We
were in Jerusalem, and in Mark’s house,
a few days before the great feast of Pentecost, when Mary came up with
her memories of Bethlehem,
the town where Jesus was born….
Mary: ….I was about to give birth when the Romans called for
a census in the whole country… Those were difficult days, my God! The
announcement of that law, which all of us Israelites had to comply with
by hook or by crook, reached Nazareth
when the weather was getting cold….
Female Neighbor: How
unfortunate!… If the Maccabees brothers could see what’s happening…!
They would cut off the heads of these bandits!
Old Man: What
do these Romans want…? They think they’re our masters!
Male Neighbor: You
bet they are, compadre!… Or were you born yesterday? For forty
years, they’ve held us by the neck!… Remember Egypt
with Moses!… It’s the same thing!…
Another Neighbor: And
now, the census! They want to have a head count of all, one by one,
like sheep, so they can bleed us dry of our money!
Mary: The census law ordered each head of the family to transfer
to the birthplace of their ancestors as soon as possible in order to
be registered there…. My countrymen from Israel came from different tribes,
so every family packed up their things, loaded their mules and set for
the road reluctantly…. Some journeyed near, but others had to undertake
a long trip…. Those were the days when Galilee
was filled with caravans cursing the Romans while crossing the country…
Since Joseph belonged to the tribe of Judah,
of the family of David, we had to take a long trip to the south…
Joseph: We’re going to Bethlehem,
Mary, to the other end of the country, no less!… This is disastrous!…
what with your big belly and the roads, too muddy on account of the
rains…. And all this happening at the same time!
Mary: Why don’t we stay here, Joseph? Let’s not go anywhere!
Joseph: Okay, that’s what we shall do…!
Mary: They can’t drive us away anytime it pleases them, my
goodness!.... So what do we do now, Joseph?
Joseph: Pfff... Then, you better get the two mules ready, Mary.
If we don’t register, we’re in for more trouble later… You know how
they control everything….
Mary: But that’s quite a long trip, Joseph… The baby is almost
due…
Joseph: Would you rather have us imprisoned and the child born
in jail?…
Mary: So off we went to Bethlehem. I was mounted on a half dead mule….
The truth is, I didn’t feel uneasy at all, neither did the pregnancy
weary me. I was scared at the thought that I would be far from my mother
in a strange place at my due time… Up in Nain, those of us heading for
the south banded together in one big caravan which was on its way to
the same... There were several women in my condition. Although the trip
was terrible for many, I was in very high spirits then…
Man: Where
are you heading for, countrymen…?
Joseph: Bethlehem, can you imagine that?… And you?
Man: To
a much nearer place, Siloam… I see that your wife is due… like my wife…!
Joseph: That’s
right… Well, as long as the baby is not born in the middle of the road…
Mary: For
God’s sake, Joseph, don’t say that…!
Man: Tell
me, do you want a boy or a girl?
Joseph: All
I want is for the baby to become a courageous person, that’s all!… If
it’s a girl, she must be like Deborah, the woman fighter who’s got courage
more than a man…. If it’s a boy, he must be something like Moses….
Man: Oh
let it be what it ought to be, blazes!
Joseph: I
hope they’re not twins, huh, Mary?… With that big bulge of yours…. No
way!… Life is already too difficult to feed two mouths all at the same
time.
Mary: After three days on the road we arrived in Bethlehem,
which they call “the house of bread”…
Old Man: Attention, folks, Bethlehem is in sight!
Man: Take
off your sandals, countrymen, this is holy land! This is where the great
David came from!
Woman: And
so did his great grandmother. If Ruth hadn’t fallen for Boaz, things
would have been different! So, let’s move on and look for a place!
Mary: When
we entered Bethlehem, the place was teeming with people…. and it was
beginning to rain…
Mary: Where
are we going to stay, Joseph?… Many people have come for the census…
Apparently, David had sired more grandchildren than rabbits….
Joseph: Don’t
worry, Mary… I was told that the Galileans have found a place over there,
in an open field… The inns here are only for the rich… These people
here are known for their exorbitant fees….
Mary: We
tried to cross the town on the narrow, winding and swampy roads…. Alongside,
the white houses with round roofs crowded together….
The camels and the animals of the caravans were shivering, their rain-drenched
hair tangled up…. I leaned on Joseph to avoid falling. Joseph supported
himself on his long cane, as he pulled the rope of our mule…. The stubborn
beast moved by fits and starts….
Joseph: Are you okay, Mary…?
