‘Let us go to Bethlehem …’

In Rome, there is a tradition during the Christmas season to make a ‘pilgrimage’ to the local parishes in the city to view the various crèches or nativity scenes. Many of them have an elaborate diorama with twinkling lights, animated figures and a unique Roman flavor complete with ancient crumbling columns and arches. Always especially featured are the shepherds with their sheep who were the first responders to come adore the Lord in Bethlehem. Whether we gaze upon the simplest or the more elaborate nativity scene this Christmas, it invites us to make a journey with the shepherds.    

It is not well known that the Christmas Mass at Dawn, celebrated early in the morning, is traditionally called the “The Shepherd’s Mass.” The Gospel for this special Mass commemorates the moment when the shepherds, who have already heard the message of the angel and have seen the great multitude of the heavenly hosts set out for Bethlehem. The angels having thus returned to their celestial realm, the shepherds are once again left in the dark. 

We can imagine that after seeing the glorious and yet frightening celestial spectacle, the shepherds must have felt quite shoddily dressed and were even relieved to be left in the familiar dark and quiet surroundings. Yet each shepherd carried within himself the glorious glow of that tremendous decree. Still awestruck, they met together to share what they had seen and heard and then set off in search for the sign that had been told to them. Like them, the grace of the Christmas proclamation in the Liturgy of the Word needs to continue to glow in our hearts as we journey together in the darkness of this world.

Transeamus usque ad Bethlehem, et videamus hoc verbum, quod factum est. “Let us go to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us” (Lk 2:15). When translating the Bible from Greek to Latin, St. Jerome rendered the word “thing” with verbum, “word” (the Greek ῥῆμα means ‘utterance’) and not without good reason. He recognized that St. Luke was discreetly alluding to the Incarnation, the “Word made flesh” in the ‘sign’ that the shepherds are told to seek – literally, the ‘Word that has happened.” In fact, they did not encounter a sign, but rather the True Presence, lying in a trough in Bethlehem (which means House of Bread) – no doubt a prefiguring of Jesus in the Eucharist. 

The scene must have been crudely ordinary with nothing of the aura of a Hallmark card. Still, the shepherds discerned and recognized they had found the fulfillment of the angel’s message and announced to all around them the wonders that had been told to them (Lk 2:20). 

There is an interesting parallel to the journey of the shepherds with that of the Incarnation Himself. The Eternal Word (Logos) left behind His glory in order to enter into the darkness of our world, taking on the weakness of our human nature, and set out on a journey toward us in order to take us back with Him. For us, the encounter with the True Presence of Jesus in Word and Sacrament (the Word made flesh) impels us to go out to seek those who have not heard the Good News and to proclaim the glorious works of God. 

“Let us go to Bethlehem ...” These words touch upon a significant theme in the Church today: synodality (journeying together). In receiving the glorious proclamation of the Word, we are called like the shepherds were on Christmas night in communion to discern together the “signs of the times” by listening to the Holy Spirit, who points out the way and sends us out in mission into the darkness to be light in the world.

 “We learn how to hear God’s voice by meditating on Scripture, especially the Gospel, by celebrating the sacraments, above all the Eucharist, and by welcoming our brothers and sisters, especially the poor…. The Eucharistic liturgy is the paradigm of community discernment: before listening to each other, disciples must listen to the Word.” (International Theological Commission, Synodality in the Life and Mission of the Church, n. 109, c.) 

The journey of the shepherds reflects our own synodal journey as the Pilgrim People of God. When we gaze upon the shepherds in the various nativity scenes we encounter this Christmas, let us, like them, rejoice at the glorious proclamation of the Christmas mystery and with that same glow in our hearts, set out together into the darkness with God. The concluding verse of a 15th century English carol beckons us: 
 
About the Author

Father Brady Williams is a member of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT).  He completed his theological studies at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome in 2003 and was ordained to the priesthood in Corpus Christi in 2004. In 2008 he completed his Licentiate degree in liturgical theology at the Pontifical Atheneum Sant’Anselmo in Rome and was appointed as the Rector of the SOLT House of Studies (2008 – 2012). Currently, Father Williams serves as the SOLT General Secretary and as the Novice Servant.