16-Dec-2012
Dear Friend, As we near Christmas we sometimes feel that those who lived at the time Christ was born were lucky people. We are not so fortunate we think! We forget that many at that time failed to recognize Him. For that matter, when we are in difficulty, we say like the Psalmist: "Let us see your face and we shall be saved!" We are assured that if we believe, we will be blessed! Have an insightful weekend! Fr. Jude Sunday Reflections: Fourth Sunday of Advent: "Blessed is the one who believes in God!" 23-Dec-2012 Readings: Micah 5: 1-4Hebrews 10: 5-10Luke 1: 39-44 Today's reading is from the prophet Micah, who preached the usual message of repentance, asking the people to turn away from their sins. Micah reminds the people that the Messiah will not come from the sophisticated well-known city of Jerusalem but from a small town of Bethlehem. Micah made the great promise of God to his people. Between that promise and its fulfillment there was a long time of waiting. Only those who waited in hope saw that promise fulfilled. We have our expectations of how God should come into our lives but God has his own way. That he will come into our world is certain but will we encounter him? We have to abandon our plans and wait in hope for his coming. Have we seen Jesus on the street where we live? Perhaps he does live there. Only with eyes of faith can we recognize him. I know the man you're talking about! One day a religious teacher began a class on Jesus by saying to some young children: "Today I must tell you about someone whom you all must meet. He is a person who loves you and cares for you, even more than your family and friends. He's a person who is kinder than the kindest person you know. He's a person who forgives you, no matter how often you do wrong. No matter what you do wrong, he is always ready to accept you, to love you, and to understand." The teacher noticed a little boy getting more and more excited as he talked. Suddenly the little boy could hold back no longer. He blurted out, "I know the man you're talking about. He lives on our street!" Have we seen Jesus? Jack McArdle in '150 More Stories' In the gospel we are told that it is through Mary that God kept the promise announced a long time ago through the prophet Micah. What is important is not only the fact that God came into her life but that she recognized His coming. "Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord." Mary had heard the promise, she responded with faith to what seemed to be unbelievable. "Of all women you are highly favoured! Blessed is the fruit of your womb." She waited in faith before he was born, she held on to her faith when he was born in utter helplessness and she clung to her faith right through his life. Mary's was a long Advent, it served to deepen her faith. Today's reading speaks to us of her visit to Elizabeth's house to be of assistance to her in her pregnancy. As Mary enters Elizabeth's house Elizabeth beholds with eyes of faith the coming of the Lord into her life. To all external appearances, Mary could just be a younger cousin on a social visit that happens to come at the right time when Elizabeth needs help. But Elizabeth sees God's hand and the Lord's presence in what is happening. "Why has this happened to me that the mother of my Lord comes to me?" At Christmas God keeps his promise, that promise is named Jesus, the promised one. That promise is revealed to all who have faith and fulfilled in all who have love. We will only recognize the face of Jesus when we have love in our hearts, love for God and love for our neighbour. However, so often we act insensitively towards those of our own home and neighbourhood. We might look for God in the high and mighty yet he might be hidden in the small, the sick, the senile, the simple and the social outcasts. Hill top Experience! The world-famous psychologist William James tells this true story in his book Varieties of Religious Experience. One night a man stood all alone on a deserted hilltop. It was one of those beautiful nights when stars fill the sky, love fills the heart, and peace fills the soul. As the man stood there, waves of joy began to sweep over him. He felt like someone who was listening to a magnificent symphony. All the notes were harmonizing in a way that made his heart burst with emotion. Suddenly the man began to feel that another person was present on the hilltop with him. Then a remarkable thing happened. The other person's presence grew so intense that it became more real to him than his own presence. Later the man said, "My faith in God was born that night on that hilltop." Mark Link in 'Sunday Homilies' Preparing for the Event: Charity at home Mary's beautiful charity is the antithesis of a story from the Brothers Grimm. It tells us of a feeble old woman whose husband died and left her all alone. She went to live with her son and his wife and their little daughter. Every day the old woman's sight dimmed and her hearing grew worse, and sometimes at dinner her hands trembled so badly the peas rolled off her spoon or the soup ran from her cup. The son and his wife were annoyed and one day, after she knocked over a glass