Christmas at Dawn

The speaker is expressing joy in sharing the Gospel and encourages listeners to open their hearts to the Word of God. They invite the audience to engage in Lectio Divina, a form of prayer and reflection on scripture. The focus is on the shepherds' encounter with God and their response of faith and worship. The speaker emphasizes the importance of revelation and surrendering to God's self-revelation. They encourage personal reflection and meditation on the Gospel passage, inviting listeners to speak with Jesus about its meaning for them. The speaker concludes by expressing joy in sharing the Gospel. Greetings, friends. What a joy to share the Gospel. On Christmas morning, in her liturgy at dawn, the Church places before us for contemplation simple, poor shepherds and their extraordinary encounter with God. Let's prepare ourselves, intentionally opening our hearts, our spirits, to the living Word of God, which mediates to us, now, in this place, this same encounter with God. Let me invite you to take a moment to quiet your inner self. If you will, take a deep breath slowly in and slowly out. Come, Lord Jesus. Allow your Holy Spirit to bring your Word to life in me. May I hear your voice, good Shepherd. The first step of the ancient prayer of Lectio Divina is simply to read the passage. We read so as to become familiar with the narrative and to begin to open ourselves to the movement of the Holy Spirit carried on the words of the Gospel. On this Christmas at dawn, we read from Luke's Gospel, chapter 2, verses 15 through 20. When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go then to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us. So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. This Gospel is, par excellence, a faith narrative. That is to say, it displays for us in event form how faith happens, how faith is born, if you will. Note the emphasis throughout these six short verses on revelation. The shepherds, for instance, decide to go to Bethlehem because of what, quote, the Lord has made known to us. When they arrive, quote, they made known the message that had been told to them about this child. The ultimate response of the shepherds is praise and worship, quote, for all they had seen and heard. Faith, first of all, and fundamentally, is the encounter with a revelation, with a God who reveals himself to us. Let's pause here for a moment to recall that first message given the shepherds by the angels. In verses 10 through 12 of chapter 2 of Luke we read, Do not be afraid, for behold I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For today in the city of David a Savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord, and this will be a sign for you. You will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. After this, in verse 14, the angels, unable to control their joy, burst into song, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. It is immediately after this message, this revelation, that we witness in the shepherds the second movement of faith. As we see in our gospel, the shepherds go, they follow, they move with the message told them. Mary's response to all she hears is so illustrative, she, we are told, kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. In response to God's self-revelation, we lean into the Word, surrendering to what God has said of Himself and asked of us. Faith gives birth to God in us as we intentionally give our lives to God's revelation of Himself. Turning now to read the gospel a second time, let me remind you, friends, that God continues to reveal Himself to us. Be sensitive as the passage is read to how it speaks to you personally. Become aware of a word or phrase or image that stirs you as the gospel is proclaimed. Once again, we open ourselves to the Word as we read Luke chapter 2, verses 15-20. When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go then to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us. So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. And now we come to the second step of Lectio Divina, praying with the gospel, and that is meditation. In meditation on the Word, we pause to ponder and reflect on what has stood out to us, that word, phrase, or image from the gospel that speaks most powerfully to us. What speaks to you in this gospel passage? For me, I find myself so deeply touched by the shepherds' simple, enthusiastic, immediate response to the revelation through the angels. Let us go, they say right away. And there's Mary, keeping everything, cherishing all that God reveals to her deep in her heart. Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for coming to us, for making your home with us, for wanting to live with me in my daily life. Continue to reveal yourself to me, deep within my spirit. Make me always eager to yield to your presence, your mysterious and vulnerable presence with me always. Friends, let me invite you again to continue to sit with this Christmas gospel. What does it do in you? What is it saying to you? Speak with Jesus about what his word is doing in you now. Before leaving prayer, be sure to intentionally place the word you have received deep in your spirit, where the Lord might continue to unfold it throughout this week ahead. And friends, it is a joy to share the gospel with you.