THE LITTLE ONES RECOGNIZE GOD

 

This Sunday (February 02) we celebrate the presentation of Jesus in the Temple. In the Jewish law a woman who had given birth must be purified in prayer and ritual in the Temple. This was to happen forty days after the birth of the child. Thus, February is forty days after Christmas.

 

Now Mary and Joseph encounter two people. They recognize the revealing hand of God in the birth of this child. In Jesus, they recognize God breaking into human history. Life will be very different after this birth.

 

Today, pay attention to the ordinariness of the people. It is not the powerful priests of the Temple who recognize what God is doing. It is not the rich merchants and the Roman rulers who pay attention to the hand of God at work in their space and time.

 

It is some very ordinary people. Probably the majority of the people might not have known their names!

 

Now it was Simeon (Lk. 2,25) who comes into the Temple and takes the child in his arms. He praised God that he was given the insight that he would not see death until he had seen the Messiah, i.e., the salvation, that God was bringing to his people.

 

Then, there was the eighty-four year old widow, Anna. She began speaking about the gift this child was for all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem  (Lk. 2, 18).

 

One of the insights that I hope we all take from this event is that God works through very ordinary people. These were not the powerful, the rich or the well-educated people. They were ordinary, uncomplicated believers who recognized the hand of God in the birth of this very ordinary child (like every other baby in the country).

 

Now, you are ordinary and uncomplicated. 

 

See the revelation of God coming to you when the Scriptures are proclaimed in Church, when you read and pray over a particular passage in one of the four Gospels, and in your  quiet prayer time.  The Holy Spirit is active and coming to you in these very ordinary moments of prayer and reflection.

 

God comes to you in the  poor with their many faces. It may be the kindness you bring to your aged aunt in the nursing home. She recognizes no one but you take her hand and gently speak to her of her life, her relationships and all the things she used to be so concerned about in her house. See the face of Jesus in her blank stare.

 

God comes to you in the loud concern that you hear from one of your co-workers. If there is an opening to speak about the homeless people in Regina and our own city, he lays out his strong concern about homelessness. Speaking about concern for the poor and suffering is not always pleasant. Even though this may brother many others at times, this concern is a moment when God is revealing Godself in this very ordinary person.

 

Simeon and Anna, you are so ordinary yet you teach us to see the hand of God in the very ordinary moments of our lives.

 

MAKE THE COMPARISONS

 

Today  (January 20,2025). is the inauguration of the President of the United States This is a  world leader with power and influence. I want you to make some comparisons here between political/financial power and the power within Christian leadership.

 

All leaders, from the local school principal to the heads of all the major countries of the world, convey a great deal of truth about themselves and their values by their actions; whom they associate with and what kind of music they will use and what kind of foods they will eat. For all leaders, their actions speak louder than their words.

 

Leaders set the tone! You may have difficulty putting it into words but you sure can feel it. If you have any doubt about setting the tone for a community, country or a family, just think of your mother. Now, that was a person who set the tone in the family you grew up in! She may not have spoken much but her influence was felt by everyone; even the family cat knew how to behave in the house!

 

In the inauguration in Washington, count the number of billionaries who were invited. And count if there were any poor, working people, house cleaners and the pickers of vegetables, who were invited. 

 

Bring your memory back to 2013 when Pope Francis was elected pope (a world leader with some very powerful influence). Shortly after the election and installation, his first trip was to the little island of Lampedusa. This is a small island in the Mediterranean Sea where the migrants and refugees gather as they try to make entry into Europe. These are not the rich  and the powerful. They are the marginalized and unwanted people of the earth. 

 

Was Pope Francis trying to win favour in high places? Earn more money? Make more friends with the rich and the powerful?

 

And then, for his living accommodations he choose to live in a two room apartment in the guest house at the Vatican. What world leader (of CEO of a large corporation) lives in such a humble abode?

