| Show f- f i fi y GLORIA IN DEO OED DEOn I n Qa 2 s ax 1 M t 1 f v t t C 4 f Ye rHEN W Tp HEN Mary Alary and Joseph undertook their memorable journey ry from Nazareth to thousand nearly two years jears ago Palestine was a peaceful and reasonably prosperous country But the th heart beart of Israel was filled with longing and uneasiness uneasiness' longing for forthe forth forthe the th Messiah who according to the prophets the Lord had had promised Hit His H s chosen people the Messiah who would deliver them from their r trials and even tribulations tribulations even as Moses had bad led their forefathers out of the bondage of Egypt And now it came to pass past that Caesar Augustus bad had decided all the he world should be taxed and every man should be enrolled each eachin eachIn in In hIS bis native city etty And it happened that Joseph who lived in Nazareth was was a native of oj o f Bethlehem In those days there was no n macadam highway leading from the Galilean hillside into Bethle Bethlehem hem the city of David which nestled in the green blue-green mountains south of Jerusalem and under ideal conditions Bethlehem was several days' days journey from Nazareth So Mary Alary and Joseph started for Bethlehem about the middle of December They carried a little food with them for emergencies a little extra clothing and some bedding They traveled very slowly because of Mary and Mary and when she was too tired to walk another step Joseph took the packs upon his shoulders so Mary might ride the tb little donkey which trudged faithfully at his bis side THE THE little village of oj Bethlehem was about six miles from Jeru- Jeru L 1 salem Those last six miles were the longest and hardest for Mary the mountain trail was steep and treacherous the atmosphere was lighter than the travelers from Galilee were accustomed to and they were were very tired and weary travel-weary when wh n they reached Bethlehem the they city tily y o of f David where Josephs Joseph's ancestor King David bad had ruled fourteen generations before Augustus and his census It 11 was early evening but the inn was already crowded beyond its normal capacity with census census- bound travelers not even a corner was available where Joseph could have spread a bed for Mary In desperation Joseph pleaded from door to door and with those whom he passed as he raced through the narrow streets of o f Bethlehem in b n search of oJ shelter Finally someone directed him to a stable which was really a cave hewn into the rocky ledge of the mountainside The f stable to which Joseph led Mary was well supplied with clean straw and Mary was grateful for shelter and privacy it was Holy Night There was no room at the inn that night but over in Shepherds' Shepherds field about two miles south of oj Bethlehem several Shepherds were keeping the night watch u over their flocks when suddenly a great greal blaze Haze of o f light appeared in the sky and seemed to descend upon the countryside The Shepherds were very fiery frightened and devout men that they were they called upon God to help them When IV hen they raised their eyes from supplication the glory of o f the Lord shone all allaround allaround around mound them and an angel stood in their midst assuring them there was nothing to fear For Behold I 1 bring you glad tydings of great joy which shall be to all people For unto you is born bor this day in itt the city of David Davida a Saviour which is Christ the Lord And this shall be a sign unto you ou Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying Glory to God in n the highest high high- est and on earth peace good will toward men men ment menTHE t THE Shepherds hurried to Bethlehem there to find the Infant L 1 asleep in the manger manger even even as it t had bad been foretold unto them His Stable was filled with a heavenly radiance and having baving wor wor- worshipped worshipped worshipped shipped the Child the Shepherds were filled with a wondrous feeling of oj o f peace And the Shepherds wondered and told others con con- concerning concerning concerning those things which they bad had seen and heard Several days later a richly appointed caravan wove its way through the crooked streets of Bethlehem bearing Wise JJ ise Men from the east who following the Star of Bethlehem which they had seen from afar had bad come to adore the new born King And the Star tar led them until it came and stood over the manger where the Child was The Wise Vise Men Alen rejoiced when they saw the Holy Infant lying in the manger and they adored Him They ordered gifts to be brought from their caravan gifts symbolic of o f what at Jesus was as to become gold become gold for a king myrrh for a great physician frankincense for a high priest All Bethlehem crowded around awestruck around awestruck and curious urious but Mary pondered all these things in her heart and watched over the Child with great diligence And that is s the way it came to pass that thai Jesus was born in Bethlehem it could not have bave come to pass in any other way Before the sacred manger all men are ar equal and only from a lowly stable could the th Saviour draw unto Himself all who are weary and heavy heavy- laden And truly only the Ih heavenly host could praise God that first Christmas night Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will toward men Dorothea |
