Posted on 11/29/2003 8:34:00 AM PST by Salvation
Joy runs through and through Luke’s Infancy Narrative. The angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary was a joyful one. “Then in her Magnificat, Mary “rejoices in God my Savior.” When Elizabeth gives birth to John, her neighbors and relatives rejoiced with her.” At the birth of Jesus, the angel of the Lord appears to the shepherds and proclaims “good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”
Think of a time when you rejoiced in what someone else had done – a family member, a close friend. Whatever they did, you felt part of it. And you rejoiced.
That’s the kind of rejoicing Mary expresses in her Magnificat. She rejoices in “the greatness of the Lord: in “God my savior.” When she experiences firsthand how truly good God is, her heart is lifted. It is delight – pure joy, not at all self-conscious.
The best prayer of all is the kind I experience when there comes upon me a flood of realization about how good God is.
When I thank God for this, I am “blessing God.” Perhaps I don’t think of it that way – blessing God. But that’s what I’m doing, and it’s a fine form of prayer. Try it.
Spend some quiet time with the Lord.
St. Boniface was an eighth century monk who brought Christianity to Germany. In order to do so he had to overcome deep-rooted idolatry.
One of the best known episodes is the time when he stepped up to a great tree dedicated to the God Thor, and began to chop it down. The people shrank back in horror. But when the tree crashed to the ground and nothing happened, many were won over to Christianity.
When he was 80 years old, Boniface was attacked and brutally killed by a group of hostile pagans.
A later legend gives a different twist to the tree incident – and relates it to the Christmas tree.
As the legend goes, one day Boniface came upon some men gathered around a great oak tree, about to sacrifice a child to the god Thor. Boniface himself struck the tree down, and from its center there grew a small evergreen
Boniface told the people to take small evergreens into their homes and surround them with gifts.
After nine months of being deaf and mute, the first words from Zechariah’s lips are words “blessing God.”
The people had supposed that this long-awaited child, born to aged parents would be “little Zachary.” But nine months earlier, the angel had appeared to Zechariah and said, “Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John.”
“John” is a Hebrew word that means “God has shown favor.” This is a graced child who is called to express in his life God’s love, God’s favor to all people.
I too am graced, called to express in my life God’s love, God’s favor to all people.
There’s a lot to think about in this passage. Perhaps I should simply think about my own name – how and why it was given, how it sounded when spoken over me as a child.
And…how it sounds now when God speaks it.
Spend some quiet time with the Lord.
Music – The Christmas Eve ‘Miracle'
Reginald Fessenden (1866-1932) was a radio pioneer. Among other things, he helped to develop wireless telegraphy – the code was transmitted by radio waves, but the only sounds transmitted were dits and dashes.
Under his direction, engineers at General Electric produced and alternator with a frequency high enough to make possible the wireless transmission not only of Morse Code, but a whole range of sounds.
Fesseden quickly built a transmitting station at Brant Rock, Massachusetts. On Christmas Eve, 1906, wireless telegraph operators were startled to hear Christmas music coming over their receivers.
This is the beginning of Zechariah’s “Benedictus” (from Latin for the first word, “Blessed”). It is part of the morning prayer for the Church every single day of the year. (Mary’s Magnificat is part of the Church’s evening prayer.)
In the days before electricity, there was a certain rhythm to life – light and darkness. Life was quieter then.
The first light of dawn is a symbol of God kindly greeting us. God is there to gladden our hearts, brighten our eyes, and get us ready for whatever the day brings. Nightfall is a reflective time.
Now, of course, there is morning TV and late night TV. Quiet time is hard to come by. We’re surrounded with TV time with reality shows or soaps that trap us in someone else’s world.
It’s the day before Christmas. This can be a hectic time. But there’s also a certain spirit in the air that easily lends itself to some good moments of prayer.
Don’t put God on “hold”. At least for a few minutes, tune in to the Lord.
Spend some quiet time with the Lord.
