Passages about the relationship between Jesus and the Father can seem complicated at first, but if we take our time with them, we discover very simple truths.
• Jesus is truly a human being. But he is a human being who is also God. He is one with God the Father, from whom God-life flows. The Opening Prayer on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord says: “May we who share his humanity come to share in his divinity.”
Jesus is the bridge to a relationship with God that we could never acquire on our own. (He will later give us a simple image – He is the vine; we are the branches.)
Jesus is not just a helper. He is the mediator, the link between God and human beings. There is no other – no saint, no bishop, no mystic. He alone is the “bread of life.”
What a gift. So simple. So profound.
Too many words can get in the way. Just let it sink in.
Kate Smith, the “songbird of the south,” was born on this date in 1907.
Over her career, she recorded almost 3,000 songs. Her theme song, ”When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain,”sold over 19 million copies. But Kate Smith was best known for her rendition of ”God Bless America.”
Composer Irving Berlin first wrote, ”God Bless America” in 1918 as part of a musical review. The song never made the cut, and he tucked it away.
In 1938, as the world moved closer to war, Berlin rewrote ”God Bless America.” and it was introduced by Kate Smith during her radio broadcast on Armistice Day, November 11, 1938. It became an unofficial national anthem during the war years, and its popularity continues down to the present day.
In 1965, after attending Roman Catholic liturgies for 25 years, Kate Smith became a member of the Catholic Church.
In her later years, because of her renditions of ”God Bless America.” at Philadelphia Flyers’ hockey games, Kate Smith was regarded as their good luck charm – inspiring them to two successive Stanley Cups (1974-1985)