Mary offers us a wonderful gift today as we begin the new year together. “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Lk 2:19). Gabriel shares with Mary that she will conceive a child through the power of the Holy Spirit. Her relative Elizabeth, who is past childbearing years, is six months pregnant when Mary and Elizabeth meet. In their encounter, John leaps in the womb of Elizabeth. The shepherds convey the message they received from the angels that Mary’s baby is the long-awaited Messiah. Simeon and Anna offer prophetic confirmation that Jesus is the Messiah.

These are events to ponder, not to just take at face value and move on. The Church at her best has followed the model of Mary’s reflection, pondering, and meditating on what these words mean and has come to call this day the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. This title says more about Jesus than it does about Mary. This is the teaching that the Church Fathers confirmed during the council of Ephesus in 431 AD:

Mary is the Mother of God, in Greek – Theotokos – the God-bearer.

The full divinity of the Son of God was present at the conception of Jesus. He remained fully divine as the second Person of the Trinity and the Holy Trinity was not diminished in any way as he developed as a human being in the womb and was born of Mary. This is the Mystery of the hypostatic union: Jesus is one divine person subsisting in two natures the human and divine.

Theological insights such as Mary being the Mother of God, the hypostatic union of Jesus, are easily missed or worse dismissed if we conform ourselves to the present age of instant gratification, instant access, surfing, swiping, taking in sound bytes from Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and amassing information overload. All of these technological avenues can be wonderful if we stop, slow down, and as Mary did, ponder what they offer.

If we still read books, do we do so with pencil and highlighter in hand, take notes and go back to those points underlined, highlighted, and or annotated and ponder the insights we have received, and then put them into practice? Or do we just have a moment of pause and say hmm, interesting, and then move on to the next factoid?

May today, the first day of the new year, be a day to take a few deep breaths, slow down, and commit to a practice of daily pondering. We can reflect on a word, a phrase, or a short statement that we write down and return to it often. The phrase could be as simple as a paraphrase from today’s reading: Mary pondered on these things in her heart. Let us reflect on where God has been calling us to stop and take a deeper look at our lives. It could be one word: Theotokos, expressing that Mary is the God-bearer, the Mother of God, and what that means to us in our lives. We can meditate on a picture like the one I posted with this reflection.

If we seek to live a life of joy and fulfillment in 2021, we would do well to follow the model of Mary. That would entail assuming a posture of pondering and a willingness to slow down and reflect on life, on what is important, what has value, where we are putting our time and effort, and recognizing where we do not welcome God and where we do welcome God in our life. Otherwise, we may just float along through another year indecisively or stagnantly with indifference or cynicism, merely reacting to situations that arise, or just plodding along in survival mode or merely bored and listless. Being still can be scary because as we do so, our fears, our past hurts, and our loneliness can arise.

Yet in that willful act of slowing down and even coming to a complete stop, the Holy Spirit can embrace us in these very real emotions with his love, so we can begin to heal and transform beyond merely existing, so to set a course of being fully alive and in love with life. Hand in hand with Jesus and Mary, we can face and embrace our fears, and heal from our wounds. As we do so we will be better engaged in our lives by experiencing more meaning and purpose. Conformed to the life and love of Jesus, we will realize that we are not alone, and so can build more authentic and intimate relationships. We can act more decisively and with greater clarity, and experience more fully what we are here for, to bring a little more tenderness, mercy, understanding, forgiveness, and love to the many others around us who are wounded also.

May 2021 be a wonderful new year of meaning, joy, and fulfillment, as we, like Mary, come to experience God’s presence in the silence of our hearts, so to be a people of faith, hope, and love in contemplation and action. Mary Mother of God, pray for us.

Happy New Year! Peace and all God’s good. Take good care of yourselves and those around you.

