SHEPHERDS

Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar on their way into Bethlehem passed by a flock of sheep, but they could see no shepherds.  It seemed like each of the sheep had gone astray, but the shepherds were night shift shepherds, sleeping during the day to watch the flock by night.

SCRIPTURE

Now there were in that same country shepherds living out of the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to 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 the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, 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, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”  So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” (Matthew 2:8-15)

FOOLISH WISDOM

The shepherds symbolize the outsiders of our day.  They are the night shift, the nobodies, the ritually unclean, preventing them to take part in temple worship.  The shepherd’s visit underlines God’s passionate concern for the marginalized.  Think of the people with whom Jesus spends most of His time: the woman caught in adultery; Zacchaeus, the tax collector; people suffering from leprosy and other ailments.  The Christmas story reminds us that the coming of the Messiah is good news for those outside the social, economic, and political elite. (Trevor Hudson)

“A Shepherd should smell like their sheep.” (Pope Francis)

PRAYER

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures;

he leads me beside still waters;

he restores my soul.

He leads me in right paths

for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,

I fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

my whole life long. (Psalm 23)