 

In one of his first talks, the first image he uses for the Church is not the ‘Body of Christ’ or the ‘Powerful sign of Salvation.’   He uses the image of a ‘field hospital.’ Now a field hospital is in a tent. It is set up to care for the wounded in battle or it is set up to care  for the wounded after an earthquake or hurricane. A field hospital is meant to care for the poor, the wounded and the unwanted. What does the image of a field hospital communicate?

 

Actions speak much louder than words. Spend some time making comparisons between the Washington inauguration and the actions of Pope Francis. What does the world and the Church have to learn here?  What values of Christianity is Pope Francis making explicit? What can we learn here  and make part of our civic and personal lives!

 

 

 

WE ARE A REPENT CHURCH

In our journey of faith, we are blest with new insights. These new insights help us to live our faith in a vibrant way.

 

I am so thankful to Archbishop Rowen Willians, who reflected on the signs of Christ’s Church. From very early times we have used four signs to identify the Church, the community of faith. It is (1) One, (2) holy, (3) catholic and (4) apostolic. Each of these four signs of identification root us in the Church of the Scriptures and the early centuries.

 

But then he added a fifth: a repentant Church. 

 

We do not stand as holy and perfect. We do not have it made and are no longer in need of conversion. We want to stand in contrast with people who are very satisfied and secure in the way they believe in a supernatural power. They stand too confident in their own abilities and insight.

 

But when the Church practices repentance, when it walks as a repentant church, it takes responsibility for its failure to live the gospel message of Jesus. It takes ownership of its exploitation and abuse of power. It is a Church that holds its sins in its own hands as it walks through history.

 

A repentant Church is one which knows how much it needs the power of God to change its bad practices and exclusion of others. It needs God to turn away from violence and war-making. It asks God to wash our hands of all the greedy things we have done and our refusal to share our riches with the poor and marginalized of this world. 

 

A repentant Church walks with the prophets of the Old Testament who railed against the selfishness and greed that they experience in the Jewish society and the neglect of the poor, the widows and the alien in their midst. A repentant Church can feel the heat of the prophets’ voice calling for a change in social arrangements of their own society.

 

We bring with us the long history of slavery (over three centuries), where black working people from Africa were exploited and enslaved on North and South American farms. Canada also has some practice of slavery in its history. We are not unscathed on this matter. We repent of our terrible history and work towards justice and full equality of all peoples. This may cause much social discomfort but a repentant Church works to correct the wrongs of the past. 

 

A repentant Church is trying to come to grips with the overuse of the earth, and all the harm that our unbridled exploitation has caused the earth. We are actively trying to hear the pains of the earth when we humans have heated the atmosphere, poisoned the waters and caused plants and animals to decline rapidly. We are trying to listen to the pain of the earth. 

 

We have only just begun but we turn to our God, seeking the strength, the wisdom and the insight to make things right. We are asking for the Holy Spirit to move and empower us and  be redeemed of our past sins and human failures. 

 

A repentant Church is one seeking the new life that only God can give us. It embraces all the pain of past sins and turns towards God for forgiveness , new life and justice. A repentant Church is not trapped in the darkness of the past but embraces the painful recovery of God’s life and God’s self-giving peace. 

OUR SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON LISTENING

 

Count all your relatives and co-workers who talk a lot. They do not listen. They are more than eager to start talking the moment you utter your first word to respond to the conversation. 

 

Humans are very poor listeners. 

 

Countless arguments, fights, hurt feelings and wars are the debris of not listening.

 

When I deliberately listen, I take the other person’s arguments and position into perspective. Listening does not mean that I give in to the other person’s position, but I accept that their arguments and concerns are authentic. We will disagree (that is healthy) but we will not throw the other person into the recycle bin.

 

Pope Francis has taken a very bold step in trying to move the Church into a lifestyle of sincere listening. He names it “synodality.” A big word which means that the people of the Church embrace the hard, but life-giving, process of sincere dialogue and humble listening to one another.

