Readings - http://www.usccb.org/nab/013011.shtml
“I think he said, ‘Blessed is the Greek”
“Did you catch a name?”
“No, he said, ‘Blessed are the meek.”
“Oh, that’s nice. You know, they don’t get much out of life”
– Monty Python’s Life of Brian
For several Sundays it has perhaps seemed that the story of the unveiling of Jesus’ ministry was starting out rather slowly
Two weeks ago, we heard John’s version of John the Baptist’s encounter with Jesus. No fireworks, no sky opening up, no voice of God thundering from above. Just a dove descending above Jesus. (And this proved enough for John the Baptist to declare Jesus to be “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”)
Last week, we heard Matthew’s description of the beginnings of Jesus’ ministry by the Sea of Galilee, about as far as one could be from the center of Israel (Jerusalem) as one could be without leaving Israel completely.
Today, the takes a more dramatic turn, taking us up the Mountain to hear the beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, where, in fact, Jesus’ platform, “New Law” is unveiled.
****
There are parallels to the story of Moses and the unveiling of the Covenant on Sinai here.
If the story of Moses really becan story with God calling him with the Burning Bush, while he was simply doing his job tending his father-in-laws sheep out in the Desert, Jesus similarly called his first disciples inauspiciously while they were fixing their nets along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The call of Jesus’ first apostles we heard last week.
And if the story of Moses reached its climax when the people of Israel received the 10 Commandments through Moses carrying them down on Stone Tablets from Mt Sinai, this Sunday Jesus is presented in setting down the “New Law” with the Beatitudes at the beginning of his Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew does, in fact, present Jesus as “the new Moses” in his Gospel.
Yet there are differences, and they _again_ hinge on simplicity ...
In the receiving of the 10 Commandments we are given a scene that is far more dramatic and one in which God remains separated from his people. We imagine either God dictating those Ten Commandments to Moses and Moses hammering them into the Stone Tablets, or perhaps God himself inscribing those 10 commandments into the Tablets with perhaps lightning bolts. In either case, Moses receives the Law from God and then CARRIES the HEAVY TABLETS down to the People before proclaiming their contents to them. And they are Commandments, Obligations, Rules.
In contrast, we hear today Jesus proclaiming the New Law, the Beatitudes, without lightning bolts but with his own voice. And gone are rules. Instead there are blessings.
And in those blessings there is a message – that God both understands the state of this world and God loves us, wishes to encourage us, give us hope, anyway.
And as one goes through the list of the Beatitudes, it seems quite clear that Jesus wishes to give hope to those that the world often does not give much hope to –
The downtrodden (the poor in spirit).
Those who mourn (assuring them that it will get better).
The meek (whom the world often steps over and leaves without much concern leaves behind in the dust).
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (those who see the injustices in the world) and those who suffer for seeing the injustices that are out there.
And also the _pure_ (the clean of heart), those who in our time perhaps _most clearly_ represent the “chumps of this world,” those “who don’t seem don’t get it” who don’t seem to want to “get a big bite out of this world before it’s too late” who don’t seem to want to play by the ethic “whoever dies with the most toys (or most experiences) wins.”
Jesus tells his disciples, and by extention tells the world, that it’s okay to be simple, to choose not to strive, to choose not to be important, successful, etc.
He assures us that God loves us anyway. And that by choosing to be simple, we end up living happier lives –
If we don’t strive to be rich, we don’t have to be worried about losing our wealth.
If we don’t strive to be important, we don’t have to worry about defending our prestige.
If we don’t strive to have 10,000 boyfriends or girlfriends (or otherwise be “super-knowledgeable or successful” sexually) we end up living far simpler lives because we don’t end up needlessly hurting people (or ourselves for that matter with the traumas of repeated breakups/disagreements/disappointments).
God does not care how successful we are, God loves us anyway.
But then even to the meek, the humble and the pure, Jesus also offers challenges:
He tells them “blessed are the merciful” and “blessed are the peacemakers.”
This is not because the injustices don’t exist. It’s just that a lack of mercy can actually extend conflicts and make us hostages to demands for vengeance. Letting go can actually give us more freedom and peace.
So Jesus tells us, it’s okay to be “chumps,” to be poor, to be simple, far from the centers of prominence and power. We remain God’s children in any case, and the world’s potenti (big and small) can be left then to fight things out among themselves, while we ourselves can live out our lives (and reach perhaps more easily our destinies) in peace.
It’s a simple message really. And we do often miss it. We get distracted in seeking riches and prominence, or even defending our pride.
But the message is there ... Blessed are we, even when we lose.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Jan 23, 2011 - 3rd Sun of OT - Finding God at the Edges of Our Lives
Readings - http://www.usccb.org/nab/012311.shtml
As we know, our Sunday Liturgies follow a three year cycle. This year, the Readings for the first three Sundays of Ordinary Time relate to each other.
Last week, we heard from the Gospel of John, John’s version of the encounter between Jesus and John the Baptist. We understood it to be far less dramatic than the version found in the other three Gospels. In John’s Gospel, there is no opening of the sky following Jesus’ baptism by John and the voice of God declaring to all present “This is my Son with whom I am well pleased.” Indeed, the only element in common was John’s seeing the Spirit of God descending and resting upon Jesus in the form of a dove. And John then declares Jesus to be “The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”
The manifestation of God here was simple, and I asked the people to reflect on how we as members of the Body of Christ “manifest” God to others, that they may come to recognize Jesus as John did.
