1.- The mystery of Jesus, Lord of History, is fully revealed under the light of the Pasch, but he already had his signals when he was born and even before. Mathew and Luke reflect that in the gospel of the infancy. Luke affirms to have investigated “the whole story from the beginning” (Lk 1, 3-4) To go into it we can take a look to what the gospels say: Mt 1,16; 13,55; Mc1,1; 6,3; Lk 1,35; 3,23; 4,22; Jn 1,12.12.45.49.51: 2,1.3.5.12; 5,25; 6,42.46; 19,25 (see Ga 4,4; Phil 2,6-7; and 2Jn3).
2.- Genealogies show, in its manner, Jesus´ human roots (see Mt 1, 1-17; Lk 3, 23-38). Mathew, who writes for Christians coming from the Judaism, presents Jesus deeply enrooted un Israel’s history. He follows the line of the dynastic and legal succession. Jesus is the true heir of God´ s promises in whom Scriptures are accomplished. Luke, who writes for Christians with Greek mentality presents Jesus deeply connected with the history of humanity. He follows the line of natural descent. Jesus is the hope of the world, the center of history.
3.- The gospels do not say that Jesus was a son of Joseph, as people supposed. They say this: “Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together as husband and wife, she become pregnant through the Holy Spirit “(Mt 2,18). Joseph, who was an upright man, did not want to denounce her (see Dt 22,20) and he made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He had decided so, when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream an said: “Joseph, David´ s descendant, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because she has conceived by the Holy Spirit”. (Mt 2, 18 – 20)
4.- Jesus´ conception had been announced. The messenger is, like with John (Lk 1,19), Gabriel that means God is powerful. Sent by God, the messenger greets Mary with the words with which the prophets addressed Jerusalem, when they see her messianic future: “Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you, you are blessed among the women”. (Lk 1, 28); see Zep 3, 14-17; Jl, 21; Zec 9,9; Ps 139). Mary enjoys God’s favor. She is full of grace. She is the town in the middle of which (in whose interior) God lives, powerful savior. Great figures of Israel’s history, like Moses (Ex 3,12) or Gideon (Jue 6.12), listened these same words, which stimulated them to accomplish their mission. The Lord is with you. Mary is, like Judith, blessed among the women.
5.- “Mary was troubled at these words, wondering what this greeting could mean. But the angel said: Don’t fear, Mary, for God has looked kindly on you. You shall conceive and bear a son and you shall call him Jesus. (Lk 1, 29-31). Jesus means God saves. God sets that name. He wants to show himself like a powerful savior (Zep 3,17) through Jesus. He will be great and shall rightly be called Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give him the kingdom of David, his ancestor; he will rule over the people of Jacob for ever and his reign shall have no end” (Lk 1, 32-33). In Him are accomplished the promises made by God to David (2 Sam 7, 12 –16) and the Servant’s mission, who must be the light of nations so that salvation reaches the ends of the earth. (Is 49,6).
6.- Mary asked how can this be if I am a virgin (Lk 1,34), it is to say, she did not have intercourse with any man (Mt 1,25). The angel answered: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the holy child to be born shall be called Son of God” (Lk 1,35. The action of God is mentioned without any further explanation. About the tabernacle in which God manifest himself in the Old Testament, it is said: “The cloud covered Yahweh’s House and the glory of the Lord filled his Home”. (1K8,11). Mary told the angle: “I am the servant of the Lord; let be done to me like you have said”. (Lk 1,38). With the disgrace over her back and the joy in her heart Mary went to the mountain (to visit to Elisabeth), singing a song: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord”. (Lk 1,46).
7.- Jesus conception takes place in the inner being of a story where it had been fully prepared. It is said about great personalities of the Old Testament that they were the result of the action of God: Isaac (Gn 17, 16), Jacob (Gn 25, 21), Samson (Jdg 1,37), Samuel (1Sam 1-2), John the Baptist (Lk 1, 12-17). After burning desires, prayer and promise of God, a couple so far sterile finally got their fruit: nothing is impossible for God (Lk 1,37). In a special way, in Jesus´ conception what was written is accomplished: The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and he will be called Emmanuel, which means: God with us Mt 1,23; see Is 7, 14-17).
