Jesus Birth Foretold
The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a young woman named Mary in Nazareth, a town of Galilee. She was to be married to a
man named Joseph of the family of David. When he came to her the angel said: "Hail, highly honored one! God is with you!"
She was startled by his words and wondered what such a greeting might mean. But the angel said to her, "Fear not, Mary, for you
have found favor with God. You will have a son and will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most
High."
Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, for I am not yet married." The angel answered her, The Holy Spirit will come upon
you and the power of the Most High will cover you; therefore your child will be called holy, the Son of God." Mary said: "I am
God's servant. May it be with me as you say." Then the angel left her.
The Birth of Jesus
In those days the Emperor Augustus commanded that every one should be registered. So all went to be registered, each to his own
town. Joseph, because he was of the family of David, went to be registered with Mary, his wife, from the town of Nazareth in
Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea where David was born. While they were there Mary's first son was born. And she wrapped him in
swaddling- clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The Shepherds and the Angels
In that country there were shepherds living in the fields and keeping watch over their flocks by night. And an angel from God stood
by them and a heavenly light shone around them, and they were frightened. But the angel said to them:
"Fear not, for behold I bring you good news
Of great joy which shall be for all the people.
For to you is born this day in the town of David
A Saviour who is God's Anointed.
This will be a sign to guide you:
You will find a baby in swaddling-clothes lying in a manger."
Then suddenly there was with the angel a great number of the heavenly ones singing praise to God and saying: "Glory to God on high,
And on earth peace, good-will among men."
When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem to see this
which God has made known to us." So they went quickly and found Mary and Joseph; and the baby was lying in a manger.
When they had seen him, they made known what had been told them about this child. All who heard the words of the shepherds
wondered, but Mary kept these things to herself and often thought about them. And the shepherds returned, thanking and praising
God for what they had heard and seen, as it had been foretold.
The Wise Men Bring Gifts To The Young Child
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the newly born King of the Jews?
"For we saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
When Herod heard these things, he and every one else in Jerusalem were greatly troubled. So when he had gathered all the high priests
and scribes together, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea."
Then Herod privately called the wise men and asked them exactly how long the star had been seen since it appeared in the east. And
he sent them to Bethlehem with the command, "Go and search carefully for the young child, and when you have found him, come and let
me know, that I also may go and worship him." When they had heard the king, they went away, and the star which they had seen in the
east went before them until it stood over the place where the young child was.
They were overjoyed at the sight; and when they came into the house and saw the child with Mary, his mother, they knelt down and
worshipped him. Opening their treasures they presented to him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. But being warned in a dream
not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another way.
The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a young woman named Mary in Nazareth, a town of Galilee. She was to be married to a
man named Joseph of the family of David. When he came to her the angel said: "Hail, highly honored one! God is with you!"
She was startled by his words and wondered what such a greeting might mean. But the angel said to her, "Fear not, Mary, for you
have found favor with God. You will have a son and will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most
High."
Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, for I am not yet married." The angel answered her, The Holy Spirit will come upon
you and the power of the Most High will cover you; therefore your child will be called holy, the Son of God." Mary said: "I am
God's servant. May it be with me as you say." Then the angel left her.
The Birth of Jesus
In those days the Emperor Augustus commanded that every one should be registered. So all went to be registered, each to his own
town. Joseph, because he was of the family of David, went to be registered with Mary, his wife, from the town of Nazareth in
Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea where David was born. While they were there Mary's first son was born. And she wrapped him in
swaddling- clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The Shepherds and the Angels
In that country there were shepherds living in the fields and keeping watch over their flocks by night. And an angel from God stood
by them and a heavenly light shone around them, and they were frightened. But the angel said to them:
"Fear not, for behold I bring you good news
Of great joy which shall be for all the people.
For to you is born this day in the town of David
A Saviour who is God's Anointed.
This will be a sign to guide you:
You will find a baby in swaddling-clothes lying in a manger."
Then suddenly there was with the angel a great number of the heavenly ones singing praise to God and saying: "Glory to God on high,
And on earth peace, good-will among men."
When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem to see this
which God has made known to us." So they went quickly and found Mary and Joseph; and the baby was lying in a manger.
When they had seen him, they made known what had been told them about this child. All who heard the words of the shepherds
wondered, but Mary kept these things to herself and often thought about them. And the shepherds returned, thanking and praising
God for what they had heard and seen, as it had been foretold.
The Wise Men Bring Gifts To The Young Child
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the newly born King of the Jews?
"For we saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
When Herod heard these things, he and every one else in Jerusalem were greatly troubled. So when he had gathered all the high priests
and scribes together, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea."
Then Herod privately called the wise men and asked them exactly how long the star had been seen since it appeared in the east. And
he sent them to Bethlehem with the command, "Go and search carefully for the young child, and when you have found him, come and let
me know, that I also may go and worship him." When they had heard the king, they went away, and the star which they had seen in the
east went before them until it stood over the place where the young child was.
They were overjoyed at the sight; and when they came into the house and saw the child with Mary, his mother, they knelt down and
worshipped him. Opening their treasures they presented to him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. But being warned in a dream
not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another way.
If you are looking for a good resource to understand how 'Santa Claus' came to be, the book The True St. Nicholas, by bestselling author, radio talk-show host and ... William J. Bennett. You can find it at all leading book sellers.
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