The Word of grace and truth

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to use our contemplation of the Word becomes flesh to activate our hope and action to be Christ in our environment.

His tent among us

The reading from the First Letter of John is a warning for the community to reject the teaching of those against Christ.

* [2:22–23] Certain gnostics denied that the earthly Jesus was the Christ; to deny knowledge of the Son is to deny the Father, since only through the Son has God been fully revealed (Jn 1:18; 14:8–9).1 

Psalm 96 is praise to God Who comes in judgement.

* [Psalm 96] A hymn inviting all humanity to praise the glories of Israel’s God (Ps 96:1–3), who is the sole God (Ps 96:4–6). To the just ruler of all belongs worship (Ps 96:7–10); even inanimate creation is to offer praise (Ps 96:11–13). This Psalm has numerous verbal and thematic contacts with Is 40–55, as does Ps 98. Another version of the Psalm is 1 Chr 16:23–33.2 

The prologue to the Gospel of John contains poetic language to present the Word Became Flesh.

 * [1:1–18] The prologue states the main themes of the gospel: life, light, truth, the world, testimony, and the preexistence of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Logos, who reveals God the Father. In origin, it was probably an early Christian hymn. Its closest parallel is in other christological hymns, Col 1:15–20 and Phil 2:6–11. Its core (Jn 1:1–5, 10–11, 14) is poetic in structure, with short phrases linked by “staircase parallelism,” in which the last word of one phrase becomes the first word of the next. Prose inserts (at least Jn 1:6–8, 15) deal with John the Baptist.3

Larry Gillick, S.J. asks why did the pre-existent Word become flesh; become visible to “pitch His Tent among us?”

Jesus, as Word and Light, has come into our darkness to enlighten us about who the Creator sees us and all other creatures to be… This past year we have seen enough of ourselves and each other to know that we need an increase of that Light. We know our human darkness and yet we have seen God’s Light, still pitched among us.    The Light remains, inviting us out of our formless chaos into the honor of being “Children of God.” The Light shines, not as a detective, or accuser, but as a Finder, Healer and Savior. Every day, every moment is the continuation of the Old becoming New. Jesus is the timeless resolution, renewed within the moments of our lives. The Old begins something new within each moment of our lives, both this past year and within the year soon to begin. “In the beginning” is always and in all ways, now!4 

The reflection from Don Schwager today is a summary of the grace and truth that is the Incarnation. It includes comments on: Why does John the Evangelist begin his Gospel account with a description of the Word of God and the creation of the universe and humankind?; The eternal Word leaped down from heaven; Truly man and truly God; and quotes from Gaudium et Spes (PASTORAL CONSTITUTION ON THE CHURCH IN THE MODERN WORLD: POPE PAUL VI); Gregory of Nyssa, one of the great early church fathers (330-395 AD); and “The first-fruits of the Gospels,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD).

 The Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it. The Son of God ...worked with human hands; he thought with a human mind. He acted with a human will, and with a human heart he loved.  Born of the Virgin Mary, he has truly been made one of us, like to us in all things except sin (Gaudium et Spes).5

Sick, our nature demanded to be healed; fallen, to be raised up; dead, to rise again.  We had lost the possession of the good; it was necessary for it to be given back to us. Closed in darkness, it was necessary to bring us the light; captives, we awaited a Savior; prisoners, help; slaves, a liberator.  Are these things minor or insignificant? Did they not move God to descend to human nature and visit it, since humanity was in so miserable and unhappy a state?5 

"I think that John's Gospel, which you have enjoined us to examine to the best of our ability, is the first-fruits of the Gospels. It speaks of him whose descent is traced and begins from him who is without a genealogy... The greater and more perfect expressions concerning Jesus are reserved for the one who leaned on Jesus' breast. For none of the other Gospels manifested his divinity as fully as John when he presented him saying, 'I am the light of the world' (John 8:42), 'I am the way and the truth and the life' (John 14:6), 'I am the resurrection' (John 11:25), 'I am the door' (John 10:9), 'I am the good shepherd' (John 10:11)... We might dare say then that the Gospels are the first-fruits of all Scripture but that the first-fruits of the Gospels is that according to John whose meaning no one can understand who has not leaned on Jesus' breast or received Mary from Jesus to be his mother also." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 1.21–23)5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 1:1-18 invites us to think about adding another resolution—one that flows from today’s Gospel reading. Think about resolving to increase your sense of hope in the Lord.

