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Posted by on Jan 19, 2025

Marriage Feasts – Celebrating Together

Marriage Feasts – Celebrating Together

“We only seem to get together for marry’ns and bury’ns.” (Spelling?) This comment was often heard  as I was growing up when a wedding or funeral drew our large, extended family together. It was generally spoken towards the end of a gathering, accompanied by the sentiment that we really ought to get together more frequently, when we might have a bit more time to visit.

While the weddings were typically happy occasions, we had a great time at funerals too. It was sad to have lost someone, but so good to see family, tell stories, share favorite foods, play games, and get caught up on all that had happened since our last gathering.

Many families in industrialized countries do not live in the same town as others of their relatives. As a result, the times they gather are different than gatherings among people who see each other often and frequently get together. They can feel very hurried and way too short.

The type of family structure also affects the nature of such gatherings. In patrilineal or matrilineal families, for example, the only ones who are seen as family are those related through the father’s line or the mother’s line. The bride or groom marries into the spouse’s family, but the spouse does not become part of their family of origin. In Western societies, we typically trace our lineage through both mother’s and father’s lines. When we marry, both bride and groom enter a second family – each other’s.

The wedding feast Jesus, his mother, and his followers attended at Cana in Galilee was a family affair that included many guests. The bride was joining her husband’s family. It was a new beginning and important to show abundant hospitality to the guests – a matter of honor for the groom’s family to offer joyful feasting with plenty of everything to eat and drink. To run out of anything was a serious source of shame for his family, particularly since the bride’s family would be witnesses of the shortfall.

Unfortunately, the wine was running out. Wine was added to water to make the water safe to drink. The amount the wine was watered down might vary, but it was essential to have the wine. It wouldn’t do to have nothing to offer guests to drink.

Jesus’ mother noticed the problem. She told him about it, then instructed the servants to do whatever her son told them to do. What a leap of faith! Jesus didn’t think it was time for him to do anything yet. It was not his time. But Mary set the stage and he acted.

Water jugs for washing the feet of guests were not what one would expect to find used for wine. But Jesus instructed the servants to fill the jugs with water – just regular water. Then, he told them to serve it to the headwaiter for approval. The servants must have been very nervous about those instructions. The headwaiter was not going to be happy about receiving water from the washing-water jugs to drink! But somehow they accepted Mary’s vouching for her son’s ability to help and they filled the jugs with water, gave them to the headwaiter, and I suspect they were more astounded than the headwaiter to learn that the plain, old, everyday water had become fine wine.

“You have kept the good wine until now,” he said to the bridegroom with amazement. This observation sets the stage for Jesus’ mission. In fact, St. John says this was the first of the signs Jesus gave that revealed his glory – who he truly was and is. His disciples began to believe in him when they saw this sign. (Jn 2:1-11)

Why would this sign at a wedding signal the glory of the Lord present in a city in Galilee?

There is a history of weddings and the relationship between men and women, husbands and wives, in Hebrew religious tradition that points to the relationship God wants to have with humans. The prophet Isaiah speaks of this to the people who have returned from captivity in Babylon. The people who have returned to Jerusalem will rebuild the city and the temple. Their trust in God through their long exile will be vindicated, as God’s protection shines forth over the city like dawn breaking after a long night. Jerusalem’s victory is compared to a burning torch, shining brightly.

The people themselves, loved and freed by their God, will no longer be seen as forsaken and their land desolate.  God has rescued them and takes them as his bride, the one loved and protected as by a husband. It’s a new beginning. A time for great joy. An example and blessing of human love and marriage. (Is 62:1-5)

And so, when Jesus begins his ministry of teaching and healing at a wedding, we see a new beginning for humanity again. Just as the bride and groom begin their new lives together, so humans and the Lord begin a new relationship as children of God, heirs of the kingdom. The messenger has arrived. The best wine is ready to serve. The story begins.

We have many new beginnings in our lives as individuals and communities. Sometimes the new beginnings go smoothly. Other times they are more bumpy. Sometimes people are happy with the change. Other times they have their doubts about it. Sometimes people get along with each other. Other times they find all sorts of things about which to disagree and argue.

The people of Corinth got to arguing about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Which one was best? Who got the best gifts? Why did one person get a highly valued gift and another get one that was seen as humdrum and common? St. Paul reminded them that the gifts received from the Spirit were not a reward of any sort for good behavior. The gifts were from the Holy Spirit of God, given to each person in order to be used to help build up the community. One person might be called to offer wisdom. Another might be gifted with the ability to heal or to understand what the spirit is calling someone else to do. The gifts given to each person were only good insofar as they were used for the community as a whole. (1 Cor 12:4-11) Such controversies are not at all uncommon among people who live together and must find their way to agreement on what to do in any given situation. We look at a challenge and bring our own gifts to the effort to address it.

We are at a time in the world with many new challenges to address. Leadership of many countries is changing. The approach to solving common challenges facing communities and nations can vary widely. But it’s important to remember that we humans are loved like a bride by our God – all of us. As a result, we are called to love in return.

Part of that requirement of love is to listen to each other and honestly try to find ways to work together to solve common problems. How do we help those who have come to our homelands seeking protection? How do we help those who simply need work to support their families? How do we assure our fellow women and men that they and their children can get healthcare when they need it? How do we grow, harvest, and distribute food so that all can eat and grow to a healthy adulthood and old age? How do we find affordable housing for all? How do we educate and support our children, helping them grow to be loving, competent adults?

Just as at the wedding feast at Cana, Jesus is present when we invite him into these conversations. How will water be turned into wine in our lives? Will we trust him enough to put the water into the jars and take it out to those who will judge its quality and pass it on? Which gifts of the Spirit are we sent to bring to the conversation? Will we have the courage to speak based on insights we have received through the gifts we have received?

We are not just guests at a wedding this time. We are the Bride of our God, sisters and brothers of Jesus, children of the Father. May we always remember this and work to bring others into our family of love and support. The wedding feast has begun. It’s time to celebrate that love and take it into our world.

Readings for the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time – Cycle C

 

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Posted by on Jan 12, 2025

You are my Beloved Child

You are my Beloved Child

“You are my beloved child, with you I am well pleased.” These are words I suspect every person wishes to hear from a parent. We especially hope to hear them when things are tough and we are afraid we will never be able to live up to expectations – of our parents, society, teachers, family, or more devastatingly, of ourselves! “You are my beloved child. I am well pleased with you. You are trying so hard to do what is right. I love you always.”

Christmas Season comes to a close with The Baptism of the Lord. We celebrate this event in the life of Jesus on the Sunday after the Epiphany. Between the time of the stories told about his birth and the first few months of his life – with the exception of the story of the family visit to Jerusalem when he was 12 – and the revelation he experienced at his baptism in the Jordan River at about age 30, we know very little about his life. We know that he was a carpenter from Nazareth, son of a carpenter and therefore experienced in the trade from a young age. There was not anything particularly noteworthy about his life. Those who knew him were astounded and many were dismayed at the change in him that followed that baptism. “Who is he to be passing himself off as a healer and teacher? We have known him from childhood. He’s not anybody special – just a carpenter and son of a carpenter!”

And yet, as he was praying after coming up out of the water, he experienced something very special. The heavens opened and the Holy Spirit of God came upon him “in bodily form like a dove.” He heard a voice from heaven that said, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Lk 3:15-16, 21-22)

When we experience the direct touch of the Lord God, it is life-changing. Hearing directly or sensing directly the great love that created and keeps all in existence speaking directly to us or embracing us is not quickly forgotten or written off. We know only one thing matters, to accept and return that love.

