The Shepherds, Glorifying and Praising God

“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)

Each year at Christmas we will have the opportunity to spend some time in reflection as we behold the manger.  Whether in our own homes, our parish churches or throughout our communities, we will encounter the Christ Child, with Mary and Joseph, surrounded by many other individuals as well.  Ones who are always there, although they might be overlooked, are the shepherds.  They are not as cute or interesting as the animals are; they are not as regal as the kings are, but they are always a part of the scene as described in the writing from the Gospel of St. Luke.  But how important it is for us that they are there.

We are reminded in the call of the shepherds to come into the presence of Christ, that God does not call us because of who we are or what position we hold.  God does not consider what we can bring or offer.  God calls us because we are His beloved children, and it is the shepherds that remind us of this wondrous call to God’s humble people then and each and every one of us today. 

In this call though we also must remind ourselves that if we hear the call and take it up, then we must follow the example of the shepherds on the night of the birth of our Savior.  The shepherds received some amazing Good News and armed with this message, they went to go and see what had taken place.  They not only went to Bethlehem individually, but they encouraged each other to come along.  They said to each other, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” (Luke 2:15b)  We remind ourselves that we too have received the call to come to Christ now present within our parish churches and especially coming to us in the Sacrament of the Altar.  Do we seek to come to Christ present in the Eucharist like the shepherds did?  Do we encourage others to come with us to encounter the Lord there?

Next, we see that the shepherds share the story that they were told.  “They made known what had been told them about this Child.” (Luke 2:17)  As we spend our time in reflection at the manger, we can ask ourselves are we sharing with others the good news of the presence of Christ and the good things that we have encountered because of our faith in Christ and our participation within His Holy Church.  Certainly, we have may joyous things to share concerning our journey of faith within God’s Holy Church.

Lastly, we see that the shepherds returned to their work and to their lives, “glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” (Luke 2:20)  We see that within the lives of the shepherds, although they returned to their daily lives and their daily work, they were changed and elevated by their encounter with the newborn Christ.  They were not the same as they were before.  The same must be true for each of us as well.  Within the Church we encounter the newborn Christ, Who comes to us in moments of prayer, the Sacrament of His Word and the Sacrament of the Altar.  The newborn Lord comes into your heart and into your life seeking to change you, seeking to unite you to Himself.  Are we allowing this to happen for us?  Are we allowing the newborn Christ Child to enter into our lives and change us?  Are we growing closer to Christ Who came to the world in love to save all humanity?

The shepherds at the manger have so very much to show us and teach us, but we must take the time to reflect upon them and their actions and commit to following in their way.  So, my brothers and sisters within our Holy Church, as you go to your parish church on the Nativity of our Lord and during this Christmas season and you encounter our Lord Jesus Christ in the celebration of the Mass, open your hearts to the newborn Christ Child.  Spend some time before the manger: in your own home, in your parish church, every time you encounter one and remind yourself that you stand in the place of the shepherds right now.  Hear the call of God to come and encounter Jesus; resolve to go and spend some time in His presence; encourage those around you to join you in the journey to meet Him; receive Him present to you in the Sacrament of the Word and the Sacrament of the Altar; and finally return to your daily lives, not changed outwardly, but renewed inwardly as you go about glorifying and praising God by how you live your life.

To my brother Bishops, the Very Reverend and Reverend Fathers, the Deacons and all the members of our Holy Church, I wish you a truly joyous season of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and may the blessings of the Christ Child remain with you as you hear His call and encounter Him in your daily lives.

Let us remember the Prayer of the Solemnity of Humble Shepherds, the unique feast of the Polish National Catholic Church: God, our Father, when Your Son came into this world You chose humble shepherds as the first witnesses of His Incarnation.  As we honor them, may we continue to proclaim His presence among us.  We ask this through the same Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.