The Washington times., 1935-12-24
GIBBONS Halls
CHRISTMAS
BETHLEHEM
BY FLOYD GIBBONS
Copyright. 1885. by International
News Service)

Copyright, 1885, by International
News service)
BETHLEHEM, Christmas Eve,
Dec. 24.-"Let us now go even
unto Bethlehem, and see this
thing which is come to pass"
Just as is tonight'S, the
weather was cold and clear this
very night 10 centuries and more
ago when shepherds, tending
their flocks in the fields one mile
to the east of this hilltop village
of old Judea, spoke among them
selves the words recorded above.
"And they came with haste,
and found Mary and Joseph,
and the Babe lying in q
Manager"
REPORTED BY LUKE
A great reporter by the name
of Luke inscribed the two
sentences quoted above in direct,
simple brevity that has never
been approached by the count
less thousands of ScribeS and
word.tamerS who have come to
this sacred spot on this holy
day, even as I, on this cherished
yet hopeless assignment of writ
ing Luke's account of that event
which hundreds of millions Of
Christians throughout the world
are celebrating.
And we celebrate 1t every year,
but this year particularly with
the words which those humble
shepherds had ringing in their
ears that night so long ago as
they clutched their robes around
them against the Juggling of the
wind, and moved across the
field towards the inn-the
the crowded inn here, just below
the crest of the ridge on which
rise today the gray, battered
arches and oft-rebuilt walls OF
Bethlehem.
Stable in Cave
Not in the tavern, but below
and beyond it in the stable, the
shepherds as directed found the
object of their Search-founo
confirmation of the words they
had received and the vision they
had seen in the clear Judean
sky.
The stable was in a cave.
Around and above that cave
rise the gray, battle-scarred Wall'
of the Church of the Nativity
generating and guarding the
most sacred shrine in Christen
dom, the birthplace Of the
Prince of Peace.
Stands of marble and hanglngS
of cloth of gold now screen the
chalk walls and natural rock flool
of the low-ceilinged grotto, ano
one large, many-pointed star Of
silver marks the traditional Spot
where the Son of Mary was born
and close by, down three steps tc
the left, is the location of the
rnanger in which the Infant Say
ious was placed in Swaddllng
clothes.
Patriarch Leads Procession
At l o'clock this afternoon the
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, &C
companied by a procession Of
high dignitaries of the different
Christian sects, preceded by Ions
line of church and civil officials
in vestments and uniforms, made
his solemn entry into Bethlehem
and the Churches of the Nativity
and st. Catherine commenced the
rituals which are continuing
throughout the hight and all day
tomorrow.
In the chanted prayers will bt
repeated the story of that Christ
mas Day of long ago, particularly
the all-important words that rams
in the ears of the shepherds from
the fields.
AS the lights from the hanging
gold and silver lamps and myriad
candles CLEAN on the rising If
cense and golden veStments ant
glitter of priestly robes, the word
will come to us again and agail
to the accompaniment Of deep
throated organ tones.
It seems to me that the worl'
at large, and this part of i
particularly, are more in need o
those words today than at an!
time in my recollection.