For Jesus, that happened at his baptism. His response was wise, he went off to the desert to ponder the experience and pray. When he returned, it was as a man with a mission. To share the good news of God’s love and desire to heal a wounded world – to announce the coming of God’s kingdom.

Folks around him didn’t know what to make of him. He kept on speaking anyway. Some folks came to hear what he had to say. They didn’t always understand what he meant when he spoke of God’s unrestricted love for those whose lives were difficult or didn’t meet acceptable standards – folks like tax collectors or prostitutes. Some folks came out of curiosity. What will he do this time? Others came seeking healing for themselves or friends. People blind from birth became able to see. Those paralyzed could pick up their beds and walk home. Lepers found their skin healed at a word or touch. A child who was on his way to burial was returned alive to his widowed mother. Thousands of people were able to eat one day when he gave thanks for a few fish and loaves of bread offered by a child, then began to share them out to the crowd.

We will spend the next weeks and months hearing the stories of what resulted from that day at the River Jordan and the revelation received by Jesus.

This carpenter from Nazareth turned out to be the one long anticipated by the prophets – the one about whom Isaiah spoke when he proclaimed that the glory of the Lord would be revealed. “Prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! … The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together…” (Is 42:1-4, 6-7)  The Lord’s servant will come, the one who has received the Lord’s spirit, and bring forth justice to the nations, not shouting or crying out, but tending to the bruised reed, the smoldering wick, and healing all with a forgiving justice. (Is  40:1-5, 9-11)

Those who came to know and follow Jesus closely through the next three years of his life found their expectations and their understandings of the relationship between the Lord God and people to be much too narrow. They had to figure out who he was, the source of the authority with which he spoke, how to understand the counter-cultural things he sometimes said or did, his insistence on going into danger despite knowing full-well it could end badly for him. When he was condemned and executed, most of them took off and hid. But he came back, first revealing his resurrection to women, then to the others!

As his friends received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, they continued to reflect on what they had experienced. They learned, when the Spirit came to the Roman authority Cornelius and his household before they were baptized, that God’s grace and salvation were not restricted to any one chosen people but were for all humans! (Acts 10:34-38) They learned the importance of living justly and devoutly in their everyday lives, trusting that God’s mercy, which had opened them to receive the outpouring of the spirit, would guide them through life and lead them to eternal life. (Ti 2:11-14; 3:4-7)

We are still learning these lessons today. Our world is experiencing raging wars, repression of peoples, threats of trade wars between countries, deportation of millions of people who have already fled for their lives from their own home nations, fires and other natural disasters, and divisions among the peoples of nations. It’s a crazy, scary, unnerving, and anxious time.

Yet we remember the words Jesus heard on that day so long ago. “You are my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.” It was not a time of peace and ease in which he was living. The world has never really gotten to a point at which all people are living in peace, with access to all the basics needed for living. We too often think that if we take from others, things will be better for us. But that has never worked. It only breeds more conflict.

As we move from Christmas to our time of reflection on the life of Jesus in Ordinary (Counted) Time, may we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit to Jesus at his baptism. May we know deeply that the same Holy Spirit came to us at our baptisms and in the sacrament of Confirmation. He comes to us in Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, the sacraments of vocation, and our everyday experiences of living together through the challenges of life.

“You are my beloved child” – God speaks these words to each of us. Believe them. Live them. God doesn’t joke or lie about such things. They’re for real.

“You are my beloved child.”

Readings for The Baptism of the Lord – Cycle C

 

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Posted by on Jan 4, 2025

The Glory of the Lord Shining Forth

The Glory of the Lord Shining Forth

A child is born and, in most cases, happy parents and grandparents joyfully share the news with family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Once in a while, the coming of a child is not an expected or desired event, but in general, that is rare. Family help and support of the parents and newborn child is more common and helps create a bond that will last a lifetime, a bond of trust and security, the certainty of being loved and lovable.

When the child is born to an influential family, the news spreads more quickly and farther. Think of the cases of the children of the heir to a throne for example. The world waits and watches for the birth and the first glimpse of the child, presented by proud royal parents. For better or for worse, such children grow up in a spotlight, even when their parents strive mightily to shield them from sight. Their presence and the promise they embody awaken interest and attention far and wide.

At the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, we celebrate the coming of a royal child whose coming was not widely recognized, though anticipated for centuries.

We hear from St. Matthew of the coming of Magi, wise ones from the east who studied the skies for messages about world affairs. They had observed signs in the stars that indicated a royal child had been born in Israel, so they had set out with gifts for him and his family.

Israel had been conquered by Rome, but there was still a king ruling in the land. Accordingly, the Magi went to the palace in the capital city first, thinking that would be the place to find a royal infant. However, no child had been born there, nor was one expected. Their visit raised quite a stir. Messages written in the stars and read by sages from other nations were not to be ignored. There must be a child somewhere near who would be a threat to the royal family’s succession!

The coming of a king to restore the kingdom of Israel had long been foretold by prophets. Isaiah wrote of the triumph of Jerusalem as “the glory of the Lord” shone upon the city. Exiles who had returned from Babylon were rebuilding the city and the Temple following their time in captivity. Isaiah proclaimed that despite darkness covering the earth and its peoples, the Lord’s glory shining on the people of Israel would lead the other nations out of darkness. Their peoples would stream to Jerusalem, bearing riches of the sea and the wealth of nations, including gifts of gold and frankincense, and praising the Lord. (Is 60:1-6)

Now here were Magi bearing gifts and coming to the city of Jerusalem in search of a newborn king. Where would such a king be born? The prophecies all pointed to the city of David, the shepherd who had been anointed second king of Israel. The Lord had promised David that the Messiah would come from among his descendants. David’s hometown was Bethlehem, in the Kingdom of Judea. The Messiah was expected to be a person who would restore the nation and physically rule the country in all its glory as a power in the world, a ruler “who is to shepherd my people Israel.”

Herod relayed this information to the Magi, asking carefully about the timing of the appearance of the star and instructing them to find the child and report back to him, so he might “go and do him homage.” Then he sent them on their way to Bethlehem.

Arriving in Bethlehem, the star stopped moving and the Magi found Jesus and his parents. They bowed down in his honor and then presented the gifts they had brought – gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Wisely distrusting the word of Herod, the Magi returned home by another route, skipping the stop in Jerusalem. They took with them the news of the coming of this child, bearing witness to the larger world of this gift from the Lord. (Mt 2:1-12)

Epiphany is a word meaning manifestation. A breaking forth of something newly understood. We speak of unexpected insights as epiphanies, for example.

Historically, royal families were not particularly worried about the well-being of their subjects who were poor or suffering from disabilities or illness. Those who worked at low status occupations were not high on their list for attention or honor.

Yet this new king, the one foretold by the prophets, would be different. In Psalm 72, expectations of the king to come are laid out for us. “He shall govern your people with justice… Justice shall flower in his days… He will rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth… All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him…”

What makes this king so great? What is so different about him? The Lord has endowed him with the Lord’s own judgement. As a result, “He shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save.” (Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13).

This is the one who is to come. Not a mighty conqueror of the sort Herod feared. This is one who is even more powerful. He does not need to step on the poor or the afflicted to maintain power. His power includes care for those in need, for all those in need. No distinction between citizens and non-citizens for this king!

