The Secret of the Nativity

The angel Gabriel visited Mary in Nazareth. If we are to believe that Jesus was the son of God, we must believe in Angels. She was engaged to Joseph. Gabriel told Mary she would give birth to the Son of God.

Mary was a virgin. Gabriel told her God's power would make the conception possible. Gabriel said "Nothing will be impossible with God." He then told Mary her elderly relative, Elizabeth, was six months pregnant.

Before visiting Mary, Gabriel appeared to a priest named Zacharias. He and his wife, Elizabeth, were very old. Gabriel told Zacharias they would have a son named John. And that John would prepare the way of the Lord.

Mary visited Elizabeth in her 6th month. When Mary arrived, Elizabeth's baby leaped in her womb for joy. This confirmed Gabriel's prophecy that John (the Baptist) would have the Holy Spirit while yet unborn.

Joseph considered calling off the marriage. He learned about the pregnancy after Mary had conceived. But, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, and told him to marry her. The miraculous conception was caused by the Holy Spirit.

Joseph took Mary as his wife. He kept her a virgin until Jesus was born.

All of Palestine was at this time under Roman rule and the Emperor ordered a census. It was decreed that everyone in the land must return to the homeland of his father to be counted. The town of Bethlehem was the birthplace of Mary and Joseph.

Upon their arrival to Bethlehem the young couple soon realized that there was nowhere to stay in the city because of the many others migrating to their homelands. After discovering that there was no room in the whole town of Bethlehem, Joseph searched for any sort of shelter from the weather because Mary was approaching the time of labor. An inn keeper denied them any room in his inn but gave them permission to stay in his stable with his livestock.

It is said that in a distant land there were shepherds attending their sheep and an angel of the Lord appeared to them. The angel told them of the birth of Jesus and told them to go find this miracle of the Lord.

Herod, the king of the Jews, heard news of a baby boy who was to be king and became afraid. He learned of a group of wise astrologers who were following a star in hopes of finding this young king. He told them that when they found him to come back and tell him where the boy was so that he could show his respect to the child as well.

Jesus was born and Mary wrapped him in cloth and placed him in a feeding trough.

That night of stars. That night of purple blue desert skies, of angels, of kings and camels, of shepherd boys and sheep, of quiet cows laying amongst the straw of the manger.

And what about Joseph? There he was, standing by the family, just like a lot of stepfathers who assume the burdens and responsibilities associated with the support and protection of the mother of another man's child.

Was he the custodian of the event? The quiet partner who made sure the queues were orderly and the tea was served.

Did they snigger behind his back? Were there those who believed she made up the whole story to save herself from being stoned to death as an adulteress?

The wise men found Jesus but returned to their countries different routes for they feared Herod wanted to kill the boy.

When Herod realized that they were not coming back, he put out a decree which demanded that every boy under the age of two must be killed.

However, another angel appeared to Joseph, warned him of the approaching danger, and told him to flee to Egypt where he would be beyond the reach of Herod's wrath.

Joseph and Mary waited in Egypt until Herod's death before returning to Nazareth where Jesus spent the remainder of his childhood years.