Tuesday, Time through the Year, Week 1.

The Martyrs’ Project

If you think that martyrs are relegated to the pages of ancient history, it is well worth taking a look at the work of Duane Arnold and Michael Bell, along with their conversations with Bishop Christopher Coyne.

The Martyrs’s project website and podcasts.

Monday, Time Through the Year, Week 1

From the letter to the Corinthians by Saint Clement I, Pope

The Word of God on high, fountain of wisdom

For his chosen ones scattered throughout the world, we shall make our constant prayer to the Creator of the universe. May he allow none of them to fall away, but preserve them all through his beloved Son, Jesus Christ, through whom he called us out of darkness into light, out of ignorance to the knowledge of his glorious name.

Give us grace, Lord, to hope in your Name, to which all creatures owe their being. Open the eyes of our heart to know you alone, the Most High in the highest heavens, the holy One, whose dwelling is in the holy. You abase the arrogance of the proud, frustrate the designs of the godless, exalt the lowly and humble the lofty. You give men wealth and take it away; you slay them, save them and give them new life. Alone the Benefactor of spirits and God of all flesh, your gaze penetrates the depths, you observe the doings of men. Helper of those in peril, Savior of those in despair, you created and still keep watch over all that draws breath. You cause the peoples on the earth to multiply, and from them all choose those who love you through Jesus Christ, your beloved Son. Through him you have instructed us, sanctified us, honored us.

Lord, we entreat you to help us. Come to the aid of the afflicted, pity the lowly, raise up the fallen, show your face to the needy, heal the sick, convert the wayward, feed the hungry, deliver the captives, support the weak, encourage the fainthearted. Let all nations know that you alone are God; Jesus Christ is your Son, and we are your people and the sheep of your pasture.

Lord, you created the world according to the eternal decree now revealed in your works. Faithful throughout all generations, you are just in judgment, wonderful in power and majesty. You formed your creation with wisdom, established it with prudence. Everything we see proclaims your goodness. You are kind and compassionate, and never fail those who put their trust in you. Forgive us for our failings and for our sins.

Do not hold all the transgressions of your servants against them, but purify us by your truth, and so guide our footsteps that by walking in holiness and justice and simplicity of heart we may do what is good and pleasing in your sight and in the sight of our leaders.

Lord, let the light of your face shine upon us, so that we may enjoy your blessings in peace, protected by your strong hand, and freed from all sin by your outstretched arm; and deliver us from those who hate us unjustly.

Give peace and concord to us and to all mankind, even as you gave it to our ancestors when they devoutly called upon you in faith and truth. Lord, you alone are able to bestow these and even greater benefits upon us. We praise you through Jesus Christ, our high priest and the champion of our souls. Through him be glory and majesty to you now and throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

Baptism of the Lord, Feast. Words of THE WORD

ANTIPHON

After the Lord was baptized, the heavens were opened, and the Spirit descended upon Him like a dove, and the voice of the Father thundered: this is my Beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleaced. (Matthew 3:16-17)

COLLECT

Almighty ever-living God,
Who, when Christ had been baptized
in the River Jordan and
as the Holy Spirit descended upon Him,
solemnly declared Him your beloved Son,
grant that your children by adoption,
reborn of water and the Holy Spirit,
may always be well pleasing to you.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (click for full Psalm)

“The Lord will bless his people with peace (Psalm 29: 11).”

SCRIPTURE EXCERPT (click for all readings)

“Thus says the LORD:
Here is my servant (עַבְד ʿebed) whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
upon whom I have put my spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
a bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.
(Isaiah 42:1-4)”

REFLECTION

Tradition numbers them at four and names them variously as “Songs of the Servant,” “Suffering Servant Songs” or the “Servant Songs,” to cite only three examples. Contained in chapters 42, 49, 50 and 52-53 of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, the precise identity of the person (or persons, although servant is singular in these text) is unknown which has given rise to many theories and insights throughout the centuries. While certainly significant within the Jewish experience and Canon of Sacred Scripture, Christian reflection on these prophetic texts have seen deep Christological meaning involving not only Jesus’ Mission but also His self-identity.

