In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. (Luke 2:8)
Shepherds must be particularly vigilant during the darkness and the night where death might happen. In the same way, the soul watches over things. She must be a vigilant pastor and take care because she is in a pitiable state where she cannot fully watch over herself or even look at God clearly. This is why scripture reads, that the shepherds kept watch over their flock by night. They guard vigilantly, like the soul must watch so that she does not make mistakes and become lost.
Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 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.” (Luke 2:9–10)
When pastors are vigilant over their sheep with strength, this vigilance calls forth God who communicates with them with the illumination of his light, making them know truth within their souls. God shows them light on an impenetrable route, which only the divine light of the glory of God leads them to discover. All the light that show these states cause doubt and fear to spiritual directors who have not experienced this for themselves, but they are reassured by divine inspiration who speaks in the depths of the heart, Do not be afraid, for this is news of great joy. The state of this soul that appears new, far from afflicting us, fills us with joy.
“To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)
This brings great joy to pastors. In a state as dark as night, in a state they do not know, in the city of David, in the most profound center of the soul, is born a Savior, to save the soul by his own loss. The more the soul is lost, the more the soul finds its own salvation in the Savior, who is the Christ. Jesus Christ brings life to this soul to the measure that the soul is destroyed.
Before talking of these scriptures, it is good to reflect on the circumstances of the life of Jesus Christ.
First, to whom is announced the birth of Jesus Christ? To the doctors of the law, to the Pharisees, to princes, to kings? No, to poor and simple shepherds, to the simple without degrees, because these persons are the most appropriate to receive Jesus Christ, because they are not opposed to his simple spirit by their own sufficiency. They are already in the simplicity of his state and the character of his own spirit. If the angels had announced an infant king born in a manger to the doctors, they would have understood this as an illusion, as they do not have enlightenment and are far away from simplicity. They do not suffer. They want only grand things and extraordinary understandings. If the Pharisees had said this to Herod, they would have been persecuted. Instead, these simple shepherds, coarse and ignorant, receive the news of the birth of Jesus Christ. Oh, these simple souls by receiving the truth of Jesus Christ born in the depths of their souls are raised above the doctors! The doctors should announce to others the place where he lives, yet they ignore him and are ignorant of the experience of him!
“This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12)
What signs are announced here of the grandeur and majesty of God? What! A Savior who cannot move and is lying, a King, a pastor, lying in a manger, in the place where beasts eat! A child God with all the weakness of infancy! O loving God! We see there the signs of your grandeur and your royalty! You come to reign, yet you are captive. You come to put us in freedom and you are wrapped in bands of cloth. You come to lead us and you are wrapped in bands of cloth without power and vigor. You come to provide for us and you are without power. O mystery! O secret of the interior! It is in weakness that we find your power. It is in captivity that we find your freedom. It is in the exterior of an infant that we find the hidden truth of God. There we may find the truth of the mystery and discover how Jesus Christ begins to be formed in the interior. We find an infant in simplicity, candor, and innocence where we may be formed in the will of God. Such a soul no longer has its own proper freedom and will but loses herself in this generous freedom because she may choose this divine will which holds her together and makes this happen. Finally, she too is lying in a manger. She is in an unvarying repose, in which nothing may trouble her. But as she appears to be in a manger, she finds nothing in herself except a stupid strangeness. This is the state that David experiences, when he said, I was stupid and ignorant toward you; I was like a brute beast toward you. Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand (Psalm 73:22–23). The soul resembles a beast, in entire powerlessness, but she is always attached to God in an unchanging repose.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” (Luke 2:13–14)
One cannot express the joy in heaven than happens when Jesus Christ is born in a heart. At the time of the temporal birth of Jesus Christ, all the angels joyfully praised God. They do the same when Jesus Christ is born in hearts. O divine infant! You are born within hearts that do not oppose you! Come and be born in all our hearts. You came to be born in a stable in the fullness of time. In our hearts we also have the fullness of time. Therefore come be born in all hearts. If our hearts are like an empty stable and a waiting manger, Jesus Christ will not delay in coming. Jesus Christ was refused in all the houses in Bethlehem, and he was not born in them because they were all full and did not have a place for him. The same happens with our hearts if they are full. Jesus Christ will not be born there. There are only a few empty stables where he will be born and live, some annihilated souls who are like this poor stable, exposed to all contrary winds and persecution. But during this, he will be born in stables while the palaces are full and he will find no place for him. Oh, petite and annihilated souls are happy! You have a well-being that all the other souls refuse. They prefer their own fullness to the emptiness of poverty. This is why Jesus Christ is not born there.
The angels praise and glorify God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven!” They say this because the glory of God is found in the highest place in the soul. It is the superior part of the souls that may fully glorify God. And according to the measure that it can glorify God, peace is made on earth, that is to say, the passions are calmed, so that nothing may trouble them. These double marvels operate in the souls of those of good will who is a soul who gives to God all her own will, which is the only thing that may make us good. Therefore she finds in herself the glory that God places in his saints in heaven that consists of perfect union with joined wills. And the perfect peace of those souls who belong to Jesus Christ in a special manner are possessed by him on earth.
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” (Luke 2:15)
The angels announce the news of the place where Jesus Christ is born. Apostolic people also announce peace to souls of good will who search for Jesus Christ. These angels, though, are only the announcer. After this, they leave to show that it is Jesus Christ who does the rest. It is he who must be sought. If the angels had not left, good yet simple people would be arrested by the pleasures of the sight and sound of the angels, and not look for Jesus Christ. The Word that came from God carries souls so they do not stop at anything created, but they go directly to Jesus Christ to search in the manger, that is, the heart. It would make this experience little if after being told of the birth of Jesus Christ, these apostolic people did not want to taste and participate in this happy experience. This is why the shepherds, faithful to the grace that has been announced to them, say, “Let us now go to Bethlehem” which means enter into our heart and see, taste, experience, this thing that has taken place. O Word