Mary: I’m tired… Look… I’ve got a feeling it’s coming…. This
baby is moving a lot… It seems in a hurry to come out…
Joseph: Maybe it’ll turn out to be a dancer, like King David….
At least it should get something from him if the baby’s to be born here…!
Mary: The rain didn’t last long. Then a fresh wind swept the
clouds away. And at night the sky remained clear, and full of stars.
We Galileans had our encampment in the open air, in a plain sown with
palm trees, from where the stars of Bethlehem could be seen…
A Man: If
you want some more olives, here they are! Or you can have some dates
if you like!… Tonight, anything goes, folks!
A Old Man: Including
your lice, man!
Mary: I remember we built a big bonfire and we gathered around
it to take something. Some men began to sing old songs of the land which
they learned from their grandfathers… The children who had come in the
caravan played by the fire…. We were so happy… We huddled together so
as not to feel the cold, as we rested after the long trip…
A Man: Imagine
making us cross the entire country just to have our names listed in
one of the papers. Shame on you, Romans!… You’ll pay for all this when
the Messiah comes… He’ll make you eat all those papers and all those
laws, and that’ll be the end for Augustus Caesar.
Another Man: That’ll
be a day of great rejoicing, yesiree, like a day of great harvest…!
A day of feasting!
Another Man: That’ll
be the day, old woman! They say that the prophets have announced great
things to come…. Do you know what my grandfather used to say? That
on this day, the wolf and the lamb shall be friendly neighbors, and
the cow and the bear shall be sleeping together with their young…. Can
you imagine this?… It’ll be a life of peace and tranquillity…!!
Old Man: Well,
well, go ahead young men, with your nice talk; the night is beautiful
and so are your words… But, you know what I think? Either God has gone
asleep or the Messiah has lost his way… Look how my teeth have gone
yellow, and yet, I haven’t seen anything…
A Woman: C’mon,
old man, don’t despair… God has His own time… He keeps His word.
Mary: Oh, Joseph, oh, oh, it’s coming, Joseph, it’s coming…!
Joseph: What’s wrong, Mary, oh God…?
Another Woman: What
do you mean, what’s wrong with her? Man, the baby wants to get his head
out!
Mary: I don’t remember how it happened… Joseph and the other
men had to carry me….
A Man: Where
do we put her, Simon?
Simon: In that cave over there…!
A Man: But
it’s full of animals…!
Simon: We’ll get them out, man!… Go and scare them out!
Joseph: Hey, ma’am Noemi, come with us… You’re a midwife, aren’t
you?
Noemi: No, we’ll all have a hand in this!… We all go!
The whole encampment was astir…. Beside the clearing where we were, by the
hillside there were some caves where the shepherds kept their sheep….
The women ran toward us… Everybody wanted to help…. The men didn’t fell
short of our expectations…. My God, what a hassle!
Man: Hohoo…. Out!… Out you go!… C’mon, little lambs… out to
the open air… This Galilean needs shelter!… Out you go!…
Mary: They took me to one of the caves and lay me on a pile
of dry straw…
Old Woman: Well,
young woman, this is your first, so it’ll be a little difficult… but
everything will turn out fine.
A Woman: All
the men, stay out!… This is only for women!
An Old Man: Hell,
something stinks here!
A Woman: So
stay out! You’re not needed here! Hey, you better have that wick lighted,
keep it away from the straw. We don’t want any bonfire here…. Hey, I
told the men to stay out!
A Man: I
thought…. Hip… we said tonight was for everyone…. So, this baby is also
ours, yesiree! Hip…!
An Old Woman: Oh,
yeah?… okay, deliver the baby yourself, rascal!… Out, out!…
Joseph: Let me stay…! I’m the father, damn!
Woman: Well, if you are, do something useful…. Bring in some
hot water in a jug and some clean cloths…!
Mary: The night entered its first watch… I was there, lying
on the straw, bathing in sweat, in my tremendous struggle in childbirth,
clasping the hand of one of those women helping me…
Woman: C’mon, Mary, everything will be okay… Help him get into
this world… that’s it, take a deep breath… fine, fine…
Mary: Oh…!
Oh…! Ohh….
Old Woman: My,
my!… Yesterday it was Rebekah, and now it’s Mary… Two childbirths in
a row!… At the rate they’re going, we Galileans will be filling up the
whole country!
Mary: Those were long hours for me!… The pain kept on coming
back like the waves of the Great Sea… The cave, still half-dark, was
filled with women…. Outside, the men talked and sang, in anticipation
of the coming child…. Everybody stayed awake that night…
Woman: Is everything okay…?
