Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, January 24, 2021

Gospel: Mark 1:14–20

Theme: How can I follow the call of Jesus and bring others to him?

Mark 1:14–20

After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;
they were fishermen.
Jesus said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Then they abandoned their nets and followed him.
He walked along a little farther
and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They too were in a boat mending their nets.
Then he called them.
So they left their father Zebedee in the boat
along with the hired men and followed him.

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Music Meditations

• “The Summons” (sung by Robert Kochis) [YouTube]
• “In Christ Alone” (lyrics by Chris Tomlin) [YouTube]
• “Give Me Jesus” (sung by Fernando Ortega) [YouTube]

Opening Prayer

Not to the wise and powerful of this world, O God of all blessedness, but to those who are poor in spirit
do you reveal in Jesus the righteousness of your kingdom.
Gathered here, like the disciples on the shore, we long to listen as Jesus, the teacher, speaks.
By the power of his word, refashion our lives in the pattern of the beatitudes.
We ask this through your son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Companions for the Journey

From “First Impressions”, 2015

We have just passed through the Christmas and Epiphany seasons and have heard the narratives of Jesus’ birth and manifestations to the shepherds and the magi. These stories come to us from Matthew and Luke’s gospels. Today we begin a sequential reading from Mark. His gospel will be our focus through much of this liturgical year. Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark doesn’t open with stories of Jesus’ early beginnings, but with His preaching. The German scripture scholar, Martin Diebelius, puts it this way, “In the beginning was the preaching.” Mark’s introductory verses (1:1-8) are about John the Baptist’s preparatory preaching. Today’s gospel presents Jesus to us, not through biographical material, but through his words. “In the beginning was the preaching.”

Mark introduces Jesus not as a miracle worker, but as a preacher. He reminds us that it was not the most comfortable time to begin preaching. The worldly powers had arrested John and had said “No” to God’s reign. But still, God’s message will not be overcome by any worldly power. Instead, God’s sovereign rule is breaking into our history and it is a word of good news for humanity.

We tend to want to flesh out the story of the call of the disciples. We base our reasoning on what would make common sense from our perspective. We know that significant changes in our lives often come after long deliberation and consultation. Even then, most of us make changes only tentatively, a few cautious steps at a time. That makes perfect sense to us and no one would fault our reasoning. In fact, there are plenty of people, friends, family and acquaintances, who are more than ready to offer us advice along the way.

Mark leaves out any preparatory details that may have gone into the disciples’ decision-making process. The preacher needs to respect Mark’s method and not try to make the first disciples’ responses more “reasonable.” Mark presents a crisp, breath-taking story: Jesus invites—the disciples follow. We get the point. For Mark, discipleship requires a decisive and trusting response to Jesus. In the light of today’s telling: we disciples are called to leave our former life behind and take up the new life Jesus offers. And to do it now!

Jesus begins by announcing, “This is the time of fulfillment.” Is not any old time; it is a new time charged with possibilities for those who respond. Thus, Mark’s description of the response by those first called to follow Jesus makes sense. Jesus calls—it is a charged moment. They hear and respond immediately. Who is the director of this narrative? Who is guiding the plot? God is and we are invited to get on board quickly lest we miss the grace-filled moment that is overflowing with new possibilities for those who respond. Mark’s gospel is the story of Jesus. But it is also the story of how people responded to him, starting with the first-called. The story begins well and they respond immediately to his invitation, “Come after me and I will make you fishers of [people].” He will teach them to do what he does: teach, heal and cast out demons. The disciples will also learn that following Jesus will have its difficult moments, but  he will be with them at those times as well—as when he rescued them from the threatening storm (8:45-52).

As the gospel develops the disciples will reveal breaches in their loyalty to Jesus. They misunderstand his miracles and teaching. When he teaches them that following him will mean suffering and death, they resist (8:30-33). They will argue among themselves about rank and prestige (10:35-45).  After sharing his last meal with them one disciple will even betray him (14:10) while others doze off during his agony in the garden. At his arrest they will all flee, even “the rock,” Peter, will deny him. Jesus calls his first disciples, and with these “learners” begins his new community. It’s clear as the narrative proceeds that, with their all-too human traits, they will not be able to achieve anything on their own.