 Now, most of us already live with a certain degree of hope. But sometimes anxiety can creep in and rob us of it. We learn of a loved one’s cancer diagnosis and wonder if they’ll ever recover. We fall back into a sin pattern we thought we had already conquered. We see empty pews at Mass and worry about the future of the Church.
These are all real challenges, and it’s tempting to let them convince us to throw away our hope. But at the bottom of such struggles are these two fundamental questions: Does God see what is happening? And is he going to do anything about it?6

Friar Jude Winkler instructs about Gnosticism in the Christian community that declared Christ is not Divine in nature. The prologue to the Gospel of John is both poetic and prose. Friar Jude finds connections to the Hebrew Testament in “He pitched His tent among us”.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, reflects that up to now, top-down religion has pretty much spoiled the show. We need trained experts, scholars, leaders, and teachers, but the truths of Christianity must be made much more accessible, available, localized, and pastoral. Most people do not need to have encyclopedic knowledge of theology or Scripture. To begin with, why not flatten out the huge and unbiblical distinction between clergy and laity? [1].

 It seems to me that we must begin to validate Paul’s original teaching on “many gifts and many ministries” (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). Together, these diverse gifts “make a unity in the work of service” (Ephesians 4:12-13, Jerusalem Bible). Individual communities may do this well, but on the whole we need Christian people who are trained in, validated for, and encouraged to make home and hospital visits; do hospice work and jail ministry; support immigrants and refugees; help with soup kitchens or food pantries; counsel couples before, during, and after marriage; share child development resources with families; offer ministries of emotional, sexual, and relational healing; help with financial counseling; build low-cost housing; take care of the elderly; run thrift centers—all of which put Christian people in immediate touch with other people and for which no ordination is needed. Ordination would probably even get in the way. Remember, healing was most of the work Jesus did. This fact is almost too obvious.7

The development of our understanding of the Word made flesh is possible partially through study that is brought to life as we pitch our tent among the needs and concerns of the people we meet and witness Incarnation in acting out our gifts and talents for others.

References

1	(n.d.). 1 John, chapter 2 - United States Conference. Retrieved December 31, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1john/2
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 96 - United States Conference. Retrieved December 31, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/96
3	(n.d.). John, chapter 1 - United States Conference. Retrieved December 31, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/john
4	(n.d.). Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries .... Retrieved December 31, 2019, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 31, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved December 31, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/12/31/
7	(2019, December 31). The Work of Healing — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 31, 2019, from https://cac.org/the-work-of-healing-2019-12-31/

Wisdom for families

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate the Wisdom in our spiritual tradition and use our specific experience of God to guide our action in bringing “Good News” to all people.

Bringing "Good News"

The reading from the First Letter of John warns members of the community not to love things opposed to Christ.

 * [2:15] The world: all that is hostile toward God and alienated from him. Love of the world and love of God are thus mutually exclusive; cf. Jas 4:4.1

Psalm 96 is a hymn that ascribes to the Lord, just ruler of all, worship.

* [Psalm 96] A hymn inviting all humanity to praise the glories of Israel’s God (Ps 96:1–3), who is the sole God (Ps 96:4–6). To the just ruler of all belongs worship (Ps 96:7–10);2 

In Gospel of Luke the parents of Jesus, as devout Jews, attend to the appropriate rites following birth in the Temple and return to Nazareth.

* [2:22–40] The presentation of Jesus in the temple depicts the parents of Jesus as devout Jews, faithful observers of the law of the Lord (Lk 2:23–24, 39), i.e., the law of Moses. In this respect, they are described in a fashion similar to the parents of John (Lk 1:6) and Simeon (Lk 2:25) and Anna (Lk 2:36–37).3 

Scott McClure reflects that an airport is a fascinating place. It is a city unto itself. It has restaurants, clothing stores, book stores, bars, and chiropractic kiosks. It has wifi and outlets to charge your devices. And Starbucks! It has seemingly everything a person would need to survive. (except fresh air!) (The 2004 Tom hanks movie, The Terminal explores just what it might mean to live in an airport, in fact.)

