The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the continuation of the Covenant in the birth of John the Baptist and the promise of Love in the Incarnation.
Call to Christmas
The reading from the Second Book of Samuel
* [7:8–16] The message Nathan delivers to David, called the Dynastic Oracle, is prompted by David’s intention to build a house (i.e., a temple) for the Lord, like David’s own house (i.e., palace) of cedar. David is told, in effect, not to bother building a house for the Lord; rather, the Lord will make a house for him—a dynasty, the House of David. Not only will he have descendants (v. 12) who will sit upon the throne of Israel (v. 13), their rule will last forever (vv. 13, 16); and even if they transgress the Lord’s commands, the line of David will never be removed from kingship as Saul was (cf. 1 Sm 13; 15). The oracle establishes the Davidic king as standing in relationship to the Lord as a son to a father (v. 14; cf. Ps 2:7; 89:27). The Dynastic Oracle, with cognate texts in the Scriptures, is the basis for Jewish expectations of an anointed king (1 Sm 12:3, 5), son of David (Mt 21:9); cf. Acts 2:30; Heb 1:5.1
and Psalm 89 praise God’s Covenant with David.
* [89:3–5] David’s dynasty is to be as long-lasting as the heavens, a statement reinforced by using the same verbs (establish, stand) both of the divine love and loyalty and of the Davidic dynasty and throne, cf. Ps 89:29–30.2
In the Gospel of Luke we hear Zechariah’s Canticle of Praise.
* [1:68–79] Like the canticle of Mary (Lk 1:46–55) the canticle of Zechariah is only loosely connected with its context. Apart from Lk 1:76–77, the hymn in speaking of a horn for our salvation (Lk 1:69) and the daybreak from on high (Lk 1:78) applies more closely to Jesus and his work than to John. Again like Mary’s canticle, it is largely composed of phrases taken from the Greek Old Testament and may have been a Jewish Christian hymn of praise that Luke adapted to fit the present context by inserting Lk 1:76–77 to give Zechariah’s reply to the question asked in Lk 1:66.3
Luis Rodriguez, S.J. comments that precisely by being born as a human child that God became vulnerable, capable of suffering... and of dying. Being human and, indeed, being humanly limited is not a bad condition and God’s example is a challenge for us to accept our humanness and our being limited.
God became human, so identified with our human nature, that God would seem to hide. This is what Elie Wiesel expressed by sharing with us an old Hassidic tale that I want to reproduce here.
Rebbe Barukh’s grandson, Yehiel, came running into his studio in tears.
- Yehiel, Yehiel, why are you crying?
- My friend cheats! It’s unfair. He left me all by myself, that’s why I am crying!
- Would you like to tell me about it?
- Certainly, grandfather. We played hide-and-seek and it was my turn to hide and his turn to look for me. So, he gave up. He stopped looking. And that’s unfair.
Rebbe Barukh began to caress Yehiels’s face and tears welled up on his eyes. God too, Yehiel, he whispered softly, God too is unhappy. God is hiding and we are not looking for God. Do you understand, Yehiel? God is hiding and we are not even searching for God.4
Don Schwager quotes “My words will not pass away,” by an anonymous early author from the Greek church.
"'O forerunner of Christ!... O Baptist inspired by God! We glorify Christ who bowed his head before you in the Jordan and sanctified the nature of mortal humankind... O wise John the forerunner, you have looked down from the bank of the river upon the glory of the Father's Word, even the Son as he stood in the waters; and you have seen the Spirit descend as a dove, cleansing and enlightening the ends of the earth. To you the mystery of the Trinity was revealed; and to you we sing, honoring your divine festival. "O Baptist and forerunner, strengthened by the divine grace of Christ you have shown us the lamb that takes away all the sins of the world (John 1:29,35-36), and with joy you have this day brought two disciples to him (John 1:35-42). Entreat him that peace and great mercy may be given to our souls." (excerpt from SYNAXIS OF JOHN THE BAPTIST)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 1:67-79 comments about the passionate, visceral emotion that is the meaning of the Greek word St. Luke uses as he recounts Zechariah’s praise for the “tender compassion” of our God (1:78). The word, splanchna, literally refers to the internal organs, but it is used in various places in Scripture to convey the idea of something deeply felt, something we sense in our gut.
When you see the baby Jesus tonight or tomorrow in the crèche at Mass, let it remind you of how much your Father loves you. His is a visceral love that knows no bounds, one that was willing to go to any lengths to redeem you. This is the love that we celebrate each day but especially on Christmas. Today may we all thank our heavenly Father for the greatest gift the world will ever know: his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. “Jesus, thank you for your tender compassion. I believe that you are the light of the world!”6
Friar Jude Winkler contrasts the luxurious palace of King David with the tent that housed the Ark of the Covenant at the time when God promises a Davidic dynasty to rule Israel. Luke uses an early Christian hymn of praise to express the gratitude of Zechariah. Friar Jude notes the role of John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares that the incarnation became the heart of his understanding of the Gospel in moments, at the Christmas tree and the Christmas crib, where he had been taken over to another world, the world as it’s meant to be, where the foundation is love and God is in everything.
Howard Thurman (1900–1981), the Black theologian and mystic, also saw great power in the symbol of Christmas. For Thurman, the “Mood of Christmas” was not merely in the Christ Child, but in what Christmas is offering us across the entire sweep of creation and time. He writes: The symbol of Christmas—what is it? It is the rainbow arched over the roof of the sky when the clouds are heavy with foreboding. It is the cry of life in the newborn babe when, forced from its mother’s nest, it claims its right to live. It is the brooding Presence of the Eternal Spirit making crooked paths straight, rough places smooth, tired hearts refreshed, dead hopes stir with newness of life. It is the promise of tomorrow at the close of every day, the movement of life in defiance of death, and the assurance that love is sturdier than hate, that right is more confident than wrong, that good is more permanent than evil. [1]
In our salvation history, God continues to invite us to participate in the Covenant of Love through which we will experience transformation of our understanding of the world.
References
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