Writing in the later part of the fourth century, Saint Gregory of Nazianzus wrote in his Theological Oration: On the Son: “Next is the fact of his being called Servant and serving many well, and that it is a great thing for him to be called the Child of God. For in truth he was in servitude to flesh and to birth and to the conditions of our life with a view to our liberation, and to that of all those whom he has saved, who were in bondage under sin. What greater destiny can befall humanity’s humble state than that it should be intermingled with God and by this intermingling should be deified, and that we should be so visited by the Dayspring from on high, that even that holy thing that should be born should be called the Son of the Highest, and that there should be bestowed on him a name that is above every name? And what else can this be than God? – And that every knee should bow to him that was made of no reputation for us, and that mingled the form of God with the form of a servant, and that “all the house of Israel should know that God has made him both Lord and Christ”? For all this was done by the action of the Begotten and by the good pleasure of him that begat him.”

Once again the richness of the biblical languages contributes to deeper insights of the Sacred Text. No doubt, images and meanings of a servant come to mind. Yet in Isaiah’s day, the root for the word servant (עֶבֶד ʿebed) is derived from עָבַד (ʿabad) which has broad meanings including “to serve,” “to worship (the same verb is used in Exodus when Moses asks Pharaoh to let the people go that they may worship the Lord in the desert),” and “to till the ground (the same verb is used in Genesis 2 to describe the uniqueness of human labor).” While עֶבֶד (ʿebed) does express the reality of ‘being bonded to another’ or ‘working in the service or employ of another person,’ fundamentally עֶבֶד (ʿebed) is about work, and interestingly the ‘work’ of tilling the earth.

On this Feast of our Lord’s Baptism, the first of Isaiah’s “Servant Songs” is most helpful in gaining insight into a primal Gospel question, ‘Who is Jesus?’ While images, perceptions and expectations of a first-century Messiah tended to focus more on a military leader, Jesus’ Self-presentation to the crowds who followed Him was that of a servant in the sense of Isaiah’s usage. His was consistently the life of one ‘bonded to another’ – His heavenly Father. Throughout His ministry, Jesus continuously pointed “the way” to His Father and His Father’s way of living: the Kingdom of God. As Son, faithful to His Father’s Mission, Jesus tilled the soil of the human heart that each may receive the water of the Holy Spirit that washes us clean from sin that our relationship with the Father may deepen and mature. As Son, Jesus faithfully lives a life of worship, dependent upon His Father for everything and giving His Father praise and glory in all that He during His life among us then and now.

The Epiphany of the Lord, Solemnity.

ANTIPHON

Behold, the Lord, the Mighty One, has come;
and kingship is in His grasp, and power and dominion. (Mal 5:1 and 1 Chr 29:12)

COLLECT

O God, Who on this day,
revealed Your Only Begotten Son to the nations
by the guidance of a star,
grant in Your mercy
that we, who know You already by faith,
may be brought to behold
the beauty of Your sublime glory.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You in
the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (click for full Psalm)

Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. (72: 11).

SCRIPTURE EXCERPT (click for all readings)

“Brothers and sisters:
You have heard of the stewardship (οἰκονομίαν, oikonomian) of God’s grace
that was given to me for your benefit,
namely, that the mystery (μυστήριον, musterion)
was made known (ἐγνωρίσθη egnoristhe) to me by revelation.
It was not made known to people in other generations
as it has now been revealed
to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:
that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,
and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel (Ephesians 3:2-6)”

REFLECTION

And now for something completely different … somewhat. The yearly festival of Epiphany seems to generate the same question set year in, year out. Even a quick search in Google or a sampling of any number of blogs devoted to Sacred Scripture will yield questions such as, ‘What exactly was the star’s astronomical position?’ ‘Who are the magi – (a good one as history provides ample evidence for studying this question in at least 4 specific directions [check last year’s blog entry])?’ ‘What happened to the gifts when the travelers from the East left?’ Responses to these and a number of other questions generate a varied intensity and a range of passion that engages some and turns others off. This is why another approach, something somewhat different might help with this Solemnity’s Sacred Texts. The approach is taken from Origen of Alexandria († 254), one of the Christianity’s greatest thinkers and interpreters of Sacred Scripture, who often said, ‘Let Scripture interpret Scripture.’ In other words, from a Liturgical point of view the Church ‘groups’ various texts together to form essentially a singular proclamation of the Word, a Word Who became flesh for the sake of our salvation. When the Sunday Proclamation is approached in this manner, the listener realizes that at the bottom line, the Word is leading me to a deeper knowledge of the Person Jesus (Christology) and the consequent action of how I am to follow Him as a member of His Body willing to be changed (Discipleship). Salvation grounded in and made possible by the Person Jesus Who calls me to follow Him through a life of daily conversion is what the Magi are all about. It is what Isaiah, the Psalms and Saint Paul are all about. How are these connections made? ‘Let Scripture interpret Scripture’ – and this Sunday, let Saint Paul be the guide.

