End the Year in Hope

As the calendar year comes to an end, the Roman Catholic Lectionary offers another look at the Incarnation through the Gospel of John. Some discussion of this point of view leads to the emphasis of the Person of Jesus becoming the expression of the Divine in our reality. The Christmas message of Emmanuel or “God is with us” is the thought with which we leave the old year and decade and begin the New Year with the hope that this Promise of our inheritance as children of God will be discovered as the indwelling Spirit that is light and life.

Return to Work World

In the Roman Catholic Lectionary for today, Luke completes the story of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Jerusalem and has them return to Nazareth. This is like the return to the work world after the Christmas Holidays. Perhaps the return will feature many resolutions for the New Year. The challenge of being in the world but not being “of the world” is that faced by those over the ages who have resolved to pursue holiness. The other texts in the Scripture from today extol the reader to move in this direction

Friends and Disciples

The texts in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today remind us of two aspects of discipleship. The disciple follows the lead of the master. The “New Commandment” is to love. The Master loves all without condition. The disciple will find this difficult. The disciple will present a challenge to some. This challenge may evoke responses of anger and even violence. Of course, the “light” that the disciple radiates is the life that maintains faithfulness to the first commandment even in the experience of the second aspect of discipleship. The Resurrection Mass for Rev. Basil Carew will be celebrated today in Halifax. “Father Bas” radiated that “light”. He made the effort to follow the “New Commandment” and lived many experiences of “giving all” that the disciple is given by the Master. He has completed the race.

Choice and Innocents

A priest friend commented recently that the liturgy of the Church after Christmas brings us sharply back from the peacefulness of Christmas. Today, the Roman Catholic Lectionary brings texts for the feast of the first martyrs, the Holy Innocents, children which Matthew tells us were slaughtered by Herod after failure of his plan to find the Christ child in Bethlehem. We come back to reality in our world where innocents die daily. Unfortunately, we can call up many examples. Where is God in these atrocities? Many wanderers on the spiritual journey have wrestled with this question. It is an essential phase of our struggle to embrace holiness. A response is that God is the first to mourn the tragedies which result from the choices of people. The free choice of people to move toward intimacy with the Divine or to withdraw to the domain of the ego, pride and self-worship is essential for the relationship with the in dwelling Spirit to grow freely and fully.

Family Love Mystery

The Roman Catholic Lectionary today, in Canada, looks at the thankfulness we often experience in our family life. The mystery of the relationships between children and parents and children and grandparents are threads to take to the understanding of the relationship between Creature and Creator. The love between humans can be a deep mystery. The extent to which an individual will give and live for another has been shown to be beyond understanding or “common sense”. Our Promise is that the indwelling Spirit will allow us to experience the fullness of joy which results from being in the Presence which is anticipated by the psalmist today in praising the joy of worship in the Temple. Our temple, the Temple of the Promise, is the ‘earthen vessel’ of out being.

Boxing Day move away

Boxing Day is also the feast of the first Christian martyr, St. Stephen. The Roman Catholic Lectionary takes us to texts about the reaction of some in the world to those who live guided by the indwelling Spirit. This seems a rapid change of pace and direction from the peace and joy of Christmas. However, when the texts are examined more closely, the indwelling Spirit is the source of peace and joy for the persecuted. We endure persecution. It is a characteristic of this world that many resort to conflict and violence when they perceive forces, concepts and actions which challenge their assumptions and world view. The ‘Word made flesh’ celebrated at Christmas time is the source and solution to the challenges we perceive to our life styles.

Prepared to Rejoice

At dawn this morning we may assess our preparedness to celebrate the Christmas feast. The Roman Catholic Lectionary has two parts today. As the day dawns, we read from Samuel and Luke about the Promises of God to be fulfilled through two people, David and John the Baptist. The preparation for the Kingdom of God will be the work of these leaders. We have prepared for our family and guests to join us during the next couple of days. We hope our role as hosts brings peace and joy. The Lectionary for later in this day recognizes the people in darkness have seen the great light of Christmas. In this ever present light we will gather our friends and family. Once again, we will display love and we will hope to live the promise of peace. Isaiah and Luke will be the familiar words that will re energize our spirit to the possibilities of the “Word made flesh” to our being.