Reflect
The first to hear of Jesus’ birth are not priests, scribes, or emperors, but humble shepherds—ordinary people. God could have sent an angel to Caesar or King Herod, but instead God sent the announcement to a group of lowly and the humble shepherds watching over their flocks by night. Smelling of sheep and hard work, they came to the stable with nothing to give but their curiosity, wonder . . . and themselves.
Pray
Dear God,
How often do I feel like the shepherds, exhausted from my work,
wanting only a bit of comfort, and a moment’s rest,
feeling like I have nothing left to give, and yet even then I hear your call:
“Come, come and see the love that longs not for my gifts,
not for my treasure, but just for me.”
Lord, show me the way to the manger.
I give myself to you; all I have, all I am, all I do:
It is yours.
Act
This evening, do a brief examen of your day. Think about what you did, who you met, what you saw, what you heard, and how it made you feel. Where did you hear God’s messenger calling to you? And when did you feel God’s presence awakening you? Treasure those moments, write them down, remember them—like the shepherds remembering that night on a hillside when the sky awoke and the blackness of night broke open to reveal the glory that is found lying in a humble manger.
