HerbEly

Rise up in Splendor Against the Darkness

The traditional end of the Christmas season comes on Epiphany, celebrated this year on Sunday, January 2 instead of Jan 6, the traditional 12th night. Isaiah writes: 

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;

In Matthew we read that the Magi followed the light of a star. Darkness in the person of King Herod was gathering strength. Herod, a rich, cruel and powerful man, heard that the Magi had come to do homage to the "newborn King of the Jews." Matthew tell us that "when Herod heard this he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him." Herod would send his soldiers out to kill all boys born around the time of Jesus. Joseph was forced to flee through the desert to save his infant son.

 

As we look around the forces of darkness still gather - on a personal and international level. Yet Herod's palace is in ruins and the infant son is worshipped across the world. Even in the face of darkness we should rise up, knowing that our light has come.

 

"Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him."

Sirach 3:2-6, taken from the readings for Sunday (the Feast of the Holy Family):

My son, take care of your father when he is old; grieve him not as long as he lives. Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him; revile him not all the days of his life; kindness to a father will not be forgotten,firmly planted against the debt of your sins —a house raised in justice to you.

A few decades ago I was mildly amused by:  "Even if his mind fail be considerate." Now that I'm older I feel differently. My mind and body are still reasonably sound. I'm still able to do Tae Kwon Do - even if I'm occasionally befuddled by the complicated memory sequences devised by Kyosah-nim Rick. there. Even so, I'm comforted by Sirach 3:12-16:

"Whoever honors his father atones for sins, and preserves himself from them.
When he prays, he is heard; he stores up riches who reveres his mother.
Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children, and, when he prays, is heard.
Whoever reveres his father will live a long life; he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother."

Imperfect as my honoring was, we are gladdened by children and our prayers have been heard. The task of honoring our parents is not done, even though they have gone to their rewards. We can continue to honor them by the ways in which we live.

 

Beautiful Feet?

"How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings glad tidings,
announcing peace, bearing good news,
announcing salvation, and saying to Zion,
“Your God is King!”

    The readings for mass on Christmas Day quote Isaiah 52:7-10, reminding us once again to rejoice. Can we imagine a joy so great that even the feet of the messenger are beautiful? Consider the contrast: Joseph struggling to comply with Roman edict to report for a census, helping Mary, about to deliver, and searching for shelter. Surely he felt darkness, desolation, and desperation. Yet in the midst of this comes good news - a child is born safely. 

    As we face the darkness (9 hours and 31 minutes of sun in Charlottesville) and the chaos and bad news that crowds in on us, we have only to turn our wills and our lives over to the care of God. The darkness will clear. The chaos will eventually become order. As it says in the opening chapter of John's gospel:

 "But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God."

 How beautiful the electrons and photons that can bring this good news through the web.

 

Expectations for Christmas

    "When your'e experiencing resentment, check your expectations." This statement provides lesson to be learned from the Gospel reading for the 4th Sunday of Advent. During this time of waiting and expectations, most of us look back to earlier Christmases and hope for a time of great joy and harmonious family reunion. This hope may tinged by the memory that past family reunions did not go well. As we idealize the picture of the newborn infant Jesus sleeping peacefully, lovingly watched by animals, parents, shepherds and wise men, we forget that it was a time of strife for Mary, Joseph, and all of Israel. 

    Joseph was undoubtedly suffering from dashed expectations and pondering the honorable course of action, given that his fiancee was pregnant by another man.  He responded to the angel's words: "Do not be afraid to take Mary into your home as your wife, …" This is a model for us. Even when our expectations are not met, we can treat others with hospitality and courtesy. Good things can follow. Bad things will follow if we react to disappointed expectations with resentment and anger.

    As we finish our Advent preparations for Christmas, let's set our expectations aside and prepare to greet all guests and family members with hospitality, just as we would greet the Christ child. If we can greet them as they are, rather than as the people we would like them to be, our Christmas will be more joy-full and Spirit filled.

 

"Do a 180," you Sadducees and Pharisees

John the Baptist scolds the Sadducees and Pharisees in the gospel reading selected for the 2nd Sunday of Advent. They come seeking baptism, presumably with good intentions, and are warned that the need to repent. Repent, they will learn, means more than just being sorry for past attitudes of arrogance. It means a complete change of attitude. And what should be this new attitude? Isaiah writes:

 "Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted."

Psalm 72 says that the king:

"…shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save."

    St. Paul writes to the Romans that they should "think in harmony" and "welcome one another."

    Pity the Sadducees and Pharisees who, having worked hard for their positions and learning. They will have to learn that they should not judge by appearance. Instead they will be asked to rescue the poor, think in harmony with one another and welcome one another. They could ask: "Do we have to rescue others and welcome them no matter what their appearance and whether we like them or not?" This is a 180 degree turn, a complete change in attitude. It will be much harder that they recognize. It is beyond the power of any of us to accomplish on our own. At the end of Advent we will celebrate the birth of the One who makes it possible for each of us.