of milk, they told each other enough was enough. They set up a small table for her in the corner next to the broom closet and made the old woman eat her meals there. She sat all alone, looking with tear-filled eyes across the room at the others. Sometimes they spoke to her while they ate, but usually it was to scold her for dropping a bowl or a fork. One evening just before dinner, their little daughter was busy playing on the floor with her building blocks, and her father asked her what she was making. "I'm building a little table for you and mother," she smiled innocently, "so you can eat by yourselves in the corner someday when I get big." Her parents sat staring at her for some time and they suddenly both began to cry. That night they led the old woman back to her place at the big table. From then on she ate with the rest of the family. Harold Buetow in 'God Still Speaks: Listen!' Be a 'Christ-o-pher' I was ordained a priest at the age of 41. At my first Mass, I had a song that was sung at two different parts of the Mass, and it was actually printed twice in the Mass leaflet for the occasion. It had a personal importance for me, and I needed to stress that fact. It was called 'The Visit', and it was about Mary visiting Elizabeth. 'Be brave little mother, for the burden you bear, 'cause it's Christ that you carry everywhere, everywhere.' I thought that the image of Mary visiting Elizabeth, and bringing Jesus to her, would be a wonderful model for me in my role as a priest. Mary did what I would hope to do as a priest. I can use this same model for any Christian, whose role is to be a Christ-o-pher, or Christ-bearer. Jack McArdle in 'And that's the Gospel truth!' Joy to the World In the prologue to his book 'Joy', William Schutz tells how the birth of his son Ethan inspired him to write the book. Ethan begins his life by giving joy to his parents. The joy continues as Ethan sees, touches, tastes and hears things for the first time. But something happens to Ethan as it does to all of us. Somehow his joy diminishes with growth, never to return fully. Schutz wrote his book to help readers recapture some of this joy. Like Ethan, Jesus too begins his life by giving joy. Even before he is born his very presence brings joy to people. -Even when we cannot achieve our full human potential in some of those areas Schutz outlines, we can still experience a profound interior joy because Jesus is in our midst. The power of his presence enables us to endure any difficulty, transcend any trial or overcome any obstacle. His presence can bring peace where there is anxiety, sharing where there is selfishness and dreams where there is despair. Isaac Watts was right when he composed a Christmas carol entitled "Joy to the World!" Indeed, there is real joy in the world at Christmas time because the Lord is come. He is Emmanuel, God with us! Albert Cylwicki in 'His Word Resounds' He came in our midst The Russians have for centuries told a legend about a young medieval prince, Alexis, who lived in a sumptuous palace, while all around, in filthy hovels, lived hundreds of poor peasants. The Prince was moved with compassions for these poor folk and determined to better their lot. So he began to visit them. But as he moved in and out among them he found that he'd got absolutely no point of contact with them. They treated him with enormous respect, almost worship; but he was never able to win their confidences, still less their affection, and he returned to the palace a defeated and disappointed young man. Then one day a very different man came among the people. He was a rough and ready young doctor who also wanted to devote his life to serving the poor. He started by renting a filthy rat-ridden shack in one of the back streets. He made no pretense of being superior - his clothes (like theirs) were old and tattered and he lived simply on the plainest food, often without knowing where the next meal was coming from. He made no money from his profession because he treated most people free and gave away his medicines. Before long this young doctor had won the respect and affection of all those people, as Prince Alexis had never succeeded in doing. He was one of them. And little by little he transformed the whole spirit of the place, settling quarrels, reconciling enemies, helping people to live decent lives. No one ever guessed that this young doctor was in fact the Prince himself, who had abandoned his palace and gone down among his people to become one of them. -That's just what God did on that first Christmas day. He came right down side by side with us to help us to become the sort of beings he intends us to be. Let's wait so that God will come and empty us of falsehood and fill us with joy! John Williams He came to give himself to us. Can we in turn give ourselves to others? Fr. Jude Botelho [email protected] PS. The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever possible. If you send in stories or illustrations I would be grateful if you could quote the source as well so that they can be acknowledged if used in these reflections. These reflections are also available on my web site www.netforlife.net Thank you.
