CEBU, Philippines - St. Francis of Assisi School Peace Valley, Lahug “Father! Come quick to the window and look,” Hur shouted excitedly as he sat by the window of his father’s prestigious inn. The eight-year-old clubfooted boy was surprised and amazed to see the vast multitude of people arriving into the town of Bethlehem that morning.
“I forgot to tell you the news that is going around the Roman Empire, Joshua,” his father said as he glanced out into the street. “The Roman Emperor, Augustus Caesar, had ordered a census to be taken throughout his empire to find out the number of subjects.”
“Are we also included in this census?” Hur asked curiously.
“Yes, my son, even the servants of our inn,” his father answered.
Hur saw people arriving in caravans, while others walked in groups and the rest came by themselves. He noticed that moneyed people came in their expensive and colorful clothes, while the poor ones were dressed simply and carried few belongings. There were the old and the sick who trudged slowly. Hur could see it reflected on their haggard faces, the toil of their long journey. By the way the people moved and acted, Hur could feel that the air was charged with mixed emotions of excitement, frustration, surprises and the joy of having arrived at their destination.
“Please father, may I be allowed to eat here? I am still counting the number of camels, horses and donkeys that are arriving. I have lost count on people,” Hur answered without turning away from the window.
“Yes, Hur, you can eat by the window this evening,” his father agreed between mouthfuls.
The big deep well in front of Hur’s inn was a refreshing sight to every weary traveler and his animal. Hur was now so worried if the well would run dry. He had seen hundreds of people and animals drink from the well the whole day. The arrival of the woman on a donkey caught the attention of Hur. He put aside his plate to better scrutinize her. The boy noticed that the woman looked very tired. Her head was bowed and inclined to one side.
“Her tummy is big! She is heavy with child!” Hur whispered aloud to himself.
Hur watched the woman with keen eyes. Every moment she did and every word she spoke. She alighted from the donkey and waited patiently while her husband lined up to fetch water from the well. She seem to be in pain as she massaged her tummy gently. Hur saw that the couple carried just a few personal belongings. By their simple and rustic appearance, Hur singled them out as country people.
“Hur, we have only one vacant room left. I usually reserve that room for very important people who might come in late at night. Please put the NO VACANCY sign on the door,” his father directed in a loud voice.
“Father, why are we closing up so soon? Hur asked sadly.
“I have my own reasons, son. Do quickly what I told you,” his father hastened.
Hur felt so sad. He knew that the couple would never have a chance to come to their inn. Without another glance, the boy put out the sign board. A strong wind blew and reversed the sign board back to “VACANCY”. Meanwhile, Hur fixed his sight on the couple for fear of losing them among the vast moving crowd that was blurred in the dim light of dusk. They have quenched their thirst and now they stood talking. Hur noticed that the man was scanning the neighborhood. He caught sight of Hur’s inn.
“Look, Mary!” he said, pointing to the direction of the inn. “There is a big, beautiful inn right there. It has a VACANCY sign on,” Joseph said excitedly.
“I am due anytime now and we need a room for the baby,” Mary anxiously told Joseph.
“Come, let us go and knock at the inn. I am sure that when they will see your present condition, they will certainly give us a room,” Joseph assured Mary.
“Father, come to the door fast! We have very special guests coming. Let us welcome them. Please open the door fast!” Hur spoke in a shrill voice as he pulled his father by the hand.
“Who are these special guests you are talking about, my son?” his father asked. “Are they rich merchants from Decapolis?”
“Just wait till you see them!” Hur answered, looking up at his father’s face.
Both father and son opened the door. There before them stood the lowly looking couple from Nazareth. The rich innkeeper stood speechless and mad. He sized them up from head to foot in a disgusted manner.
“Go somewhere else! This inn is reserved for rich merchants!” The innkeeper slammed the door on their faces, after taking down the VACANCY sign.