At Epiphany, we celebrate the coming and the shining forth of the one long foretold. This one, revealed by the Spirit to the apostles, to Paul, and to the prophets, has broken down the barriers that divided humanity into those who had been chosen for salvation and those who were excluded (the Gentiles). All are welcomed as coheirs of Christ’s promises, part of the same body, children of the same Father. (Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6)

A child was born. His family rejoiced. Not all welcomed him, but with God’s help (and the wisdom of the Magi to protect the secret of his whereabouts) he grew up and became the one who reconciled humanity with the Father and brought all of us into one family, his family.

In the days and weeks to come, may we remember that strength is not just a question of who is in political or economic power. Strength comes from how we treat each other. How we help and support those who are struggling to have enough to survive. How we welcome those who have been forced to flee their countries to protect their children – remember that Jesus’ parents had to do the same for him when Herod would have killed him!

We have great responsibilities in this world today. May we use our gifts wisely and share them generously. May the Glory of the Lord shine forth through our love of those we meet each day.

Happy Feast of the Epiphany, the shining forth and manifestation of the Lord!

Readings for The Epiphany of the Lord – Cycle C

 

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Posted by on Dec 29, 2024

Growing in Wisdom, Age, and Grace

Growing in Wisdom, Age, and Grace

When I was a girl, I loved going to visit my maternal grandparents. They lived in a big home, with a wonderful yard and friendly neighbors, one of whom was a girl about my age. It was approximately three hours from our home to theirs, so we always stayed for at least one day, usually over a weekend, from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. My mother was the oldest child, so when I was born, there were still children at home when we went there to visit. It was always fun to be with them. I clearly remember the meals in which after everyone had had their fill, my teenage uncle would finish the rest of the potatoes and gravy – “to fill up his hollow leg,” we were told.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot over the past few weeks as I have spent time with one very young grandchild and a couple who are older. I am now a grandmother (and have been for quite some time now). But this time, when a creeping baby and a toddler grace my days again, I am remembering how my own Grammy and Grandad welcomed us, helped us feel at home, and always had a place and time for us. I’m sure we were no more aware of all they did for us than our grandchildren are of what we do today. Somehow, food was ready, clothes were there to keep us warm or cool, and a lap full of books, stories, and love was always ready to receive us or comfort us when we fell or were afraid. I suspect they smiled and laughed as they observed our innocence and eager readiness to try new things or explore whatever we could get our hands on.

This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were ordinary folks from a small, conquered country in the Roman Empire, not far from the Sea of Galilee. Joseph was a carpenter and passed the trade on to his son. Mary became a mother at a young age, as was customary, and spent her days caring for her family and their home. They were part of an extended family; everyone was in those days. All knew their place and what was expected of them.  Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Grandparents shared the love of the family.

We don’t know much about the lives of the Holy Family. They weren’t famous or powerful, after all. We have a few stories about Jesus’ birth and the sojourn of the family in Egypt, a land visited to protect the newborn Jesus from the jealously of the local king, Herod. We also have St. Luke’s story of the time the family visited Jerusalem when Jesus was 12 years old. It was an annual pilgrimage and lots of people went there together, traveling in caravans. Jesus was not yet old enough to be considered a man.  He was only 12 and should have remained with his family and the other boys. But he didn’t. He stayed in Jerusalem, visiting the temple on his own and speaking with the teachers there.

Mary and Joseph were terribly frightened when they realized at the end of a day’s journey that their son had not actually been with the other parent all day. They returned immediately to Jerusalem, but it still took three days for them to find Jesus. They were quite upset with him. “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” Jesus, with the innocence and confidence of a child who is approaching adulthood responded, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

Jesus’ response made no sense to his parents. His father’s house was in Nazareth, after all, not the Temple in Jerusalem. Obediently, he returned to Nazareth with them and continued to learn and grow with them there. It wasn’t until he was much older that his life became dramatically different and he truly began to understand his calling. St. Luke tells us that as he grew up, “Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.” Lk 2:41-52

We too are called to grow in wisdom, age, and favor (or grace) before God and the other humans with whom we share this world. We are not alone. We are part of our personal families and part of the great family of humanity. We learn as we go along how to treat each other, what our roles will be in the world, how others will expect us to behave. Each culture has its own expectations for how men and women will behave and what their interpersonal interactions will be like. As followers of Jesus, we have the great gift of knowing that we are loved by our God who is the Father who loves us dearly, allows us to learn much on our own, and is always ready to have us run back to him for a hug and a new start when we realize we didn’t make the right choices.

St. Paul reminded the Colossians to put on “heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” and to love and forgive others freely. Love and the peace of Christ are to control our behavior and expectations. Col 3:12-27  St. John reminds us that as we love each other, as God commanded we do, we remain in God and God in us, because he gave us his Spirit. 1 Jn 3:1-2, 21-24  Sirach, speaking from an ancient wisdom tradition, reminds us to care for each other, honor those who are older than we, share with those who have fewer riches, and be kind to those whose abilities to care for themselves are failing with the years. Sir 3:2-6, 12-14

Most of us do not share the experience of Hannah and her husband, who were unable to have children for most of their lives together. Hannah begged the Lord for a child and was given a son in her older years. She dedicated this son, Samuel, to the Lord when he was three and he grew up to be one of the last prophet/judges who led Israel before the anointing of Saul as first king of Israel. 1 Sm 1:20-22, 24-28

Those of us who have been blessed with children ordinarily watch them grow in wisdom, age, and favor with the Lord and with other people. We marvel at the adults they become and smile as we watch them teaching their little ones the same things we taught them. As their children, our grandchildren, play with some of the same toys, we smile, knowing the gifts we received from our parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents (I knew mine), are tumbling along like a mountain creek, bringing new life and possibilities to those they will meet as they travel through life.

May we all grow in wisdom, age, and favor with the Lord today, as we close out this tumultuous calendar year and enter a new one. May we have courage to love and to speak out for those in need or for those with less influence or power. May we ponder the tidbits of wisdom that spring from the mouths of the children and young people in our lives. May we humbly share what we have learned and the hope that through all things, God is with us. Emanuel has come. Peace and joy and hope will mark our passage through life as we patiently accept each day and pour love into it.

Peace be with you.

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Posted by on Dec 22, 2024

Never Too Small to Matter

Never Too Small to Matter

There is a phenomenon known as the Butterfly Effect which shows that tiny changes in air patterns can produce unexpected results far away. The example given was of the motion of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil that could lead to a tornado in Texas. While that example is most likely not something that has actually happened, the image is based on computer simulations of weather patterns beginning over 60 years ago. Tiny changes in the numbers being used caused major shifts in the predicted outcomes of the simulations.

Sometimes when our lives take different paths than expected, or changes happen that could never have been anticipated, we are tempted to think, “What could I ever do to make a difference?” When we are not in positions of power or influence, we wonder whether anyone in power cares about what we think. We question the value of a letter to the editor or our elected officials. Yet those in such leadership positions will tell you that these letters and phone calls are very important to them. One member of a city plan commission and city councilman I knew well, my father, read every personal letter he received. He threw away the petitions with loads of signatures because he knew how easy it is to sign a petition just to get past the person outside the door of the grocery store!

Love is one of those things that doesn’t have to be great or dramatic in the beginning to have outsized results over time. It doesn’t have to start in a palace or a government building. It doesn’t need money or fame to appear. It can be shared by small children and old ones who are nearing the end of their sojourn on earth. It can be as simple as a personal letter.