In his Letter to the Christians at Ephesus, Saint Paul speaks of stewardship (οἰκονομίαν, oikonomian), mystery (μυστήριον, musterion) and [making] known (ἐγνωρίσθη egnoristhe). These 3 terms offer guidance into the Person Jesus, how to follow and the gift of Salvation that are vital for anyone attempting to live the life of Jesus Christ.

Among a few ways in which Saint Paul views his life, this section from Ephesians centers on stewardship. Many readers probably have heard the word stewardship and no doubt many have heard it as nothing more than a ruse for increasing Church contributions. Biblically, the English word stewardship translates the Greek word οἰκονομία (oikonomia) which is also the origin of the English word economy. The Greek word οἰκονομία is actually a compound of οἰκος (oikos, meaning “house” or “home”) and νόμος (nomos, meaning “law as in a proper way of living”). In short, οἰκονομία means “household order” or the “good functioning and living of family life.” As all of us know, family living requires order so that the lives of all within the home may mature and flourish. “Home order” essentially requires an approach to life that is relational: knowing and living that I am connected to all in the family and that family life cannot be about “me” nor can family life revolve around the great and almighty “me.” By definition, the “proper way of home living” requires sacrifice, anticipating the needs of one another and prudence (the virtue that helps “me” to stop having to have the last word, even though “I” am right, of course!). From a Pauline perspective, this order is vital because it provides the environment for the “mystery” “to be made known” and for this it is imperative to have a proper understanding of “mystery” from a biblical and theological perspective.

Admittedly, the word mystery gets thrown around quite easily in religious conversation. For many, it almost seems as a ‘catechetical life line’ – when I do not know an answer, mystery not only works but also excuses me from any further work, study and contemplation. Sloth (laziness) wins again! While there certainly is a dimension of mystery that accepts the reality of the unknown, its usage in the Scriptures and in the theological economy (household order) is not first and foremost about the unknown. μυστήριον (mysterion) as used in early Christianity is first and foremost an ‘unfolding of Who is known.’ In other words, μυστήριον (especially as it will be used to speak of Sacraments and the Church) presupposes a connection, a relationship – an encounter with the Person Jesus. He is known through the baptismal gift of Faith; Faith that essentially expresses the relationship Jesus has with a person and all persons. This relationship is meant to unfold (a key word in a proper understanding of μυστήριον), deepen and mature through the Holy Spirit’s ongoing work in one’s life and one’s willingness to embrace the daily Cross of ongoing conversion.

But a word of caution is necessary here. When μυστήριον grounds Christian living in the ‘unfolding of Who is known,’ known does not refer to ‘a piece of knowledge.’ Known is not a mindless, rote catechism ‘answer’ to the question “Who is Jesus?” The mystery that “was made known (ἐγνωρίσθη egnoristhe)” is knowledge that is experiential. One knows mystery in the sense of experience; in other words a person experiences mystery. ἐγνωρίσθη (egnoristhe) as Saint Paul uses the verb here, comes from a family of Greek verbs rooted in the verb γινώσκω (ginosko). There are a few Greek verbs that are easily translated into English as “to know.” Many of these verbs convey the sense of ‘acquiring information or knowledge for a particular purpose.’ γινώσκω (ginosko) is in a league all of its own when it comes to ‘knowledge.’ γινώσκω is the knowledge of love. γινώσκω is the experience of other person as person inviting me to live relationally. γινώσκω is an experience of the other that goes to the very core of one’s being and moves one to change, growth and love. Countless episodes in the Gospels alone record disciples ‘coming to know’ Jesus, for example Luke 24:35, “Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” “Was made known” is a life-altering event for the disciples and it is the same verb, γινώσκω.