Hur stood like a statue; he was in shock! The boy could not believe what his father had done. He clenched his hands and his lips were trembling. Hur was ready to challenge his father in what he believed was not right. He would assert his mind this time. But before Hur could open his mouth, his father’s voice came upon him like a sound of thunder.
“You have disobeyed me! You did not turn the sign board as I told you. How many times do I have to tell you that our inn is only for rich travelers? This is the only way we can make money fast. We don’t take in dirty looking travelers. You are punished. Go to your room!”
Hur woke up suddenly in the middle of a nightmare. His pillow was drenched with tears and cold sweat. “I must have fallen asleep,” he realized. Then he remembered the pregnant woman. Hur jumped out of bed and losing his balance, fell to the floor with a thud.
“The poor woman! She must be walking in the streets in search for a room. I have to find her right away and give her shelter for tonight. She might even give birth,” Hur thought as he brushed himself from the fall.
He tried to open the door of his room but it was locked. “How can I get out?” he panicked. The thought of being locked up frightened him. Hur sat on the floor and tried to regain his composure. He would ask help of his servant Aaron.
“Aaron are you there? Can you hear me?” Hur called out loud against the wall.
“Yes Master Hur, I can hear you!” Aaron shouted back.
“There must be a way that you can help me get out of my room,” Hur said.
“I am sorry, Master Hur, your father has also locked my door.”
Hur looked up at the small window. He knew that it was too high for him to climb. He moved his bed near the window and put a chair on it. He climbed up and got out through the window
Hur was determined to search for the woman and bring her to their abandoned stable out of town. The boy spent the happiest moments of his early childhood in the stable.
Hur walked around town. He knocked at the door of houses and inns. He talked to people in the streets. Some were kind to him, while others ignored the handicapped boy.
It was getting late and he felt so tired. His feet were bruised and bleeding. He decided to give up the search. Hur sadly trudged back home. His footsteps were as heavy as the emotions that throbbed inside his little heart. Suddenly, Hur heard distant footsteps of a donkey echoing through the pebbled street. Hur stopped and listened. He strained his eyes in the dark and saw the dim shape of a woman in the mist. Hur shouted to attract their attention.
“Come over here, please. I’ll help you!” Hur tried to stand on tiptoe and waved his hand.
The couple stopped. “My name is Hur. I’m the son of the innkeeper who sent you away. I want to make up for that. May I offer you both a humble place to spend the night? It’s just a stable but it will keep you out of the cold night,” Hur explained hurriedly as he drew a deep breath.
“We are very grateful for your kindness, Hur,” the man answered. “I am Joseph and this is my wife, Mary. We have come all the way from the town of Nazareth for the census. My wife is tired and she is due to give birth anytime.”
“The stable is not far from here,” Hur told them, pointing his finger to the site.
Joseph lifted Hur and sat him on the donkey close to Mary with his crutches upon his legs. Away rode Hur, Mary and Joseph into the darkness and cold that December night. Hur felt the warm heavy breathing of Mary upon his face, as he leaned against her chest. Her breath was sweet and her scent gave Hur a sense of security and calm.
He put his arms around her tummy and felt the baby move. “So this is how it feels to have a mother!” Hur told himself silently. Mary covered Hur with her mantle to keep him warm.
Hur looked up at Mary and said, “I see that you will be a mother soon.”
“Yes, my baby will be destined for great things,” Mary told Hur.
“I like mothers. I think they are special. Will you be my mother?” Hur asked Mary.
“You must have a big heart, Hur, to like so many mothers. Where is your mother?”
“I have none. She died giving birth to me,” Hur explained sadly.
“Mothers give so much of themselves for their children. Yes, I’ll be your mother,” Mary assured the boy.
Mary tightened her hold on Hur as she kissed him on the forehead. His body relaxed, and Hur slumped into Mary’s arms. He had a dream. Hur saw the whole sky open up and a big bright star appeared to light the way for Mary and Joseph to find the stable. Stray animals appeared. There were horses, cows, sheep, donkeys, goats and some camels. The animals went into a single file and guided the way to the stable. Hur saw that Joseph and Mary followed the animals in silence, in profound faith. He heard and saw a large flock of chirping birds flying over them like a canopy.