The prophet Micah spoke of Bethlehem as small and seemingly insignificant. “You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth one who is to be ruler in Israel …” From a small village, the one will come who will stand firm and shepherd the flock “by the strength of the Lord, in the majestic name of the Lord, his God.” The greatness of this one would be peace, reaching to the ends of the earth. Not going to be a warrior or one who conquers many peoples, rather, this one will personify peace and welcome all. Mi 5:1-4a

Over seven hundred years later, two women conceived sons. The women were cousins. One was older and married to one of the priests who served at the temple in Jerusalem. She had never previously been able to have a child. The younger, from Nazareth in Galilee, was engaged, but not yet married. Both pregnancies were unexpected and announced by the angel Gabriel, God’s messenger. Though neither of the women lived in Bethlehem, both were descendants of the great King David who was originally from Bethlehem. Bethlehem, located not too far from Jerusalem, had been a small town when David grew up there and was still a small town.

When Gabriel told Mary that her older cousin was six months pregnant, it was a surprise to Mary. She immediately left Nazareth to go up to her cousin’s home and help. It was not an easy or particularly safe journey for a young woman traveling on her own, but she got there. As she approached, Elizabeth saw her coming and went out to meet her. St. Luke tells us that the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and welcomed Mary, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” We still offer these words of greeting and praise to Mary, over two thousand years later. Elizabeth summed it all up with a simple statement. “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Lk 1:39-45

One person who said “Yes” to the Lord was the key that made possible the coming of the one who would be peace. As it turned out, a simple young woman’s consent was not too small to matter.

Her son also seemed like one who would be too insignificant to make much of a difference in the world. A carpenter from a small town in Galilee, who heard the Lord’s voice when he was baptized in the Jordan River by his cousin John, discovered his call to announce the coming of the Kingdom of God. He began preaching and teaching, healing the sick, and making clear that offerings of animals in sacrifice were not the key to salvation. The coming of the kingdom of God required a new kind of obedience, one that put love of neighbor on a par with love of oneself. It was not a question of worldly power. It was a question of the power of love to transform people and societies. He was executed for his faithful witness to this truth he came to proclaim. With his resurrection, his teaching was vindicated and one man, son of the living God, brought reconciliation to all. Heb 10:5-10

As we move through life, we too are called to be the ones whose loving words and actions, small and seemingly unimportant as they are, open doors, heal hearts, and share the good news of God’s loving presence in our world and our lives with all we meet.

Just a few more days to the birthday celebration for that second little boy, the one who was born in Bethlehem after all. May peace be with you, with all of us, as we stop and remember that nothing and no one is too small or unimportant to matter. Let the Jubilee begin!

Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent – Cycle C

 

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Posted by on Dec 15, 2024

Rejoicing – Not Just for Easy Times

Rejoicing – Not Just for Easy Times

My father used to say, when one of us fell down or bumped into something as we learned to walk or ride a bike or roller skate, “Into each life some rain must fall.” He meant it in a supportive, loving way. We would fall, but we would also get up. We would try again and again, until we reached our goal. Sometimes the goal was as seemingly simple as walking across the room alone.  Sometimes it was something an older person’s perspective would perceive as more difficult, such as finishing a school assignment, or learning to clean up after ourselves, or dealing with a difficult teacher or classmate. In each case, the challenge was not something trivial to the one who was struggling to learn, but it was encouraging to know we were not alone in the struggle. “Into each life…” Not just mine or yours.

As we approach the Jubilee year focused on living as Pilgrims of Hope, we find ourselves living in a world filled with conflicts, fear, and uncertainty. Bombs are falling and bullets are flying in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Nations struggle over territory, gangs fight for control of the manufacture and distribution of dangerous drugs, strongmen govern nations, and religious groups seek to impose their beliefs on neighboring peoples. Our own nation is not immune to these conflicts.

This is not anything new. It’s been going on for thousands of years. As humans we haven’t yet figured out how to respect and care for each other and the lands on which we live. We all too easily believe that our ways are the only correct ways and our explanatory systems are the only correct ones. So, thinking we are acting in the best interest of others, we seek to make others “see the light” and do it our way. Needless to say, this is not always welcomed.

Yet we are called to hope, to peace, to joy, and to love as we go about our lives.

The prophet Zephaniah wrote of the coming destruction of Jerusalem and surrounding lands about 50 years before the land of Judah was conquered by Babylon. He spoke of moral decline and warned of punishment, for his nation and the world. However, he also proclaimed a day of joyful triumph to come after the great time of trials. The rain might come, but the sun would shine again, as my father reminded us when he picked up and comforted a child.

In the ode to joy near the end of the book, Zephaniah cries out, “Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! … Be glad and exult with all your heart … The Lord your God is in your midst … he will rejoice over you … renew you in his love, he will sing joyfully because of you…” Zep 3:14-18a

God is present in all things and at all times, the source of strength, courage, and salvation. So, there is reason for us to be joyful. “Shout with exultation, O city of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel,” cries Isaiah. (Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6 )

John the Baptist was questioned by those who came out to receive baptism from him at the Jordan River. “What should we do?” Speaking in the same terms we hear from prophets throughout the Hebrew scriptures, John was very specific. Share what you have with those who don’t have the basics. Don’t cheat or steal from other people or falsely accuse anyone. Be content with what you have.

Such words led the people to question whether this might be the Christ, the anointed one who was to come, but John was not tempted to claim that role. He pointed to the “one mightier than I” who was coming. This one, whose identity he did not yet know, would “baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Good news for all who would hear it. Lk 3:10-18

In the letter to the Philippians, St. Paul instructed us all, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!”

Life as a follower of Jesus was not easy in those days. It was not the faith of large numbers of people or of nations. There was a lot of opposition. It’s still not easy to follow faithfully, though it’s somewhat more acceptable and generally not illegal. Yet Jesus’ followers are to rejoice and be kind to all, because “the Lord is near.”  We can ask God for what is needed, giving thanks as we do, because God’s peace surrounds and guards our minds and hearts. Our Father is there to pick us up, dust us off, and send us forward to try again, with the assurance of his presence. Phil 4:4-7

“Into each life some rain must fall,” but also, into each life much joy can and will be present, because we are loved and supported – cherished by the One who made us and who entered into our human lives to learn and grow as we each must. The Holy One of Israel is in our midst even today.

As we move through this third week of Advent, may we be joyful and hopeful in our activities and interactions with others, even when ordinary happiness might seem elusive. Storms come. Winds blow. Nations rise and fall. Yet the Lord is present among us, loving us, encouraging us, giving us strength to keep getting up when we fall and move forward on the journey of love. There is still much to be done as the Kingdom grows and spreads joy through our world, using our smiles and open, welcoming hearts along the way.

Readings for the Third Sunday of Advent – Cycle C

 

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Posted by on Dec 1, 2024

A Time for Hope and Preparation

A Time for Hope and Preparation

A new year begins again. This one doesn’t follow our typical calendar of 356 days. This one is set to begin on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. The season celebrated during this brief time is known as Advent – a word meaning “arrival.”

The First Sunday of Advent looks forward with hope to the coming of Christ. This year, we also enter into the final weeks of preparation for the Jubilee year which will begin with the opening of a special door of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Holy Door, in Rome on December 24. This door is sealed at all times outside of Jubilees.

The them of this Jubilee is “Pilgrims of Hope.” The readings for this day support the theme of hope on the way.

The Prophet Jeremiah lived in the times just before and during the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. He attributed the military defeat by the armies of Babylon to unfaithfulness to the Covenant, particularly on the part of the ruling royal family. He predicted the conquest and lived to see it happen. Yet he never stopped sharing the messages of hope he received from the Lord. He spoke the warnings and the frightening messages, but he also spoke the hopeful ones.

