HOMILY VI. ON THE DAWN OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD.
LUKE II. At that time the shepherds spoke to one another: Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made and shown to us, etc.
When the Lord and Savior was born in Bethlehem, as the sacred history of the Gospel records, an angel of the Lord appeared with great light to the shepherds who were in the same region, keeping watch and guarding their flocks by night, declaring the rising of the Sun of righteousness upon the world not only by the heavenly voice of speech but also by the brightness of divine light. For nowhere in the entire series of the Old Testament do we find angels who appeared to the fathers with light, but this privilege was rightly reserved for the present time when a light arose in the darkness for the upright in heart, merciful and just is the Lord. To avoid the authority of one angel appearing small, after one taught the mystery of the new birth, immediately a multitude of heavenly hosts appeared, singing glory to God and also proclaiming peace to men, openly showing that through this birth men would be converted to the peace of one faith, hope, and love, and to the glory of divine praise. The shepherds mystically signify the teachers and rulers of the faithful souls. The night, during which they kept watch over their flock, indicates the dangers of temptations, from which all those who vigilantly keep watch do not cease to guard themselves and their subjects. And it is fitting that the Lord was born when shepherds were keeping watch over their flock. For He was born who says: I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10). But the time also approached when this most good shepherd, having sent shepherds into the world, would call back his scattered sheep, which were wandering far and wide, to the ever-green pastures of heavenly life. He entrusted their care to the supreme shepherd: If you love me, feed my sheep (John 21). Explaining this more clearly, he said: Strengthen your brothers (Luke 22).
And it came to pass, as the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another: Let us go to Bethlehem and see this word that has come to pass, which the Lord has made and shown to us. And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. Those shepherds indeed hurried with joyful happiness to see what they had heard: and because they sought with ardent love, they deserved to find immediately the Savior whom they sought. But also the shepherds of the intellectual flocks, indeed all the faithful ought to show with their words and deeds how with the diligence of the mind they should seek Christ.
Let us go, they say, to Bethlehem and see this word which has come to pass. Let us also go, most dear brothers, in our thoughts to Bethlehem, the city of David, and let us with love recall that the Word was made flesh in it, and let us celebrate His incarnation with fitting honors. Let us go, with carnal desires cast aside, with the full desire of the mind to the heavenly Bethlehem, that is, the house of the living bread not made by hands, but eternal in the heavens, and let us with love recall that the Word was made flesh. He ascended there in the flesh, there He sits at the right hand of God the Father. Let us follow Him there with all the diligence of virtues, and let us procure with earnest chastisement of the heart and body, so that whom they saw crying in the manger, we may deserve to see reigning on the throne of the Father.
And let us see, they say, this word that has come to pass. What a right and pure confession of the holy faith, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God! This word born of the Father, was not made, for God is not a creature. In this divine birth, He could not be seen by men; but so that He could be seen, the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. Let us therefore see, they say, this Word that has been made, because before it was made, we could not see it. This the Lord has made and shown to us, that the Lord caused to be incarnate, and through this made visible to us.
And they came hastening and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. The shepherds came hastening and found God born as man, along with the attendants of His birth. Let us hasten too, my brothers, not by the steps of our feet but by the progress of good works to see that same glorified humanity with His attendants, rewarded with the worthy recompense of their service; let us hasten to see Him shining in the divine majesty of the Father and His own. Let us hasten, I say, for such great blessedness is not to be sought with idleness and sloth, but the footsteps of Christ are to be followed zealously. For He Himself desires to help our course with His hand extended, and delights to hear from us: Draw us after you, we will run in the fragrance of your ointments. Therefore, let us more quickly follow with the steps of virtues, so that we may merit to attain. Let no one delay in turning to the Lord, let no one defer from day to day, praying to Him in all things and before all things, that He may direct our steps according to His word, and that no injustice may have dominion over us.
