“Away in a Manger”

POSTNOTE, Jan. 11, 2025: Following Christmas came Epiphany on January 5.  Johan van Parys, Directory of Liturgy and Sacred Arts at Basilica; of Fr. Joe Gillespie, of St. Albert the Great, wrote more about the story of Christs birth and what it means.  Both are accessible here: Epiphany Joe Gillespie Johan van Parys.  I looked for words that seem pertinent to discuss in much greater depth.  In no particular order “mystery”, “revelation”. “manifestation”, “Epiphany”, “miracle”, “experience”, “presence”, “belief”, “Story”, “truth”…and likely other words both written in the comments and others.  There is ‘truth’, and there is ‘belief’ and all variations in between.

*

My Christmas message includes a few separate items received recently from several friends.  They make a good Christmas message by themselves.   If you read no further, do check out these commentaries on the season: The December 21-22 Minnesota Star Tribune carried this column by Retired Judge Bruce Peterson Dec. 2024.  Separately, Jeff sent me the St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church message: St. Joan of Arc Minneapolis Dec. 2024.

In addition, two book recommendations from friends: Kathy recommended Crisis Contemplation Healing the Wounded Village by Barbara A. Holmes (I have it.  Very worthwhile); Fr. Joe recommended Hope, the Autobiography by Pope Francis (newly published).  And, thanks to Molly, this music by Allison Krause and YoYo Ma.  And a second Kathy sent the quotation by Episcopal Bishop John Selby Spong (below).  These are six Christmas gifts to be shared.

*

Personal Thoughts at Christmas 2024.  Personally, we’ll be at 9:30 Mass at Basilica of St. Mary this morning.

I was thinking about doing a Christmas post about the birth of Jesus and the application to today, specifically to migrants.  I found an early-1900s postcard from the Busch farm collection, and a 2023 Christmas card I’d kept, and looked up the Bible reading in Grandma Bernard’s 1911 Bible: Luke Chapter 2 Nativity  I also found a wonderful rendition of Away in a Manger by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

What was notable in both cards – both at the “manger” – was the whiteness of everyone, including the angels. [see postnote]

I looked up the route from Nazareth to Bethlehem (I visited both in person in 1996).  It is a hard to imagine the trip Mary and Joseph would have taken, even boom there, viewing the land from a bus, even in peacetime in Israel in January 1996.  And it is hard to imagine a late-in-pregnancy woman making what amounted to a 90 mile trip, even under ideal circumstances.  But that’s what the Bible has always said about the birth of Jesus, and who am I to challenge?

(Luke’s Gospel, the one noted here, was probably written 80 years or more after the actual event, probably based on oral memories, not even first person. Even today no one can say with certainty who “Luke” was, or where the author lived.)

Some 250 years after Luke was written, Helena, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine, visited the Holy Land, and she is apparently the one who decreed the official site of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem.

Imagine doing such a story today, about something which happened 80 years ago (1944), with no first person information or source documents as we have via internet, etc.

When I looked up the route from Nazareth to Bethlehem, my map feature had to be coaxed to the route I had experienced 29 years ago. It initially diverted me from Nazareth to another nearby Bethlehem in Galilee, much closer than the traditional Bethlehem near Jerusalem.  (The longer trip was about 90 miles, Bethlehem about six miles from Jerusalem; the closer Bethlehem about 6 miles from Nazareth.  Neither is labelled Bethlehem on the map, but they do exist.

Parts of Luke’s story were the Gospel on Sunday, and will again be part of one of the Masses on Christmas Day.  Do I dismiss the relevance of the story?  No.  Do I take the story literally?  No, as well.  Even this small research was another learning opportunity about a writing I’d never taken a lot of time to think about.  Maybe that’s the benefit of the story for people like myself: an opportunity to reflect

*

A few evenings ago, I happened to be watching the Discovery Channel, and there happened to be a program on where Jesus was born.  It was a fascinating program, from several years ago, and I think you’d find it interesting.

Of course, when it comes to religion, nothing is simple.  There are tens of  thousands of “Christian denominations”, hundreds of them in the United States, with varying interpretations of even common articles of faith, and of course power blocs not unlike political parties.

Blessings at Christmas 2024.

POSTNOTE:  Those who know me well know who I am in terms of faith.  I personally like the traditional mantra at my own parish, where everyone is welcomed wherever they are on their faith journey.  A friend sent me a forward from a mutual friend, yesterday, which says it better than I can.  Shelby Spong is a deceased Episcopal Bishop.

POSTNOTE: After publishing we went to Christmas Mass.  Positively impressed.  The booklet we all received had the below cover, which seemed to have a Hispanic theme, and brown faces.  I felt it a very positive touch.

COMMENTS (more at end):

from Fred:  I enjoyed your history-oriented Christmas greetings. This morning a NPR reporter stationed herself in Bethlehem and discovered it was pretty-much deserted. Hotel occupancy under 5%. Almost no one walking around. Gotta say 2024 has not been a good year in the Holy Land and all sorts of other places around the world.   Here’s hoping for a happier New Year.

from Patricia: May you feel the peace, quiet pleasure and hopefulness of this season of Christmas and Hanukah.

from SAK:  Thanks Mr Bernard for the Christmas message & for keeping us informed throughout the year. I agree & accept the religious message without believing literally. I cannot understand those who reject history, physics etc & hold on to “fundamentalist” theories. They bring to mind Voltaire’s “Anyone who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”

Pope’s astronomer, brother Guy Consolmagno (M.I.T. educated) gave a lecture at Cambridge, UK, recently reassuring the audience that there is no conflict between science & faith.

He was also a humourist saying at one stage – alert! Physics joke:

“[Stephen] Hawking said gravity started the big bang & therefore you don’t need God.  If you think God is gravity then maybe that’s why Catholics celebrate Mass.”

Mass by the way is the ‘m’ in E = mc².  Merry Christmas & a glorious 2025

from Kathy: The announcer on MPR [public radio] said ” With all the political and religious things this year please remember the Beatles song:”Come  Together”

from Arthur: Thank you! Merry Christmas and joy to the world!

from Donna Jan. 1 2025: This was the front of the mass leaflet this morning and I thought of you taking pictures at the Basilica on Christmas Day.  I think it is such a beautiful picture.  I wish for you and Kathy good health and peace in 2025.