destroy. Right here, at Jesus’ birth, the shadow of Herod’s fortress loomed over the cave where Jesus was born.  

Have you ever wanted to avoid the turmoil of the Christmas season: writing letters, buying gifts, traveling in winter, hosting parties, decorating trees and houses? What would it be like to enjoy the simplicity of that first wonderful Christmas over two thousand years ago?

Well, that first Christmas wasn’t so easy, walking from Nazareth to Bethlehem. In winter Israel gets cold, with an occasional icy rain. Imagine walking from Madison to Dubuque in cold, wet weather! Joseph and Mary had no paved roads for their journey, just some mucky trails that sucked at their sandals. Perhaps they had a donkey to carry food, extra clothing, blankets and a tent. Maybe! But there were no hot baths along that five to six-day journey. That first Christmas was not so easy at all. It was really hard, especially for a pregnant woman.

No relatives welcomed this road weary couple when they arrived at Bethlehem. What a sad homecoming! No warm greetings, no festive meals, no fireplaces or soft beds. Nothing but a dark, damp, dreary cave. It didn’t get any better after Jesus was born. In fact, it got worse when an angel warned Joseph that the Child’s life was in danger. There was a desperate flight to Egypt to escape Herod’s desire to kill Jesus. Yes, that first Christmas was quite hard. So, when we are feeling burdened by the difficulties of the season, then we are actually sharing more fully in what the Holy Family experienced on that first Christmas. And like Mary and Joseph let us rejoice because our Savior was born today.