Thus Shepherds Knew
2025 Christmas Poem
It has become an annual tradition that I write a Christmas poem every year for my mother’s parish choir in San Antonio, Texas. They mainly use hymns and Scripture, but include a poem at some point in their Christmas program before Midnight Mass (The Mass of the Angels). The theme this year is the Shepherds of Christmas.
The pdf file can be found here:
I had the idea for this poem firmly in my head, but the words were difficult to put to paper – until I sat down and practically nailed my back end to the chair until it was done.
And there were in the same country shepherds watching, and keeping the night watches over their flock. And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear. And the angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people: for, this day, is born to you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger. (Luke 2:8-12).
The single angel brought the word that Christ the Lord was born, He told them not to be afraid, but joyful on that morn. He gave the sign that Christ would be a Babe in swaddling bands And lain in the stone feeding troth, just like unblemished lambs. Those Levite shepherds surely knew how odd this would appear, That Christ was wrapped up like a lamb, the Victim precious here. And then they heard the sweetest sounds ever a man did hear, As angel-choirs burst the scene and brought them awe and cheer. When angels left the fields that night and into Heav’n returned, The shepherds left their sheep to see this sign as their hearts burned. And who of us, thus filled with awe, would not seek given sign? We’d move with haste just as they did, and race against the time. They came upon the stable-cave and found the Fam’ly there, And Child as was told to them in wondrous vision fair. They told to Joseph – Mary, too – what unto them was said: How Savior of the world was born, the sign a manger-bed. And Mary stored up all these things within her purest heart. The shepherds glorified the Lord returning to their part. Thus shepherds knew the Lamb of God ere John the Baptist spake, They wondered at this Mystery, blessed in it to partake. Thus Jesus the Good Shepherd was revealed to shepherds first: A faithful folk with simple faith believed the angel’s word.