————————————————————————————

Painting by Anthony VanArsdale done for the National Black Catholic Conference

Link for the Mass readings Friday, for January 1, 2021

“And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). The Logos, the Word, the second person of the Holy Trinity, dwelt or another translation, “tabernacled” among us. The Son of God pitched his tent in our midst. This is a reference to the tabernacle or tent of meeting which was erected whenever Moses and those who had escaped slavery in Egypt camped. Within the tent of meeting was placed the Ark of the Covenant. This was done to follow the will of God who wanted to be present with his people. “They shall make a sanctuary for me, that I may dwell in their midst” (Exodus 25:8).

The Ark of the Covenant and the tabernacle housing it was portable and would move with the people, such that God was always present in their midst. The basic structure would later become the foundation for Solomon’s temple, then Herod’s Temple. The Holy of Holies was believed to be the very seat of God in Jerusalem. In the fullness of time, Jesus was born to us, and he became the living temple, Emmanuel, God with us. As he predicted,“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” (Jn 2:19).

And why did Jesus come? So that the glory of God could be revealed not just to the temple priest, but to all of us, “and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14). Jesus came to be one with us in our humanity while remaining fully divine to reveal the glory of his Father to us, the same glory that filled the tabernacle. Jesus came to be present, to accompany us, in our very midst as God did in the tabernacle and then the Temple.

The Son of God became human to restore the ancient covenant that God has been making with his people throughout the ages. Jesus invites us to share in the infinite, faithful love that he shares and has shared and always will share with his Father. This free, generous act of love is a pure gift. Jesus, in becoming human, in living among us, in teaching, healing, and casting out demons, built a bridge leading to a relationship with God. He shines his light, a light that is not overcome by the darkness of pride, hatred, prejudice, and violence so that we can see the truth: God is our Father and we are all brothers and sisters.

The Incarnation, the reality that the Son of God became fully human while remaining fully divine, reveals to us that none of us are junk. In becoming one with us so that we can become one with him reminds each of us that by our very existence God granted us human dignity because we are created in his image and likeness.

Each and every human being is a part of God’s family. This includes all people no matter race, ethnicity, or creed, male or female, the unborn, the hungry, the homeless, the stranger, the sick, those without access to water or adequate health care, widows, orphans, refugees, migrants, the LGBT person, the person in jail or on death row, the person at the end of life, political party, and as Fr. James Martin, SJ wrote, “so many others who feel forgotten, excluded or marginalized. All are members of God’s family.”

The significance of this wonderful gift of the love of God poured out for us is not only to be pondered upon and embraced but also shared with all we encounter each day of the new year we are about to begin. Even in the darkness of division and polarization, may we be advocates of understanding, reconciliation, hope, and bearers of his light and love.

Photo by Jonas Ferlin from Pexels

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, December 31, 2020

We have no evidence that the vocation of Anna, Simeon, the Magi, or the shepherds changed in any way after their encounter with the baby Jesus. What did happen in each of their lives was the same as what happened with Luke’s account of Anna today; they told the story of their encounter. They, like Anna, shared what they experienced with anyone who would listen.

At the end of today’s account from Luke, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus “returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him” (Lk 2:39-40). No ticker-tape parade, no giving the key to the city, and no gala ball awaited the Holy Family when they entered Nazareth. They went on to live very simple lives.

The pattern of how God works, how his kingdom begins is like a mustard seed, like the seed that is sown, or like yeast. It starts small, quietly, and simply. God works through the everyday events of our lives, often unseen. We so often look for the mighty, majestic, and grandiose. We often believe we need to do great things, and often do nothing. St Mother Teresa directs us to follow what she learned from the Little Flower, St Therese of Lisieux, to do little things with great love.

As the Christmas Season continues, we are experiencing that life has already or has begun to shift; families and friends have come and gone or are readying to go, vacation days are coming to an end. We can choose not to allow the celebration and remembrance of Jesus’ birth, as well as our coming together with family and friends to just fade away, to be absorbed by the busyness of life again. Instead, we can appreciate the gift we have been given in the Incarnation. We can spend time each day in stillness with Jesus. Life can be hard because it is so fragile. It can change in an instant or the blink of an eye. We would do well not to take any moment for granted.

