December
21

“And She Brought Forth Her First-born Son”

And° it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world° should be enrolled. This enrolling first came to pass when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, everyone to° his own city. And° Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to° the city of David, which° is called Bethlehem, because he was out of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with° Mary his betrothed wife, being great with child. And° it came to pass, that while they were there, the days were fulfilled that she should bring forth; and she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling-clothes, and laid Him in the manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (Luke 2:1–7)

Every man is only “flesh;” but when the life of charity and faith is breathed into him by the Lord, the flesh is made alive, and becomes spiritual and celestial, and is called a “new creature” (Mark 16:15), from having been created anew. (Arcana Cœlestia 780)

Lord’s foresight and providence are in the very minutest of these veriest singulars connected with man, in things so very minute that it is impossible by any thought to comprehend as much as one out of a hundred millions of them; for every smallest moment of man’s life involves a series of consequences extending to eternity, each moment being as a new beginning to those which follow. (Arcana Cœlestia 3854)

previous		next