This Sunday, I believe the theme to be similar but perhaps reversed – God’s manifestation to us.
Here the Gospel Reading (coming from the Gospel of Matthew) is divided into two parts.
In the first part, Jesus is presented as beginning his ministry in Galilee, in part to fulfill the prophesy of Isaiah that the people in that region “who lived in darkness will see a great light.” However, it follows the trajectory that Jesus made himself known (manifested himself) subtly beginning at the edge of the land of Israel and only slowly made his way to the center.
Galilee in relation to Jerusalem could be imagined as Hegewisch, the neighborhood south of us here in Chicago and the last one before we leave the City of Chicago completely. There’s nothing wrong with Hegewisch. It’s just at the edge of the city actually about the same distance from the Daley Center in the center of Chicago as Galilee was from Jerusalem. Hegewisch even has a lake bordering it named “Wolf Lake” which one could imagine to be something like the Sea of Galilee. (Maybe Chicago is a little smaller than the land of Israel, but the comparison is closer to the truth than one would initially think).
Anyway, Jesus began his ministry in “Hegewisch” that is to say in Galilee as far from the center of Biblical Israel as one could get without completely leaving the country altogether. And that is where Jesus began to make himself known (to manifest himself). He didn’t begin this process in the center (at the Temple – in our case on Daley Plaza by City Hall). He began it in Hegewisch (Galilee). Hence Jesus' self-Revelation to the people of Israel came slowly and is expected to come slowly to us as well ...
***
Now the second part of the Gospel Reading tells us something more, though along the same lines. Here we hear of Jesus’ call of his first four disciples who would also become his Apostles – Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, and James and his brother John. He called them as he walked along the side of the Sea of Galilee (like our "Wolf Lake") and they were in the _process of coming back from fishing_.
It is noteworthy here that Jesus encountered and called them as they were both coming back from an event of their day-to-day lives (again, nothing spectacular, no miracle, no fireworks...), and coming back from something that they probably _loved to do_, that is, coming home from having gone fishing.
Now not every man likes to fish. But enough do, across all cultures and all time, to make the experience relatable to just about everyone.
Fishing is relaxing, fishing is social – often one goes with one’s friends to fish. Sometimes the fishing even becomes “besides the point" (I've always enjoyed the fact, that Jesus' disciples rarely caught any fish, when they went fishing ... the socializing apparently more important). But in the end, when one finally does go fishing, one becomes silent, "becomes alone" and has time then for reflection.
And at the end of their time of fishing that these four people encounter Jesus who calls them out of their previous day-to-day lives (out of their boats) and they begin their journey with him.
***
The encounter described involves “fishing.” But I would submit that it could have come at the end of _any_ activity or event that we love.
And I would submit that if we thought about it, we would find ourselves closest to God doing things, or on completion of things that we love to do.
Think about it: When have you felt closest to God? The circumstances would usually be simple and involve something that we love to do. And it makes sense that God would call us there.
The journey of course only begins there and it will hopefully eventually lead us here, where we come together each Sunday to encounter God in the Scriptures and then in the Eucharist (again, actually both very simple things, but now done together and as we do it more regularly, with increasing awe).
But the journey has to start somewhere. And so it would be worth while to think about where you’ve encountered God in your life before, where you find yourself closest to God now, and to see how this then leads you back to here where we celebrate God’s presence in our lives together.
Next week, the story continues, God’s manifestation in Jesus becomes much more dramatic, but to get there and to appreciate the need to travel to get to the “drama,” let's focus this week on God’s presence in our lives even if we live “at the edge” of Chicago, or “at the edge” of what seems important, even at the “edges of our lives” and then wait until next week for us to focus on bringing God then into the center.
As they say, this story is "to be continued" ...
As we know, our Sunday Liturgies follow a three year cycle. This year, the Readings for the first three Sundays of Ordinary Time relate to each other.
Last week, we heard from the Gospel of John, John’s version of the encounter between Jesus and John the Baptist. We understood it to be far less dramatic than the version found in the other three Gospels. In John’s Gospel, there is no opening of the sky following Jesus’ baptism by John and the voice of God declaring to all present “This is my Son with whom I am well pleased.” Indeed, the only element in common was John’s seeing the Spirit of God descending and resting upon Jesus in the form of a dove. And John then declares Jesus to be “The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”
The manifestation of God here was simple, and I asked the people to reflect on how we as members of the Body of Christ “manifest” God to others, that they may come to recognize Jesus as John did.
This Sunday, I believe the theme to be similar but perhaps reversed – God’s manifestation to us.
Here the Gospel Reading (coming from the Gospel of Matthew) is divided into two parts.
In the first part, Jesus is presented as beginning his ministry in Galilee, in part to fulfill the prophesy of Isaiah that the people in that region “who lived in darkness will see a great light.” However, it follows the trajectory that Jesus made himself known (manifested himself) subtly beginning at the edge of the land of Israel and only slowly made his way to the center.
Galilee in relation to Jerusalem could be imagined as Hegewisch, the neighborhood south of us here in Chicago and the last one before we leave the City of Chicago completely. There’s nothing wrong with Hegewisch. It’s just at the edge of the city actually about the same distance from the Daley Center in the center of Chicago as Galilee was from Jerusalem. Hegewisch even has a lake bordering it named “Wolf Lake” which one could imagine to be something like the Sea of Galilee. (Maybe Chicago is a little smaller than the land of Israel, but the comparison is closer to the truth than one would initially think).