Old Woman: Of
course…. I guess this is a big child…
Old Woman: Give
one last push, Mary, c’mon….
Old Woman: Put
a wet cloth on her head, Annette, to soothe her…
Woman: Hey, it’s coming!… Noemi… that’s it…
Mary: Ohh…. Oh… Oh…!
Woman: Push some more, Mary… the head is almost there!
Another Woman: It’s
here!… Praise the Lord!
Old Woman: It’s
a boy! You’ve got a son!
Woman: Run, Chichi and tell the father!
Mary: Joseph came running…
Joseph: Mary!!
Mary: Isn’t he cute, Joseph…?
Joseph: He’s a darling… and he looks like me! Heck! At least
I must say something, no?… Oh, Mary, I love you…
Old Woman: Enough
of the cuddling, young man. Your wife needs to rest!
Woman: Oh, these men…! Just because they don’t experience such
labor!
Mary: The women washed the baby, wrapped him in a clean cloth
and lay him beside me, on the straw… They brought a little lamp near
so I could take a good look at him….
Woman: Watch out, young woman, the smoke is bad for him!
Old Woman: Can
you feed him now, my dear?
Mary: Yes, I guess so…
Old Woman: Go
ahead, breastfeed him now…. Poor little thing…. He must be hungry…
Woman: Look, my dear, this is how you do it… like this….
Old Woman: Everyone
may go inside now to see the Nazarene’s little boy!!
Man: Hey, come over here and see God’s perfect little boy!!
He was born amid his people, those people who for thousands
of years, had waited for him, in clamor for justice… He was welcomed
to this world by the calloused and suffering hands of the women of Galilee…
He was born in the middle of the night, and in silence. The stars shone
to announce the joyful news that he was in the middle of the open air,
among us and like one of us….
Mary: The people who walked in darkness saw a great light…
and you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, have not been the least of the villages
of Israel, because in you has been born the one who will free the people
and bring the promised peace…
In him shall rest the Spirit of the Lord, fluttering as in the beginning
of the world, and its wings shall cover the breadth and width of his
land, Emmanuel….
We do not know the exact year of Jesus’ birth. The reference by the
gospel of Luke to a census ordered by Rome gives us an approximate clue.
The information shows that Jesus came into this world in the years immediately
prior to the final annexation of Palestine to the Roman empire, or a
little later. It was during this period that the census was ordered,
although nothing is certain about its duration and its exact dates.
The census was an instrument of control employed by Rome over her dominions.
What was implemented in Israel, according to Luke, was ordered by Publico
Sulpicio Quirino, legate of Rome in the province of Syria.
The census had of two phases: the registration
and the collection of taxes.
The first phase consisted of putting up the official
listing of persons and properties all over the country. In the second
phase, each was informed of the corresponding taxes to be paid and collection
of the same would start here. The second phase – which some researchers
simply refer to as “census” – seems to have taken place toward year
6 after Jesus’ birth. If we accept these data, the birth of Jesus would
have occurred during the first period: that of the registration. In
any case, Luke was particularly interested in this historical and political
aspect, since the trips from one region to another on account of the
census justify the transfer of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. Giving
birth to Jesus in Bethlehem, the city of David, established between
him and the great king of Israel, a relationship which is not only symbolic
but familiar as well.
The census was received
with real indignation by the men and women all over the country. That
law formalized the submission of the people and the nation to the Roman
empire. At the start of the census, Palestine was constituted as a province
of Rome. According to the imperialistic organization, since that time
only the right of the Israelites to use the property (to cultivate
and administer it) was recognized, its ownership being reserved for
Rome. For the people, this was not only a form of political and economic
domination, but a real blasphemy. For the people of Israel, the land
was sacred. God was it’s sole owner and it was God’s will that no one
should permanently possess it. The social laws of Israel underscored
the above essence or meaning. From the start of the imperial domination,
alongside such measures was nurtured a mute but fierce resistance to
the troops and the imperial officials. The national ruling classes (priests,
theologians) were also disturbed, reacting in a general manner, and
trying to make the new order “acceptable” to the people. They sought
nothing else but to retain their positions of privilege and power before
the new foreign authorities.
The journey undertaken
by Joseph and Mary, as well as many of their countrymen, on account
of the census – from Nazareth to Bethlehem – could have lasted about
five days on the road. Bethlehem was an important city at the time of
Jesus’ birth. It is situated about 10 kilometers from Jerusalem, toward
the south of the capital, in the lands of the family of Ephrath. (That
is why we say “Bethlehem of Ephratah”). The name Bethlehem means “house
of bread.” David, the most beloved king of the Israelites was born here.