As the Holy Family begins their journey to Nazareth, and we begin to return to our regular course of daily living, may we be a little more open this year to paying some more attention to the quiet and gentle ways of how God is working in our lives. God has yet again planted his seeds in us this Christmas Season. They have been sown that we might see his creation as a gift of wonder to protect and be good stewards of. Others have been sown that we might experience the gift of seeing each other as brothers and sisters who might be more willing to support and care for one another, to be aware and reach out to those in need, as well as to be open to expressing our need for help and allowing others to assist us.

When we do so we will start to recognize the simplicity of divinity operating within the midst of our humanity. The Holy Spirit is inviting us to be transformed in this new year, to kindle in us the fire of his love so it may spread to others. We are to watch, pray, and cooperate with his will if he is to renew the face of the earth through each of us.

Photo: Christmas Eve 2015, St Augustine Parish, Los Angeles.

Link for today’s Mass readings for Wednesday, December 30, 2020

“Lord, now let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you prepared in the sight of every people, a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel” (Lk 2:29-32).

As Simeon receives Jesus to be consecrated to the Lord, he recognizes through the gift of the Holy Spirit that this child, is the one he and Israel had been waiting for. Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ. He has come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets as well as be a light to the Gentiles, to all the Nations.

These verses, called the Canticle of Simeon, recorded by Luke are recited each night by those of us who pray the Divine Office or the Liturgy of the Hours. They are prayed during Compline or Night Prayer, the last prayers before going to sleep. We also may remember this reading as the Gospel reading from this past Sunday. The gift of reading a Gospel passage again and again is that when we are open God can speak to us in deeper ways or help us to see something we have not seen before. We too can celebrate the birth of Jesus who is our savior, our fulfillment and our light also.

We can meditate again with this same passage. We can enter the scene and, like Simeon, receive this child in our arms from Mary and Joseph. May we too see the salvation that is offered us, the invitation given to us. May we not run from the light of his truth, but may we embrace it so as to be transformed. Let us glory in the joy of knowing that Jesus came to share his love, mercy, and grace, with us. He is the promise of healing that we all need to realize and actualize in our lives.

That is the key, Jesus invites but does not impose. This Christmas can be just another day in a cycle of days that pass with no change, or we can immerse ourselves in this Octave of Christmas so as to take seriously the fact that Jesus is who he said he is, who the Apostles claimed that he was, who the Church still announces that he is today. Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God. Do we also believe this truth?

I invite you to return to the meditation we started above continue to hold  the baby Jesus, our savior, in your arms as Simeon did. As you hold him look into his face, see his smile, the glint in his eye, and allow that exchange to melt away any sin of pride, lust, greed, envy, sloth, gluttony, prejudice, and wrath. May we experience the warmth of his love radiate up from the depths of our soul. May we be filled with his joy to overflowing, such that as we gaze on another today we may share that same smile we have received and so radiate the love of Christ with those we encounter today and each day going forward.

——————————————————————–

Painting: Het loflied van Simeon – the Song of praise from Simeon, by Arent de Gelder, ca. 1700-1710

Link for today’s Mass readings for Tuesday, December 29, 2020

When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you” (Mt 2:13).

If we resist glossing over the scene of the nativity because we have heard it many times before, we will realized anew that ti is not a romantic one. Mary gave birth to Jesus in a stable or a cave. This setting was not the most hygienic of situations as this is where animals were kept. After the shepherds and kings come to pay the baby homage the situation does not get much better. As we read in today’s Gospel from Matthew, Joseph is urged by an angel to flee because Herod had ordered the death of all male children under two years of age.

With the words of the angel and their forced relocation to Egypt, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph became refugees fleeing persecution. So many families today are unfortunately in a similar situation, fleeing to save their lives because their countries are torn by war, violence, terrorism, and/or the threat of persecution.