Anyway, Jesus began his ministry in “Hegewisch” that is to say in Galilee as far from the center of Biblical Israel as one could get without completely leaving the country altogether. And that is where Jesus began to make himself known (to manifest himself). He didn’t begin this process in the center (at the Temple – in our case on Daley Plaza by City Hall). He began it in Hegewisch (Galilee). Hence Jesus' self-Revelation to the people of Israel came slowly and is expected to come slowly to us as well ...
***
Now the second part of the Gospel Reading tells us something more, though along the same lines. Here we hear of Jesus’ call of his first four disciples who would also become his Apostles – Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, and James and his brother John. He called them as he walked along the side of the Sea of Galilee (like our "Wolf Lake") and they were in the _process of coming back from fishing_.
It is noteworthy here that Jesus encountered and called them as they were both coming back from an event of their day-to-day lives (again, nothing spectacular, no miracle, no fireworks...), and coming back from something that they probably _loved to do_, that is, coming home from having gone fishing.
Now not every man likes to fish. But enough do, across all cultures and all time, to make the experience relatable to just about everyone.
Fishing is relaxing, fishing is social – often one goes with one’s friends to fish. Sometimes the fishing even becomes “besides the point" (I've always enjoyed the fact, that Jesus' disciples rarely caught any fish, when they went fishing ... the socializing apparently more important). But in the end, when one finally does go fishing, one becomes silent, "becomes alone" and has time then for reflection.
And at the end of their time of fishing that these four people encounter Jesus who calls them out of their previous day-to-day lives (out of their boats) and they begin their journey with him.
***
The encounter described involves “fishing.” But I would submit that it could have come at the end of _any_ activity or event that we love.
And I would submit that if we thought about it, we would find ourselves closest to God doing things, or on completion of things that we love to do.
Think about it: When have you felt closest to God? The circumstances would usually be simple and involve something that we love to do. And it makes sense that God would call us there.
The journey of course only begins there and it will hopefully eventually lead us here, where we come together each Sunday to encounter God in the Scriptures and then in the Eucharist (again, actually both very simple things, but now done together and as we do it more regularly, with increasing awe).
But the journey has to start somewhere. And so it would be worth while to think about where you’ve encountered God in your life before, where you find yourself closest to God now, and to see how this then leads you back to here where we celebrate God’s presence in our lives together.
Next week, the story continues, God’s manifestation in Jesus becomes much more dramatic, but to get there and to appreciate the need to travel to get to the “drama,” let's focus this week on God’s presence in our lives even if we live “at the edge” of Chicago, or “at the edge” of what seems important, even at the “edges of our lives” and then wait until next week for us to focus on bringing God then into the center.
As they say, this story is "to be continued" ...
Monday, January 17, 2011
Jan 16, 2011 - 2nd Sun of Ord Time - On helping to manifest God in our world
Readings - http://www.usccb.org/nab/011611.shtml
Last Sunday we ended the celebration of the Christmas Season with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Perhaps to help us decompress after several weeks of Christmas celebration (and before that four weeks of preparation for Advent) today we hear a reprise, this time from the Gospel of John of the story of the descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus in the presence of John.
In the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), of course, this is presented in a very dramatic fashion: Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist, the sky opens up, the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus in the form of a dove and God’s voice is heard saying “This is my Son with whom I am well pleased.”
In John’s Gospel, this scene is much simpler. John simply sees the spirit descend upon Jesus in the form of a dove and declares him God’s son.
Now why would it be that John’s version would be so much simpler than the versions in the other 3 Gospels?
John’s Gospel seems at times to be a supplement or commentary on what was already present to the early Christian community in the Synoptic Gospels. For instance, John’s Gospel does not have an institution narrative to the Eucharist but the 6th chapter of John reads like a virtual commentary on the meaning of the Eucharist “Unless you eat my body and drink my blood, you will not have life in you.” “I am the Bread of Life that has descended from heaven,” etc, etc.
In the case today, John’s Gospel strips the story of the encounter between Jesus and John the Baptist to its essential points that here Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit and was first identified as the Son of God and we’re invited to see God’s presence without recourse to a great deal of miracles.
We certainly believe in the possibility of miracles, but we were in fact created by God to fashion this world according to the plan of God _without_ needing recourse to a great deal of miracles.
And that is good because most of us are not going to do too many great things, much less miraculous things and yet as we hear in the First Reading from Isaiah, God manifests his presence through us.
In the Second Reading Paul tells the Corinthians that we are all called to be Holy. Why? Because, God seeks to make Himself known to the world through us.
And that then brings today’s Gospel down to earth and invites us reflect on how we “manifest God’s presence” in the world.
Now by good fortune, I was asked yesterday to celebrate Mass at a parishioner’s house. The family happened to be Mexican but it could have been anybody really. I was invited to their house to celebrate a Mass on the occasion of the anniversary of their sainted Mother/Grandmother’s/Great-Grandmother’s death. And so there I came and they had set up a table for me as the altar and had borrowed or rented about 20-25 folding chairs from somewhere. They set them up in rows in the living room extending out into the kitchen. And in the first three rows put the little kids – the younger grandchildren and great grandchildren – who could never have known this lady except through the stories of their older relatives. And it struck me there that this woman had to “manifest God” in someway in that 15 years after her death the entire extended family in the Chicago area had gathered together in the homes of one of her daughters to celebrate this Mass in her honor. The family had clearly thought it important to remember her and remember her with this Mass.
