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Editor: My grateful thanks go to Fr. Paul G. Charbonneau, M.S. who first wrote an article on the topic of Bethlehem and La Salette in the La Salette publication, “Celle Qui Pleure,” in December of 1962 which sparked this article. The biblical background is from Fr. Raymond E. Brown, SS and his book, “An Adult Christ at Christmas: Essays on the Three Biblical Christmas Stories - Matthew 2 and Luke.”
As strange as it may seem, Christmas offers us a striking parallel between the Feast of the Nativity and the event of La Salette. The comparison of these two extraordinary events will allow us to rediscover the lasting importance of this Feast of the Incarnation, celebrated on December 25th.
A Great Light...
Our Lady of La Salette, from an old French Holy CardScripture: Fr. Carol Stuhlmueller, C.P., reminds us that St. Luke wrote this infancy narrative to “to impart an ever fuller understanding of the redemptive work and words of Jesus” (The Jerome Biblical Commentary, 1968, pg. 120). Luke’s narrative of the event at Bethlehem began by stating that a great light shines around the shepherds of Bethlehem, perhaps harkening back to the person of David, another noteworthy shepherd. Also the phrase, “glory of the Lord” was often “associated with great redeeming acts of God.” (Ibidem, pg. 124):
“The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear” (Luke 2:9).
La Salette: And we know that the two cowherds at La Salette were themselves dazzled by the light which surrounded the Beautiful Lady during her apparition on that Holy Mountain on Sept. 19, 1846.
“The children had hardly gone halfway down the knoll, Melanie leading and Maximin a few steps behind her, when the little girl cast a look toward the knapsacks, and on the very spot where these lay she perceived a very brilliant globe of light, of small dimension just then, perhaps three feet in diameter, but later on it was to grow seven or eight times larger.”
Do Not Be Afraid... Great News
Scripture: Luke continues: “...the angel said to them: ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10).
La Salette: Many years later, in a lofty French Alpine pasture, Mary's words echoed like those of the angel in that Bethlehem pasture: “Come closer, my children; do not be afraid. I am here to tell you great news.”
Both the shepherds in Bethlehem as well as the Magi found the child with his mother (Luke 2:16; Matthew 2:11). Similarly at La Salette we have the mother of Jesus wearing a crucifix on her breast, depicting her Son on the cross – the Man of Sorrows now crucified, hanging near the heart of the Mother of Sorrows. She tearfully asks us, her children, to follow her Son more closely.
If nowadays we have perhaps lost sight of the central purpose of our life, the Apparition of La Salette renews the call to conversion, to active faith and a commitment to our ongoing mission as evangelizers, making her message known. Mary speaks compassionately about the lack of faith of her children: “My people refuse to submit... ”
Jesus, our Savior, was born to die
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, Waterbury, CTMany people have not yet understood the true meaning of the event of the Incarnation. The Nativity scene speaks loudly of the joy of our Redemption while the splendid event at La Salette reminds us of our half-hearted response to God's redemptive plan for us. La Salette powerfully recalls the mystery of Bethlehem fused with the challenge of Calvary. Unfortunately it is almost impossible to separate the manger from Calvary because the young Messiah was indeed born to die!
The child wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger, was born to save us, to reconcile us to his heavenly Father and urge us to take our place as his messengers, his reconcilers. “God... has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18).
The light of La Salette reminds us of the call to be children of the light—the Light of Bethlehem. To meditate on the message and meaning of La Salette can open us up to rediscover the true message of Christmas. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).
Mary: “I have come to bring you good news...”
Just as the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem was greeted with “great joy”, so too should we greet the appearance of Mary, the Reconciler of Sinners, at La Salette. She first shows us her Son in the manger at Bethlehem and then, much later, reminds us to follow her Son and to make her “great news” known to all her people.
May the touching picture of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem encourage us to listen closely to his own Mother’s message at La Salette. May we truly enjoy this Christmas season and be thankful for Christ’s birth as well as his Mother’s visit at La Salette – both events that have the power to bring us the fullness of life.
Winter on the Holy Mountain of La Salette, France
(Reprinted from the La Salette publication, Celle Qui Pleure, December, 1962, pgs. 20-21, edited)