A mashup of the Book of Wisdom (18:14-16; 19:6-9) and the Gospel of Luke (2:1-20).
When peaceful stillness compassed everything,
And the night in its swift course was half spent,
The time for Mary came to have her child,
All-powerful Word to the Earth was sent.
She gave birth to her Lord and firstborn son,
From Heaven’s throne, creation was renewed,
Wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him down,
An unimpeded road as God broke through.
The shepherds in the region, in the fields,
And cross the whole wide nation by your hand,
Stupendous wonder, glory of the Lord,
They bound about like horses; leapt like lambs.
A multitude of angels sang and prayed,
One told the shepherds not to be afraid,
They praised you, Lord, their just deliverer,
A savior had been born to them that day.
Tim Bete, OCDS, was the founding editor of the Catholic Poetry Room. He just completed writing his third poetry collection, Translation of Wonder, following The Raw Stillness of Heaven and Wanderings of an Ordinary Pilgrim. His poetry has also been published in Presence: A Journal of Catholic Poetry, Mount Carmel magazine, Apostolate of the Little Flower magazine, and by the Semi-Province of St. Thérèse of the Discalced Carmelite Friars.
Tim is a member of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, where he has served as a Formator, on Council, and as President. He has been a speaker on the topic of poetry and its role in faith on the Carmelite Conversations Podcast, the Catholic Imagination Conference, and in news stories published by the Catholic News Agency.