The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.

You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing, as they rejoice before you as at the harvest, as people make merry when dividing spoils.

For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, and the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian. For every boot that tramped in battle, every cloak rolled in blood, will be burned as fuel for flames.

For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.

His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David’s throne, and over his kingdom, which he confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this!

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.

And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear.

The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

In some countries in the Middle East, even when people can well afford to live in a comfortable house, some prefer to stay in tents, even for a limited time, to experience the lives of their ancestors who were nomadic people.

Living in tents is of ancient origin among the Orientals. The first reference of tent life in Scriptures concerns a man Jabal of whom it is said, “who became the ancestor of those who dwell in tents” (Genesis 4:20).

The patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived most of their lives in tents. Abraham pitched his tent in the vicinity of Bethel (Gn 12:8).

And the children of Israel lived in tents during their 40 years in the wilderness. For a nomad, the tent is his “home”—but his idea of home is where his tent is pitched and his flocks are gathered at night.

In his Prologue, John uses the imagery of tent to describe God’s coming into the world: “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (verse 14).

“Made his dwelling” translates the Greek eskēnōsen, which literally means, “he pitched his tent.” In Jesus Christ, the Logos-made-flesh, God had made his home among men and women.

Jesus Christ, through whom the whole expanse of the universe was created, chose to “pitch his tent” among his creatures, choosing to become “flesh,” evoking mortality, weakness, and transitoriness.

Pope Benedict XVI says that God makes himself small for us: “This is how he reigns. He does not come with power and outward splendor.

He comes as a baby—defenseless and in need of our help. He does not want to overwhelm us with his strength.

He takes away our fear of his greatness. He asks for our love: so he makes himself a child.

He wants nothing other from us than our love, through which we spontaneously learn to enter into his feelings, his thoughts and his will—we learn to live with him and to practice with him that humility of renunciation that belongs to the very essence of love.

God made himself small so that we could understand him, welcome him, and love him” (Homily, Christmas Eve 2006).

Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2025,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.