Today, Luke tells us of Anna whose orientation toward the worship of God is the necessity of her life, her fresh air. Anna, quite clearly, has heeded that the world and its enticement are passing away. The airport is a convenient microcosm of the world's enticement. It features in bright lights the materialism and distraction that can pervade our lives wherever we are, and in a particular way during the Christmas season. 
During this Octave of Christmas, let us take our cue from Anna. Jesus has been born in a manger. The King of Kings. Our fresh air. The necessity of our lives. Let us recognize that A holy day has dawned upon us and breathe in the fresh air that has entered our world with the birth of Christ.4 

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus, though rich, became poor for us,” by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.

 "Anna, who, by reason of her years of widowhood and her virtues, is set before us as wholly worthy of belief, announces that the Redeemer of all people has come... Not without purpose, however, does he make mention of the eighty-four years of her widowhood, because both the seven twelves and the two forties seemed to imply a number that is sacred." (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 2.62)5

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 2:36-40 comments that when she came to the Temple on this special day, Anna’s years of prayerful waiting had sharpened her awareness so that she recognized Jesus as her long-awaited Messiah. With the boldness that comes from prayer, she wasn’t shy about pointing him out to people. And because they knew her so well, they listened.

 You can probably identify some seasoned parishioners like Anna in your church. Their stories remind you of God’s goodness and faithfulness. They listen attentively to your concerns. They intercede and help lift the burdens of the people around them.
So keep your eyes open for the “Annas” out there. Take the time to thank them for all the ways they act as a positive influence on their surroundings—and on you.6

Friar Jude Winkler comments that the children, young people, and adults in the letter of John probably refer to stages of spiritual development. The dualistic tone of the letter is a starting point for exploration of pastoral response. Friar Jude reminds us of the rites of purification for Mary and redemption for Jesus that are presented in the Gospel.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that anything called “Good News” needs to reveal a universal pattern that can be relied upon, and not just clannish patterns that might be occasionally true. This is probably why Christianity’s break with ethnic Judaism was inevitable, although never intended by either Jesus or Paul, and why by the early second century Christians were already calling themselves “catholics” or “the universals.” They believed God is leading all of history somewhere larger and broader and better for all of humanity… God’s grace cannot be a random problem-solver doled out to the few and the virtuous—or it is hardly grace at all! (See Ephesians 2:7-10 if you want the radical meaning of grace summed up in three succinct verses.)

 For me, a true comprehension of the full Christ Mystery is the key to the foundational reform of the Christian religion. Understanding the expansive reality of Christ will move us beyond any attempts to corral or capture God into our exclusive group. As the New Testament dramatically puts it, “Before the world was made, we have been chosen in Christ . . . claimed as God’s own, and chosen from the very beginning” (Ephesians 1:4, 11) “so that God could bring everything together, in heaven and on earth, as a plan for the fullness of times” (1:10). If all of this is true, we have a theological basis for a very natural religion that includes everybody. The problem was solved from the beginning.7

The rites and wisdom in our spiritual tradition are a seed for contemplation of the experiences of God that become our witness to the “Good News”.

References

1	(n.d.). 1 John, chapter 2 - United States Conference. Retrieved December 30, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1john/2
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 96 - United States Conference. Retrieved December 30, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/96
3	(n.d.). Luke, chapter 2 - United States Conference. Retrieved December 30, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/2
4	(n.d.). Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries .... Retrieved December 30, 2019, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 30, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved December 30, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/12/30/
7	(2019, December 30). A Universal Pattern — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 30, 2019, from https://cac.org/a-universal-pattern-2019-12-30/

Happy Home of Faith

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today celebrate the Holy Family and invite us to ponder how their faith was expressed in trust that God’s will for them would be our example for the path to full life.

Celebrate family

The passage from the Book of Sirach reminds us of our responsibilities to parents including helping your father in his old age.

* [3:1–16] Besides the virtues that must characterize our conduct toward God, special duties are enjoined, such as honor and respect toward parents, with corresponding blessings (vv. 1–9). By showing such respect especially to old and infirm parents (vv. 10–13), the sins of children are pardoned (vv. 14–15).1 

Psalm 128 is a hymn describing the happy home of the faithful.