So where does all of this leave us on the Solemnity of the Epiphany? With our friends, the travelers from the East, Epiphany is not just an annual celebration but also an event – an opportunity and a time for Jesus “to be made known” in our lives. Like the Magi who entered the house, Epiphany summons us to the “House of the Lord” wherein we discover an order, a harmony – a proper way of living that disposes us to encounter the Person Jesus. In the Face of such a person, we drop to our knees, we lie prostrate in adoration, wonder, awe and worship knowing (γινώσκω) the Person before us is our Savior Who desires nothing other that to heal, to save and to love each of us as His Father’s precious little-one. What more can we do that give Him the gift of our lives?

5 January. Saint John Neumann (Feast in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia)

COLLECT

O God,

Who called the Bishop Saint John Neumann,

renowned for his charity and pastoral service,

to shepherd your people in America,

grant by his intercession that,

as we foster the Christian education of youth

and are strengthened by the
witness of brotherly love,

we may constantly increase the
family of your Church.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity

of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (click for full Psalm

Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. (Psalm 100: 2).

From a letter to Cardinal Barnabo by John Neumann, bishop

I have labored with all my powers to fulfill the duties of my office

Indeed, I have apparently delayed too long in writing to the Holy See the letter promised by the Archbishop of Baltimore in the name of the council. However, this delay was not without reason. For the council was scarcely finished and I was discussing the division of Diocese of Philadelphia and my translation to a new see with one of the Fathers of the council, when the Father intimated to me [that he did not know] whether that could more probably be hoped for, since the Holy See thought that I would resign from the episcopate, or wished to resign. In the same way when the Archbishop of Baltimore informed me of the designation of a coadjutor, he added that in the event that I should persevere in the desire to resign, the Holy See would permit me to give the title of the ecclesiastical property to the same coadjutor.

I was no little disturbed by the fear that I had done something that so displeased the Holy Father that my resignation would appear desirable to him. If this be the case, I am prepared without any hesitation to leave the episcopacy. I have taken this burden out of obedience, and I have labored with all my powers to fulfill the duties of my office, and with God’s help, as I hope, not without fruit. When the care of temporal things weighed upon my mind and it seemed to me that my character was little suited for the very cultured world of Philadelphia, I made known to my fellow bishops during the Baltimore council of 1858 that it seemed opportune to me to request my translation to one or the other see that was to be erected (namely in the City of Pottsville or in Wilmington, North Carolina). But to give up the episcopal career never entered my mind, although I was conscious of my unworthiness and ineptitude; for things had not come to such a pass that I had one or the other reason out of the six for which a bishop could safely ask the Holy Father permission to resign. For a long time I have doubted what should be done….

Although my coadjutor has proposed to me that he would take the new see if it is erected, I have thought it much more opportune and I have asked the Fathers that he be appointed to the See of Philadelphia, since he is much more highly endowed with facility and alacrity concerning the administration of temporal things. Indeed, I am much more accustomed to the country, and will be able to care for the people and faithful living in the mountains, in the coal mines and on the farms, since I would be among them.

If, however, it should be displeasing to His Holiness to divide the diocese, I am, indeed, prepared either to remain in the same condition in which I am at present, or if God so inspires His Holiness to give the whole administration of the diocese to the Most Reverend James Wood, I am equally prepared to resign from the episcopate and to go where I may more securely prepare myself for death and for the account which must be rendered to the Divine Justice.

I desire nothing but to fulfill the wish of the Holy Father whatever it may be.”

With the prayers and intercession of Saint John Neumann, kindly offer a prayer today for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and our current shepherd, Archbishop Charles Chaput.

Saint John Neumann, pray for us!