So many are escaping the horrors of the Syrian civil war, the instability, and violence in other areas of the Middle East and northern Africa, as well as in our hemisphere, especially in the Central American countries of Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. These countries, as well as too many others, are part of the tragic reality that has resulted in the largest number of families fleeing their countries since World War II.

The Son of God could have easily been born in a palace, among a family with power and stability, yet he chose to be born among the poor and displaced. His earliest days were ones marked by instability and danger.

“Jesus wanted to belong to a family who experienced these hardships so that no one would feel excluded from the loving closeness of God. The flight into Egypt caused by Herod’s threat shows us that God is present where man is in danger, where man is suffering, where he is fleeing, where he experiences rejection and abandonment; but God is also present where man dreams, where he hopes to return in freedom to his homeland and plans and chooses life for his family and dignity for himself and his loved ones” (Pope Francis homily, 12-29-13).

It is no wonder that Jesus teaches clearly later in the Gospel of Matthew 25:31-46 that we will be judged on how we treat the least of his brothers and sisters. For how we treat those in need is how we treat him. Not only does Jesus invite us to open our hearts and minds to those exiled from their homes and seeking refuge, but we are also to reach out to those families in need in our own communities.

To do so, we need to be aware and willing to be of help, to provide welcome, hospitality, hope, promise, and what support we can give. Jesus entered our human condition so he understands our trials, he is present to be of support for those of us in need as well as those in positions to help. May we pray for those families in need as well as be open to how we can be more aware and seek concrete ways to be of help.

——————————————-

Photo: Syrian refugees, Mamon and Tema Al-Hamza, with their baby Angela who was born shortly after entering Germany in December 2015 (Credit: WEB.DE).

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, December 28, 2020

In today’s account, Luke presents the faithfulness of Mary and Joseph. They followed the prescripts of the law by bringing Jesus to the Temple to have him consecrated to the Lord. We read of the prophecy of Simeon that Jesus is the promised hope of Israel and the light to the Gentiles, and also that he will lead to, “the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted – and you yourself a sword will pierce – so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Lk 2:34-35). The prophetess Anna gives thanks to God and shares how the long-awaited redemption of Israel has come with the presence of this child. The scene closes with Joseph, Mary, and Jesus heading back home.

Mary and Joseph have had a lot to take in, from being told about Jesus’ miraculous birth to having to relocate for the census, the coming of the shepherds and the magi from the East and now Simeon’s and Anna’s prophecy. Though they did not fully comprehend the fullness of all they were presented with, what the Holy Family, whose feast we celebrate today, model for us is that they are open to the process of God’s leading. They ultimately placed their trust in and remained faithful to following God’s will.

We are invited to do the same. The family is called to be the domestic Church. It is the place where we learn our faith, where we learn about God, learn to pray, to worship, to serve, to trust in God, and to learn how to be in relationship God and one another. This is especially true in our fallen world. We romanticize the early life of the Holy Family at our own peril. In the midst of the joy of new birth, and a birth that will bring about the redemption of Israel, there is the gift of myrrh, an oil used to anoint the bodies of the dead, and there are Simeon’s haunting words to Mary, “and you yourself a sword will pierce” (Lk 2:35). In the midst of the words of wonder about this child being the prince of peace is the reality that he will die a brutal death.

The reason we hold up the Holy Family as a model is not just Mary’s willingness to bear Jesus and Joseph’s willingness to protect and provide for his their care. They were willing to continue to follow the will of God no matter what challenge arose before them and they stuck together and supported one another.

There are no guarantees for families in this life other than that there will be conflict and growing pains. Any true relationships that are authentic will come to crossroads which will demand a choice. One or both individuals can either not face the conflict, in which case the relationship will weaken or they can work together to resolve the conflict and grow stronger together. What will also help in our familial relationships is an understanding of the love that God calls each of us to embrace which is unconditional love. What is important to realize is that unconditional love is more than mere sentimentality or emotion. This love is what St. Thomas Aquinas defines as “willing the good of the other as other.”