A Message to Earth
Apollo 8 lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center on December 21, 1968. It was the first mission to the moon with a crew aboard, and its purpose was to orbit the moon in preparation for a future landing on the moon.
On Christmas Eve, Apollo 8 entered lunar orbit and the crew began to relay back to Earth live television pictures of the moon and the Earth. They ended their broadcast by saying: “For all the people on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message we would like to send you.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep…”
The three man crew, taking turns, continued reading the first 10 verses of the Book of Genesis, which ended….
And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters he called the Seas. And God saw that it was good.”
Commander Frank Borman then added: “And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you – all of you on the good Earth.”
In the days surrounding Christmas we always think of those who have died. “This is the first Christmas without them.
Even if they died long ago, we remember them in a special way every Christmas.
It must have been like that for Mary and Jesus when, after Joseph died, they celebrated Passover…and a feast in which the father of the family had an important part.
At Passover Mary especially missed her husband, whom she loved. And Jesus missed his father, whom he loved.
But for Mary, there would come another special day that was a mixture of joy and sorrow. We don’t know the exact date of Jesus’ birth. But Mary did.
Mary would have been in her middle or late 40s when Jesus was killed. Each year after that, Mary celebrated the birthday of Jesus – Christmas – without her husband, and without her son.
Whomever you miss at Christmas…talk to Mary. She understands.
Spend some quiet time with the Lord.
Thomas Grey
On this date in 1771, the poet, Thomas Gray, was born. His “Elegy Written in a Country Church Yard” became one of the best known English lyric poems.
Gray was the sole survivor of 12 children. His was an unhappy home dominated by a harsh and violent father and a long-suffering mother.
Gray was a man of quiet study, rich imagination, and a few close and understanding friends. At age 26, he settled at Cambridge and devoted himself to writing poetry.
He spent a long time writing his “Elegy Written in a Country Church Yard,” which was published in 1751. The poem reflected on the graves of humble and unknown villagers. It brought him instant fame.
Gray’s poetry began to fade after that, and he turned to study rather than writing. He died at age 55, and was buried in the country churchyard in which he wrote his poem.
After reflecting that many people buried in the church yard had gifts the world never knew, Gray wrote:
Full many a gem of purest ray serene,
The dark unfathom’d caves of ocean bear:
Full many a flow’r is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air.
(From “Elegy Written in a Country Church Yard”)
What in the world is going on? Yesterday was Christmas. Now all of a sudden we get a gloomy Gospel passage like this.
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Stephen, the first recorded martyr in Christianity. Since the fifth century, his martyrdom has been celebrated on the first day after Christmas. It is a reminder that belief in the child born on Christmas can be costly.
This Gospel passage is from a section in Matthew in which Jesus is preparing to send the Twelve out on mission. He tells them that just as they share in his mission, so they will share in his persecution and martyrdom.
It’s not likely that I will be killed because I am a Christian
On the other hand, the Christian way of life is at times out of step with what would be called normal standards. I could sometimes get “killed: by others, figuratively speaking.
Not only I could. I have. And I probably can anticipate it happening again.
I need to talk to the Lord about this.
Feast of John the Apostle
Since the sixth century, the feast of John the Apostle has been celebrated on this date.
John and his brother, James, were partners in a fishing business with two other brothers – Peter and Andrew. In Matthew, they are the first four disciples called by Jesus.
John is mentioned 20 times in the Gospels (though never in the Gospel that bears his name). The threesome of Peter, James and John had a very close relationship with the Lord (sometimes along with Peter’s brother, Andrew). For example, Jesus brought only them to witness the transfiguration.
It is said that John was a young man when called to be a disciples, and lived to a ripe old age. An old tradition says that in his last days his disciples had to carry him into church. Unable to give a lengthy sermon, he was accustomed simple to repeat the words: “Children, love one another.”
His disciples hearing this repeatedly became impatient and asked: “Master, why do you always say the same thing?” John replied: Because it is the Lord’s own commandment. And if you did nothing more, it would suffice.
