Seconf Thursday of Advent

"In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them , 'Don't be afraid; for see - I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.'" - Luke 2:8-12

Good News, Great Joy

When the Savior of the world was born, when the Second Person of the Trinity became human, when the Word became flesh, God chose to announce the event to ordinary people: shepherds working in the fields.

Think about it: if powerful leaders had been the first to hear about Jesus' birth, we might think that the way to get close to God is to become powerful leaders ourselves. But that's not how it works with God. God reaches out to all of us, weather powerful leaders or hard-working shepherds in a field.

The shepherds paid attention to what the angels said and then checked out the good news for themselves. When God reaches out to us - whether through angels or the stories in the Bible or other people - we should pay attention, as the shepherds did.

God of all the angels, help us to listen to Your Word and to act upon it. Amen.