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.
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| 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.
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