 * [Psalm 128] A statement that the ever-reliable God will bless the reverent (Ps 128:1). God’s blessing is concrete: satisfaction and prosperity, a fertile spouse and abundant children (Ps 128:2–4). The perspective is that of the adult male, ordinarily the ruler and representative of the household to the community. The last verses extend the blessing to all the people for generations to come (Ps 128:5–6).2

In the reading from the Letter to the Colossians, Paul declares that compassion and patience are among the rules for Christian Households. The Christian Family extends the Stoic sense of duty to practice love.

* [3:5–17] In lieu of false asceticism and superstitious festivals, the apostle reminds the Colossians of the moral life that is to characterize their response to God through Christ. He urges their participation in the liturgical hymns and prayers that center upon God’s plan of salvation in Christ (Col 3:16).3 

The Gospel from Matthew details the escape to Egypt and the return to Nazareth for the Holy Family.

* [2:23] Nazareth…he shall be called a Nazorean: the tradition of Jesus’ residence in Nazareth was firmly established, and Matthew sees it as being in accordance with the foreannounced plan of God. The town of Nazareth is not mentioned in the Old Testament, and no such prophecy can be found there. The vague expression “through the prophets” may be due to Matthew’s seeing a connection between Nazareth and certain texts in which there are words with a remote similarity to the name of that town. Some such Old Testament texts are Is 11:1 where the Davidic king of the future is called “a bud” (nēser) that shall blossom from the roots of Jesse, and Jgs 13:5, 7 where Samson, the future deliverer of Israel from the Philistines, is called one who shall be consecrated (a nāzîr) to God.4 

Thomas Lenz comments that if we are open, God communicates and moves us in many ways. Sometimes it is through song, other times through the actions and words of others, and sometimes it is a feeling in the depths of our stomach.

For Joseph, it was an angel that came to him in a dream. The part that struck me was how Joseph responded. He trusted the message and acted. What a great example of being a “contemplative in action!” I bet that St. Ignatius of Loyola loved this story.5 

Don Schwager quotes “The holy family flees to Egypt,” by John Chrysostom, 547-407 A.D., who addresses being a fugitive or refugee like the Holy Family.

    "But why was the Christ child sent into Egypt? The text makes this clear: he was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, 'Out of Egypt have I called my son' (Hosea 11:1). From that point onward we see that the hope of salvation would be proclaimed to the whole world. Babylon and Egypt represent the whole world. Even when they were engulfed in ungodliness, God signified that he intended to correct and amend both Babylon and Egypt. God wanted humanity to expect his bounteous gifts the world over. So he called from Babylon the wise men and sent to Egypt the holy family.    "Besides what I have said, there is another lesson also to be learned, which tends powerfully toward true self-constraint in us. We are warned from the beginning to look out for temptations and plots. And we see this even when he came in swaddling clothes. Thus you see even at his birth a tyrant raging, a flight ensuing and a departure beyond the border. For it was because of no crime that his family was exiled into the land of Egypt.    "Similarly, you yourself need not be troubled if you are suffering countless dangers. Do not expect to be celebrated or crowned promptly for your troubles. Instead you may keep in mind the long-suffering example of the mother of the Child, bearing all things nobly, knowing that such a fugitive life is consistent with the ordering of spiritual things. You are sharing the kind of labor Mary herself shared. So did the magi. They both were willing to retire secretly in the humiliating role of fugitive." (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 8.2)6 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Colossians 3:12-21 asks us to name just one quality that makes a family holy.

You might say love, or any of the other virtues that St. Paul lists in today’s second reading. And you may well be right. But what do you think keeps a family holy? What keeps them together for the long haul? Forgiveness…The ability to forgive one another, even for the minor offenses that happen in daily life together, is the oil that makes family relationships run well. Saying “I’m sorry; will you forgive me?” and “I forgive you” should roll off our tongues as readily as the words “I love you.” Because without forgiveness, bitterness can grow and love can wither.
So make forgiveness a goal for your family for the coming year. Show your children and grandchildren how to forgive by modeling it yourself. It’s not a concession to say you’re sorry to another person; it’s a grace—one that the Holy Family will give you for the asking!7 

Friar Jude Winkler mentions the history of the discovery of the Book of Sirach as he notes the wisdom of caring for parents. The idea of subordination and duty in Stoic philosophy is amended in Collossians to emphasize love in family relations. Friar Jude notes that the terrible reign of Herod's successor made the Holy Family choose Nazareth as home.

