Jesus, Human on His Mother's Side: the Incarnation

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James Tissot's 'The Adoration of the Shepherds.' (ca. 1886-1894) European Art collection via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission. (From James Tissot; via European Art Collection, Wikimedia Commons; used w/o permission.) ("Adoration of the Shepherds," James Tissot. (ca. 1890))

We're celebrating the birth of Jesus this weekend.

Saturday night's Gospel reading starts with "...a decree went out from Caesar Augustus...." About halfway along, we hear that Joseph finally found a place to stay in Bethlehem: but not exactly five-star accommodations.

When Jesus was born, Mary laid our Lord in a manger. Two millennia later, in my language, "manger" sounds a bit classy. But it's a feeding trough.

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