Bethlehem was a well-known city where King David had been born a thousand years before the birth of Jesus.  During David’s time, the Israelites were a free people.  But in Jesus’ day, Romans occupied the country..  In order to control the way taxes were collected, the Emperor of Rome, Caesar Augustus (who ruled from 27BC to AD14), organized a census of the whole population.

Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem to register for the census.  They weren’t able to find a place to stay because all the inns were full.  They found a cave or a stable, and Jesus was born in that stable.  His first cradle was a manger, where the animals ate.

THE CRADLE

Friends,
look with your eyes:
there, in the cradle, this newborn.
This is our God!

Here is the one we were expecting!
God has come, after all,
To free us from the chains
that bind us, from evil
and the Evil One, from cruelty
that bares it claws,
from pride that fills its belly!
God has come, after all,
to save us!  Jesus is born,
sent by God.  Jesus has come
to change our hearts!

Friends,
look with all your love:
there, in the cradle, this newborn.
It is Jesus, our brother!
Here is the one we were expecting!
God has come, finally, to announce
that all people everywhere
are equal, that all the different
colored skins are the rainbow
of God’s great love!
God has come to teach us
about peace and sharing!
God has come, finally, to save us!

It is he, Jesus Christ,
our God and brother!
Jesus has come to change the world!