Every priest, just like every baptized person, has different gifts and charisms. When I want to learn about the Bible, particularly the New Testament, I always look to my friend from seminary (and alumnus from the WWU Newman Center), Fr. Patrick Sherrard. Well, the other day Fr. Sherrard sent this article to our priest group text, which was certainly an interesting read. https://www.psephizo.com/biblical-studies/jesus-wasnt-born-in-a-stable-and-that-makes-all-the-difference/
In summary, the author argues that Jesus was not born alone, apart from everyone gathered in Bethlehem, but that the Lord was born right in someone’s living room. And the author further argues that this makes the Christmas story even more compelling, because it shows that, when Jesus comes, he is disruptive. While I struggle to reconcile this account with the geography of the caves beneath the Church of the Nativity (see this site, second image), everything else about the article seems plausible and it is worth reflecting on.
Of course, some of us find it helpful to think that Jesus was born alone and apart, just like some of us prefer to think of St. Joseph as an old man while others prefer the image of him as a young man. While we always seek the truth, sometimes these questions are lost to time and cannot be resolved, so we are free to focus on whichever image speaks to our lives and relationships. Maybe as we pray for the coming of the Lord this Advent, some of us do need to remember that his coming isdisruptive, that the Lord will insert himself right in the middle of our lives, whether we are ready or not. Finally, if you would like to listen to Fr. Sherrard’s homilies, you can find them here.
Fr. Moore 