ISB ~ Luke 2 v7

first-born:A legal term linked with a son’s social standing and rights of inheritance (Deut 21:15-17). It does not imply that Mary had other children after Jesus, only that she had none before him (CCC 500). As the only begotten One, Jesus is also the first-born Son of the Father (Jn 1:18; Col 1:15). See note on Mt 12:46.

swaddling cloths:Newborns were wrapped with strips of cloth to prevent movement in their arms and legs.

• Luke’s description recalls King Solomon’s birth (Wis 7:4-6).

a manger:A feeding trough for horses, cattle, etc.

• Allegorically (St. Cyril of Alexandria, Catena of the Greek Fathers): the setting of Christ’s birth points us to the Eucharist. Since through sin man becomes like the beasts, Christ lies in the trough where animals feed, offering them, not hay, but his own body as life-giving bread.