Coming Soon…He Shall Be Called, A Parish Nativity Play
Every Christmas, we return to a story we already know by heart — a manger, a mother, a silent night. Yet somehow, it still moves us. It still whispers something new.
He Shall Be Called: A Parish Nativity Play was born from that whisper — the desire to hear again what the ancient prophets once heard, to see again what the shepherds saw.
Unlike most retellings, this play doesn’t begin in Bethlehem. It begins in the dim glow of a candle, in the study of a weary prophet named Isaiah. He bends over parchment, guided by divine light, and writes:
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given;
and the government shall be upon His shoulders.
And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
— Isaiah 9:6
Those words — He shall be called — form the heart of the play.
Each title, each name, unfolds like a prophecy fulfilled before the audience’s eyes. Wonderful Counselor in the quiet wisdom of Mary’s “yes.” Mighty God in the strength of Joseph’s obedience. Prince of Peace in the fragile stillness of the newborn Christ.
The play is structured as a sacred journey through the O Antiphons and Joyful Mysteries, blending Scripture, drama, and music into one continuous act of worship. Each scene lingers on the mystery — the Annunciation, the Visitation, the journey to Bethlehem — so that actors and audience alike can dwell in the awe of it.
Musically, the production weaves together Latin chant, traditional carols, and original arrangements, creating a soundscape that feels both ancient and immediate, like something half-remembered from a dream.
Yet at its core, He Shall Be Called is about names — about the names that reveal who Christ is, and who we are in His light. It is a reminder that even now, in our own age of noise and distraction, the prophecy still speaks: He shall be called…
A Final Reflection: Our Lady of Perpetual Help
As rehearsals end and the stage lights fade, my thoughts turn to the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help — the Mother who cradles the Child of so many names, her gaze fixed not on Him but on us. Her calm assurance has always been a quiet presence in my life, and it feels only right to end this work where my own faith began.
This play is, in many ways, a homage to my home parish — Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Indio — the community that first taught me to listen for God’s voice in Scripture, to find Him in beauty, and to see every act of creation as a prayer. The parish that raised me in the faith continues to shape every word I write.
In the gentle eyes of Our Lady, I see both the tenderness of the Nativity and the strength of the Church that nurtured me. This play is offered in gratitude — for the home that formed my faith, for the hands that built its altars, and for the Mother who still leads us all to her Son.
He Shall Be Called: A Parish Nativity Play will soon be available on CodekasWrites.com, along with its companion music booklet featuring the O Antiphons in Latin and English.
Come, see, and remember again the Child whose very name is salvation.
