The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: S. Luke
The second reason is that the shepherds were following the old way of life of the Patriarchs, the most innocent of industries. Abel, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses were shepherds, and to them, as being holy and innocent, God often appeared by His angels. The third is that Christ was to be the shepherd of His people — “ I am the Good Shepherd ” (John x.) Hence it was once usual to paint Christ as a Shepherd surrounded by sheep, as we may still see in Rome in S. Cosmas and S. Damian and other ancient churches.
And the fourth is, in order that we may understand that to the shepherds of rational sheep— of the faithful — the Divine mysteries are first revealed by God, for them to teach their sheep — to the people committed to their care. The author of “De Mirabilibus Sacrae Scripturae,” quoted in the works of S. Augustine (vol iii. bk. iii. ch. 2), gives a fifth reason, namely, that Christ was the Lamb that was to be offered for the salvation of the world. It was fitting, then, that He should first be made known to shepherds.
Tropologically, Christ reveals and communicates Himself to those who watch over their thoughts and actions as the shepherds watched their flocks, and consoles those who have no consolation for themselves. S. Bernard (Serm. 5, “On the Nativity”) says, “The infancy of Christ has no consolation for them that speak much, nor His tears for them that laugh, nor his swaddling clothes for them that are clothed in fine raiment, nor His manger and His stable for those who love the chief seats in the assemblies. But we shall see that these things yield, perhaps, all their consolation to those who wait for their Lord in calmness and quietness. And let them know that the angels themselves bring no consolation for other than such as these.”
And the glory of the Lord shone round about them. In the Arabic version, “ the glory of the Lord arose upon them.” Everywhere in Holy Scripture God has manifested His glory by a heavenly light. “By glory of the Lord,” says Euthymius, “we are to understand Divine light.” This brightness, then, was not that of the stars, but a far more august effulgence, the indication of the Majesty of God, whose ambassador the angel was. However, S. Ambrose, Serm. 10, “On the Feast of the Nativity,” says, “ When the Saviour arises, not only is the salvation of the human race renewed, but also the brightness of the sun himself ; as the Apostle says in Ephes. i. — That by Him He might restore all things that are, whether in the heavens or on earth. For if the sun is darkened when Christ suffers, it must of necessity shine more brightly than usual when He is born.
To sum up, I hold that it came to pass that the night began to wane while the sun, hastening to pay his homage to the birth of the Lord, sent forth his light upon the world before the night fulfilled her course. Indeed I call it not night at all, nor will I say that it had any darkness when the shepherds watched, the angels rejoiced, and the stars paid their service. If the sun stood still at the prayer of Joshua the son of Nun, why should it not at the birth of Christ make haste to advance into the night?”
And they were sore afraid. They were filled with a holy and reverent fear, by reason both of the strangeness of the vision, and also of the majesty of the heavenly messenger,
— a majesty which so strikes men as almost to stupefy them, so that of old the opinion prevailed that he who had seen an angel must die, according to the words of Manoah, the father of Samson, “ We shall surely die because we have seen God.” Judg. xiii. 22. From this we may learn that the sign of a good angel is that he first terrifies us and then consoles us.
Ver. 10. — And the angel said unto them; Fear not , for , behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy , that shall be to all people — but first to you, whom first I summon to visit and adore the Messiah that is born.
Ver. 11. — For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. In Bethlehem, of the seed and lineage of David. Each word here has its weight, and suggests new matter for joy, as is clear to every one who ponders them deeply. Toletus makes a full and minute examination of the passage. The name “Christ” denotes priesthood and kinghood, says Eusebius in the Catena, for both kings and priests were anointed, and were therefore called “Christi” — that is “consecrated by anointing.”