8.- This teaching of the Gospel was collected in the old faith professions: Jesus was conceived by the works and grace of the Holy Spirit, and he was born from Saint Mary the Virgin (Symbol of the Apostles; see Vatican Council II, LG 52). About the brothers and sisters of Jesus cited in the Gospel (see Mt 13,55-56, and parallel verses), it is usually said that in the Biblical world the nearest family is known as brothers and sisters (see Gn 13, 8; 12,5; 14; 16; Lev 10,4; 1 Chr 23,22); the Gospel calls Jesus´ brothers to Saint Jacob, Joseph, Simon and Judas (Mt 13,55); nevertheless, they explicitly distinguish between the mother of Jesus and that of Saint Jacob and Joseph (Mt 27,56; Mk 15,40). Christian tradition calls Mary “the always virgin”.
9.- God places historic events to the service of Jesus´ manifestation. Augustus, the Emperor, ordered a census to be carried out; it was the first one for the Jews. Joseph belonged to David’s family so he went from Nazareth to David’s town of Bethlehem to be registered with his wife Mary (Lk 2, 4-5). Because of this, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, where - like it was announced- the Messiah should be born (Mic 5,1; Mt 2,5). According to the Monumentum Ancyranum, Augustus ordered the citizen census in three occasions.
10.- From the beginning, Jesus´ light irradiates in the world and the believers (attentive, watching) get it; Mary (Lk 1,38), Joseph (Mt 1,20), Elizabeth (Lk 1,41), the shepherds (2,9), the wise men (Mt 2,2), Simeon (Lk 2,30), Anna (2,38). The wise men set out their way; they go from signal to signal and they ask in Jerusalem: Where is the newborn King of the Jews?. We saw the rising of his star in the East ( Mt 2,2; Ne 24,17; Ps 72 and 19; Is 60, 1-6). Nevertheless, others close the door, like in the inn (Lk 2,7), or they stay at home, like the priests and the experts of the law (Mt 2,4), or they tremble and restrain like Herod (2, 3. 16):
11.- At the end of the first century, the Jewish historian Josephus talks about a messianic movement very alive by the year 6 B.C., indicating that Herod punished with drastic measures such enthusiasms (Jewish antiquities, XVII, 44 and follow on). He also talks about the popular rumor establishing that God had decided to end Herod´s power, since a divine signal had announced the coming or a Jewish leader (Jewish war, 1,17; see Lagrange, LÉvangile selon Saint Mathew, Paris 1927). The pagan writer Macrobius, about the year 400 B.C., cites an Augustus´ allusion to the Herod killing of boys who were two years old or under. (Saturnalia, V,2). As far as the star is concerned in 1606 Kepler stated this hypothesis: triple conjunction, extremely rare, of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces’ constellation (De Iesu Christi servatori nostri vero anno natalitatis, Frankfurt). A text in cuneiform characters disclosed by Schnabel in 1925, reveals that the conjunction was observed in the Astronomy School of Sippar, old city of Babylonia. (Zeitschr. f. Assyrioloie, vol. 2 n. F., 66). The conjunction was repeated three times the year 7 B.C., with culmination points the 29th of May, the 3rd of October and the 4th of December. According to this, the Christian calendar, established by the monk Dionysus the year 525, presents a calculus mistake: Christ was born the year 7 B.C.
12.- Impelled by God’s Spirit, Simeon went to the temple. Although the mystery of Jesus overcame him, he had the conscience to find himself before the Messiah. With the boy in his arms he blessed God saying: Now, oh Lord, you can dismiss your servant in peace, for you have fulfilled your word and my eyes have seen your salvation. Mary and Joseph wondered at what was said about the child (Lk 2, 30-33). The Christian community, if it acts like Mary, treasures all these messages in its heart (2,19) and sings the Magnificat.
* Dialogue: over all matters that look more important to us.
Other catecheses about the childhood’s evangel are:
- TREASURED IN THE HEART
- MARY, THE MOTHER OF THE LORD
- THE BROTHER OF THE LORD
- WE HAVE SEEN HIS STAR