Dr Anthony Towey, who teaches St. Mary’s University, Strawberry Hill, asks what became of these broken-hearted asylum seekers?

 Let’s be thankful that they didn’t fall foul of UK immigration. An age-gap couple with a dependent – Egypt was clearly more welcoming than we might be and the rest, as they say, is history. It goes without saying that though they didn’t exactly live happily ever after, Mary and Joseph have stayed in the religious and artistic imagination ever since. But if I have a Christmas wish for the Holy Family, it is that the artists and poets among us will continue to explore their story. I would love a statue of Joseph where his lily is replaced by a hammer and his shoulder has a smattering of vomit. I would love to see more iconography of a pregnant Mary, not least to encourage the scared young mums of our day. Lastly, I would love to hear more poems of the Holy Family that go beneath the glitz, through the turmoil and fathom the depth; poems that in turn could become prayers that capture their hope, that capture their faith, that capture their love.8

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that the New Testament has a clear sense of history working in a way that is both evolutionary and positive. For example, Jesus’ many parables of the Kingdom lean heavily on the language of growth and development. His common metaphors for growth are seeds, sprouting and ripening grain, weeds and wheat growing together, and the rising of yeast. [1] His parables of the “Reign of God” are almost always about finding, discovering, being surprised, experiencing reversals of expectations, changing roles and status. None of these notions are static; they are always about something new and good coming into being.

 Why do I think this is so important? Frankly, because without it we become very impatient with ourselves and others. Humans and history both grow slowly and often move three steps forward, two steps back. We expect people to show up at our doors fully transformed and holy before they can be welcomed in. But growth language says it is appropriate to wait, trusting that change of consciousness, what the Bible calls in Greek metanoeite, can only come with time. This patience ends up being the very shape of love. Without an evolutionary worldview, Christianity does not really understand, much less foster, growth or change. Nor does it know how to respect and support where history is heading.9

Faith is that trust that grows love based in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

References

1	(n.d.). Sirach, chapter 3 - United States Conference. Retrieved December 29, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/sirach/3
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 128 - United States Conference. Retrieved December 29, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/128
3	(n.d.). Colossians, chapter 3 - United States Conference. Retrieved December 29, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/colossians/3
4	(n.d.). Matthew, chapter 2 - United States Conference. Retrieved December 29, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/2
5	(n.d.). Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries .... Retrieved December 29, 2019, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
6	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 29, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
7	(n.d.). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved December 29, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/12/29/
8	(2014, December 26). Jesus: Who Do You Think You Are? 6. Mary and Joseph .... Retrieved December 29, 2019, from https://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/jesus-who-do-you-think-you-are-6-mary-and-joseph
9	(2019, December 29). Patient Trust — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 29, 2019, from https://cac.org/patient-trust-2019-12-29/

Escape from Evil

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to ponder the Light of God in parallel with acts of pure evil against children.

Winter wonder adventure

The reading from the First Letter of John declares God Is Light and Christ is our Advocate.

* [1:5–7] Light is to be understood here as truth and goodness; darkness here is error and depravity (cf. Jn 3:19–21; 17:17; Eph 5:8). To walk in light or darkness is to live according to truth or error, not merely intellectual but moral as well. Fellowship with God and with one another consists in a life according to the truth as found in God and in Christ.1 

Psalm 124 teaches that Israel’s very existence is owed to God who rescues them.

 * [Psalm 124] A thanksgiving which teaches that Israel’s very existence is owed to God who rescues them. In the first part Israel’s enemies are compared to the mythic sea dragon (Ps 124:2b–3a; cf. Jer 51:34) and Flood (Ps 124:3b–5; cf. Is 51:9–10). The Psalm heightens the malice of human enemies by linking them to the primordial enemies of God’s creation. Israel is a bird freed from the trapper’s snare (Ps 124:6–8)—freed originally from Pharaoh and now from the current danger.2

In the Gospel of Matthew we learn of the escape to Egypt of the Holy Family prior to the massacre of the infants by King Herod.

* [2:15] The fulfillment citation is taken from Hos 11:1. Israel, God’s son, was called out of Egypt at the time of the Exodus; Jesus, the Son of God, will similarly be called out of that land in a new exodus. The father-son relationship between God and the nation is set in a higher key. Here the son is not a group adopted as “son of God,” but the child who, as conceived by the holy Spirit, stands in unique relation to God. He is son of David and of Abraham, of Mary and of Joseph, but, above all, of God.3 

Angela Maynard, a long-time pediatric critical nurse, has been with too many people as they lost a child. It never gets easier. Each life is precious and should be treated as such.

