The First Noel

                    "In the countryside close by there were shepherds out in the fields keeping guard over their sheep during the watches of the night.  An angel of the Lord stood over them and the glory of the Lord shone round them.  They were terrified, but the angel said, 'Do not be afraid.  Look, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.'  And all at once with the angel there was a great throng of the hosts of heaven, praising God with the words:  Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace for those he favors."

                   Although angels and shepherds were supporting players in the happenings of that first Christmas, no retelling of the story is complete without them.  Thousands of little girls dressed in white with silver tinsel halos and thousands of little boys in burlap, shepherd crooks in hand, give testimony to that fact.  But what do we really know about the angels and the shepherds?
                   Angels are defined as "pure spirits created by God."  The word "angel" comes from the Greek word aggelos which means "messenger".  Their prime role is that of intermediaries between God and humanity.  Angels appear frequently in the Bible.  They are referred to 108 times in the Old Testament and 165 times in the New Testament.  They are called "sons of God" and "heavenly beings" and for the most part take on the appearance of human beings.  We are told that they were present at the creation of the world and will be there to signify the final judgement with a trumpet blast.
                   The main role of the angels in the Christmas story is the one their name implies, that of messenger.  They told humanity, in the form of the lowly shepherd, of the joyous news of the birth of a Savior.
                  Even before that momentous night, angels were involved in the story.  It was the angel Gabriel who told Mary she was chosen to be the mother of the Messiah.  It was an angel who reassured and guided Joseph when he was disturbed over Mary's pregnancy.
                  And Luke paints the angels in all their glory as they fill the heavens with the joyous news of the birth of the Savior.  The image of angels bringing the Good News should give us pause and perhaps inspire us to also be messengers of the Good News as we greet others and celebrate Christmas this year.
                  Shepherding was a very common occupation in the time of Jesus.  Sheep were important for their wool and their milk and for the meat they provided a family.  And because of its proximity to Jerusalem, many of the sheep raised in Bethlehem were more than likely used as sacrifice in the temple.
                  When we think of shepherds we picture a bucolic scene with a gentle person guiding his sheep on a grassy hill, reveling in God's peace and goodness.  Quite the opposite was true.  Out of necessity, shepherds were rough men.  They led hard lives, having to spend much of their days and nights in the wilderness with their flocks regardless of the season or weather.  It was not unusual for shepherds to stay with their flocks in the hills in order to keep them together and protect them from wild animals.  Mountain lions, leopards, hyenas and bears all lived in the Judean wilderness.
                 At the time of Jesus, shepherds stood on the bottom rungs of the social ladder.  They were neither wealthy nor well educated.  Most often they were the youngest sons of a large family.  They were considered coarse and ill-mannered.  Shepherds were often thought of as outlaws who brought their flocks to graze on lands not rightfully theirs.  Some shepherds even resorted to robbing unsuspecting travelers.  Religious leaders often referred to them as "sinners".   The Talmud, the Jewish law book, advised that "no help be given to heathers or to shepherds."   The shepherd was considered the lowest element of society.
                And yet, when God wanted humanity to know of the birth of his Son, he sent his glorious messengers to the shepherds.  God opened His arms to the most demeaned of people.  And in years to come the Son of God would refer to himself as the God Shepherd who would give his life for his flock.
                This Christmas when we see the shepherds around the manger, let us pray for the love and tolerance to embrace all people and see God's infinite love of each of us.