This understanding of unconditional love allows us to be authentic to ourselves and who we are in the richness of our diversity while respecting the other to do the same. That means we will see life differently and we will disagree even quite emotionally and passionately. While doing so, we also need to commit to respecting one another and have the presence of mind to listen to each other’s perspective and point of view and bring God into the conversation so we can be influenced beyond our own limited view. Then when all is said and done, with love and respect , and hopefully in our openness to God working through us, we will have learned a bit more because our limited view points have been expanded.

There is this wonderful scene from the 1989 film “Lean on Me.” Morgan Freeman plays a principal that is brought in to save a failing school in New Jersey by Robert Guillaume who plays the school superintendent. Both of the characters have the same goal of seeing this school succeed. Then one meeting comes about because of some of the principal’s questionable practices. For a couple of minutes they engage in a heated, emotionally charged argument. When it ends, the principal matter of factly asks, “Do you want to get some lunch.”

That is an expression of the beauty of love. Each are fully transparent and honest with one another, both have the same goal yet vehemently disagree on some of the ways this principal is going at bringing about change. The bottom line is that they are friends and dedicated to their school and one another. They passionately disagree about particular points while at the same time hear each other and work through their conflict together.

There has been a lot going on in the world, our own country, as well as our own personal lives. We have been pulled and stretched in so many directions over the last few years. To say many of us are anxious, stressed, and/or worn out is an understatement. What helped Mary and Joseph face the challenges they had can help us as well. We will grow together and remain united by resisting the urge to curve in upon ourselves and be willing to face our challenges together with God.

Let us follow the lead of the Holy Family this Christmas Season by sharing with one other the gifts of understanding, patience, presence, kindness, respect, caring, and love. We will be most effective when we are committed to God and one another first and foremost. Instead of fearing the wonderful gift of diversity, we can embrace it in all its messiness and chaos. When we are committed to listening to one another even when speaking passionately, instead of shouting past each other, then when the emotions subside the respect and care for each other will remain.

What can help each of us from slipping into a defensive posture and instead remain more open and willing to grow in relationships beyond the limitations of our biases and prejudices is to spend some time each day breathing slowly and meditating about who this season is all about.

Close your eyes and imagine yourself coming upon Joseph and Mary as they leave the Temple. You see cradled in the crook of Mary’s arms the infant Jesus. Smell the dust in the air from people walking by. As a few more people pass by their speech begins to fade. All about you becomes still. Recall the wonder of this moment that the Son of God came into the midst of our chaos in such a humble and vulnerable way. Your eyes are then drawn to Mary.

Mary invites you with a welcoming smile. Imagine yourself stepping closer and reaching out your hand to Jesus and watch as he reaches out to you. Feel the gentle grasp of his tiny fingers as they wrap around your finger. Allow your breath to slow as you feel his grace, love, and peace fill your whole being. Then raise your head ever so slightly and allow your eyes to be drawn deep into his tiny dark eyes. In that gaze, see the face of God looking back with the assurance that you are not alone, you are not defined by your worst mistakes, you are loved more than you can mess up, and more than you can ever imagine. Rest in the closeness of his unconditional love for you, just as you are with all your imperfections. Also allow yourself to experience the fullness of who God is calling you to be.

As your time of intimate stillness comes to a close, embrace the gift that each person you will meet from now on will be like this encounter with the infant Jesus. For in each person we encounter, we encounter Jesus. We will see each other as God sees us as the beloved children of his family. When this becomes our starting point of encounter, we will relate to each other a little better and grow in love from there.

Painting: Kissing the Face of God by Liz Lemon Swindle

Link for today’s Mass readings for Sunday, December 27, 2020

“You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved” (Mt 10:22).

Why are we talking about being hated the day after Christmas? Because Jesus, this baby whose birth we just celebrated is “the light that shines in the darkness” (Jn 1:5). The very reality of Jesus is that he is the light that exposes darkness, he is the very embodiment of Love that exposes hatred.

