The Littlest Shepherd

My friend told me about children preparing for a Christmas play before the earliest Mass on Christmas Eve—usually called the “Children’s Mass.” The children put their coats in the last pew and donned the attire of shepherds and kings. One tiny shepherd slipped away from his classmates and went down the aisle to kneel before the crib. The shepherd closed his eyes, pressed his folded hands together tightly, and moved his lips in intense prayer. Those who noticed the child felt they had no need to see the play. The little shepherd had already told the story.