Hajja Salesjana October-December 2019

H AJJA S ALESJANA 14 A manger is a feeding trough for animals. It is made of wood or stone, located on the ground or slightly above the ground, and contains hay or grain for cattle, horses, donkeys and other animals. It is not very sanitary, and it often is cold and damp. What mother would place her baby in a manger? She would hold her newborn child in her arms or lay it in a crib. This detail would have jumped off the page for Luke’s first readers, and it should stand out as peculiar to us. Luke is hoping that we will be wondering, “Why is baby Jesus in a manger?” Animals approached the manger anytime, day or night, for food. The farmer was concerned about his animals and was careful to be sure that there would be feed in the trough at all times so the animals would be well-fed, healthy and strong. The shepherds represent people everywhere, and as the animals approached the St. Luke places an extremely high value on the Eucharist, and it is a major point of emphasis woven into the fabric of his Gospel from beginning to end. He artfully inserts a curious detail into his birth account to begin to state his case: Mary “gave birth to her firstborn son … and laid him in a manger” (Lk 2:7). The manger is mentioned twice more in verses 12 and 16. TheEucharist, Christmas and themanger byFatherMichael VanSloun (CatholicNewsService) Image by Sidney de Almeida from Shutterstock