Hur looked around him in amazement. The wild flowers of the fields went into full bloom. Hur could smell heavily scented air. The grasses and leaves of the trees spread out their green and they all bowed in adoration to the baby in Mary’s womb as they went by.
Hur woke up and found himself inside the stable. He felt warm and realized that Mary had wrapped him up with her mantle and he was lying in a pile of hay.
Mary and Joseph were nowhere near as Hur crawled down from a pile of old smelling hay and a new born baby tucked in the manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes. He felt the breaths of the stray animals warm the frosty air in the stable as the tiny baby slept peacefully. Mary and Joseph knelt beside the manger in deep adoration. Hur sighed softly in great astonishment as he heard the animals sound their praises to the new born baby.
The cows mooed, the donkeys brayed, the horses neighed, the meek lambs and sheep baaed, the doves cooed and the sparrows sang their lullabies. The shepherds knelt in silent worship.
A hush fell over the stable as Hur took one little step at a time with his crutches towards the manger. The shepherds and the animals moved aside to make way for the little handicapped boy. Hur’s heart pounded hard against his chest, his mouth was dry and his body trembled. He had heard the prophecy of the promised Messiah and right before his very eyes it was being fulfilled. Hur felt privileged to have played a part in the fulfillment of the prophecy. There was no place for Mary and Joseph at their inn, because the Messiah was destined to be born in their stable. He knelt down and put aside his crutches and prostrating himself on the ground, Hur adored the Infant Messiah.
Hur felt the first warm rays of the rising sun reflected on the stable ground. He knew that his father must be looking fo him and he had to go home.
Hur bade farewell to Mary and Joseph and promised to be back with food, water and blankets. Hur felt light and strong from the top of his head to the tips of his feet. He felt as if he had wings flying like a bird as he waded over the clear, cold waters of the lake. His flaming red hair blended with the golden rays of the rising sun.
He glanced at the water and saw his fast moving body casting a mirage on the waters of the lake. A cool breeze was blowing at his feet. He looked back. There behind him he saw a trail of perfect footprints in the sand.
Hur passed by fishermen docking their boats on the shore after a night’s catch at sea. He was very excited and waved at them happily, ready to share with them the good news that the promised Messiah was born in their stable.
One of the fishermen noticed Hur and he called his son, Joshua. “Son, is that the boy Hur? The son of the innkeeper? How come all of a sudden he can run that fast? Oh! Maybe I am seeing another boy who looks just like him,” the fisherman commented in surprise.
“Yes, father!” answered his son, Joshua. “That is Hur, the clubfooted boy. They owned a stable up the hillside. Last night while we were fishing at sea, I noticed strange events taking place at the stable. A big star came down from heaven and shone its light on the stable. I saw angles coming down from heaven surrounding the stable while they sang. Shepherds and their flock went up to the stable. Then, three men riding on camels, with a caravan of escorts, also arrived at the stable. Father, I heard that all these strange events were foretold to take place during our lifetime. It is the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Promised Messiah.”
“Son, help me fold the fishnet so that we can go home,” the fisherman touched his son’s forehead, fearing that he was running a high fever. “Joshua, all that you saw last night happening at the stable was due to the high fever you have now.”
Before his father could utter a word, Joshua was gone from his side. Away he went running, gaining footing on the softness of the sand to accelerate his speed to catch up with Hur.
“Hur!” he shouted. “Wait for me!” the sound of his voice was baffled by the waves and the wind.
Among the gifts that were left at the foot of the manger that first Christmas night were the crutches of the boy Hur. It represented the gifts of his innocence, his deep faith in the Promised Messiah, his love for his new found mother (the Blessed Virgin Mary) and the abundant kindness that overflowed from his tender little heart. (FREEMAN)