The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today reach back to our Hebrew heritage and look forward to invite us to ponder, like Mary, the meaning of Jesus revelation for the people of the world.
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| Looking back to move forwarf |
The reading from the Book of Numbers is the Priestly benediction of Aaron and the line of priests in his name.
* [6:26] Peace: the Hebrew word Shalom includes the idea of happiness, good health, prosperity, friendship, and general well-being. To use this term as a greeting was to pray for all these things upon the one greeted.1
In Psalm 67, the Nations are called to Praise God.
* [Psalm 67] A petition for a bountiful harvest (Ps 67:7), made in the awareness that Israel’s prosperity will persuade the nations to worship its God.2
The passage from the Letter of Paul to the Galatians declares our heritage as God’s free children in Christ invited to pray ‘Abba! Father!’.
* [4:1–7] What Paul has argued in Gal 3:26–29 is now elaborated in terms of the Christian as the heir (Gal 4:1, 7; cf. Gal 3:18, 29) freed from control by others. Again, as in Gal 3:2–5, the proof that Christians are children of God is the gift of the Spirit of Christ relating them intimately to God.3
The Gospel of Luke tells about the visit of the Shepherds to Jesus, Mary and Joseph and how Jesus is named on the eighth day in accord with Jewish custom.
* [2:21] Just as John before him had been incorporated into the people of Israel through his circumcision, so too this child (see note on Lk 1:57–66).4
John Shea, S.J. notes as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, our readings exhibit a tenderness that we sometimes forget is present in Scripture.
As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Mother of God, we are reminded of God’s tenderness. The earthly parental love of God contrasts with the lofty image of Christ the King. Both images are important and invite both reflection in our hearts and praise for our God. Yet, the emphasis on parental tenderness in today’s readings raises an important challenge. Just as God shows tenderness to us, we must show tenderness to one another.5
Don Schwager quotes “By Christ's faith, hope, and love we are purified,” by Bede the Venerable, 672-735 A.D.
"He therefore received in the flesh the circumcision decreed by the law, although he appeared in the flesh absolutely without any blemish of pollution. He who came in the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3) - not in sinful flesh - did not turn away from the remedy by which sinful flesh was ordinarily made clean. Similarly, not because of necessity but for the sake of example, he also submitted to the water of baptism, by which he wanted the people of the new law of grace to be washed from the stain of sins... "The reason 'the child who was born to us, the son who was given to us ' (Isaiah 9:6), received the name Jesus (that is, 'Savior') does not need explanation in order to be understood by us, but we need eager and vigilant zeal so that we too may be saved by sharing in his name. Indeed, we read how the angel interprets the name of Jesus: 'He will save his people from their sins' (Matthew 1:21). And without a doubt we believe and hope that the one who saves us from sins is not failing to save us also from the corruptions which happen because of sins, and from death itself, as the psalmist testifies when he says, 'Who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases' (Psalm 103:3). Indeed, with the pardoning of all of our iniquities, all our diseases will be completely healed when, with the appearance of the glory of the resurrection, our last enemy, death, will be destroyed... We read that circumcision was done with knives made of rock (Joshua 5:2), and the rock was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4). And by Christ's faith, hope and love the hearts of the good are purified not only in baptism but furthermore in every devout action. This daily circumcision of ours (that is, the continual cleansing of our heart) does not cease from always celebrating the sacrament of the eighth day. (excerpt from HOMILIES ON THE GOSPELS 1.11)6
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 2:16-21 comments that Mary’s habit of reflecting on and pondering the events in her life served her well. By taking the time to bring her concerns to God in prayer, she could be calmer and more deliberate in how she approached each new situation. That enabled her to be the kind of strong, loving, and stable motherly presence that Jesus needed to fulfill his own mission of salvation.
We will certainly face new situations and challenges this new year that may tempt us to react with fear, anger, or self-doubt. Yet how different would our reactions be to such events if we took the time to reflect on them first! Chances are we would be gentler and kinder in the way we respond to people, more patient in dealing with our difficulties, and more able to offer wisdom to those who need it.7
Friar Jude Winkler comments that the Benediction of Aaron to invoke Presence and Blessing has been used by many including Saint Francis of Assisi. The shepherds, outcasts of the time, were present because they needed to be. Friar Jude reminds us of the connection between our identity as children and heirs to Yeshua, God saves.
Paul Sumner, of hebrew-streams.org, comments that the name "Jesus" in English has a complicated linguistic history that isn't apparent in modern Bibles.
"Jesus" is an Anglicized form of the Greek name Yesous found in the New Testament. Yesous represents the Hebrew Bible name Yeshua, which occurs as "Jeshua" in English Bibles (Ezra 2:2; Neh 7:7). In Medieval English the "J" was pronounced as a "Y."8
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, cites Shane Claiborne, “Loving the Church Back to Life,” “The Future of Christianity,” as Fr Richard observes that it seems appropriate to begin the new year by sharing new visions for the future of Christianity. For our faith to evolve, we need to look at the old and original in order to build something new and novel.
The church needs discontentment. It is a gift to the Reign of God, but we have to use our discontentment to engage rather than to disengage. We need to be a part of repairing what’s broken rather than jumping ship. One of the pastors in my neighborhood said, “I like to think about the church like Noah’s Ark. That old boat must have stunk bad inside, but if you tried to get out, you’d drown.”
Just as we critique the worst of the church, we should also celebrate her at her best. We need to mine the fields of church history and find the treasures, the gems. We need to celebrate the best that each tradition can bring—I want the fire of the Pentecostals, the love of Scripture of the Lutherans, the political imagination of the Anabaptists, the roots of the Orthodox, the mystery of the Catholics, and the zeal of the Evangelicals.
One of the most promising things that has come out of the emerging church has been folks looking back and reclaiming the best of their traditions, seeing that it is not an either/or but a both/and—God is doing something ancient and something new. Phyllis Tickle [1934–2015] called it “hyphenated denominations”—Presby-mergence, Bapti-mergence, Luther-mergence—because what they are doing is renewing and building on what was.9
The scope of our meditation today is from the beginning of the journey of the Israelites through our adoption as sons of “Abba Father” looking forward to how we will use the gifts of the Spirit to renew our Christian mission to be known for our Love.
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