 

The Church is worldwide. The way they do Church in Africa is not identical to that of Europe. They way they do Church in India is not the same as the Church in the Philippines. There are so many bridges of understanding that must be built to live and function as the Church. Pope Francis is correct in trying to move the Church to become a listening (embracing the life and experience of the other) community. Our faith has not changed whatsoever, but our way of operating must become more receptive to the life and experience of the other.

 

To listen is to be humble. To listen does not mean that we dilute our truth and firmly held convictions but that we accept that the other is equally sincere, well thought-out and who also seeks the truth. 

 

Stress the humble part of listening. We are living in a culture where it is all about power; use your mouth to try to destroy the opponent. The cultural air that we breath is anything but humble listening. In this culture too many people talk with their muscles.

 

There is no guarantee that the people of the Church will enter into dialogue and humble listening, but Pope Francis is leading in the right direction.  Will the world-wide Church embrace a listening Church?

 

To live a life of humble listening will make many insecure and fearful. This not only means listening to our fellow believer but also listening to God. Where is the Spirit of God leading the Church? Your parish community?

 

There will be stumbles, misunderstandings but we must go forward. Be humble. Keep your mouth still and listen, take in the other, even when it makes us insecure. But in the end, listening will change us on both sides of any issue.

 

 

 

 

WHAT GETS MISSED?

 

There is one part of the Christmas story that does not receive enough attention. It is the stable! 

 

Why should we pay attention?

 

In the world of Mary and Joseph, the mode of transportation was either on foot or with a donkey. This was a beast who carried travellers to their destination. But at the end of the day, you need to house, water and feed this animal. The stable is a place of care for the animals; the often forgotten part of daily life in Palestine.

 

We want to be in touch with the poverty of Mary and Joseph. They could not afford a hotel room. We cringe to think of a birth happening in the place where the donkeys were kept.

 

The stable marks the place where God has chosen to come among us. Our God is born in a barn, amidst the animals. 

 

The deeper meaning of the stable is that in this very ordinary place of work and  business, our God comes among us. Deliberately, he did not choose to be born among the rich and the powerful. But the stable is too ordinary!

 

The stable helps us to see that God may be very present in the nursing home. We visit our aged relative who has difficulty getting his words out into an understandable order. This may be a somewhat frustrating visit, but the Lord is present in our kindness and patience.

 

The stable may be our kitchen table, before everyone else gets out of bed. It is quiet as you pour your first cup of coffee. You are attentive to the presence of Christ right around the table. There are no words, but you are sharing in the presence of Christ around your kitchen table.

 

The Spirit of  God moves you to pick up the phone to call a cousin in Calgary who is undergoing chemo therapy for his cancer. Things do not look well. You listen with empathy and try to offer words of support. He thanks you that you cared and made the effort to check up on his condition. In that space of the telephone call, you had the stable. The goodness of God was born in you!

 

Your adult children have learnt not to bring \up the topic of homelessness in our big cities. They know that you will become very determined and at times have anger in  your voice. They know that you are passionately concerned about the marginalized persons in our cities. In your passion and your anger, all an expression of goodness, the stable of Bethlehem ins present. The Spirit of God is very much in the passion and the smoldering anger in your voice.

 

The stable is never far away. It is every place, no matter how ordinary, where the Spirit of God is moving and bringing forth life, passion and service. 

 

Look around your life. How many times are you living in the stable? How many times is the life and mystery of God present in so ordinary placess?

 

 

 

 

 

THE STRENGTH OF YOUR FAMILY LIFE

 

No family is perfect. 

 

Some years ago, Murrray, the father of three teenage boys, made the statement:  “We always wanted kids.” He stopped and pointed his finger to the center of the table. “But not these ones!”

 

The three sets of parents surrounding the table burst into laughter! He had touched a live - nerve!

 

Every family is a mixture of strengths and weaknesses. Your mother was always concerned about the activities of her children. She knew where they were, with whom they were playing with and always checked if they had enough to eat. That was a pillar of strength. The weakness: the father had little opportunity to give direction and assistance to his children. 

