This scene shows Joseph leading a donkey with a very pregnant Blessed Virgin Mary on its back. They have entered the hill country of Judah, which means that this tedious five-day journey of about 60 miles is almost complete. The sun, which is not depicted, beats down upon them as they continue their long and bumpy journey, hoping to find some relief and lodging in Bethlehem. I tried to show the immensity of the land and the length, loneliness and danger of the journey by showing them alone, with the wide expansive landscape of the hill country around them. Hopefully you can imagine hearing the “clip-clop” of the donkey as Mary endures the bump of each step, while St. Joseph’s sandals cause blisters on his feet.
The daytime moon shines as a waning crescent, meaning that Jesus will be born during a new moon (when the moon is not visible). While I don’t really know what phase the moon was in during their journey, I chose to depict this waning crescent phase of the moon to signal that it will be a new moon when the Lord Jesus, the Lord of time, ushers in the last age by His holy birth. A whole new era of humanity begins by the birth of the Son of God and Savior of the world.
I could have chosen to depict the more famous scene of St. Joseph in Bethlehem, wearily and anxiously searching for lodging and a good place for his wife to give birth. I chose to depict this scene of the journey, because we don’t often get to see this one.
While the town of Bethlehem shines in the Star’s light in the background, we see the traditional stable in the foreground, with the Blessed Virgin Mary tending and adoring her Divine Son in the manger. A cow and the donkey bow their heads to their Lord and Master, while doves sit on the rafters above. (The doves were inspired by the beautiful mid-Twentieth Century Christmas carol, “The Friendly Beasts,” aka “Jesus our Brother, Kind and Good.”)
The Holy Family is now all alone. If there was a midwife there to deliver the baby Jesus (it is reasonable to think that the innkeeper notified a midwife to assist this couple with the birth of their child), she is now gone. It is just Joseph, Mary, who has just given birth hours before, and the newborn Jesus now at the stable. Joseph stands guard at the entrance to the stable and reflects on what just happened. He knew from the angel that this child would be great in the history of his people, that he would save them. It was now Joseph's sacred job to keep watch and protect the child and his mother in their vulnerability. When the shepherds came to the stable, it may have startled him. Why were these strange men coming to the stable? Upon hearing that they had seen angels in the night sky and they wanted to see the special child lying in the manger, he was probably relieved and driven to contemplate the greatness of what happened even more.