When we think of repentance we usually associate the notion with sorrow for sins. But in Jesus’ language it means to make a 180° change of direction. It means to rethink our notion of who God is and how God acts towards us in the light of our sins. “The kingdom of God is at hand.” In Jesus, God is breaking into our worlds of isolation and indifference and calling us to faith in Christ. In sum, repentance asks that we make a complete turnaround in our lives towards God. The call of the disciples illustrates what repentance and belief in the gospel mean. Is not first of all about acceptance of doctrine, but an acceptance of an attachment to Jesus: to do what the disciples did—get up and go with Jesus all the way to the cross. For some, following Jesus has meant leaving their present life to make a complete change. For others, it means remaining in their worlds with its structures, but living in it with a sense of detachment and a willingness to change what needs changing. What does it mean for you?

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

Come, and I will make you fishers of men.

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• Define “Good News”
  Do I believe in the “Good News”?
  Do I preach “Good News” in word and action?
• What does it mean to me to say that the Kingdom of God is at hand, but that it is “now” and “not yet”?
• Consider what the world needs in terms of repentance.
• Do you see the invitation to the first followers a one-time event, or are we, by extension, called to be disciples as well?
• Consider the times in your life when Jesus has extended an invitation to you. How did you respond?
• What does it mean to hear Jesus say “Follow me”?
• How is the invitation unique to you and you alone?
• Does answering God’s call insure success, happiness or perfection in what we do to respond to Jesus?

• From “Faith Book”, a service of the Southern Dominican province:

  What redirection and big change must I make in my life?
  What will be the first step towards that kind of change?

  Is there an emptiness in our lives we know we can’t fulfill on our own?
  What are we doing about addressing it?

• Mark’s gospel centers around two questions: “Who is Jesus”? and “What are Jesus’ disciples meant to be like”?
  How would I answer these questions generally?
• How would I compare my discipleship to that of those first called?
• Do I have a personal relationship with Jesus?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

Do I still think of repentance as guilt or sorrow for my sins? The actual meaning of the Greek term metanoia is to change my mind or change my heart. What in me needs to change? What must I turn away from? Walter Burghardt, S.J., suggests that we also need to look at what we are turning to:

1. Turn to self, and what the true self desires. Like Thomas Merton, who struggled with his vocation for many years, we need to keep asking ourselves what it means to be authentic, true to ourselves. Unlike Merton after his conversion, we may find answers in the wrong places. How honest am I about myself and my desires and needs? Am I consistently faithful to my relationships?
2. Turn to Christ. Like St Augustine, it may be that true change only happens when we come to learn what it means to love Jesus. Unlike St Augustine, we may occasionally lose sight of Jesus in the midst of stresses and distraction in our daily lives. How much time do I actually spend in prayer? Do I ever, in an ordinary day, imagine Jesus by my side? Do I want a relationship with Jesus?
3. Turn to the world. Like Dorothy Day, we must find Jesus in the faces of the poor and despised. Piety without action is solipsism. Unlike Dorothy Day, we may find our mission is a little less dramatic, and a little more muted. But we must remember we have a mission to the world. How do I treat those with whom I live and work? How aware am I of the invisible among us? How deep is my concern for others?

Of these actions of metanoia, which is the easiest for me? Which is the most difficult at this time in my life?

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

From “Sacred Space”, a service of the Irish Jesuits:

Two things make it difficult to hear how Jesus invites each of us to be with him as his companions and to share his work. One is our limitations and consequent feeling of insignificance. The second is how exalted Jesus is as God, even though the same Jesus walked our earth. If you wish to pray with this reality, be with Jesus in a quiet place and let him call you by name. Let him first call you to be with him as his friend and then to share his work.

Poetic Reflection:

Read the excerpt that follows from a poem by Francis Thompson. In what ways do we, each of us, flee God? Why?

