The Christmas Story - The Magi travel to Jerusalem

There were people who would study the stars n order to find out what was going to happen in the future. One of the names given to these people was Magi.

Three of these Magi were looking at the skies when they saw a new star and realized that it was a sign that a new King had been born to the Jews.

They set out from their country in search of the new King, they traveled with their servants and camels and the gifts that they were bringing to the baby. The trip was dangerous but they knew that the star was a sign of the birth of a very important King.

The Magi arrived in Jerusalem. They looked for information about the King. They asked many people about the King because they wanted to do him homage. No one they asked seemed to know anything about a newborn King.

Soon news of the birth of a new King and the Magi reached Herod. Herod was a very bad man and killed many people because he had thought they anted to be king. He became frightened when he heard about a newborn king.

So King Herod called the chief priests and the scribes and asked them about the promised Messiah. He wanted to know where this Messiah as to be born.

They told him that the prophets had spoken about how the Messiah would be born in the city of Bethlehem, the city of David.

King Herod called for the Magi to talk to them in secret. He asked them when they had first seen the new star and the other signs. When they had answered al his questions he sent them away. He told them to go to Bethlehem so that they could find the child. When they had found the child they were to send word to him so that he could go and do homage to the child.

However King Herod really wanted to kill the child.

The Christmas Story - The Presentation

When the baby was eight days old, he was circumcised, and he was named Jesus. This name had been given by the angel before the baby began to grow inside Mary.

Then when it came time for Mary to be purified they went up to the Temple in Jerusalem. Joseph and Mary brought the two turtle doves as an offering to the Lord. This was the offering that was to be made by people who were too poor to make a larger offering.

There was an old man named Simeon in the Temple. The Holy Spirit had promised him that he would not die until he had seen the promised Messiah. As soon as Simeon saw Jesus he knew that he was the promised Messiah.

Simeon thanked God for keeping His promise. He told Mary that Jesus would be the reason for joy for many in Israel but many would reject him and that a sword would pierce her heart.

There was also an old woman worshipping in the Temple that day. Anna came forward and gave thanks to God for the child. She told everyone in Jerusalem about Him.

The Christmas Story - The shepherds go to worship the baby

The shepherds went quickly to Bethlehem to see the things the angel had spoken of. When they arrived they found everything just as the angel had said.


There before them was the baby wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger. Then they told Mary and Joseph what the angels had said about this child.

They were amazed when they heard what the shepherds said to them.

Mary hid these things in her heart; she continued to think about them.

Then the shepherds went back to their flock, praising God and thanking him for everything that they had seen and heard. It was just as the angel had told them. They praised Go for revealing these great things to them.

The Christmas Story - The angels appear to the shepherds

That night, some shepherds were in the fields nearby watching their sheep. Shepherds in those days were not very nice people. People did not trust them and were afraid of them. This is why the shepherds usually lived outside the cities.

Yet they were the first people to whom the new of Jesus’ birth was announced.



An angel of the Lord stood before them. The glory of the Lord was shining around them, and suddenly they became very frightened.

The angel said to them, "Don't be afraid, because I am bringing you some good news. It will be a joy to all the people. Today your Savior was born in David's town. He is Christ, the Lord. This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."



Suddenly there was a great number of angels singing and praising the Lord saying “ Glory to God in the highestand on earth peace and goodwill to all people.”

The angels then vanished.

The Christmas Story - Jesus is Born

Joseph took Mary to the stable. They took some clean straw and made a bed. They made themselves as comfortable as possible, it was no their home but the great love and goodness that Joseph and Mary had was enough for them.

Mary’s time came and she gave birth to a son whom they would name Jesus, which means that Yahweh saves. This fulfilled all that the angel Gabriel had said to Mary.

Mary wrapped the baby in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, a box where animals are fed. They put fresh hay in the manger and used it as a crib for baby Jesus.

This was not the way the people believed the Messiah would be born. They expected their king to be born in a palace and not in a stable.

Joseph gathered the animals and brought them close around Mary and baby Jesus so that they could provide some warmth during the night. It seemed as if the animals realized what was happening and were praising God.

The Christmas Story - Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem

At this time, Augustus Caesar sent an order to all people in the countries that were under Roman rule. The order said that they must list their names in a register so that he could know how much each person should pay him in taxes. Every man had to go back to the city of his birth with his whole family and register there.

So Joseph left Nazareth, a town in Gaililee. He went to to the town of Bethlehem in Judea. This town was known as the town of David. Joseph went there because he was from the family of David. Mary was in her ninth month and it was a very difficult trip for her.

No room at the Inn

While Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have the baby. There were so many people traveling that there was no room for them in any of the Inn’s. They went from house to house but no one had a place for them to stay.

One family took pity on them. There was no room for Joseph or Mary in their house but they told them that they could stay in their stable. The stable was a cave where their animals would stay when the weather was cold. At least Joseph and Mary would be warm there.