 As I reflect on today’ gospel my mind wanders to innocent children who are in danger, or dying by no fault of their own.  I think of parents who would truly do ANYTHING to save their precious child.
Children remain at risk.  UNICEF reported that there will be 167 million children living in extreme poverty by 2030.  It is predicted that globally, 69 million children under the age of five will die between now and 2030.  Children around the world suffer from war, slavery and various forms of abuse. It’s hard to transition from adoring a beautiful infant born in a stable to loving parents to considering the harsh realities of many children.
Pope Francis challenges all of us to protect life, acknowledge the reality faced by too many children while protecting their dignity as God’s children.  Specifically, “life will not only be respected but above all defended.”4

Don Schwager quotes “The first martyrs of Christ,” by Chromatius (died 406 AD).

 "In Bethlehem therefore all the babies were slain. These innocents who died then on Christ's behalf became the first martyrs of Christ. David refers to them when he says, 'From the mouths of nursing babies you have perfected praise because of your enemies, that you might bring ruin to the enemy' (Psalm 8:2). ... For in this persecution even tiny infants and nursing babies were killed on Christ's behalf and attained to the consummate praise of martyrs. Meanwhile the wicked king Herod was destroyed, he who had usurped the realm to defend himself against the king of the heavens. Thus it is that those blessed babes have deservedly lasted beyond others. They were the first who were worthy to die on Christ’s behalf." (excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 6.2)5

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 2:13-18 comments that the darkness doesn’t seem like it is giving up the fight, and in many cases, it even appears to be winning. Or at the very least, the darkness is taking quite a long time to admit defeat.

It may seem vague and overly spiritual, but the best thing you could ever do is to let your own light shine in the darkness. Show the world the difference that Jesus makes. Speak against evil, but in a way that is humble and patient. Let the words you say—and the words you choose not to say—demonstrate the compassion and goodness of the Lord. Never forget that Christ is in you. You can make a difference.6 

Friar Jude Winkler notes the different theology of the First Letter of John from the Gospel of John. The letter presents a very dualistic good vs evil that is a difficult pastoral challenge when we do sin. Herod was a murderous megamaniac who killed 50,000 people in his reign. Friar Jude reminds us of the many people who live quiet lives that lead to the cross.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Michael Lerner, an American rabbi of Beyt Tikkun Synagogue in Berkeley, a political activist, and the editor of Tikkun, a Jewish interfaith magazine. Rabbi Lerner has shared my work with his audiences, noting the message of love and justice that flows through all the Abrahamic faiths and touches on all the great religious and spiritual traditions. In today’s practice, Rabbi Lerner imagines an education for the future where students would learn to engage in studies that would prepare them for spiritual transformation. In alignment with our consideration of “incarnation,” one of the topics students would explore is “Meaning of Life.”

 Students would also be exposed to the range of human suffering, projects and strategies for ameliorating or reducing suffering, and the range of responses and attempts to give meaning to the suffering and the attempts to be with suffering without giving it any larger meaning. They would also be exposed to the ways people have sought to find meaning through community action, mutual support, and love. Many students will have already had their own exposure to suffering in their families and communities, but the school situation will give them a different a take: an opportunity to reflect on suffering and its meaning. So, too, students will explore experiences of unity, mystical luminosity and joy that are as much dimensions of life as suffering and cruelty.7

The horror of atrocities that are evidence of evil in our communities is difficult to integrate into our mission to bring Peace and Love to all.

References

1	(n.d.). 1 John, chapter 1 - United States Conference. Retrieved December 28, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1john/1
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 124 - United States Conference. Retrieved December 28, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/124
3	(n.d.). Matthew, chapter 2. Retrieved December 28, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/2
4	(n.d.). Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries .... Retrieved December 28, 2019, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 28, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(2019, December 28). The Holy Innocents, Martyrs (Feast) - Mass Readings and .... Retrieved December 28, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/12/28/
7	(2019, December 28). Incarnation: Weekly Summary — Center for Action and .... Retrieved December 28, 2019, from https://cac.org/incarnation-weekly-summary-2019-12-28/