If you notice, the Gospel writer was careful to tell us the shepherds went in haste. They did not first check their calendar to make sure it was clear or that there was nothing else more pressing for them to do. The shepherds dropped everything and went to the site of the Miracle of the Incarnation--much like the men who dropped their nets and left their tax posts when Jesus called them to be disciples. What is the message for us? When God calls, we are to respond--nothing is more pressing in our lives than God's Will and Plan for us.
Another important point is that once the shepherds saw, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. After encountering the Lord in a personal way, they could not contain the Good News! They had met their Savior! The question then becomes, how do we respond when we meet Jesus? You might be thinking, "I've never encountered the Living God," or "I am not so lucky, like the shepherds and the saints, to have met Jesus personally." When we receive the Eucharist, we do meet Him personally. We enounter Him Body, Mind, Soul, and Divinity. His Divine Presence dwells in us. This is actually a meeting much more intimate than the one of the shepherds, if we think about it! To add to this, when we read Scripture, we encounter the Living Word. When we pray deeply, we meet the Living Lord. We have had the opportunity to meet Him, but did we take the time to realize the depth of the meaning of the encounter or the call to respond?
The last part of this reading that always strikes me is the reflection on Mary and how she "kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart." As a mother, I often think about all the times I was with my children and how I would take in every moment and hold it in my heart. Can you imagine what Mary must have been thinking? While she knew that this baby, her baby, was God's Son, did she have any idea of the magnitude of her motherhood? What must have her reaction been when the shepherds appeared, being told to come by a choir of heavenly hosts? Now we must ask ourselves, what do we hold in the depths of our heart? How do we reflect on the Presence of Christ who dwells there?
Luke's Gospel reminds us that like the shepherds, we are not to keep the glory of the message to ourselves, but must proclaim it! We cannot be afraid of offending someone or worried about being 'politically correct.' The message of salvation was meant for all who have ears! When we have had an encounter with the Living God, we must tell the world! That is our mission as disciples of the Living God--Jesus who lives in our midst! God will give us the strength, courage, and zeal to do the mission if we but open our hearts to the encounter. Amen!
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