In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. -- Luke 2:8-9

During a cold winter's night in Bethlehem in the Judean hills, the pains of childbirth came upon Mary. She appears as one more human figure in the eternal agony of motherhood amid the harsh, hard conditions of the ancient world. We must not forget the stark realism of the brutally human aspects of this birth. This loving and heavenly atmosphere faced tragic and difficult times. Look closely, for this that surrounds Mary and Joseph is a parable about life with all of its heavenly and human qualities. It is much like our lives, where there is the blending of t…