 

Today, many families in Canada are struggling with addictions. One (or more) members of their family are active drug users that complicates all their relationships. There are too many lapses of responsibility that burden the other members of the family. There are arguments and hard feelings. There is confusion. The members of the family they are fearful: what will this weekend bring?

 

We are trying to understand what it means for the many Canadian families that live in poverty. Our people observe that groceries are rising. They sincerely ask: What do people on fixed incomes do? We are struck by the question that some of our elderly ask: will I take my medication or will I pay the rent? Poverty is a major concern in our Canadian society. 

 

This is where we must take responsibility for our strengths. We are working to keep together, to live and function as a community where the parents, children and grandparents thrive. Claim your hard work to communicate and your patience when one member does not respond to helpful direction and support. Your spouse has an aging parent that is slowly moving into dementia. You could be very resentful that they are absent from your family each day,  but recognize the support that you give her/him. You just pick up and prepare the meals, give the house and good cleaning and attack the laundry. 

 

Your strength is found in your commitment. You do not walk out! The one adult child has taken a most unhealthful direction. There is no communication. You do not give up. There are many tears at night for the wandering, lost one. You feel like the Prodigal Father in the Gospel of Luke who waits for the return of his wayward son. 

 

Today, come before God in gratitude for the strength and commitment of each family member. You do not have to be perfect and be buddy-buddy with your son -in-law, but you work to live and function as family.

 

Claim your strengths. This is your service to good living and to making your faith come alive. 

Recognize the strong power in your family life.

 

CHRISTMAS WITH MORE DEPTH

 

May  you have a very good Christmas. 

 

Each year I am seeking to have more depth and understanding what it means to celebrate the birth day of our Savior. What is the purpose of signaling out one day on the calendar to focus on the work of God, breaking in among an often indifferent human race?

 

Many people, when they actually take Christmas by the shoulders and come face to face with the event of the birth of God in such humble conditions, have serious difficulties with this one.

 

Christmas must always be on God’s terms. It is not meant to make us feel good but to stretch us into the redeeming work of God. God has become one of us (the divine becomes human in order to  make the human divine. This is the breaking in of God to change the lives, the societies and cultures of our peoples. The birth of God among us is a dynamic event (i.e., the life and teaching of Jesus) to bring human beings to become truly human: that is, to grow to become the heart and the justice of God among humanity. We are destined to be transformed into the likeness, the love and mercy of God.

 

God does not want us to ‘ohh and ah’ over the birth of this baby. This is the breaking in (i.e., it is revelation in actin) of the very life and heart of God. The birth of Jesus in conditions of dire poverty announces something great is going to happen on the part of God. Life is going to change!

 

Unfortunately, over the centuries the story of Christmas has become too sentimental and folksy. Seeking depth in the Christmas story is to get in touch with the  way God acts. Jesus is not born in power and privilege. Rather, he is born poor and dispossessed. Mary gives birth in a public place, a holding place for poor travellers who cannot afford to purchase a hotel room. The first recipients of the good news of God’s work are the shepherds. These are the day labourers, the poor working class of people. There is no hint of privilege here. The poor meet the poor!

 

Then in the Gospel of Matthew , it is the pagans (what we call the wise men from the East) who are directed to seek the Christ child. All Jewish people knew that pagans were the unwanted in the divine plan.

 

In each of the two above cases, it is the outsiders who are called to celebrate the birth of God among us. 

 

Christmas is the revelation of the great heart of God including everyone, especially the people that us humans exclude or count as of less importance. And whatever God does is what human beings must actualize in their lives The message of Christmas is to seek to have our lives and hearts expanded to the poor, with their many faces, who live  right around us. 

 

The message of Christmas is: when humans exclude, God breaks all the human rules, and includes the forgotten, the poor and the grubby day labourers.

 

I pray that my heart is expanded and overflows with the love of God. 

 

Have a wonderful Christmas with overflowing divine love and mercy.