He was a shepherd and was tending the sheep in the fields of that city
when he was anointed as king of his country (1 S 16:1-13). The prophet
Micah had also announced that from Bethlehem would come the future king
of Israel, the new David who would shepherd the people (Mic 5:1-5).
Luke as well as Matthew introduce Jesus as heir from David’s lineage
and say that in him shall be fulfilled the prophecy of Micah’s announcement
of the place of origin of the awaited Messiah. They make catechesis
with this, explaining at the start of the gospel, “who” Jesus was and
what was to be his mission.
Bethlehem at present is a beautiful Arab city,
with small white houses piling up over a hill. Stands out in the midst
of all these is the Basilica of the Nativity which was constructed one
thousand five hundred years ago. It still exists, and is one of the
oldest churches in the world. It is a big church, with a narrow and
very low entrance door, because it was built during the war. Having
no other door than this, no armed horsemen were able to enter the temple.
In the interior – ravaged by time, by the smoke from candles, and by
the passage of thousands of pilgrims – there is a small grotto as a
reminder of the place where Jesus was born. A star on the floor points
to the very spot of his birth, in a manner more pious than historical.
The following inscription is written: “On this spot was born Jesus of
the Virgin Mary.” Very near is an excavation in the grotto venerated
as the manger. These are dear and touching spots for any believer. Through
the centuries, thousands of Christians have gathered in this cave to
celebrate the Eucharist and to sing traditional Christmas carols.
Hundreds of years of
tradition, images, songs, carols, clay figurines and other beautiful
manifestations of popular art have made Christmas the most deeply-rooted
of feasts among the Christians and non-Christians in countries influenced
by the western culture of the whole Christendom. Christmas is also a
religious feast where one “sees” more. But, because of a literal interpretation
of the evangelical text or because of the weight of several artistic
tradtions, we have “seen” the new-born Jesus as a child born “mysteriously:”
in solitude, in the silence of the night, away from everyone. Without
denying the beauty and the history earned by these representations,
it may be useful to see Christmas in another perspective. The traditional
scene separates Joseph and Mary from their countrymen, who would have
been under the same predicament during the period of the census. Then
it separates the new-born babe, making him the only child and different
from the rest. This imagery negates something essential to the mystery
of the incarnation. God wanted Jesus to be like the rest, and his family
to be one of the Galilean families. If Jesus was born for all, then
it is important, right at the start of his life, to be born within the
sight of everyone. It was precisely in our midst, in this encampment
which is the world and human history, that he wanted to put up his camp
(Jn 1:14). In Bethlehem, as in all relatively important cities of Palestine,
there were inns, big lodging places for those who are on their way to
Jerusalem or other cities. That “there was no place” for Joseph and
Mary in one of those huge “caravansaries” (place for the caravans, where
some people and animals stayed: horses, camels, donkeys...) was not
due to the “unkindness” of the innkeepers who rejected the Son of God
even before his birth. There was no room because the above-mentioned
places were already filled or, probably the prices were so high that
Joseph and Mary could not afford to pay them. Certainly, the businessmen
took advantage of the census by charging more for accommodations. In
any case, when the Galileans went to Judea, they tried to stay together.
It is no wonder they put up collective tents, more so because of the
special circumstances of that compulsory journey.
Mary gave birth to Jesus. Her baby did not come
out miraculously over the straw. Jesus was born like all of us, the
fruit of the labor and pains of his mother. It is completely logical
that she be assisted by her countrywomen, who were more knowledgeable
about childbirth than she at that moment. When the baby was born, his
umbilical cord was cut, he was cleaned and was wrapped in swaddling
clothes.
He was also rubbed with salt as according to custom
(Ez 16:4). The first thing to do was to inform the father so that the
community could greet him.
We do not know if Jesus was born in the months
of winter or summer, much less on the 25th of December. This date, which
has been the date of the Nativity for more than 1500 years, has its
origin in the great Feast of the Sun which was celebrated in Rome and
the whole empire with great popular rejoicing. The first Christians
changed the original meaning of the feast and began to celebrate the
birth of Jesus on the same day. This was so because they would see in
him the light that guided them, because his birth meant the dawning
of a new world, because Jesus had conquered death by offering his life
and receiving from God the resplendent joy of resurrection as His response.
(Lk 2:1-7)