Joseph had taken the baby from Adriel after the birth and gently rinsed the soft skin with the salt water. After drying the baby, he wrapped the newborn in the priestly shawl, as Mary had requested, and laid the living bundle in the manger.
Mary opened her eyes, she knew she hadn't slept for long, but exhaustion had overtaken her. She rose, throwing her outer garment over her shoulders. Mary was surprised to find how little discomfort she was experiencing....in fact she felt extremely well.
Immediately, her newly acquired motherly emotions, flooded her whole being. Mary's eyes instinctively scanned the cave. Joseph, who had been standing near the fire at the mouth of the cave, and hearing movement behind him, turned to find Mary looking intently at him, with a hint of anguish in her eyes. Reading the situation, and with a slight smile on his face, he cast his eyes towards the manger. Mary covered the distance in a flash, relief, showing clearly on her face as she took in the sight of her contented little one, sound asleep in the manger. She desperately wanted to pick up her son and squeeze him against her breast, but knew that it would be wise to just let him sleep. So instead, she moved over to her husband, and linking her arm through his, her head resting on his shoulder, they both stood there staring out into the darkness.
They came slowly at first, then in greater numbers. Soon the hillside, below the cave was crowded with men...shephards, who had left their flocks to see the sight the angels had described to them, while they were watching their sheep. They lifted their eyes to the manger, to the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in the manger. Their faces were lit up by the beam of a very bright star that seemed to hover over the hill where the cave was situated. Their united cry rang out in the night.....
The Messiah has come, the Hope of our Salvation!