“The days are coming…” “I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah…” “I will raise up for David a just shoot…”  “Judah shall be safe…” Jerusalem will be called “The Lord our justice.”

Terrible things may happen. Nations will be conquered. Peoples will be displaced. But the Lord is still present. The Lord will take care of the people of the Covenant. A new leader will come, raised up by the Lord and doing “what is right and just in the land.” It is a time for hope in the Lord’s word. (Jer 33:14-16)

As a child and man of the Covenant, Jesus was immersed in these traditions of national independence and prosperity, transitions in which the nation moved away from the Covenant’s guidance, and resulting ultimate conquest by another nation.  Each time the cycle played out, eventually the Lord was seen to intervene and bring the nation back to prosperity and safety.

As his life neared its end, Jesus spoke of what would happen at some time after his death. He was not naïve about the risks he was taking by being in Jerusalem and preaching the message he had come to deliver. He knew it would not likely end well for him. He spoke prophetically about what would happen at the end of time, when the Son of Man returned to Earth in triumph. The description of the “signs in the sun, the moon, and stars, and on earth” sound like things many of us have seen in our lifetimes, but the sense of the words is that they will happen on a much larger scale. “People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world…”

Yet Jesus does not tell his followers to be afraid when fearsome things begin to happen. They/We must not allow ourselves to be pulled into fear or anxiety or indifference to what is happening in the world around us. Jesus says, “Stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” The changes coming will be challenging. There will be hard things that must be faced and addressed. But “Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations… and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Lk 3:12-42)

As the followers of Jesus went out into the world to share the word of what they had seen and experienced, communities grew in many cities. St. Paul and others wrote to the people in these cities, encouraging them in their faith, continuing to teach them and deal with the problems that arise in human communities. He wrote to the Thessalonians to encourage them to strengthen their hearts in preparation for meeting God. He and other early Christians expected Jesus’ return to be very soon after the Resurrection. That proved not to be the case, but the advice remains firm for us today as well. We are all to behave in ways pleasing to God and follow the instructions we have received, with the help of the Lord Jesus. (1 Thes 3:12-4:2)

As we move through these next few weeks toward Christmas and toward the official beginning of the Jubilee Year, we are called to continue our faithful following of the Lord’s teaching on justice and loving service.

This is a time of transition in the United States. Transitions are happening in other nations as well. The requirement to live in love, service, and justice for all does not end. It is not based on who wins elections. It is not negotiable.

We must continue to help those in need. We must continue to support those who come to our nation from afar, seeking opportunities and safety from violence and persecution. We must offer a smile and friendship to those among us whose bodies don’t necessarily outwardly meet our expectations of who they are. We must protect children and families, giving help and support so they can have the chance to get through hard times and back on their feet. We must care for the sick and those who are unable to care for themselves any longer. We must reach out to support others around the world who are living in difficult conditions and need a helping hand. We are called to live the Beatitudes and be Pilgrims of Hope on the journey through life.

We are all in this life together. We have different gifts, different opportunities, different wounds and challenges, but we are all in this together. We must help each other, not get in the way of and push aside those who are different than we are.

Pilgrims of Hope. Are we ready for Christmas? Probably not yet. Are we ready for the Jubilee? Maybe not yet. Are we excitedly preparing? I sure hope so. It’s a special blessing to live in this time. Jubilees don’t happen often. Let’s take advantage of this one to live and work in hope.

Readings for the First Sunday of Advent – Cycle C

 

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Posted by on Jan 1, 2022

A Day for Celebration – January 1, 2022

A Day for Celebration – January 1, 2022

January 1 is a day for celebration and hope. Of course, we celebrate the beginning of a new calendar year that we share world-wide. We hope for health, friendship, peace, prosperity, good fortune, love, and so on. We know that challenges will arise and losses will occur. But we look forward with hope.

After two years of global pandemic, with a new and more contagious variant of COVID-19 spreading quickly, we face another year of uncertainty and challenges. Still, we are cautiously optimistic. Vaccines have been developed. They seem to be working. Human immune systems, in those vaccinated, are going beyond just forming anti-bodies against the virus and are now awakening the T-cells that provide longer lasting protection. We know much about the virus, including preventive measures and treatments that help. We’ve come a long way.

On the religious front, we also have many things to celebrate. It’s the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. This is what we celebrate in our liturgies for January 1. Mary, a simple young Jewish woman, became the mother of the child who grew up to be the long-awaited Messiah, the one who gave himself totally to the will of God and in so doing restored the family ties between God and humans. Jesus, the Word of God, was fully human and fully divine. Mary was his mother, the woman who taught him and nurtured his relationship with their God. She and Joseph, her husband, did not understand all that was happening through them. They were ordinary people called to do something truly extraordinary. We hear in the gospel (Lk 2:16-21) that after the visit of the shepherds, Mary reflected on all the things she had seen and heard there in Bethlehem where her son was born.

At the end of the reading from St. Luke’s gospel, we hear that on the eighth day after his birth, Jesus was circumcised and given his name, “the one given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” The circumcision of the Lord is another thing traditionally celebrated on this day. Jesus became one of God’s chosen people, a member of the Jewish community on this day. He received his name, Yeshua (in Hebrew and Aramaic), which means God saves.

As a child, Jesus grew up as a member of the Hebrew people, with all the traditions of his people. He lived under the law given to Moses and was blessed with the same words of blessing that God gave to the people through Aaron and the priests who followed him down through the centuries. “The Lord bless you and keep you!” (Num 6:22-27)

When he was grown, he was called at his baptism in the Jordan River from his career as a tradesman in Nazareth to preach the good news of the coming of the kingdom of God. As St. Paul explains (Gal 4:4-7), he was born under the law, yet he was the one who would move beyond the restrictions of the law that kept humans and God separated. He was the one whose coming set free those born under the law, ransomed them to become children of God and heirs of the kingdom. This kingdom expanded to include all peoples, because God created and loves all peoples.

The final thing we celebrate today is World Day of Peace, a day to celebrate and work towards a culture of care and tolerance for each other. As children of one heavenly Father, we are called to reach out to each other, both in our own communities and around the world. We are to see each other as members of the same family. We can have our differences of opinion and do things differently, but we are still all God’s children. We must love each other and care for each other.

Pope Francis shares his vision for the 55th annual celebration of World Day of Peace in his message: Dialogue Between Generations, Education and Work: Tools for Building Lasting Peace.

On this day of many celebrations, may we continue to receive the blessing offered by Aaron for the people of God. May the Lord’s face shine upon us. May he be gracious to us and grant us peace!

Happy New Year!

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Posted by on Dec 25, 2021

God’s Recipe for Change: Step Two – Get Personally Involved!

God’s Recipe for Change: Step Two – Get Personally Involved!

Christmas is upon us. The word itself tells us much. This is the day and season during which the Mass we celebrate, our Eucharist, is specifically a celebration of thanksgiving for the coming of the Christ, God’s Chosen and Anointed One. Christ’s Mass!

Usually, I would look at the readings for the Mass of the day and talk about them. Who is featured? What is the message for us? Are there any common themes? How do the themes of the readings speak to me (and to us) today?

However, there are many Masses for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Many parishes only choose one set of them, because it’s easier to prepare just one homily, worship aid, set of hymns, etc. But which one will my parish choose? Which one will your parish choose? Will your parish celebrate each of them in turn?