Jesus exposes the truth of those dark places within our own hearts, minds, and the very depth of our being. Yet many of us turn away or reject the light, not aware that it is an invitation to healing and to wholeness. We wince at the luminous brightness of his light and resist the intimacy of the love he seeks to share. We have so often faced so much of the opposite; hurt, pain, betrayal, and lack of understanding or acceptance, that we assume a defensive crouch to protect our false sense of self, and as time passes we become ingrained in our pride and our posture of protecting our ego.

Yet, to be fully alive, we need to embrace the light, not hide from it. When we are open to the healing touch of Jesus and receive the gift of his light in our lives, we begin to die to our ego, we begin to replace our actions of vice with actions of virtue. Once we allow ourselves to be loved by Jesus, we begin to recognize that we are turned in upon ourselves, and then we can adjust our posture and begin to open ourselves to him. We also begin to recognize that we are not the center of the universe. We then will be able to love, to will the good of the other.

As we follow the model of John the Baptist and become less so that Jesus becomes more in our lives, we will face the same rejection that Jesus faced. We will be labeled crazy, out of step, simple-minded, irrational, and worse, as St Stephen found out, whose martyrdom we celebrate today. Yet we are to resist returning to a defensive posture, we are to refuse to react in kind, but instead, be present and allow God to happen. We are to assume a posture of openness, accepting the person where they are and as they are, and share the same transformative mercy, love, and forgiveness of Jesus we have received from our attacker.

Change, maturation, and growth are not easy. That is why we are called disciples. We are to be disciplined and persevere, while at the same time remember that our redemption does not come from our own doing or willing it to be so on our own efforts alone. Our healing, restoration, and transformation come first and foremost from a willingness to accept the invitation to receive the blessing of Jesus, an invitation to receive the healing salve of his love, mercy, and forgiveness. May we be willing to be healed and transformed from our bias, prejudice, hatred, and selfishness. May we be willing to be conformed to Jesus and so step out of our comfort zones, and with courage be more loving, merciful, and forgiving with our family, friends, and enemies.

Transformation is not a one-time event, Christmas is not just a day, it is not just a season. Christmas is a way of allowing Jesus to enter into and transform our lives each and every day, each and every moment, with each and every decision. When we are tempted with impatience, call on the name of Jesus and take a few deep breaths. When we are tempted to judge, may we see the baby Jesus in the manger, weak, vulnerable, and in need, so to see the one we are about to judge with understanding, mercy, and love that wills their good. When we are tempted to react negatively or defensively, let us visualize ourselves kneeling before the Christ child as we surrender our will, our ego, so to share our point of view as an invitation, not as an imposition, and allow others to do the same.

May we be more committed each day going forward into the new year to being open to receiving the light, love, mercy, and forgiveness that Jesus has come to bring, so to be healed by him and so to be willing to grow in our relationship with him and one another.

————————————————————————–

Photo credit: Il ragazzo cathopic.com

Link for today’s Mass readings for Saturday, December 26, 2020

“God came into the world as a child to make us children of God. What a magnificent gift! This day, God amazes us and says to each of us: “You are amazing.” – Pope Francis.

For many of us, this year may not be the Christmas we envisioned or hoped for. Let us remember why we celebrate. Jesus, the Son of God entered into our humanity to remind us that we are children of God, created in his image and likeness, each as unique gifts and invited to express in our own unique ways his divinity flowing through us into our world. Jesus reminds us again that there never has been nor ever will be anyone like you. You are amazing, unique, and beautiful. May we see each other as God sees us and love each other as God loves us!

Merry Christmas!

Photo: A few years ago, altogether in Los Angeles for Christmas.

“And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (Jn 1:14).

If there are ever words to meditate and ponder upon these are them! The danger is becoming complacent or indifferent to the reality that they present, or to the idea that this is just any other day that we just endure and go on to the next day. Instead, may we embrace the promise and invitation they are meant to convey to us as individuals, as a people, and for all of creation.