And of course the question then can asked: How do we manifest God in our world, in our families, places of work or among friends? And it doesn’t have to be through great or overtly devotional things, though certainly teaching the kids their prayers is important and having a general respect for others, for family and for God.
But mostly we’re going to manifest God through our day-to-day actions. Did we choose to be nice rather than rude? Did we seek to make our world a better place? Or did we choose to not give a damn? And certainly we’re not going to succeed everytime. But do we try?
And I am positive that many good people will not have necessarily their family asking the priest to come over to their house to celebrate the 15th anniversary of their passing. That depends on the nature, customs, religious/devotional life of the family. But hopefully we will come to be remembered well. And if we fear that perhaps we won’t be remembered well, we can always change in a way that we can better “manifest God” in our world. Until we die, we are always able to change. And even after our deaths, perhaps through prayer and reflection of those who survive us, we can still be redeemed.
But we have to be known as people who are good or at least people who try.
Let’s then focus then on the question of how we “manifest God” in our world during the coming week and yes, if we can do better, let’s begin doing so, so that when we do die, we are remembered as people who did contribute to making this world a better place closer to what God intended, rather than having simply taken from this world without offering anything positive back.
May God bless us and help us to accomplish what God calls us to do.
Last Sunday we ended the celebration of the Christmas Season with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Perhaps to help us decompress after several weeks of Christmas celebration (and before that four weeks of preparation for Advent) today we hear a reprise, this time from the Gospel of John of the story of the descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus in the presence of John.
In the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), of course, this is presented in a very dramatic fashion: Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist, the sky opens up, the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus in the form of a dove and God’s voice is heard saying “This is my Son with whom I am well pleased.”
In John’s Gospel, this scene is much simpler. John simply sees the spirit descend upon Jesus in the form of a dove and declares him God’s son.
Now why would it be that John’s version would be so much simpler than the versions in the other 3 Gospels?
John’s Gospel seems at times to be a supplement or commentary on what was already present to the early Christian community in the Synoptic Gospels. For instance, John’s Gospel does not have an institution narrative to the Eucharist but the 6th chapter of John reads like a virtual commentary on the meaning of the Eucharist “Unless you eat my body and drink my blood, you will not have life in you.” “I am the Bread of Life that has descended from heaven,” etc, etc.
In the case today, John’s Gospel strips the story of the encounter between Jesus and John the Baptist to its essential points that here Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit and was first identified as the Son of God and we’re invited to see God’s presence without recourse to a great deal of miracles.
We certainly believe in the possibility of miracles, but we were in fact created by God to fashion this world according to the plan of God _without_ needing recourse to a great deal of miracles.
And that is good because most of us are not going to do too many great things, much less miraculous things and yet as we hear in the First Reading from Isaiah, God manifests his presence through us.
In the Second Reading Paul tells the Corinthians that we are all called to be Holy. Why? Because, God seeks to make Himself known to the world through us.
And that then brings today’s Gospel down to earth and invites us reflect on how we “manifest God’s presence” in the world.
Now by good fortune, I was asked yesterday to celebrate Mass at a parishioner’s house. The family happened to be Mexican but it could have been anybody really. I was invited to their house to celebrate a Mass on the occasion of the anniversary of their sainted Mother/Grandmother’s/Great-Grandmother’s death. And so there I came and they had set up a table for me as the altar and had borrowed or rented about 20-25 folding chairs from somewhere. They set them up in rows in the living room extending out into the kitchen. And in the first three rows put the little kids – the younger grandchildren and great grandchildren – who could never have known this lady except through the stories of their older relatives. And it struck me there that this woman had to “manifest God” in someway in that 15 years after her death the entire extended family in the Chicago area had gathered together in the homes of one of her daughters to celebrate this Mass in her honor. The family had clearly thought it important to remember her and remember her with this Mass.
And of course the question then can asked: How do we manifest God in our world, in our families, places of work or among friends? And it doesn’t have to be through great or overtly devotional things, though certainly teaching the kids their prayers is important and having a general respect for others, for family and for God.
But mostly we’re going to manifest God through our day-to-day actions. Did we choose to be nice rather than rude? Did we seek to make our world a better place? Or did we choose to not give a damn? And certainly we’re not going to succeed everytime. But do we try?
And I am positive that many good people will not have necessarily their family asking the priest to come over to their house to celebrate the 15th anniversary of their passing. That depends on the nature, customs, religious/devotional life of the family. But hopefully we will come to be remembered well. And if we fear that perhaps we won’t be remembered well, we can always change in a way that we can better “manifest God” in our world. Until we die, we are always able to change. And even after our deaths, perhaps through prayer and reflection of those who survive us, we can still be redeemed.
But we have to be known as people who are good or at least people who try.
Let’s then focus then on the question of how we “manifest God” in our world during the coming week and yes, if we can do better, let’s begin doing so, so that when we do die, we are remembered as people who did contribute to making this world a better place closer to what God intended, rather than having simply taken from this world without offering anything positive back.