The first set of readings is for Christmas vigil – Christmas Eve – and features Matthew’s listing of the genealogy of Jesus from Abraham, through David, to St. Joseph (Mt 1:1-25). This is followed by the narration of the decision of Joseph to accept Mary as his wife, even though she was pregnant before they were living together as man and wife. He believed and accepted the word of the angel who came to him in a dream with the message that this was God’s child.

The second set of readings is for Christmas night (midnight Mass). In these readings, St. Luke (2:1-14) picks up the story with the decree of Caesar Augustus that all must return to the town of their ancestors for a census and taxation. There are very specific names of officials in various regions of Palestine given, which tells us historically the timeframe of the events which follow. Luke tells us of Jesus’ birth in the stable and of the message to the shepherds carried by the angels. “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

The Mass at Dawn has Luke (2:15-20) telling of the decision of the shepherds to go and find the child. They find him in Bethlehem, lying in a manger, just as the angels had described. When they leave the stable, they tell everyone they meet about what they have heard and seen, “glorifying and praising God.”

The final Mass for Christmas is for Christmas Day. This one gives us the Prologue from the Gospel of St. John (1:1-18). This gospel was written many years after the Resurrection. It reflects a long period of theological reflection on the mystery of what has happened in history. In John’s Gospel, the focus is more on the divinity of Jesus. What he does is done deliberately and because God is in charge of the whole process.

The Prologue begins: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” It goes on to say that “He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him… And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…”

The combined readings of all the Masses of Christmas tell the story of Salvation History from the beginning of creation through the birth of Jesus. The first and second readings of each of these Masses also differ – but the themes are similar in their focus on Salvation History. In the first readings, we see in great joy the coming of the Lord, or a return from exile, a rebirth of the community. In the second readings we hear of the early Church’s proclamation of the good news to the Jewish community (Acts 13:16-17, 22-25) and also their reflection on the effects of the coming of “our great God and savior Jesus Christ” (Ti 2:13) in the letters to Titus and the Hebrews.

In the weeks and months to come, we will learn more about the continued unfolding of that history in the life of Jesus and the birth of the Church, but for today, we stop and celebrate a wondrous reality. God cares enough about us that God chose to become one of us. This is the crux of the matter that we celebrate today. God’s plan for change included getting personally involved. God became a human being, with a name, a family history, a life story. In doing this, God shows a total commitment to making things better for all of us. We are not condemned to everlasting battles, unhappiness, struggles for justice. God got involved personally to lead the way into a new way of being human.

Let us take time today to rejoice and be glad. The Lord has come!

God’s Recipe for Change: Step Two – Get Personally Involved!

Merry Christmas!

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Posted by on Dec 19, 2021

God’s Recipe for Change: Start Small

God’s Recipe for Change: Start Small

Imagine with me for a moment what might happen in a world in which the rich and powerful controlled all the resources and took advantage of those who were weak or in a position of less power on a regular basis. In this world, maybe no one thought twice about whether this was the right thing to do or not. There was a sense that those who had the power and wealth had earned it through their own hard work and those who had little were in that situation because they didn’t work hard enough.

Now suppose a group of folks who have lived lives of privilege in this world began for one reason or another to think that maybe with a little help, those who had barely enough to survive would have a better chance of earning enough to live a more secure life if they had just a little bit more money for food, or maybe got to attend better schools, or had a roof over their heads. So they declare a War on Poverty and begin spending money to make big changes in availability of food, housing, and education. And things begin to get better for those at the bottom of the ladder. Poverty doesn’t go away. Those at the bottom still have little chance of jumping clear up into the top ranks of their society, but their lives get easier and more secure.

Often we think that change has to come through formal programs, with large amounts of money being spent. In fact, for that kind of broad economic and societal change, large amounts of money are necessary in a big society. But what leads those who can put such sums together to take such steps to help?

We get a hint in the readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent. In these readings we see what might be described as God’s recipe for change. The Lord God often wants to see big changes in the way we interact with each other and with God. But God doesn’t come riding onto the scene like some sort of hero in a movie, with guns blazing and large numbers of soldiers on either side. God works very quietly through ordinary people.

Micah was a prophet around the same time as Isaiah and Jeremiah. He came from the hill country and called the people of Judah back to faithfulness to the covenant. This was during the time when the Assyrians were conquering the kingdoms to the north. Micah warned the people and their leaders that God was not happy with their worship of idols and failure to take care of the poor and unprotected of their world. He warned that Judah would also be conquered and the people sent into exile. Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed as punishment for their unfaithfulness.

But Micah didn’t stop with the prophecy of destruction of the nation, he spoke God’s promise to restore the land and its people (Mi 5:1-4a). A new ruler would come, born of an ancient family, and lead the people to true peace and prosperity. The family of the new ruler would be from Bethlehem, a very small town close to Jerusalem, but so small that conquering kings wouldn’t bother with it. Bethlehem was the hometown of David, the second king of Israel. The Lord had promised that the Messiah would come from David’s line.

Jeremiah, another prophet from about the same period, mentioned that Micah’s teaching influenced King Hezekiah to begin some reforms. The early Christians remembered Micah’s words promising the coming of the Messiah and recognized Jesus as the one whose coming had been predicted so long ago.

The author of Hebrews (Heb 10:5-10) also speaks of the work of one who comes with little fanfare or wealth, but is responsible for bringing about major changes. Jesus comes not with an army of angels, but rather with only his own human body and the willingness to obey the will of the father. Jesus speaks the words of the Father so faithfully that it leads to the cross. He continues to obey, faithful even in the face of a terrible public execution. “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,” he says, quoting the prophets. But he gives his own body, his own life, in fulfillment of his Father’s will. This sacrifice replaces the old tradition of animal sacrifice. Doing God’s will is what matters in the end, not how many animals are sacrificed.

Again, we see one person responding to God’s call and spreading the news of God’s care for all people. The faithfulness of that one person has been multiplied countless times in the centuries that followed his life.

Finally, today we hear the story of Elizabeth and Mary (Lk 1:39-45). Two cousins. One an older woman who had never been able to conceive and bear a child. The other a girl barely old enough to have a child. A girl who is not even married or making a home with her husband yet. The girl, having received news of her cousin’s pregnancy, hurries to visit her cousin and rejoice with her. When Elizabeth sees Mary approaching, she calls out a beautiful greeting, inspired by the Holy Spirit. “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Mary is blessed because she believed the promise delivered by God’s angel and consented to be part of God’s recipe for change in the world. She would bear and raise a son who would grow up to be the long-awaited one through whom God would change the world. Elizabeth, pregnant with the final prophet, the one who would introduce Jesus to the world through his own followers, salutes her cousin as the child in her womb leaps for joy.

Each of these stories tells of individuals whose response to God’s call set in motion changes that have affected millions of people. Much of what we take for granted today did not exist before people received God’s message of love and care for the least protected or powerful among us. Schools for all. Hospitals that care for all who come in need of help. Public libraries. Women’s rights. Representative government. Health care for the poor and middle class, as well as the rich. So many, many blessings we all take for granted.

Is it all done yet? No. Is there more that needs to be done to make this world more in line with God’s vision? Absolutely. Do we need to have armies or major financial backing to begin to make a difference? No. We just need to keep our eyes and ears open to hear the messages sent to each of us by our God. We each have a role to play in God’s plan. Like a good recipe for bread or stew, many things come together to make a rich and satisfying dish. The work of many individuals alone and together also bears fruit.

In this final week of Advent, let’s take a little time to listen for the call of God. What is it that God is calling us to do? What gifts and talents do we have that we can share? What are we already doing?

