Bethlehem and Mary: The Mystery of the Nativity

# Bethlehem and Mary: The Mystery of the Nativity## Bethlehem (in Hebrew, “house of bread”) is the Judean city where Jesus Christ was born. For Mariology, Bethlehem is the place of the full realization of the Annunciation: here Mary becomes truly the Mother of the Son of God, fulfilling her Fiat.## The Gospel NarrativeLuke and Matthew both converge on the location of the birth in Bethlehem but from different perspectives. Luke (2:1-20) focuses on Mary and Joseph’s inability to find a place in the inn, the manger scene, and the shepherds. Matthew (2:1-12), meanwhile, records the visit of the Magi from the East. Both emphasize Mary’s humility and silence as the setting for the Mystery.## Mary in Bethlehem: Contemplation and Meditation“And Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19) is one of the deepest characterizations from the Gospels of Mary. In Bethlehem, not only does Jesus Christ come into existence, but so does the figure of Mary as a contemplative woman, a model of listening and intellectual faith.## The Basilica of the NativityThe Basilica of the Nativity, built over the grotto identified as the site of the birth, is the oldest place of Christian worship still in use. Listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, it is administered by Greek Orthodox, Armenian, and Franciscan Christians. The altar within the grotto bears the inscription: “Here Christ was born to the Virgin Mary.”## Additional Readings: – Mariology – Marian Theology – Marian Apparitions – Postgraduate Studies in Mariology## Church Magisterium> **Literal Translation:** And she gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7, Vulgata Clementina)> **Pope John Paul II’s Homily in Bethlehem (March 5, 2000):** > In the Bethlehem cave, where the Word became flesh, Mary, Mother of the Son of God and our Mother, appeared.