One of the recurring pictures that appears at Christmas is Joseph leading a donkey with Mary riding on it. That is one of the traditions of Christmas that has no foundation in scripture. It it possible? Yes. Is it certain? No. The odds are that Mary had to walk to Bethlehem. If she started from Nazarath that was about a 75 mile walk. That would be a major hike for most of us today. Back then, not so much. People were used to walking everywhere but keep in mind that “everywhere” for most people was within a few miles of home.
We have a lot of traditions at Christmas. For the most part they are harmless diversions as long as we don’t get consumed with them. A donkey for Mary doesn’t have any theological significance. Many of our traditions are supplements that make the celebration part of the holiday more special.
Make sure that you take the time to concentrate on the miracle of the incarnation. That is an essential.
homo unius libri
Thursday, December 11, 2025
Opus 2025-668: Advent Calendar: Day11, Walk It Off
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Comments are welcome. Feel free to agree or disagree but keep it clean, courteous and short. I heard some shorthand on a podcast: TLDR, Too long, didn't read.