The Christmas Story - Mary visits Elizabeth

Mary realized that her cousin Elizabeth being very old would have needed her help being pregnant herself. Mary traveled in haste to the hilly country of Judea to be with Elizabeth.

As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s voice she knew that something very special had happened. The baby in her womb jumped for joy and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Elizabeth greeted Mary saying “ Most blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. How is it that the mother of my Lord would come to visit me?” Elizabeth felt unworthy of such a great honor.

Mary was filled with joy over all that had happened and she answered Elizabeth by singing a song of praise to the Lord.

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed. The Almighty has done great things for me and holy is His name. He has mercy on those who fear Him in every generation.

He has shown the strength of His arm, He has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of Israel His servant for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise He made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever."

Mary stayed with her cousin Elizabeth for three months. Elizabeth gave birth to a fine baby boy. The baby boy was taken to be circumcised on the eighth day after birth. When the elders asked Elizabeth and Zachariah what name the child was to be given. Elizabeth said “John.” This confused them as the child would normally be named after the father or grandfather.

They then asked Zachariah who had not been able to speak since the angel had spoken to him and told him about the future birth of his son. Zachariah took a tablet and wrote the name ‘John’ on the tablet. At that moment he was healed and could speak again. He praised God for all the wonders He had done.

The Christmas Story - The Annunciation

Many years after Isaiah saw the vision concerning the coming king. . . . . . . .

God sent the angel Gabriel to a virgin who lived in Nazareth, a town in Galilee. She was engaged to marry a man named Joseph from the family of David. Her name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, "Greetings! The Lord has blessed you and is with you."

But Mary was confused by what the angel said. Mary wondered, "What does this mean?"

The angel said to her, "Don't be afraid, Mary, because God is pleased with you. Listen! You will become pregnant. You will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and people will call him the Son of the Most High. The Lord God, will give him the throne of King David, his ancestor. He will rule over the people of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end."

Mary said to the angel, "How will this happen? I am a virgin!"

The angel said to Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you. The baby will be holy. He will be called the Son of God. The angel told her that her cousin Elizabeth was pregnant even though she was very old, for nothing is impossible with God.

Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant girl of the Lord. Let this happen to me as you say!" Then the angel went away."

All of this happened to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah many, many years earlier.

By saying yes to the Lord’s call, Mary was putting herself in great danger. She was engaged to Joseph and he could have accused her of being unfaithful. He could have even put had her put to death. Mary put all her trust in God.

Joseph was a very good man and he decided he would not have Mary punished in public. He would send her quietly away.

An angel of God visited Joseph in a dream that night and explained that Mary had not been unfaithful. She was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. So Joseph took Mary to his home and cared for her.

The Christmas Story- The Birth of Jesus is Foretold

The Birth of Jesus is Foretold

"Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever." Isaiah 9: 6,7

A long, long, time before Jesus was born, the Lord told a man named Isaiah that a future king was coming. The Lord told Isaiah that a virgin would conceive this child and that He would be called, "The Mighty God." God also told Isaiah that this coming king's kingdom would have NO end.

The people eagerly awaited the birth of the promised one, the Messiah. They expected him to be a great king and powerful warrior. God however had a different plan. The Messiah would be born poor and simple and would conquer evil not with armies but with the greatness of His LOVE.

Christmas Symbols

The Advent Wreath

Customarily the Advent Wreath is made of a circle of evergreen branches into which are inserted four candles. Three of the candles are violet and the fourth is rose.

The rose candle is lit the third Sunday of Advent, for this color anticipates and symbolizes the Christmas joy announced in the first word of the Entrance Antiphon: "Rejoice”.

The Advent Wreath represents the long time when people lived in spiritual darkness, waiting for the coming of the Messiah, the Light of the world. Each year in Advent people wait once again in darkness for the coming of the Lord, His historical coming in the mystery of Bethlehem, His final coming at the end of time, and His special coming in every moment of grace.

During Advent, family and friends can gather around the Advent Wreath lighting the appropriate candle(s), read from the daily Advent meditation and sing songs.

Manger/ Nativity Scene

The tradition of having a nativity scene or "crèche" was made popular by St. Francis of Assisi. It is a reproduction of the cave in Bethlehem with Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus in a manger, shepherds, angels, and animals.

Each night during Advent, children are encouraged to place in the manger one piece of straw for each good deed done that day by a family member. This Advent tradition combines the spirit of conversion and the coming of Jesus.


The Jesse Tree

During Advent, biblical persons representing the ancestors of Jesus, either in faith or bloodline, are gradually added onto a tree or branch, named after the father of David. They include Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Jesse, David, Solomon, Joseph and Mary.

The Season of Advent

The word Advent means the “coming" and is associated with the four weeks of preparation leading up to Christmas. Advent always has four Sundays. It is a time of preparation for the Second and Final Coming of the Lord, and a joyful theme of getting ready for the Bethlehem event.

Advent is the beginning of the Church year. This does not mean that Advent is the most important time of the year. Easter has always had this honor.

The traditional color of Advent is purple or violet which symbolizes the penitential spirit.