But I encourage you, on this, the Feast of the Holy Family, to read about Jesus' birth in the two gospels where we find nativity stories: Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-4. What details do the two gospel accounts of Jesus' birth hold in common? What differences can be found between the two accounts? How do we account for these differences?
The answer to these questions can be complex. (The classic work, Birth of the Messiah by Fr. Raymond Brown is about three inches thick, with tiny print. Just sayin'.) Enrolling in a parish Advent Bible study or the Catholic Biblical School can help you unpack the answers!
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| Giotto, Adoration of the Magi |
In a Biblical Archaeology Review online article, we learn that "This scene from the Arena (Scrovegni) Chapel in Padua by the Italian artist Giotto shows Mary, Joseph and Jesus in the Bethlehem stable. The three wise men, along with their caravan, and angels gather around the child. Above the stable, Haley’s comet streaks across the sky. Haley’s comet was sighted in 1301, three years before Giotto painted this scene." BAR author, Megan Sauter. To read more, click here.