Ver. 12. — And this shall be the sign unto you (by which you may know this child from others recently born), ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. For other children born at that time were in houses and in beds,— only Christ was in a manger in a stable. Hence it appears that this manger was commonly known to every one, unless we suppose, as Toletus would have it, that the angel pointed out to the shepherds with his finger, or by an inward inspiration, the cave where the manger was. The angel gives this sign that the shepherds may not suppose, according to the Jewish notion, that their Messiah, as King of the Jews, was to be sought in the royal palace of Herod or in any place of the same kind. For this was Christ’s first Advent — the Advent of Humility, as His second Advent, to judge the world, will be one of Majesty. The sign, then, of the Word Incarnate and straitened is the lowliness of the swaddling bands and the manger. As S. Bernard says, Serm. i, “On the Nativity,” “What more unworthy, what more detestable, what more severely punishable than that, seeing the God of Heaven become a little child, man should of his own free will set himself in opposition to magnify himself upon the earth? It is a trait of intolerable insolence that, where His Majesty has effaced Itself, a poor worm should be puffed up and swollen with pride.”
Ver. 13. — And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying. Because, as I said at verse 7, all the angels accompanied Christ to earth and adored Him, and they are His battle array and His host, — the army of Heaven that fight strongly for God against the evil spirits and against the ungodly. Wherefore He is called the “God of Sabaoth ,” that is, of armies. So it was that Jacob, the type of Christ, fleeing from his brother Esau, saw an army of angels to aid him ; wherefore he said, “ This is the camp of God,” and called the place Mahanaim — “The camp in double,” on account of the two ranks or bodies of angels which he saw coming to protect him, Gen. xxxii. Again, if the stars of the morning praised God, and all the sons of God (that is, the angels) rejoiced at the creation of the world, as Job says (ch. xxxviii. 7), how much more did they do so at the Incarnation and Nativity of the Word ?
Ver. 14. — Glory to God in the Highest , and on earth peace, goodwill toward men (of good will “bonae voluntatis,” Vulgate). So the Syriac, Egyptian, Coptic, and Persian versions also have it, except the words “ of good will,” of which we will treat presently. “ In the Highest ” may be taken with reference both to “ God ” — glory to God who dwells in the highest heavens ; and also, and preferably with reference to “glory.” In the highest heavens the angels give glory to God, as on earth men enjoy peace through Christ who is now born. Again, these words may be taken either in an affirmative sense — supplying “is;” or in an optative sense — supplying “be.” In the former sense it is, Now is there glory to God in heaven, and peace on earth. For the inhabitants of heaven glorify the mercy, the wisdom, and the fidelity of God, in that He has now exhibited to the world the Christ promised by Him to the patriarchs, and hence there is peace on earth, for that Christ is born to reconcile to God, as the peace-making King, men who are born sons of wrath. So Toletus and Maldonatus. In the optative sense, praised and glorified be God in heaven, and let all the inhabitants of heaven bless and glorify Him, because He has deigned to send Christ upon the earth, that He, being incarnate, may bring to men peace — that is, reconciliation, grace, salvation, and all good things. Therefore let heaven and earth praise God, and let all the dwellers therein rejoice before Him, because Christ is born, who is the glory of God, the joy of angels, the peace of men. So Jansenius, Barradius, and others.
The Greek versions make this hymn consist of three members : — (1) Glory to God in the Highest, (2) on earth peace, (3) good will among men. So, too, the Syriac, and the Arabic, which instead of “ good will” has “rejoicing” [hilaritas] ; and the Greek fathers everywhere adopt this reading — S. Athanasius, Basil, Gregory of Nyssa, &c.
But all the Latins, and, among the Greeks, Origen, S. Chrysostom , and Cyril, read, and with better reason, for εὐδοκία — good will; εὐδοκίας — of good will; making the hymn consist of two members. For as glory is given to God as to Him who is glorified, so peace is given to men of good will as to those to whom the peace of Christ belongs and befits ; and in this way the concatenation of the whole sentence hangs better together. The peace on earth cannot be supposed to be other than that which belongs to men of good will. S. Bernard, in his Epist. 126 to the Bishop of Aquitania, says: “ How then shall the peace of men stand before God, or with God, if His glory cannot be secured to God among men? O foolish sons of Adam, who, despising peace, and seeking after glory, lose both peace and glory!”