I

Marywhile cradling the infant Christ in the comfort of her left

Shedelivers the items out of the satchel with her right

Itemsthat will allow her to bring comfort and care to her newborn

jarsof salt & fragrant oils

waterand linen for washing

andlong strips of fabric for swaddling her dear son

Probablythe remnants of old tattered robes

Thesestrips began their vocation as coarse swathes of unbleached cloth

Longhave these bands been softened and tinted through wear and washing

Manya journey have these bands of cloth taken

Andnow Each strip of fabric

Downto the foundation of its fibers

Isnow graced with the pinnacle of its clothing career

givingwarmth

offeringprotection to the newborn Ancient of Days.

Watchhow Mary

Lovingly

Tenderly

Care-fully

caressesher newborn with a washing cloth

Delicately

SoothinglyMary massages the salt and oil mixture into the Christ Child’s skin

Thestable fills with the fragrance of an ancient practice

Thepractice of care and comfort for new members of Earth

Peacefully

Andwith expertise beyond her years

Marybegins to encircle her precious gift with the tinted softened cloths

Ofcomfort

Warmth

Protection

Andas she surrounds the little one

Maryknows

Eachlayer will bring an added level of peace and safety fromthe Chaotic elements of nature

II

Meanwhile

Ona hill not too far away

Laya ragtag group of guys

huddledaround a fire

hemmedby the warmth of the fire in the center

thesheep circle of thick wool interspersed amidst these protectors

StarryNight

Theheavens open like a theater of the cosmos

ripefor a celestial story to unfold

Theradiance of the messenger standing in their midst

Thewarmth hemming them in

Nowwas the glory of Heaven

Thestorytelling stars bowed in reverence to the brilliance of the Host of Heaven

Andthe Host’s annunciation

Wassweet as honey

Aswarming as hot cocoa after a full day of sledding

///

Staycalm

TheAngel sang

Beat peace

Ihave wonderful news for you

Threeof the best statements one could ever receive from Heaven

Messiahhas come

OnEarth there is peace

Kindnessand Compassion to the world

TheAngel says

“Findpeace, you dear Shepherds…

“FindPeace swaddled and lying in a manger”

III

Ontheir journey to the stable

Iwonder…

Didthe shepherds run?

Didthey bring the sheep with them?

Whatdid they talk about on the way?

Didthey pick up passersby on the way?

Didthey question why Messiah was not born in a palace?

Whya birth in a stable surrounded by straw?

Didthey ask How Peace on Earth could be achieved through a baby born in a stable?

Evenin the midst of their humanness and earthiness

Inthe midst of the earthly questions

Theseshepherds knew they were on a heavenly way

Ona hope-filled journey

Tosomething glorious

Theyhad seen and heard the chorus of Angels

Theywere chosen

beloved

Swaddled,perhaps

onewould say

Swaddledin the Glory of God in the highest

IV

Perhapsit was the flameflicker from the mouth of the stable

Orperhaps the fragrance of care exhaling out into the midnight air

Thatled the shepherds to their prize

Iwould give anything to have been a shepherd that night

Tobe welcomed in to worship

Togive honor to the swaddled son

Mary

trulya saint

Tohost guests in a stable

Thismust have been so surreal to them all

Angelsand Journeys

Stablesand Manger

Unexpectednews and unexpected guests

And

peace

Peacein the midst of all the unexpectedness

Peacedoes that sometimes, doesn’t it

Itcatches us when we least expect it

Sometimesit seems that the moment we stop feverishly

Toilingfor peace

Isthe same moment when peace arrives

Oris it we who finally arrive at peace

 When it was time

Theshepherds returned to their vocation

Glorifying& Praising God

Forall that they had heard and seen,

Asit had been told them.

Iimagine it was late when they returned

Perhapsin the wee hours of the newborn morn

Perhapssome of their work shifts were long over

Perhapssome were expected home hours ago

ForEarth continued her course through the heavens

Evenin the Christ Child’s Advent

AndGod smiling

Wouldhave it no other way

V

Andso the excitement of the swaddled one in the stable

Stayedwith the shepherds

Peaceon Earth

Theyremembered

Theycontinued to tell the story

Theylived to tell the story

Andto recall

TheAngel and the Family

Messiah

Thestory of that wondrous night

Longafter the season shifted from Winter into Springtime

Earlyin Springtime

Asthe newborn lambs

Wereministered to by their mothers

Theshepherds would remember and

Giveknowing smiles to each other

Nowords needed to be spoken

Forin the peace and in the presence of the Christ Child in their hearts the sharedexperience would be renewed between them

Thenone day early in the Season

anew shepherd joined the band of brothers

Asthe shepherds trained him

Learningthe flock

Learningthe friendship

Thisyoung man knew there was something special about this group

Andone chilly night the shepherds being hemmed in again with the fire and theirwooly keep

Theyoung man was told the story of that wondrous winter night

Thestable

Theswaddled babe

Theloving Mother

Andthe angels’ message

OnEarth Peace

Kindness

Compassionto all people

Hispetulance got the better of him

Peaceon Earth?!?

How?

I’msorry but how can a baby boy swaddled in bands of cloth

Lyingin a feeding trough

Whoseonly possessions

Arethe abilities to cry and sleep and feed

Tellme how you can believe this infant will achieve peace on earth?

Lookingaround the circle of faces illumined by firelight

Theyoung man saw only smiles

Stillin training

Learningthe flock

Learningthe friendship that surrounded him

Visagesof assurance

Welcometo the question

Heproposed

Andbreaking the silence

Oneshepherd calmly and slowly replied

Wewondered that too, lad, on our journey to the stable that night.

Butwhen we arrived and knelt at the infant’s mangerside

TheGlory of God was present

Andyes

theanswer to your question was present

Yousee

Theangel said nothing about achievingpeace on Earth

Theangel said the Christ Child is Peaceon Earth

VII

SimplyPresence

SimplyPresent

SimplyPeace

Blessingsfor Christmas!

Peaceon Earth is not a task for our completion

Butthe shared journey of a swaddled life in Christ

Whois born anew each day in the stable of our hearts.

SoMay the peace

St.Paul said so long ago,

Maythe peace

OfChrist

Rule

Govern

Havekingship

Inour hearts.

Andso may we be swaddled in Christ’s tender care.

Amen.