The Word, Logos in the Greek, who was, who is, and who always will be, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, has become one with us. We are the minutest of minutest speck of specks present in the whole of the cosmos. And yet, we have been graced by the presence of God who became man for each and every one of us, each individual person, so we can be one with him. He became human that we might become divine through our participation in his life.

The Mystery we celebrate today is that God took on flesh, becoming fully human, while at the same time, remaining fully divine. He did not just appear to be a man for a time and cast off his humanity like a cloak. The Son was conceived in the womb of Mary, developed as you and I did, and when born let out a gasp and a cry indicating that the savior was born to us. Joseph and Mary gazed in wonder at the gift of their son, the gift of the Incarnation for the whole world.

Christmas Day is the celebration of new life. Not just the birth of any baby, but through his coming into the world, a new beginning for humanity and creation. We do not just celebrate the baby who would become a great teacher and moral template, but the coming of our Savior, the reality and the hope that we may be wounded and even a bit been broken, but not undone, not unmade, not destroyed but saved from our slavery to sin. God’s grace is greater than our worst mistakes, misjudgments, and most grievous faults.

Though darkness may appear to reign through the midst of another wave of increasing cases of COVID, ongoing wars, political and racial division in our country, and though there may be tempted to fight our anxiety, fear, and desperation, today we celebrate that “A light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it” (Jn 1:5). This is a day to rejoice, to reconcile, a day to recommit to the light, to the baby who would later call himself, “the way, and the truth, and the life” (cf. Jn 14:6).

Let us embrace the gift of our humanity, the gift of our diversity and interconnectedness, the gift of our families, biological and beyond, as we embrace this baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, for he shows to us the truth and realization that: “We cannot save ourselves. We can only open ourselves to the hope that comes to us from without, from others, ultimately from one Other” (Lohfink 2014, 255). The One whose birth we celebrate today: “The Light of the human race” (Jn 1:4).

——————————————————–

Photo: The Nativity scene before our altar at our parish of St Peter.

Lohfink, Gerhard. No Irrelevant Jesus: On Jesus and the Church Today. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2014.

Link for today’s Mass readings for the Mass of the day for Friday, December 25, 2020

“In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace” (cf Luke 1:78-79).

This promise of the Holy Spirit is spoken through the father of John the Baptist, Zechariah, and this evening at the Christmas Vigil we begin to celebrate the fulfillment of those beautiful words.

God’s tender compassion has surrounded us and has been a part of us since before our conception. He knows the number of hairs on our head and he knows each one of us by name. Totally transcendent, infinite beyond our comprehension, beyond all space and time, yet God knows each one of his created beings intimately. He cares for us, guides us, and invites us to experience his joy and the fulfillment of who he has created us to be.

The ultimate love he expresses is that our relationship is based on our free will, our choice to say yes or no to the relationship with him he offers us. He gives us the freedom to choose anything but him. Some would say, he should just make us follow him. That would not be love, but oppression and tyranny. The light of God enters our being when we say yes to God’s will and invitation for relationship. It is then magnified by the light of his Son. We can recede back into the darkness or walk into his brilliant light to be empowered and transformed by his love for us.

When we accept the invitation to enter into a relationship and to follow God’s guidance we will better be able to see the darkness within ourselves that prohibits us from experiencing the fullness of the light that brings us his grace that builds on our nature as well as his peace. We need to choose to allow the light to dawn in every aspect of our being, our wounds, our prejudices, our defense mechanisms, our comfort, all those areas where we deny the truth or where we are supporting false realities or apparent goods.

May we prepare our hearts and minds as we celebrate the gift of the incarnation one more time. Let us resist withdrawing or running from and instead run to the “dawn from on high,” that shines on us, “who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,” so that God may “guide our feet into the way of peace.” The closer we are to God, the more we experience his peace, that peace that surpasses all understanding, and the more we can share his light and peace with others in this new year to come.

Photo: Taken last year while at home in CT. The sun rises and sets on all of us, just as the love of God’s Son radiates out to each of us.

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, December 24, 2020