“And this shall be a sign unto you; you shall find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” We reignite familiarity of this passage from Luke’s gospel during the Christmas season and readily imagine nativity scenes with all its glorious characters and pageantry; all characters with their own story to tell, including Baby Jesus.
Every year, Sacred Heart Elementary School searches for a new and creative way to share the Christmas story with its students, faculty, parents, family members and friends. This often results in the quest for a musical in which the students become the actors, singers, narrators and technicians. We reenact the story of Jesus’ birth, complete with a set portraying Bethlehem, angels, shepherds tending their flocks, the magi, and the stable where Jesus was born and placed in a manger. But we strive to go beyond. Jesus is real, and he loved us enough to humble himself and come to earth as a baby. Why not use a “real” baby? And so the search begins!
There are no prerequisites for this role. In fact, any newborn infant will do, but it is not always an easy task to complete…finding a baby. Our purpose is to bring the child Jesus to life again. In fact, some of our Baby Jesus characters now walk amidst the student body of Sacred Heart, like Ruben Herrera, class of 2014. We also find the Ramirez brothers Diego (grade 1) and Mateo (Transitional Kindergarten). Speaking of siblings, three year old Jason Cervantes, brother to Jade and Jakob Quiles was also blessed with this role. But portraying the Baby Jesus was also open to girls. Citlali Garcia (grade 1) and Malayna Domingo (grade 8) were also bestowed this honor.
We hope to emphasize that Christmas is not just a past event, but a reminder to us all to enter the season with an open heart; for we are called to “go now to Bethlehem” and “pay Christ homage”. Jesus, our Savior, is born and continues to be born in the center of our heart. This is indeed “good news of great joy for all people!” Merry Christmas!