Few of us will ever be famous or recognized for major changes to the structure of society or to the sum total of human knowledge. But each of us is called to do something. It may be something very small. That’s OK. Just be open and do what the Lord sends that needs your touch. And together we can begin to bridge the chasms of disagreement, anger, distrust, and even hatred that so afflict our world today.

God’s recipe for change: Start small.

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Posted by on Dec 12, 2021

Our God Rejoices and Renews Us in His Love

Our God Rejoices and Renews Us in His Love

Gaudete Sunday is another name for the Third Sunday of Advent. The name comes from the first words in Latin of the Introit, the psalm or hymn at the beginning of the Mass. Today’s Introit begins with words from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians (4:4-7), “Rejoice in the Lord always.” The passage in this letter is filled with hope and joy. Rejoice! The Lord is near. The Lord cares about us. So don’t be afraid of anything. Ask God with confident thanksgiving for what is needed. And our hearts and minds will be filled with God’s peace. This is truly wonderful news.

We can see a similar theme in the reading from the prophecy of Zephaniah (3:14-18a). Zephaniah was another of the prophets who lived during the time of King Josiah (640 – 609 BC). This was a time when the kingdom of Judah was allied with the Assyrians and had adopted many of the gods and practices of their allies. Zephaniah’s prophecy came during the first 10 years of Josiah’s reign. It’s a short piece, just three chapters. The unfaithfulness of the people of Judah and some of their leaders is set forth. The statement that the unfaithfulness would be punished follows. Yet there is hope after all, because a small remnant of those faithful to the Lord remain. In the end, those faithful ones will survive. Zephaniah cries out, “Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel!” Why? Because the King of Israel (who is the Lord) is present among them. This Lord “will rejoice over you with gladness and renew you in his love.”

What a wonderful image! How hopeful for us all – Our Lord God rejoices over us and sings joyfully because of us.

This theme is repeated in the Responsorial Psalm, which today is actually a passage from the prophet Isaiah. “Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.”

With such a long history of faithfulness on God’s part and varying periods of being faithful and falling away among the people, the appearance of a new prophet in Israel was always of interest. This is especially true when the nation has been conquered and the people are ruled by foreign powers. Who will come to lead the nation to freedom this time? Will this be the time that a new kingdom begins and Israel again becomes a powerful nation? Who is the chosen of the Lord this time?

When John the Baptist arrived on the scene, people were ready for a change. They hated paying taxes to Rome. The riches of their nation were being taken for the use of others in the empire. Foreign rulers were making sure no dissent could safely be voiced. Those who opposed their rule were executed. Who would come to save the people?

John came speaking of repentance and paving the way of the Lord who is coming. He quoted the ancient prophets who spoke of the Chosen One coming to restore the glory of Israel. “What should we do?” the people ask. How do we prepare for the coming of the Chosen One? How do we make straight the path?

John gives very practical answers. If you have two cloaks, give one to a person who has none. If you have extra food, share it. If your job is to collect taxes, only collect the amount owed. Don’t take extra for yourself (a legal and common practice that made tax collectors particularly unpopular). If you are a soldier, don’t use threats to make people pay you. Don’t accuse anyone falsely. Be content with what you are paid, don’t go around making people pay extra to be left in peace.

These are all things that most of us would say make perfect sense. In fact, much of our social contract is based on these types of behaviors as the rule for all. However, then as now, there are always those whose approach is different – those who want to see how much they can get for themselves. John’s words gave great hope to his listeners. Could this be the promised one? Could he be the Christ?

Again, we might not phrase this question in terms of promised ones or messiahs. We live in different times. Our challenge is to evaluate the latest fads, the celebrity of the day, the newest consumer goods or leisure activities. Is any of these going to prepare us for the coming of the Lord in our midst? Is any of these what will make clear that the Lord is already in our midst?

John told the people that one mightier than he was coming. This one would fill them with the Holy Spirit of God and gather them safely like a farmer bringing the harvest into a barn at harvest time. St. Luke tells us, “Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people.” (Lk 3:10-18)

Words of encouragement. The Lord is coming. The Lord rejoices with us. The Lord takes delight in us. Truly good news for all.

Today let us rejoice. The Lord has come and is joyfully among us. Let’s open our eyes and our hearts to see and share this joy.

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Posted by on Dec 5, 2021

The Lord Comes in Historical Times

The Lord Comes in Historical Times

Once upon a time …  Many stories we tell begin with a reference to a time long ago and far away. These stories relate important truths, but the actual facts of what happened may or may not be true. As storyteller and theologian Megan McKenna likes to say, “All stories are true and some of them actually happened.”

The readings for the Second Sunday of Advent differ from many of the stories we encounter in the first books of the Bible. The first books were written hundreds if not thousands of years after the events they describe. Some of them are clearly not historical – “In the beginning …” Others present a picture of how things came to be, somewhat like fables we learn as children. Some tell stories of the first families from whom all are descended. Details of these stories are hard to document in terms of our modern understanding of history. But in the readings today we have historical details that support the narrative, the story being told.

The first reading comes from Baruch (5:1-9). Baruch was an aristocrat, a member of the court of King Zedekiah just before the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem. He was also a scribe for Jeremiah the prophet. We know this from a history written by Josephus, a Jewish historian in the first century. In the book of Baruch, Jerusalem is described as a woman mourning the death of a loved one – sitting in clothes that indicate she is mourning during the first seven days after the death. A woman “sitting shiva.” Baruch speaks words of hope. “Take off your robe of mourning and misery, put on the splendor of glory from God forever.” She is to put on a cloak of justice and wear a mitre (a special turban or hat) proclaiming the glory of God’s name, like that worn by Aaron when the Israelites traveled with Moses through the desert.

Jerusalem will see her children returning from exile, being led back by God. As they come, the mountains will be leveled and the gorges will be filled ahead of them, so the road back will be smooth and secure. Fragrant trees will protect the way and welcome the travelers, as Israel is led by God in glory, with mercy and justice personified as their companion.

What a glorious hope for a people suffering exile in the land of their enemies! This book was probably written long after that time described, but the person whose name it bears is known to have lived during the time just before and during the exile. It is a book of prayers, poems, and prophecies filled with hope.

Psalm 126 repeats the refrain of the joy of exiles returning from foreign lands. Those who watch them return marvel, “The Lord has done great things for them.” They return carrying the fruits of the harvest that has grown during their time of exile. They have not remained helplessly suffering and stagnating. During their time of exile, they have grown.

The Gospel of Luke begins before the birth of either Jesus or his cousin John, but today we hear some of the story of the prophetic travels and activities of John (Lk 3:1-6). This section begins with a long list of political rulers, the timeframe in which it occurs, the regions they governed, and their leadership positions. We get a very real sense of what was going on in the Roman empire, Palestine, and Jerusalem as John and Jesus come onto the scene – two cousins who will unexpectedly become influential in their world. Both men are from families that would not ordinarily have attracted any attention at all. John’s father was a priest at the temple. Jesus’ father was a tradesman in the town of Nazareth in the north of the country near the sea of Galilee. Yet both men played critical roles in the drama of reconciliation between God and humans – salvation history.

