Merry Christmas!

As it is the fourth Sunday of Advent, it seems only fair that I speak of the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. (besides, i wont be posting on Christmas... i'll be with my family:)

Jesus' basic story is this- Mary, a virgin of immaculate conception and betrothed to Joseph, is visited by the angel Gabriel and told that she will bear a son for God. Mary is confused and asks how she can bear a child (she isn't married yet)and Gabriel tells her that the Holy Spirit will bless her with her boy. Mary consents to God's will.

This acceptance of the Lord's will is what makes Mary so important to Christians today. Mary really put herself in an awkward position when she accepted God's will- she was betrothed, but pregnant. In her time, Mary would have been killed if anyone found out the baby was not Joseph's.

When Joseph sees that Mary is pregnant, he plans to divorce her quietly. He is not suppose to marry a pregnant woman, but he cannot divorce Mary publicly because she would be stoned to death. But before he divorces her, Joseph is visited by an angel in a dream. The angel tells him that the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit and that God wants Joseph to take Mary into his home. So Joseph does.

During her pregnancy, Mary visits her cousin, Elizabeth. Elizabeth was also pregnant though she and her husband were old and thought to be infertile. Elizabeth greets Mary with, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." - part of our 'Hail Mary' prayer. Elizabeth will give birth to John, a man who becomes a saint and will prepare Jesus' way.

Also during Mary's pregnancy, Caesar Augustus sends out a decree that all of his people need to be enrolled. So Joseph takes Mary to the town in which he was descended from- Bethlehem. When the reach Bethlehem, the inns are so crowded that they are forced to sleep in a barn. Mary births Jesus in this barn and lays him in a manger for a bed. Swaddling clothes are wrapped around the baby... even though he will become the king of kings. God shows us that worldly symbols are unimportant, what really matters is who you are.

Angels come and sing praises to the newborn Jesus. They give directions to nearby shepherds so that they may come and see the newborn Jesus. These plain shepherds are the first (excluding Mary and Joseph) to worship Jesus.

Wise men see the new star that formed on the night of Jesus' birth, and follow it to Jesus. When the reach the baby, they give him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These significant gifts foreshadow much of what is to come. Gold for the baby who will become king over all kings. Frankincense and myrrh for the baby who would die for our sins- frankincense was used in funerals as incense and myrrh was used as embalming oil for the body.

The three wise men came to worship the baby as well... even though they were richer and of a higher class with more respect and money than Mary or Joseph.

This celebration of Jesus' birth is what Christmas is all about.