2 January, Commemoration of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory of Nazianzus

O God,

Who were pleased to give light to Your Church

by the example and teaching

of the Bishops Saints Basil and Gregory,

grant, we pray,

that in humility we may learn Your Truth

and practice it faithfully in charity.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

Who lives and reigns with You

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God for ever and ever. Amen

With this Collect the Church commemorates the lives of Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory of Nazianzus. Both were very good friends and studied together in Athens long before becoming bishops. Their lives in the Church played out in the middle to late fourth century in the region of Cappadocia (now modern day Turkey), hence they are often referred to as the Cappadocian Fathers. However, in the Latin Rite, this commemoration is actually ‘2/3 Cappadocian Feast Day.’ Basil’s younger brother, Saint Gregory of Nyssa, is not reckoned on the Latin Rite calendar … yet (I am holding out hope for this day to eventually include ‘younger brother.’)

Basil, given the title “Great,” brought strong administrative and theological skills to his shepherding ministry as bishop. He is credited with establishing the communal form of monasticism in Eastern Christianity and establishing the first institutional operation of Church charity along with a hospital. Basil saw prayer, charity and healing as imperatives for the pastoral life of the Church because these were essential actions in the life of Jesus. Among Basil’s writings is his famous On the Holy Spirit in which he defends the Personhood and Divinity of Holy Spirit against the teachings and writings of Eunomius and others. Eunomius was a contemporary of Basil (as well as Gregory and Gregory) who vociferously taught and wrote against the distinctiveness of Divine Personhood claiming that ‘God’ is simply known by actions or functions: creating, redeeming and sanctifying and not the Names expressive of oneness, distinctiveness and Pershonhood: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Eunomius’ teaching so gripped many places that the Baptismal formula morphed to baptism in the Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier – an abuse and an error that the Council of Constantinople addressed and rectified in 381.

Gregory of Nazianzus, Basil’s close friend, bears the title “The Theologian” and sometimes also “The Poet.” While definitely more subdued in personality to the impressive and at times larger-than-life Basil, Gregory longed for the solitude of the monastery. He wrote of his own reluctance to accept priestly ordination and with that writing penned numerous pieces on pertinent theological and pastoral questions. 5 of those treatises are known as the “Theological Orations” as they dealt with Trinitarian Personhood against the writings of Eunomius.

Gregory of Nyssa, Basil’s younger brother, is known as “The Mystic.” Initially very reluctant to embrace Christianity and not blessed with the administrative skills of older brother Basil, Gregory of Nyssa came into his own after Basil’s rather untimely death at the age of 49. Gregory ended up providing theological depth to much of Basil’s initiatives. While early in his episcopal career many thought he was simply ‘completing’ or ‘building on’ Basil’s thought, Gregory soon proved to be a gifted speculative theological thinker who simultaneously sought to make connections with living a spiritual (actually virtuous, as it was termed then) life that disposed one to the transformation of the Holy Spirit. He too penned a voluminous work against Eunomius and also numerous works on the spiritual life. Among some of his more famous works are On the Making of Man (a great work on theological anthropology), The Great Catechetical Oration (among the first ‘catechisms’ ever written and used in the Eastern Church well into the 15th century), the Life of Moses, the Homilies on the Song of Songs, Homilies on the Beatitudes, Orations on the Lord’s Prayer, to name only a few all of which  offer deep insights into the spiritual life). Indebted to Origen of Alexandria for his pioneering work on biblical interpretation, Gregory wove together both the literal and spiritual senses of Sacred Scripture to express a pastoral and theological approach to life known as epektasis: a continuous being-drawn by the Holy Spirit to live the life of Jesus Christ culminating in eternal life with God the Father.

The Cappadocian Fathers lived in a time of theological passion and a time that was replete with all kinds of theological confusion and heretical movements, some of which were grounded in ‘hurt pride’ and an inability to humbly receive the Church’s teachings. Gregory of Nyssa captured a glimpse of this passion in an introduction to one of his works:

“A city [Constantinople] full of profound theological disputes, everyone talking and preaching in the squares, in the market places, at the crossroads, in the alleyways: old clothes men, money-changers, costermongers: they are all at it. If you ask a man to change a piece of silver, he informs you wherein the Son differs from the Father; and if you ask for the price of a loaf, you are told by the way of reply that the Son is the inferior of the Father; and if you inquire whether the bath is ready, the man solemnly informs you that the Son was made out of nothing! (Oratio de Deitate Filii et Spiritus Sancti (PG XLVI, 557: 20-28)”