Now what’s happening? We just celebrated the birth of Jesus, and today’s Gospel is about his resurrection!
This passage was chosen because it is the feast of John the Apostle. “The disciple Jesus loved” (who appears only in John’s Gospel) was thought to be John himself.
It is said that John died a natural death at a ripe old age. On the other hand, Jesus was brutally killed at about the age of 30.
It may seem strange to say it this way, but in the great expanse of time and eternity, the length of each one’s life hardly matters.
Who Jesus was and what he did mattered very much especially the way he accepted death. But the cruelty of his death, and at so early and age…In the perspective of eternity, those details become less important. Jesus is “seated at the right hand of God” – an expression that describes his glory. John too enjoys the happiness of heaven.
In this Christmas season, we celebrate that God became one of us and opened the door to the fullness of life. It’s a good time to settle back and think about what it means to have a future that lasts forever.
Legends of the Holy Family in Egypt
The Holy Family’s flight to Egypt and their stay there gave rise to fascinating tales composed centuries later.
It is said that their journey to Egypt was blessed with many miracles – lions and leopards wagging their tails in homage, palm trees bending down to give them fruit.
Legends dating back to the fifth century say that the Holy Family stayed in the city of Matariyah, just northeast of the present-day Cairo. One story says that as a child, Jesus grew balsam trees producing balm that cured almost anything, including snakebite.
Another tradition is that the family passed through a city about 150 miles up the Nile and as they did, the pagan idol statues bowed to them.
A monastery further up the Nile claims to be on the site where the Holy Family lived for six months. One of the apocryphal gospels tells the story that while there, two robbers set upon the Holy Family, but one repented when he saw Mary’s tears.
These turned out to be the same two robbers, goes the legend, who were later crucified with Jesus. The one, who back in Egypt, had been moved by Mary’s tears, ended up to be the “Good Thief” on the cross.
Jesus was raised in Nazareth, a small hill town up north. Such towns were a kinship network. Most everyone would have been a relative of Jesus. They lived in close proximity and were part of each other’s lives.
When we think of the family of Jesus, we can delete the image of Jesus sitting quietly with Mary while Joseph made chairs in his carpenter shop. The Holy Family lived in close quarters with cousins, in-laws, shirttail relatives of all kinds. There was no getting away from “family.”
Here’s a question: When extended families come together, do most people look forward to it, or do they find it difficult?
That’s not easy to answer. We worry about the relative who is likely to get drunk. We aren’t sure what to do about divorced and re-married members who bring in-laws we don’t know very well. Plus there’s always someone who’s currently on the outs with other family members. It’s quite a mix.
It takes a lot of virtue and patience to be part of such an extended family…a lot of indirect kindness that may or may not have an effect. We do our best and try to be kind, knowing that we can’t single-handedly change things around.
Jesus was part of an extended family no different from mine.
Dom Perignon
Born in France in 1639, Pierre Perignon at the age of 20 took the vows of a Benedictine monk at the abbey of Hautvilliers (near Reims) which produced a variety of wines.
Pierre soon became a wine expert. Perhaps because he had become blind, he developed an extraordinary sense of smell and taste. He was able to tell immediately which grapes came from which vineyards. He learned to mix together various wines so that the qualities of each added to the quality of the others.
He studied the particular qualities and characteristics of the grapes from the region of Champagne and when he was 60 years old, succeeded in producing what is known today as “champagne.”
Pierre died in 1715. Years later, the wine company that bought the Hautvilliers monastery vineyards gave the name “Dom Perignon” to its finest vintage.
On New Year’s Eve, many will without realizing it celebrate the memory of this Benedictine monk.
“Dom” (from the Latin word “dominus” which means “lord” was a title sometimes given to monks and other religious leaders.
There are 13 days left in the Church’s Christmas season.
This is quite a scene. An aged, holy man talking to God as he looks into the face of the two-month-old child he is holding in his arms.