May God bless us and help us to accomplish what God calls us to do.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Jan 9, 2011 - Baptism of the Lord - Ending Christmas with a Bang and Marching Forward into the Year Ahead
Readings - http://www.usccb.org/nab/010911.shtml
"Through the mixing of this water and wine may we come to share in Christ’s divinity just as he humbled himself to share in our humanity" –- from the Catholic Mass (prayer said by the priest at the 'preparation of the gifts')
With the celebration of this Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we celebrate the last day of Christmas. This season, began with the Feast of the Nativity on Dec 24/25 when we remembered Jesus’ entry into this world (like very one of us) as a baby. It proceeded through the Feast of Holy Family on the Sunday following, which recalled that Jesus like every one of us entered into this world in the context of a family. Every one of us, even if we spent our childhood in an orphanage or among a series of foster families has had the experience of growing up in a world in which 5-10 maybe 15 people were the ones with which we spent the most time, and who formed us into who we are. Then we continued with the the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God on New Years which closed out the Octave of the Nativity and reminded us that Jesus, like each and every one of us, entered this world through a mother who holds a special place for us. Even if we did not know our mothers, we had one. And each of us has had people who have served as “Mother figures” who became our greatest advocates / defenders during our lives.
Last Sunday, with the Feast of the Epiphany we changed our focus a little from focusing on Jesus’ immediate family to focusing on Jesus’ mission, recalling then that Jesus was revealed by a Star to wise-men around the world as a Light to the Nations). Today with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we close-out the Octave of the Epiphany in which we remember what the Orthodox Church calls “The Great Theophany” where Jesus, now an adult, is baptized by John and God takes the occasion to reveal Jesus as “(God’s) own Son with whom (he) is well pleased.”
The Great Theophany at the Jordon also gives us the first glimpse of the Trinity. All Three are Present – the Son in the River, the Spirit descending upon him “like a dove” and the Father’s voice blesses the Son.
The Great Theophany also sets Jesus on his mission/ministry and prefigures what will take place at its end: Jesus, dunked in the river symbolically joins with all who have ever died or will ever die, rising out of the river prefigures his and our Resurrection, and standing half in the water half outside shows us that he stands as the bridge between death and new life.
All this is present in this the last day of Christmas (in which we focus on the Mystery of the Incarnation), and the last day of the Octave of the Epiphany in which we focus specifically on God’s Revelation of his message through the Incarnation of his Son.
****
Ok, so now how do we bring this high theology down to earth? ;-)
Well, to begin our descent, let us begin by noting that we spent much of the Christmas season recalling how Jesus entered into this world JUST LIKE US, that he entered into this world not in some magical way or in a manner out of “Startrek” materializing out of nothingness into an adult being, but rather he was conceived, grew in his mother’s womb, was born as a baby, and grew to adulthood in the context of a family/culture/etc.
WE COULD TURN OUR PHRASING AROUND to say that WE entered into this world in a way which is very similar to that of Jesus. Jesus was conceived. So were we. Jesus’ spirit took on flesh. Arguably so did we. Just like in the case of Jesus we could conceive of ourselves as each of being something akin to a “Ghost in a Machine.” Indeed, we may see this _more clearly_ with Jesus than with ourselves because we talk of Jesus’ dual human/divine nature. We don’t have too much trouble understanding that within that human Jesus was GOD THE SON (the Divine Jesus). But we could say something similar about ourselves.
In the second chapter of Genesis, we’re given the image that God when God made Adam, the first man, he made his body out of clay and then breathed His spirit into him. So we too are in a sense “ghosts (our spirits) in a machine (our fleshy bodies).” We don’t know how/when this “ensoulment” happens but because the Church does not know when it happens, it says that it _could_ happen as early as conception (there is no other clear/logical place to declare that this happens, because from conception our human journey begins and continues until our death).
We then enter the world, just like Jesus did at our birth. And after we die, we believe that our spirits leave our bodies to go to where where they are destined to go afterwards.
So with the exception that we believe that God created us (including presumably our souls) which we actually hear referred to in the First Reading today, while we believe God the Son, the second person of the Trinity existed with God the Father from Eternity (John 1:1), OUR INCARNATION INTO THIS WORLD is actually RATHER SIMILAR to that of Jesus.
***
But that is still rather “out there.” Let us bring things further down to earth.
We are told that through Baptism, we become adopted children of God. The same blessing we hear God the Father give Jesus becomes our goal as well: “You are my beloved child with whom I am well pleased.”
Further, in Baptism, we become incorporated into the Body of Christ in this world. That is, WE are called AS CHURCH to act as the Body of Christ in world.
With his Baptism in the Jordon, Jesus’ adult life and ministry began. We will hear in the coming weeks that ministry unfold. Jesus healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, cured and brought lepers back into the community, forgave sins and reconciled them back into the community, he even raised those who were dead. WE’RE CALLED TO DO THE SAME:
When we see someone who is ill or in need, we are called to try to help him/her.
When we see someone lost in life, bumping into one disaster after another, we’re called to “enlighten” that person, give him/her direction so that they can walk through life with greater ease.
We are called to bring back, reconcile those (and often be reconciled _with those_) who have been “cast out” of the community for one reason or another. No matter what transgression that one may have committed, one never loses the dignity of being a Child of God, and hence a brother or sister to us.
We’re called to do that. And in as much as we do, we become “beloved children of God, with whom God is well pleased.”
SO THEN as we look forward from this GREAT SEASON OF CHRISTMAS where we reflected on all the dimensions of the Mystery of Christ’s incarnation in our world, WE’RE CALLED NOW TO LOOK OUTWARD and seek to imitate the example of Christ in our world, our community, our circle of friends, truly “OUR WORLD” today.