“In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea … the word of the Lord came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.” John had been living as a hermit in the desert for many years, but the Lord called him to action. He began to call people to repentance, to change their way of behaving towards each other and move towards the freedom of living in God’s forgiveness and justice. As a symbol of this transition, he used baptism, a ritual of purification with water that was deeply rooted in his Jewish tradition. He spoke of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” Valleys are to be filled and mountains leveled. Everything that can get in the way of those who seek the Lord is to be leveled. “All flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Many years after John the Baptist announced the coming of the Lord, St. Paul sends a letter to the community of believers in Philippi (Phil 1:4-6, 8-11). This is a community to which Paul has brought the message of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. They are people he knows and loves. They are also people whom he is not likely ever to see again. He writes while he is a prisoner in Rome, awaiting the judgement that will result in his release or his execution. He shares the joy he feels in their faith and commitment to the life of the gospel. He expresses his deep-seated love for them and prays that their love will grow and deepen each day, so they will be pure and blameless at Christ’s return. Love in the sense of the word he uses is love with no limits and no strings attached. Love in the best and deepest sense of the word, a love that leads to purity of heart.

Paul’s words speak to us too. We too are called to this deep love and to growth in love throughout our lives. Hearing the word of the Lord is only the first step on the road to salvation, the road to the fullness of life in God’s kingdom. We grow each day as we practice loving and caring for each other and those whom the Lord sends our way. The child who bumps into us in the grocery store. The stranger who doesn’t know the roads in our town and makes sudden moves to get into the lane just ahead of us to make a turn. The family member who will never (insert your pet peeve here). The man on the street who cries out in madness, unable to find release from the illness that torments his mind. The uneducated woman who travels from another country with her young daughter, seeking a safe place to live and protection from those who would kill them both because her husband is a police officer.

Many opportunities open up each day, calling for us to reach out in love. God is coming. God has come. God lives among us. How do I make the ways straight for others to experience his presence? Do I notice the valleys that have been filled and the mountains leveled to help us to pass? Will I continue to grow in love? How will you and I spend our Advent time? Will we be bearers of peace and hope in our world?

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Posted by on Nov 28, 2021

A Time for Hope and Expectation – The Lord is Coming

A Time for Hope and Expectation – The Lord is Coming

One of the wonderful things about being a mother and grandmother is the chance to read stories to children. So many wonderful stories I have read to children at bedtime and in the car as we were traveling – stories that I would never have even known existed had I remained always in the adult world. Just last night I sat up and re-read the final chapters of The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan. It is a story I read with my daughter when it was new. Now my grandson has just finished reading it and I re-read it so I could talk with him about it as he enjoyed it for the first time. (Besides that, it’s a really good story with a lot of unexpected twists and turns that I had long ago forgotten.)

The Lightning Thief is the first of several series of stories that take as their inspiration Greek, Roman, Norse, and Egyptian mythologies – the stories of the gods and their interactions among themselves and with humans. This particular story is about a boy who discovers he is a demi-god whose father is Poseidon, god of the seas. A favorite tool of one of the gods has been stolen and a war is about to break out among them if the tool is not found and returned. Among the gods, it is widely believed that our hero has stolen the tool. The story goes from there as he discovers who he is, what has been stolen, who is believed to have it, where it actually is, and whether it can be recovered in time to prevent the war. A marvelously impossible and improbable quest for a group of children in middle school to engage upon, it is an engrossing story for the reader to share.

This story came to mind this morning as I was thinking about the readings for the First Sunday of Advent. It’s a brand new year for us as Church and once again we hear apocalyptic writings of things that are to come at the end of time. We’ve had a lot of these readings lately. One year ends with them and the new year begins with them.

Why do we have this kind of writing anyway? Why not just state clearly that at some future date the universe will end. At some date each of us will end our lives here. At some point we will meet the Lord. Earthquakes happen. Climate fluctuates over time. Storms come and go, both literally and figuratively. And so forth…

We have these kinds of stories because our understanding of the world is incomplete. Humans have existed for thousands of years, but much of what we know of how the geology, chemistry, physics, psychology, and inter-personal relations behind our daily experience operate has only been uncovered in the last few hundred years. There is still much we don’t know or understand.

As an anthropologist, I turn to a concept that I find helps explain our human use of stories to make sense of what we don’t understand or can’t find words to express. Anthropologists speak of “explanatory systems” that take a physical or social reality and place it within a larger context.

Humans wonder “why” things happen the way they do. Why do we have earthquakes? Why do we have storms? Why is the weather good some days and terrible other days? Why do people care for each other? Why do we have enemies? Why do some people die young? Why do old people spend so much time telling the same stories over and over? In the words of a song originally written by Woody Guthrie and adapted for children by Anne Murray, Why Oh Why, we ask again and again “Why does… Why can’t… Why won’t…” Eventually, the question becomes, “Why won’t you answer my question?” and the response is, “Because I don’t know the answer, Good night, good night.”

We don’t know the answers, so we humans tell stories and sing songs.

In our Judeo-Christian tradition, there is only one God. There are no demi-gods as there are in so many other traditions. Our God speaks through humans. Our God speaks directly to humans. God acts in human history. God loves humans and all of creation so much that God enters into creation as a human being. As a human being, God experiences a complete human life, including the joys and sorrows of life and death with family and friends, unexpected happy surprises, hope, love, suffering, fear, and death.

Yet there are things that happen in our lives and history that are hard to explain. For our ancestors in faith, the answer was clear. God intervened. In times of war, God acted to protect the armies of God’s people. When the people were not faithful to their agreement (the Covenant), God punished them by allowing their enemies to conquer and send them into exile. Yet always, God was there, ready to forgive and bring them back to a good relationship between humans and their God.

The apocalyptic literature read today tells symbolically of this relationship. Jeremiah (33:14-16) recalls the promise God made to King David that a savior would rise from his descendants and do what was right in the land. The country would be secure and the capital city, Jerusalem, site of the temple in which God dwelt in a special way among the people, would become known as “The Lord is our justice.” The people are in exile in Babylon, but the promise is made yet again. There is a reason for hope and expectation of a better future.

Our Gospel story is told by St. Luke, a man who was not part of Jesus’ original circle of friends. Yet Luke (21:25-28, 34-36) has heard and tells the story of Jesus’ description of the coming end of time, when the Son of Man will come on the clouds of heaven. We heard this story from St. Mark two weeks ago. Luke encourages his readers to be awake, vigilant at all times, prayerful for the strength to remain faithful when things are going badly around us. Nations and peoples, and even the physical world itself, will be in disarray, but we can be assured that redemption is at hand. It’s a time for hope and expectation of the coming of the Son of Man – the one who saves us.

The early Christian community expected the second coming of Jesus very soon after the Resurrection. After all, the final reconciliation between humans and God had been achieved through Jesus’ death and resurrection. St. Paul (1 Thes 3:12-4:2) also expected the second coming to be imminent, but in the meanwhile, it was important to live a life of loving care as a community. He reminds the people of Thessalonica to behave themselves! He asks the Lord to increase the love they have for each other and strengthen their hearts, so they will be holy and ready when God comes with all his holy ones.

We too live in difficult times. Our world is filled with strife. We argue over immigration, vaccinations, mask mandates, borders, national sovereignty, taxation, the role of government, and on and on. How do we as a Christian community live in love for and with each other? How do we deal with our brothers and sisters with whom we find ourselves in serious disagreement? How do we find ways to address problems that threaten us all, when we can’t even agree on what has caused them?

I don’t have any easy answers. I’m not sure there are any easy answers. But I know in the depths of my heart that we must continue to respect and love each other. We must care for each other and work to find common ground. We are called as members of Christ’s Body to be one with all the rest of our sisters and brothers, working together to bring the peace of Christ to this world.

Happy New Year. May the Lord’s Peace dwell deep within each of us and shine forth in our lives today and through the year we are just beginning.

Readings for the First Sunday of Advent – Cycle C

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