O little town of Bete Hor: "nativity scenes" from around the third world.

One of my most memorable Christmas Masses was 17 years ago. The midnight Mass my wife and I attended that year didn't feature a particularly moving liturgy or powerful homily; the place where the Mass was held was a drab, nondescript, all-purpose student center; we didn't even know anyone else in the congregation.

But somehow the gospel reading that night--proclaiming the "good news of great joy" about our Savior's birth in the lowly manger--really hit home for us in a new way. It did so for the very simple reason that the Mass was celebrated in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal in the Himalayas, and that for the past couple of months we had been traveling through several poor Asian countries.

As we listened to the familiar words of the gospel describing the pregnant Mary and Joseph's arduous journey to Bethlehem, we recalled families traveling on donkeys and oxcarts, and men, women, and children trekking barefoot with heavy baskets on their backs through the mountains. As we heard about the shepherds in the fields, I thought back to the shepherd boy who had brought his two (mostly well-behaved) goats onto the old, rickety overland bus we had taken in rural China.

In many ways, the poverty and the struggles--as well as the joys and the hopes--of people all around the Third World still closely mirror those of the shepherds, fishermen, carpenters, and farmworkers of first-century Palestine.

It is our hope that meditating on the real-life "Nativity scenes" on these pages may rekindle in all of us our joy about the coming of our Messiah and our determination to actively proclaim his Good News by living it more faithfully in our lives and by working more urgently for justice and peace on Earth, particularly for the least of our brothers and sisters all around the world.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness--on them light has shined.... For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken.... For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rest upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Price of Peace (Isa. 9:2-6).

While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn (Luke 2:6-7).

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered.... All went to their own town to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child (Luke 2:1-5).

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, "Do not 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).

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, Wise Men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." ... when they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child the Mary, his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage (Matt.2:1-2, 10-11).

An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod (Matt. 2:13-15).

Simeon took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, "... My eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel" (Luke 2:28-32).