The Cappadocians knew proper worship, theology and expressions of the Divine Mystery were indispensable for authentic Christian living. Their preaching, teaching and writing - at times very technical and highly nuanced - were always placed at the service of concrete virtuous living that mirrored Jesus Christ. One of their many theological legacies is that mystery and teachings are not about the abstract or ethereal, rather they are about a way of living. This way of living is about always being drawn-up to contemplate and to live divinely. The saintly Nyssian bishop summed it up well: “Let faith thunder loud and pure in the proclamation of the Most Holy Trinity and may life imitate the fruit of the pomegranate!”

On this day, I express gratitude for one of a number of mentors in my life, Fr Ambrogio Eszer, OP who directed by doctoral studies in the Fathers of the Church and my dissertation on Saint Gregory of Nyssa. Fr. Eszer himself had studied under the great patristic scholar, Fr Irene Hausher and I am grateful for the many conversations in which Fr Eszer ‘handed-on’ the great patristic legacy of the Church. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and all the souls of the faithfully departed rest in peace, AMEN!

Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God

From today’s First Reading

The LORD bless you and keep you!

The LORD let his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you!

The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!

Sunday, Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

ANTIPHON

The shepherds went in haste,
and found Mary and Joseph and the Infant lying in a manger.
(Luke 2:16)

COLLECT

O God,
Who were pleased to give us the
shining example of the Holy Family,
graciously grant that we may imitate them
in practicing the virtues of family life
and in the bonds of charity, and so,
in the joy of your house,
delight one day in eternal rewards.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You in the unity
of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (click for full Psalm)

Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways. (Psalm 128: 1).

GOSPEL EXCERPT (click for all readings)

“When his parents saw him,
they were astonished, and his mother said to him,
“Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking (ἐζητοῦμέν, ezetoumen) for you with great anxiety (ὀδυνώμενοι, odunomenoi).”
“And He [Jesus] said to them,
“Why were you looking (ἐζητεῖτέ, ezeteite) for Me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house (ὅτι ἐν τοῖς τοῦ πατρός μου δεῖ εἶναί με)?”
But they did not understand (οὐ συνῆκαν ou sunekav) what he said to them (Luke 2:48-50)”

REFLECTION

In this episode, ζητέω (zeteo) is the Greek verb translated here as “looking.” In both secular and religious usage, ζητέω has a variety of meanings and applications. Commonly, the verb is employed to locate a person, place or object, implying that the object of the search is no longer in the possession of the searcher. This usage of ζητέω gave rise to the verb expressing a desire for another if not, as in many cases, an actual and forceful demand that one has a right to that which is lost. This range of intensity, from desire to demand and a corresponding air of entitlement expressed in and by the search, the use of ζητέω broadened to include actions such as investigating and deliberating over various decisions, for example, ‘a search for the right course of action.’ One point worth noting in all these meanings of ζητέω is that when it comes to the action, the person searching initiates the action to seek, to investigate, to deliberate.

When ζητέω is used in a religious sense (especially in the Gospel according to Saint Luke), it is closely connected to the realities of choice, sin and salvation. A person has made a choice that results in ‘missing the mark (sin)’ whose consequence puts salvation in jeopardy. For the condition of salvation to be restored, one must be sought and found, ζητέω. The searching here in the religious sense is initiated and done by Another. In other words, “I” do not seek my own restoration. Someone else must search for “me” and restore “me” to the way of living that “I” chose to loose.

So … what does this mean for the Gospel episode at hand? A response to that question involves examining the Twelve-Year Old Jesus’ response to His mother.

Mary properly and legitimately states that her search (ζητέω) for Jesus has caused her much pain (ὀδυνάω odunao). Properly translated “pain” or “distress,” ὀδυνάω is also part of a word family that also means “birth pangs.” Mary does not mince words with her Son. His absence, His lack of being-with-her has taken a toll on her life as well as Joseph’s. Yet Jesus’ response is all the more intriguing: “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” How does this respond to Mary’s pain?