May we seek to do THAT WELL and LEST WE GET LOST IN OUR WAY, let we remember that DURING THIS YEAR our nourishment, our direction comes from what we celebrate here NOT JUST DURING CHRISTMAS but EVERY SUNDAY, indeed _every day_ during the year and every year.
CHRISTMAS IS A GREAT SEASON. We've celebrated Jesus' coming among us. Now, let us seek as living, incarnate, members of the Body of Christ to live Christ's mission in our world during the rest of the year! May God bless us all.
Amen.
"Through the mixing of this water and wine may we come to share in Christ’s divinity just as he humbled himself to share in our humanity" –- from the Catholic Mass (prayer said by the priest at the 'preparation of the gifts')
With the celebration of this Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we celebrate the last day of Christmas. This season, began with the Feast of the Nativity on Dec 24/25 when we remembered Jesus’ entry into this world (like very one of us) as a baby. It proceeded through the Feast of Holy Family on the Sunday following, which recalled that Jesus like every one of us entered into this world in the context of a family. Every one of us, even if we spent our childhood in an orphanage or among a series of foster families has had the experience of growing up in a world in which 5-10 maybe 15 people were the ones with which we spent the most time, and who formed us into who we are. Then we continued with the the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God on New Years which closed out the Octave of the Nativity and reminded us that Jesus, like each and every one of us, entered this world through a mother who holds a special place for us. Even if we did not know our mothers, we had one. And each of us has had people who have served as “Mother figures” who became our greatest advocates / defenders during our lives.
Last Sunday, with the Feast of the Epiphany we changed our focus a little from focusing on Jesus’ immediate family to focusing on Jesus’ mission, recalling then that Jesus was revealed by a Star to wise-men around the world as a Light to the Nations). Today with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we close-out the Octave of the Epiphany in which we remember what the Orthodox Church calls “The Great Theophany” where Jesus, now an adult, is baptized by John and God takes the occasion to reveal Jesus as “(God’s) own Son with whom (he) is well pleased.”
The Great Theophany at the Jordon also gives us the first glimpse of the Trinity. All Three are Present – the Son in the River, the Spirit descending upon him “like a dove” and the Father’s voice blesses the Son.
The Great Theophany also sets Jesus on his mission/ministry and prefigures what will take place at its end: Jesus, dunked in the river symbolically joins with all who have ever died or will ever die, rising out of the river prefigures his and our Resurrection, and standing half in the water half outside shows us that he stands as the bridge between death and new life.
All this is present in this the last day of Christmas (in which we focus on the Mystery of the Incarnation), and the last day of the Octave of the Epiphany in which we focus specifically on God’s Revelation of his message through the Incarnation of his Son.
****
Ok, so now how do we bring this high theology down to earth? ;-)
Well, to begin our descent, let us begin by noting that we spent much of the Christmas season recalling how Jesus entered into this world JUST LIKE US, that he entered into this world not in some magical way or in a manner out of “Startrek” materializing out of nothingness into an adult being, but rather he was conceived, grew in his mother’s womb, was born as a baby, and grew to adulthood in the context of a family/culture/etc.
WE COULD TURN OUR PHRASING AROUND to say that WE entered into this world in a way which is very similar to that of Jesus. Jesus was conceived. So were we. Jesus’ spirit took on flesh. Arguably so did we. Just like in the case of Jesus we could conceive of ourselves as each of being something akin to a “Ghost in a Machine.” Indeed, we may see this _more clearly_ with Jesus than with ourselves because we talk of Jesus’ dual human/divine nature. We don’t have too much trouble understanding that within that human Jesus was GOD THE SON (the Divine Jesus). But we could say something similar about ourselves.
In the second chapter of Genesis, we’re given the image that God when God made Adam, the first man, he made his body out of clay and then breathed His spirit into him. So we too are in a sense “ghosts (our spirits) in a machine (our fleshy bodies).” We don’t know how/when this “ensoulment” happens but because the Church does not know when it happens, it says that it _could_ happen as early as conception (there is no other clear/logical place to declare that this happens, because from conception our human journey begins and continues until our death).
We then enter the world, just like Jesus did at our birth. And after we die, we believe that our spirits leave our bodies to go to where where they are destined to go afterwards.
So with the exception that we believe that God created us (including presumably our souls) which we actually hear referred to in the First Reading today, while we believe God the Son, the second person of the Trinity existed with God the Father from Eternity (John 1:1), OUR INCARNATION INTO THIS WORLD is actually RATHER SIMILAR to that of Jesus.
***
But that is still rather “out there.” Let us bring things further down to earth.
We are told that through Baptism, we become adopted children of God. The same blessing we hear God the Father give Jesus becomes our goal as well: “You are my beloved child with whom I am well pleased.”
Further, in Baptism, we become incorporated into the Body of Christ in this world. That is, WE are called AS CHURCH to act as the Body of Christ in world.
With his Baptism in the Jordon, Jesus’ adult life and ministry began. We will hear in the coming weeks that ministry unfold. Jesus healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, cured and brought lepers back into the community, forgave sins and reconciled them back into the community, he even raised those who were dead. WE’RE CALLED TO DO THE SAME:
When we see someone who is ill or in need, we are called to try to help him/her.
When we see someone lost in life, bumping into one disaster after another, we’re called to “enlighten” that person, give him/her direction so that they can walk through life with greater ease.
We are called to bring back, reconcile those (and often be reconciled _with those_) who have been “cast out” of the community for one reason or another. No matter what transgression that one may have committed, one never loses the dignity of being a Child of God, and hence a brother or sister to us.
