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Lowliness and Joy

A Christmas homily given in 1843 by Saint John Henry Newman

HERE ARE two principal lessons which tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
T Twe are taught on the great Festival which For unto you is born this day in the city of David
we this day celebrate, lowliness and joy... First, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
Almighty God looks with a sort of especial love, And now comes a second lesson, which I have
or (as we may term it) affection, upon the lowly... said may be gained from the Festival. The Angel
The shepherds, then, were chosen on account of honoured a humble lot by his very appearing to
their lowliness, to be the first to hear of the Lord’s the shepherds; next he taught it to be joyful by his
nativity, a secret which none of the princes of this message. He disclosed good tidings so much above
world knew.
this world as to equalise
And what a contrast high and low, rich and
is presented to us when poor, one with another.
we take into account …. for one or other
who were our Lord’s reason the shepherds
messengers to them! were sore afraid when the
The Angels who excel glory of the Lord shone
in strength, these did around about them. And
His bidding towards the Angel said, “Fear not.”
the shepherds. Here A little religion makes
the highest and the us afraid; when a little
lowest of God’s rational light is poured in upon
creatures are brought the conscience, there is a
together. A set of poor Angels Announcing the Bir th of Christ - Go v er t T eunisz F linck darkness visible; nothing
Angels Announcing the Birth of Christ - Govert Teunisz Flinck
men, engaged in a but sights of woe and
life of hardship, exposed at that very time to the terror; the glory of God alarms while it shines
cold and darkness of the night, watching their around. His holiness, the range and difficulties of
flocks, with the view of scaring away beasts of His commandments, the greatness of His power,
prey or robbers; they—when they are thinking the faithfulness of His word, frighten the sinner,
of nothing but earthly things, counting over the and men seeing him afraid, think religion has
tale of their sheep, keeping their dogs by their made him so, whereas he is not yet religious at all.
side, and listening to the noises over the plain, They call him religious, when he is merely
considering the weather and watching for the conscience-stricken. But religion itself, far from
day - suddenly are met by far other visitants than inculcating alarm and terror, says, in the words
they conceived. of the Angel, “Fear not”; for such is His mercy,
We know the contracted range of thought, the while Almighty God has poured about us His
minute and ordinary objects, or rather the one or glory, yet it is a consolatory glory, for it is the
two objects, to and fro again and again without light of His glory in the Face of Jesus Christ (2
variety, which engage the minds of men exposed Cor. iv. 6.). Thus the heavenly herald tempered
to such a life of heat, cold, and wet, hunger and the too dazzling brightness of the Gospel on that
nakedness, hardship and servitude. They cease first Christmas. The glory of God at first alarmed
to care much for any thing, but go on in a sort the shepherds, so he added the tidings of good,
of mechanical way, without heart, and still more to work in them a more wholesome and happy
without reflection. temper. Then they rejoiced.

To men so circumstanced the Angel appeared, “Fear not,” said the Angel, “for behold I bring
to open their minds, and to teach them not to be you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all
downcast and in bondage because they were low people. For unto you is born this day in the city of
in the world. He appeared as if to show them that David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” And
God had chosen the poor in this world to be heirs then, when he had finished his announcement,
of His kingdom, and so to do honour to their lot. “suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude
“Fear not,” he said, “for behold I bring you good of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,