Be merry, Be Mary this Christmas

The classic story of the very first Christmas that took place more than 2,000 years ago is recorded in Luke 2:8-20.

Shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks at night; it was just an ordinary night. More like the carol “Silent Night.” Then all of a sudden, an angel appeared to them. And the glory of the Lord shone around them. It was no longer an ordinary night. Suddenly, it became an extraordinary night!

What was the reaction of the shepherds? They were terrified! They didn’t know what was happening. It was their very first encounter with an angel.

And the angel spoke to these terrified shepherds: “Do not be afraid.” He assured them that there is no reason to be afraid or to be fearful. Instead, he added, they should rejoice: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.”

“Good news of great joy” — wow, what a description! And this good news of great joy — for whom was it? For the shepherds alone? For the people of Bethlehem? For the people of Israel? No, it was for all the people.

The angel continued: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”So what is the good news of great joy again? According to the angel, a baby has been born, he is the Savior and Christ the Lord. The Jews have been waiting all these years for a powerful and mighty messiah that would deliver them from the Roman empire. Yes, he could be the savior. But wait, he is also Christ the Lord. He is more than a political messiah. He is Lord.

But also — isn’t he just a baby lying in a manger? How could he be the Savior? These must be the questions the shepherds were asking themselves.

Then, “Suddenly a great company of heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests!’”It was the first cantata ever held. Though a short one, its message was very clear: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” This was a joyful night indeed. Remember, when the story started it was just the shepherds keeping watch over their flock on a silent, uneventful night. And now this appearance of the angel and a host of angels. From a silent night, it became a most joyful night. “Joy to the World!”This is the first part of the message: Be merry. Yes, we should be merry. For Christmas is the day we commemorate the birth of our Savior and Lord. It is really and literally “good news of great joy.” We should rejoice, we should party, we should share our joy with other people by giving gifts.

But there’s a second part to this story. The shepherds hurried off to Bethlehem and found Mary, Joseph and the baby. And after the visit, the shepherds spread the word — how they were tending their sheep when suddenly an angel appeared to them who told them the good news of great joy. And how they saw and heard a host of angels sing. And the people listening to the shepherds were amazed.

And then we come to this passage: “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” And this is the part we usually miss. Yes, we should be merry. The birth of our Savior is the most joyous occasion in the whole of Christendom. However, we should take time to imitate Mary. She “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” She was thoughtful, she was quiet. She reflected on what had happened.

Do we take time to ponder, to be quiet, to reflect on the meaning and significance of Christmas? With our busy lives, many of us don’t take time to be quiet and reflect on the true meaning of the day. Yes, we need to be merry — but at the same time, we need to be Mary-like. We need a balance between solidarity and solitude. Pakikiisa at pag-iisa. Kasiyahan at katahimikan. “Silent Night” and “Joy to the World.”

And in finding that balance between being merry and being Mary-like, our aim should be to do what the shepherds did: “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

In all the holiday rush, let us be sure to glorify and praise God. Let’s be merry and be Mary this Christmas. Maligayang Pasko!

* * *

J. Silvestre C. Gonzales serves as fellow of the Institute for Studies in Asian Church and Culture.