Writing in the early part of the eighth century, Bede the Venerable writes: “Consider the most prudent woman Mary, mother of true Wisdom, as the pupil of her Son. For she learned from him, not as from a child or man but as from God. Yes, she dwelt in meditation on his words and actions. Nothing of what was said or done by him fell idly on her mind. As before, when she conceived the Word itself in her womb, so now does she hold within her his ways and words, cherishing them as it were in her heart. That which she now beholds in the present, she waits to have revealed with greater clarity in the future. This practice she followed as a rule and law through all her life. Exposition of the Gospel of Luke”

What is interesting in the translation of Jesus’ response (Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?) is the word “house” is not in the Greek text. Literally the Sacred Text states, “I must be in of my Father,” awkward to say the least in English. Other translations render the verse, “I must be about my Father’s business.” Here the Evangelist Luke is presenting the very life of Jesus that is mystery (mystery here is not first and foremost about the ‘unknown.’ Mystery has used theologically is primarily ‘an unfolding of life’ calling one to conversion as life’s realities are lived. The unfolding of life, as Venerable Bede hints, offers clarity.) Couched in what scholars call the “Hidden Years (check these paragraphs from the Catechism of the Catholic Church)” the few events that the Canonical Gospels record concerning the Person Jesus are essentially an unfolding of primal Gospel questions: first, “Who is Jesus?” and secondly, “How do I follow Him.”

Jesus in the Temple, an episode of His “Hidden Years,” points to a significant dimension of what His “Public Ministry” will be about: finding and restoring humanity to His Father’s presence. From a Gospel point of view, Jesus is not the One sought; we as sinners are the ones who need to be sought and found. The Divine Twelve-Year-Old knows deeply His relationship to and with His Father in Heaven. Jesus’ entire being is being-with-the-Father that in essence means He (Jesus) is never lost. Not being-with-the-Father is loss for which the Rebel Jesus has come in the flesh to remedy in time and space.

In the Fullness of Time the Fullness of Divinity Appeared

From a sermon by Saint Bernard, abbot

(Sermo 1 in “Epiphania Domini,” 1-2: PL 133, 141-143)

The goodness and humanity of God our Savior have appeared in our midst. We thank God for the many consolations he has given us during this sad exile of our pilgrimage here on earth. Before the Son of God became man his goodness was hidden, for God’s mercy is eternal, but how could such goodness be recognized? It was promised, but it was not experienced, and as a result few believed in it. Often and in many ways the Lord used to speak through the prophets. Among other things, God said: I think thoughts of peace and not of affliction. But what did men respond, thinking thoughts of affliction and knowing nothing of peace? They said: Peace, peace, there is no peace. This response made the angels of peace weep bitterly, saying: Lord, who has believed our message? But now men believe because they see with their own eyes, and because God’s testimony has now become even more credible. He has gone so far as to pitch his tent in the sun so even the dimmest eyes see him.

Notice that peace is not promised but sent to us; it is no longer deferred, it is given; peace is not prophesied but achieved. It is as if God the Father sent upon the earth a purse full of his mercy. This purse was burst open during the Lord’s passion to pour forth its hidden contents—the price of our redemption. It was only a small purse, but it was very full. As the Scriptures tell us: A little child has been given to us, but in him dwells all the fullness of the divine nature. The fullness of time brought with it the fullness of divinity. God’s Son came in the flesh so that mortal men could see and recognize God’s kindness. When God reveals his humanity, his goodness cannot possibly remain hidden. To show his kindness what more could he do beyond taking my human form? My humanity, I say, not Adam’s—that is, not such as he had before his fall.

How could he have shown his mercy more clearly than by taking on himself our condition? For our sake the Word of God became as grass. What better proof could he have given of his love? Scripture says: Lord, what is man that you are mindful of him; why does your heart go out to him? The incarnation teaches us how much God cares for us and what he thinks and feels about us. We should stop thinking of our own sufferings and remember what he has suffered. Let us think of all the Lord has done for us, and then we shall realize how his goodness appears through his humanity. The lesser he became through his human nature the greater was his goodness; the more he lowered himself for me, the dearer he is to me. The goodness and humanity of God our Savior have appeared, says the Apostle.

Truly great and manifest are the goodness and humanity of God. He has given us a most wonderful proof of his goodness by adding humanity to his own divine nature.