Seeing this, they recognized concerning the word which had been spoken to them about this child. And we, dearly beloved brothers, let us, for now, earnestly perceive with pious faith and hasten to embrace with full love the things that have been spoken to us about our Savior, the true God and man, so that we may be able to grasp them with the vision of perfect knowledge in the future. For this alone is the true life of the blessed, not only of humans but also of angels, to perpetually behold the face of their Creator, which the Psalmist ardently longed for, who said: "My soul has thirsted for the living God; when shall I come and appear before the face of God?" (Psalm 42). He indicated that his desire could not be satisfied by any abundance of earthly things, saying: "I will be satisfied when your glory is manifested" (Psalm 17). Truly, because not the idle and sluggish, but those who labor in works of virtue, are worthy of divine contemplation, he carefully prefaced: "But I shall appear before you with justice." Therefore, the shepherds, seeing, recognized concerning the word that had been spoken to them about Christ, because the vision of God is knowledge of Him, and this is the sole blessed life of man, the very man himself saying and testifying, who, commending us to the Father, says among other things: "And this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (John 17).
And all who heard marveled at those things which were spoken by the shepherds to them. The shepherds did not conceal in silence the secrets they had divinely learned, but told them to whomever they could; for indeed the spiritual shepherds of the Church are especially ordained for this, that they may proclaim the mysteries of the Word of God and show to their listeners the wondrous things they have learned in the Scriptures. Furthermore, it is not only the shepherds, bishops, priests, and deacons, or even the heads of monasteries, who should be understood, but also all the faithful who undertake the guardianship of their own little household; they are rightly called shepherds, insofar as they watch over their own household with diligent vigilance. And whoever among you presides over at least one or two brothers with daily governance, should fulfill the duty of shepherd. For as far as it suffices, they are commanded to feed these with the feasts of the word: indeed every one of you, brothers, who even believes themselves to live a private life, holds the office of shepherd and feeds a spiritual flock, and keeps vigil over it by night, if he gathers to himself a multitude of good deeds and pure thoughts, endeavors to govern them with just moderation, nourish them with the heavenly pastures of the Scriptures, and to guard against the snares of unclean spirits with vigilant zeal.
But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart. Mary, preserving the laws of virgin modesty, chose not to reveal to anyone the secrets of Christ that she knew, but reverently waited for Him to divulge them when He wished and how He wished. Meanwhile, she diligently pondered these same secrets with a silent mouth but a vigilant heart. And this is what is meant by "pondering them in her heart." She compared what she saw happening with what she had read was to happen. For she saw herself conceived by the Holy Spirit in Nazareth, from the lineage of David, with the Son of God. She had read in the prophet: "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him." (Isaiah 11) She also read: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." (Micah 5:2) She saw that she had given birth in Bethlehem to the ruler of Israel, who is eternal God born from the Father before the ages; she saw that as a virgin she had conceived and borne a Son, and that she had called his name Jesus. She had read in the prophets: "Behold, a virgin will conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14) She had read: "The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib." She saw the Lord placed in a manger, where ox and donkey came to be fed. She remembered what the angel had said to her: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35) She had read that the manner of His birth could only be known by angelic revelation, as Isaiah said: "Who can speak of his descendants?" (Isaiah 53:8) She had read: "And you, O Tower of the Flock, the fortified stronghold of Daughter Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem." (Micah 4:8) She heard that the angelic hosts, which are the daughters of the heavenly city, appeared to the shepherds in a place that from ancient times was called the Tower of the Flock, and is one mile to the east of Bethlehem, where even now the monuments of those shepherds are shown in a church. She knew that the Lord had come in the flesh, to whom belongs one and eternal power with the Father, who would give a kingdom to the Church, that is, the daughter of the heavenly Jerusalem. Therefore, Mary compared what she had read would happen with what she already knew had happened: yet she did not speak of these things with her mouth, but kept them closed in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told to them. Let us also, most beloved brothers, learn from the contemplation of the Lord's plan, by which He deigned to mercifully come to our aid, to always turn back giving thanks for His benefits. For if they, having known only His birth, returned glorifying and praising God in all they had heard and seen, how much more ought we, who have come to know the entire series of His incarnation, who have been imbued with His sacraments, glorify and praise Him in all things not only with words but also with deeds; nor ever forget that God was born as man so that by being reborn He could recreate us in the image and likeness of His divinity: for He was baptized in water, that He might fertilize the streams of water for the washing away of all our iniquities; He was tempted in the desert, that by overcoming the tempter He might grant us also the skill and strength to conquer; He died, that He might destroy the dominion of death; He rose again and ascended into heaven, that He might give us the hope and example of rising from the dead and reigning perpetually in the heavens. For each of these things, let us, returning to the contemplation of His most pious plan, glorify and praise God Himself and our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for all the ages of ages. Amen.