We’re called to do that. And in as much as we do, we become “beloved children of God, with whom God is well pleased.”
SO THEN as we look forward from this GREAT SEASON OF CHRISTMAS where we reflected on all the dimensions of the Mystery of Christ’s incarnation in our world, WE’RE CALLED NOW TO LOOK OUTWARD and seek to imitate the example of Christ in our world, our community, our circle of friends, truly “OUR WORLD” today.
May we seek to do THAT WELL and LEST WE GET LOST IN OUR WAY, let we remember that DURING THIS YEAR our nourishment, our direction comes from what we celebrate here NOT JUST DURING CHRISTMAS but EVERY SUNDAY, indeed _every day_ during the year and every year.
CHRISTMAS IS A GREAT SEASON. We've celebrated Jesus' coming among us. Now, let us seek as living, incarnate, members of the Body of Christ to live Christ's mission in our world during the rest of the year! May God bless us all.
Amen.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Jan 2, 2011 - Feast of the Epiphany - A Day for Wonder
Readings - http://www.usccb.org/nab/010211.shtml
We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar.
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.
The first half of the Christmas season focuses on Jesus as a baby or child – the feasts of the Nativity, the Holy Family, even Mary, Mother of God. The second half of the Christmas Season focuses more on the meaning of Jesus’ Incarnation.
Already one hears some of this latter focus at the last of the four Masses on December, 25th, Feast of the Nativity, the Mass of the Day that day in which the Gospel Reading is from the Prologue to John’s Gospel (“In the beginning there was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God... and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”). One hears this more today on Epiphany, where the Gospel, though cute and fascinating to countless children over the centuries, is about the “Three Kings” (actually “Magi” who are remembered as coming to Judea in search of the “new king who’s star they saw rising” (Jesus came for everyone). And we will hear more on the meaning of Jesus’ incarnation next Sunday when we remember Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordon River by John the Baptist.
Still Epiphany (and to some extent, the Feast of Mary, Mother of God) serves something of a bridge between a child sense-oriented faith and then the adult theology behind it.
And let’s not knock childhood faith. This morning, I had the opportunity to celebrate Mass for Epiphany in Czech/Slovak at St. Simon the Apostle Church for the Slovakian congregation there. Walking into the church, I was _immediately floored_ by the beautiful nativity scene that they have there: BIG WOOD CUT STATUES of the baby Jesus, Holy Family, Shepherds with their sheep, the Star (and of course today the THREE KINGS with their camels). And I was transported back to being a kid.
At Annunciata, we have a lovely nativity, no doubt. At every place I’ve ever been at, there’s always a lovely nativity. THE ITALIANS ARE FAMOUS FOR THEIR COMPLICATED NATIVITIY SCENES. But THIS ONE, in that old Slovakian parish just screamed “CZECH-O-SLOVAK,” “CENTRAL EUROPE.” And for I found myself transported back to a place I actually never even was (the "old country" of my parents' stories) but it felt UTTERLY like HOME.
***
There are all sorts of lovely traditions associated with the Three Kings coming from all sorts of cultures. The Czechs and the Poles share the Central European tradition of putting the initials of the Three Kings (Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar) on the top of the front door of one’s homes. My step-mother was a big one on this tradition. The Poles at Annunciata also know this tradition well.
The Feast of the Three Kings is actually the day that gifts are given in Spain and most of the Latin countries. I first learned this from a cousin of mine who married a Spaniard and raised her family in Spain. (And it makes sense. The ONLY place where there is reference to gifts being given is by the Three King presenting the gifts of gold, frankincense, and mhyrr to Jesus on the day that they arrived to see him (traditionally Jan 6, or the Feast of the Epiphany).
I know from my time with the Puertorican community at St. Catherine of Siena parish in Kissimmee, that “El Dia de los (Tres) Reyes” was extremely important and that a good number of the older Puertorican parishioners had fairly large collections of statues of the Three Kings.
Part of the celebration of Three Kings Day in Mexico is through the eating of the “Rosca de Reyes” a special cake made for this day.
And almost all the Hispanics that I know from various countries have told me that traditionally gifts were given on Three Kings Day rather than on Christmas (the Feast of the Nativity). Christmas Eve (La Noche Buena) was a special evening. But the gifts waited until the Feast of the Three Kings.
***
And the story of the Three kings (traditionally from three different continents – Africa, Asia and Europe) following a star across the desert at night in the midst of sand and an occasional Oasis with Palm trees, arriving on exotic animals (camels) meeting the middle Eastern king Herod along with his priests and scribes is JUST PERFECT to capture the imagination of kids.
In modern times, we have the Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Narnia, Star Wars. But as good as they are, put a crown on a kid’s head, ask him to draw a camel, put a pastor’s staff in his hand, and a fake beard on his face, dress your little girl in blue with a veil and with a doll her hands ... and my God ... we’re all transported to Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus. It hasn’t been called “The Greatest Story Ever Told” for nothing ;-)
This is "the hook" of our faith, that when it catches us as kids, never lets us go.
AND IT’S A GOOD THING, because AFTERWARDS as we grow up, we come to discern and appreciate the adult message behind it, that “God is with us” in good times and especially in bad, when he need him.
For the adult message BEHIND THE THREE EXOTICALLY DRESSED KINGS traveling on EXOTIC GOOFY LOOKING ANIMALS (camels), offering Jesus EXOTIC GIFTS is that Jesus came for / on behalf of _everyone_ and NOT MERELY people of ALL NATIONALITIES / RACES, but ALSO of ALL AGES, all NEEDS, all HOPES and DESIRES.