The old man speaks of peace and light and salvation and glory. His name – Simeon (Hebrew for “God has heard”) – characterized him as a man of hope.
Simeon’s words have become part of the Church’s night prayer, and are prayed at the end of every day of the year. The prayer is called the “Nunc Dimttis.” Latin for the first words, “Now you may dismiss your servant…”
That’s a good way to end each day. I go to bed, entrust myself into the hands of God, and rest in peace.
I can do it in Simeon’s words or I can use my own. Just one short sentence would do it: “Lord, as I go to sleep I place myself in your good hands.”
It seems a holy thing to do. And a healthy thing too.
Night prayer is an old tradition. It doesn’t have to be long. And it’s not just for children.
The ‘Happy Warrior’
Alfred Emmanuel Smith was born on this day 130 years ago.
After serving four terms as governor of New York, his name was placed in nomination as the Democratic candidate for the presidency by Franklin Roosevelt at the 1924 Democratic convention. It was in Roosevelt’s nominating speech that Smith was dubbed “The Happy Warrior.”
Smith was the first Roman Catholic to be seriously considered for the presidency, and this (along with his opposition to Prohibition) became a major issue. After 102 ballots, the convention gave the nomination to John Davis.
Four years later, at the 1928 convention, Al Smith won the Democratic nomination of the first ballot.
The ensuing presidential campaign dealt with many issues, not the least of which was Smith’s Catholicism. Various groups (including the Ku Klux Klan) openly opposed him because of his religion, and a great deal of anti-Catholicism rose to the surface.
Smith answered by saying, “I believe in absolute freedom of conscience for all, and in the equality of all churches, all sects, and all beliefs before the law as a matter of right and not as a matter of favor.”
Herbert Hoover, the Republican candidate, won a landslide victory, 444 to 87 electoral votes.
We know nothing about Simeon and Anna before or after their appearance in Luke’s Gospel. They are among those who appear briefly in the unfolding of God’s plan, and whose names are inscribed in our memories.
Anna will leave the scene without a word of hers having been recorded. All we are told is that she “gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all.”
Giving thanks to God is the best thing we know how to do. We don’t have answers. We don’t know all the whys let alone the hows. What we do know is that this child, who becomes a grown man, who dies on the cross, who goes through death to the other side, will bring about the redemption of all creation.
Anna died before God’s great project was finished. I probably will too.
In a world that often tends toward pessimism, I would do well to imitate the strong hope and thankfulness of this kind old woman named Anna.
The ‘Last Gospel’
The Gospel for today’s Mass is the opening verses of John’s Gospel (called the “Prologue”). It was often used as a blessing.
In the 13th century, it became the custom in some places for priests to recite this Gospel passage privately after Mass as they were taking off their vestments.
In the form of the Mass that emerged from the Council of Trent (late 16th century), the priest was to read this Gospel passage (to himself) at the altar before Mass ended.
In the liturgical reform of Vatican II, this private thanksgiving of the priest was no longer included as part of the Mass.
The first 18 verses of John’s Gospel are referred to as the “Prologue”. They deal with truths that soar far above the limits of human reason, and they are one of the reasons why John Is symbolized as an eagle.
It is John’s prologue that explicitly states what we mean by the term Incarnation: “And the Word became flesh.” This is one of the most basic truths of our faith.
We do not teach that Jesus was a good and holy man who, at some point in his life (e.g. his baptism, his death) was adopted by God and raised to divine status. Nor do we teach that Jesus was God wearing a human costume.
What we do teach is (take your time with this)…that the eternally pre-existing Son of God (the Second Person of the Trinity), at a certain point in time, became a human being, born of a woman. Jesus is truly divine and truly human, and neither detracts from the fullness of the other. He did not simply become “like us.” He became one of us, a permanent member of the human family. And (this is the most important part of all) he did this so that as part of the human family and also Son of God, he could bring us into his own relationship to the Father.
This is what we celebrate at Christmas. And it’s something worth celebrating.
I heard it Christma Day. It's one of my favorites.
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