Nativity of the Lord

ANTIPHON

A child is born for us, and a Son is given to us;
His scepter of power rests upon His shoulder,
and His name will be called Messenger of great counsel.
(Isaiah 45:8)

COLLECT

O God,
Who wonderfully created the dignity
of human nature
grant, we pray,
that we may share in the divinity of Christ,
Who humbled Himself to share in our humanity.
Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (click for full Psalm

All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God. (Psalm 98: 3).

GOSPEL EXCERPT (click for all readings)

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.

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.
And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father's only Son,
full of grace and truth.
(John 1:1-5, 9-14).”

REFLECTION

The sounds are characteristic of the Season. As soon as the melody of any number of Christmas carols chime, the lyrics fill our minds and once again remind us of the uniqueness of ‘the most wonderful time of the year.’ Occasionally a song comes along that we have not heard and we ask, ‘Is this a Christmas song?’ Back in the 1970’s, composer and musician Jackson Browne wrote “The Rebel Jesus” and it appeared on the Chieftans’ Christmas album, “The Bells of Dublin” a decade later. Consider the following stanzas:

We guard our world with locks and guns
And we guard our fine possessions
And once a year when Christmas comes
We give to our relations
And perhaps we give a little to the poor
If the generosity should seize us
But if any one of us should interfere
In the business of why they are poor
They get the same as the rebel Jesus

But please forgive me if I seem
To take the tone of judgment
For I’ve no wish to come between
This day and your enjoyment
In this life of hardship and of earthly toil
We have need for anything that frees us
So I bid you pleasure
And I bid you cheer
From a heathen and a pagan
On the side of the rebel Jesus.

Jesus, a rebel? Let’s face it, it is not one of the words we typically use to describe the Person and His work, especially at this time of the Year. Many of our images of Jesus unfortunately have ‘tamed’ or ‘domesticated’ Him into being nothing more than a nice man who looks like one of the Bee Gees and taught people to be nice. (Consider a previous post on the nostalgia of the manger.) We have lost the ‘sting’ that much of His teaching brought to humanity and as such we have refashioned a Jesus Who is comfortable and easy-going. With a refashioned Jesus even the celebration of His Nativity has been re-written. ‘Christmas is (fill in the blank). Christmas is for (fill in the blank).’

The reality is that no other person in recorded history has left such a mark on humanity. His birth, while legitimately celebrated with family, friends, gifts, food and good cheer, is actually a most inconvenient event for humanity. Why is Jesus’ birth an inconvenience? Essentially, His birth challenges the status quo of self-serving entitlement and mediocrity calling us to take a stand as He in fact did throughout His life with and among us.

Biblically, “to rebel” is not always a bad action. In the languages of both Testaments, “to rebel” means “to stand for, to stand with” or “to stand against.” Is this not precisely what Jesus the Rebel did when He walked the Earth? Throughout His ministry, He continuously “stood for” doing His Father’s will. Doing the Father’s will is adoring, worshipping and living in right-relationship with God our Father, each other and all of creation. It is “standing for” the Father’s will in all things, not just the issues or actions I choose. It is “standing for” the right actions that reverences life, feeds the hungry, shelters the homeless and consoles the sorrowing, to name only a few (see Matthew 25:31-45 for more). The Rebel Jesus “stands with” His people, never abandoning them in times of difficulty or adversity. The Rebel Jesus ‘runs into’ situations to be with the suffering and sorrowing, not running away to seek individual relief and comfort. The Rebel Jesus most inconveniently “stands against” sin, oppression, selfishness and arrogance expressed in any form that demeans the dignity and sacredness of the human person. The Rebel Jesus challenges structures of society – both civil and religious – when authority is abused to make one’s life comfortable at the expense of another.

In this “Year of Faith,” Pope Benedict has exhorted all of us to permit Jesus to find each of us in the encounter He desires. As God, he took on a full, complete human nature in all things but sin so that we in turn may be free from sin and live as sons and daughters of our Loving Father. What a Gift we have been given in His birth, a birth that challenges us to be rebels like Him in standing for His Kingdom and way of living. May this Christmas be the moment to decide ‘for, and with’ Jesus; ‘against’ everything that is not of Him.