Jesus came for us all. That is the adult message of today's Feast. And we'll develop it more next week, when we remember at Jesus' baptism that Jesus eventually grew up and began his adult ministry and preaching.
But for today, let's still glory in the kids' wonder of the Three Kings story, remembering that Jesus really did come for us all, the big, the small, for the adults and for the kids.
And that God does love us all.
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to your perfect Light.
We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar.
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.
The first half of the Christmas season focuses on Jesus as a baby or child – the feasts of the Nativity, the Holy Family, even Mary, Mother of God. The second half of the Christmas Season focuses more on the meaning of Jesus’ Incarnation.
Already one hears some of this latter focus at the last of the four Masses on December, 25th, Feast of the Nativity, the Mass of the Day that day in which the Gospel Reading is from the Prologue to John’s Gospel (“In the beginning there was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God... and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”). One hears this more today on Epiphany, where the Gospel, though cute and fascinating to countless children over the centuries, is about the “Three Kings” (actually “Magi” who are remembered as coming to Judea in search of the “new king who’s star they saw rising” (Jesus came for everyone). And we will hear more on the meaning of Jesus’ incarnation next Sunday when we remember Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordon River by John the Baptist.
Still Epiphany (and to some extent, the Feast of Mary, Mother of God) serves something of a bridge between a child sense-oriented faith and then the adult theology behind it.
And let’s not knock childhood faith. This morning, I had the opportunity to celebrate Mass for Epiphany in Czech/Slovak at St. Simon the Apostle Church for the Slovakian congregation there. Walking into the church, I was _immediately floored_ by the beautiful nativity scene that they have there: BIG WOOD CUT STATUES of the baby Jesus, Holy Family, Shepherds with their sheep, the Star (and of course today the THREE KINGS with their camels). And I was transported back to being a kid.
At Annunciata, we have a lovely nativity, no doubt. At every place I’ve ever been at, there’s always a lovely nativity. THE ITALIANS ARE FAMOUS FOR THEIR COMPLICATED NATIVITIY SCENES. But THIS ONE, in that old Slovakian parish just screamed “CZECH-O-SLOVAK,” “CENTRAL EUROPE.” And for I found myself transported back to a place I actually never even was (the "old country" of my parents' stories) but it felt UTTERLY like HOME.
***
There are all sorts of lovely traditions associated with the Three Kings coming from all sorts of cultures. The Czechs and the Poles share the Central European tradition of putting the initials of the Three Kings (Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar) on the top of the front door of one’s homes. My step-mother was a big one on this tradition. The Poles at Annunciata also know this tradition well.
The Feast of the Three Kings is actually the day that gifts are given in Spain and most of the Latin countries. I first learned this from a cousin of mine who married a Spaniard and raised her family in Spain. (And it makes sense. The ONLY place where there is reference to gifts being given is by the Three King presenting the gifts of gold, frankincense, and mhyrr to Jesus on the day that they arrived to see him (traditionally Jan 6, or the Feast of the Epiphany).
I know from my time with the Puertorican community at St. Catherine of Siena parish in Kissimmee, that “El Dia de los (Tres) Reyes” was extremely important and that a good number of the older Puertorican parishioners had fairly large collections of statues of the Three Kings.
Part of the celebration of Three Kings Day in Mexico is through the eating of the “Rosca de Reyes” a special cake made for this day.
And almost all the Hispanics that I know from various countries have told me that traditionally gifts were given on Three Kings Day rather than on Christmas (the Feast of the Nativity). Christmas Eve (La Noche Buena) was a special evening. But the gifts waited until the Feast of the Three Kings.
***
And the story of the Three kings (traditionally from three different continents – Africa, Asia and Europe) following a star across the desert at night in the midst of sand and an occasional Oasis with Palm trees, arriving on exotic animals (camels) meeting the middle Eastern king Herod along with his priests and scribes is JUST PERFECT to capture the imagination of kids.
In modern times, we have the Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Narnia, Star Wars. But as good as they are, put a crown on a kid’s head, ask him to draw a camel, put a pastor’s staff in his hand, and a fake beard on his face, dress your little girl in blue with a veil and with a doll her hands ... and my God ... we’re all transported to Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus. It hasn’t been called “The Greatest Story Ever Told” for nothing ;-)
This is "the hook" of our faith, that when it catches us as kids, never lets us go.
AND IT’S A GOOD THING, because AFTERWARDS as we grow up, we come to discern and appreciate the adult message behind it, that “God is with us” in good times and especially in bad, when he need him.
For the adult message BEHIND THE THREE EXOTICALLY DRESSED KINGS traveling on EXOTIC GOOFY LOOKING ANIMALS (camels), offering Jesus EXOTIC GIFTS is that Jesus came for / on behalf of _everyone_ and NOT MERELY people of ALL NATIONALITIES / RACES, but ALSO of ALL AGES, all NEEDS, all HOPES and DESIRES.
Jesus came for us all. That is the adult message of today's Feast. And we'll develop it more next week, when we remember at Jesus' baptism that Jesus eventually grew up and began his adult ministry and preaching.
But for today, let's still glory in the kids' wonder of the Three Kings story, remembering that Jesus really did come for us all, the big, the small, for the adults and for the kids.
And that God does love us all.
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to your perfect Light.
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