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Manger Series No. 1 The Rooster Mary gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Mark 13: 35-37 Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch! Mark 14:72 Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times. And he began to weep. Saint Luke tells us that when Jesus was born, Mary laid Him in a manger a feed trough for animals. In our Nativity scenes, we often place a variety of animals around a manger. These animals represent all of creation rejoicing at the birth of Emmanuel God with us. This short Advent series provides reflection on some of the animals we choose to display. First, the Rooster The rooster is the herald of the dawn of a new day full of hope and possibilities! On the first Sunday of Advent in the Gospel according to Saint Mark, Jesus tells us to watch for the coming of God that we might not be found sleeping. In the darkness of the early morn, the rooster crows to wake people from rest from their inattention to duty to be ready for witness and service each new day! The manger is so closely tied to the cross. Each of the animals we place in the Nativity scene serves to remind us of this linkage. After the Last Supper, Jesus told Peter that before the rooster crows, Peter will deny Him three times. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus tells Peter, James, and John to keep awake, to watch, to pray. The Christ child we welcome at Christmas as our Savior will WE deny him before Good Friday A.D. 2015? The rooster reminds us to keep awake!

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Manger Series No. 2 The Ox and Donkey The ox knows its master, the donkey its owners manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand. Isaiah 1:3 Job 39 Will the wild ox consent to serve you, Or will he spend the night at your manger? Numbers 22 The angel of the LORD said to Balaam, Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way was contrary to me. John 12 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written Zechariah 9 See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey First was the Rooster; now the Ox and the Donkey The ox and donkey humbly bear both witness and service. Both are co-workers with us; given as a gift from God to help us carry all our burdens through this life. Balaams donkey bears witness to the God whose angel appears unexpectedly, even when God seems to have disappeared in the anxiety of our arrogance and doubt. Often the ox and the donkey are shown at the manger based on the text of Isaiah 1:3 perhaps Job 39. The ox (clean) often represents the Jews and the donkey (unclean) the Gentiles both brought together in Christ. Mary is often referred to as Theotokos the bearer of God. The humble donkey is then perhaps the bearer of the bearer of God! Zechariah prophesies that our righteous king and savior will come riding humbly on a donkey. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all tell us that Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday riding a donkey in fulfillment of this prophecy. We remember the journey of the Holy Family to Bethlehem, their flight to Egypt and return to Israel, and the final triumphant journey of Jesus to Jerusalem and to the Cross. The ox and donkey remind us to keep alert for the presence of God in our daily lives, and to humbly bear all our burdens to the foot of the Cross!

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Manger Series No. 3 The Sheep and Goats The next day John the Baptizer saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Exodus 12 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, Go and take for yourselves lambs according to your families, and slay the Passover lamb. Leviticus 16 The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness. Matthew 25 All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Saint Luke tells us that there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us. So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. So sheep and goats with lambs and kids join our scene Sheep and goats are pervasive throughout scripture and all of history in providing support for human life. Jesus chooses to care for us as a shepherd. He takes our sins unto Himself, atoning for them through His sacrificial death, and bringing us to life everlasting through the power of His resurrection. The sheep and goats remind us we are both saints and sinners, saved throughout history by the grace of Jesus Christ our Good Shepherd!

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Manger Series No. 4 Camels and Kings Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him. Isaiah 60 Nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. The wealth of the nations will come to you. A multitude of camels will cover you, The young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba will come; they will bring gold and frankincense, and will bear good news of the praises of the LORD. Matthew 2:11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. As we come to the end of the Christmas season, we finish the Manger Series preparing for the Epiphany of our Lord on January 6 th. In our manger scenes, we often find oxen and donkeys, sheep and goats Camels and Kings The LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels and 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys. So the Queen of Sheba came to Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels carrying spices and very much gold and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. Then they sat down to eat a meal. And as they raised their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing aromatic gum and balm and myrrh, on their way to bring them down to Egypt. The camels and magi represent the wealth and intellect of the nations recognizing Jesus as the king of kings. The Epiphany of our Lord is to all the world. All creation is relative to the Christ, whether they recognize it or not! With camels and magi, and the kings and queens of the earth, we bear the Good News of the birth of Jesus and Gods love for all the world!