In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.

This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was Governor of Syria.

And everyone went to their own town to register.

So, Joseph went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem, the City of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

While he was there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her first born son.

She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a stable manger because there were no guest rooms available to them in the inn.

And there were shepherds in the fields nearby keeping watch over their flocks by night.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terribly afraid.

But the angel said to them, “Fear not, for I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.

“Today, in the City of David, a savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord.

“And this shall be a sign to you. You will find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, a great company of the Heavenly Host appeared with the Angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest Heaven, and peace on Earth to those on whom His favor rests.”

When the Angels had left them and gone into Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph with the baby, who was lying in a manger.

When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds had said to them.

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned to their homes, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told by the Angel.

On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name that an angel had given him earlier before he was conceived.

From the Gospel of St. Luke, Chapter 2, Verses 1 - 22

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