“The Hound of Heaven”

I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the midst of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
Up vistaed hopes I sped;
And shot, precipitated,
Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears,
From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.
But with unhurrying chase,
And unperturbed pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
They beat and a Voice beat
More instant than the Feet
'All things betray thee, who betrayest Me'.
I pleaded, outlaw-wise,
By many a hearted casement, curtained red,
Trellised with intertwining charities;
(For, though I knew His love Who followed,
Yet was I sore adread
Lest, having Him, I must have naught beside.)

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:

Imagine that you are just returning, tired, smelly and cold from a bout of night fishing on the Sea of Galilee. You are a Jew, but how religious are you? Do you think about God and the scriptures a lot? Describe the man who comes up to you and starts a conversation. What does he look like? What does he say to you before he issues that strange invitation? Are you initially wary, definitely repelled, or instantly mesmerized by what he is saying? What is going on in your head as he invites you to join him? Spend some time in your imagination, placing yourself in the events of the day. What makes you drop everything immediately and follow him? How does your family learn that you have abandoned your livelihood to follow a perfect stranger? (I would love to have been a fly on the wall as Peter explains to his wife and his mother-in-law what he wants to do. Maybe, knowing that Peter is such an impulsive man, given to sudden enthusiasms, they decide to let him play out his fantasy… little do they know…)

Like the first four followers, have I ever been caught off guard by an unexpected “epiphany” about a direction my life must take? Did I see it as the hand of God? Looking back, can I discern that sometime in my life there has been an invitation from God to metanoia—to change my life? If I am facing some changes in my life right now, I resolve to view them as an invitation to a new adventure in Christ, being open to whatever the future brings. Scary, huh?

Closing Prayer

Dear Jesus, we have heard your call and it compels us to follow. Let the truth of the Gospel break the yoke of our selfishness. Draw us and all people to the joy of salvation. We especially pray for all those in need of your guidance and your comfort at this time [pause to recall the names of those you want to pray for]. We pray for a world in need of your call to serve others and the natural world [pause to recall the issues you want to pray about]. Give us ears to hear and eyes to see.

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, January 17, 2021

Gospel: John 1:35–42

Theme: Come and see where Jesus lives

John 1:35–42

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.

Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon.

Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

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Music Meditations

• “The Summons” (John L. Bell) [YouTube]
• “Be Still and Know” (Steven Curtis Chapman) [YouTube]

Opening Prayer

Not to the wise and powerful of this world, O God of all blessedness, but to those who are poor in spirit
do you reveal in Jesus the righteousness of your kingdom.
Gathered here, like the disciples on the shore, we long to listen as Jesus, the teacher, speaks.
By the power of his word, refashion our lives in the pattern of the beatitudes.
We ask this through your son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Companions for the Journey

From “First Impressions”, a preaching service of the Southern Dominican Province, 2015

John the evangelist introduced the Baptist very early in his gospel. “There was a man named John sent by God, who came as a witness to testify to the light, so that through him all people might believe…” (1:6). Today the Baptist is fulfilling his mission as he points his disciples in Jesus’ direction, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” I wonder what went through the minds of John’s disciples when they heard him refer to Jesus, who was passing by—“Behold, the Lamb of God”? They knew from their tradition that the lamb was slaughtered in the Temple and was sent into the wilderness after having been loaded with the sins of the community that had raised it. The lamb is also a reference to the book of Exodus which recalls the Passover lamb (Ex. 12) and the ritual that celebrated the Israelites’ liberation from the Egyptians. The lamb was sacrificed and saved the people from the Angel of death—as Jesus will do on the cross. It will be consumed at the Passover meal—as the body of Jesus will be offered to his disciples at the Last Supper. The book of Revelation also presents the victorious lamb.

So, if the two disciples choose to follow the one the Baptist is pointing out and naming “the Lamb of God,” they are already receiving hints of the difficulties that lie ahead and also the ultimate victory they will have in choosing to “stay” with Jesus. Jesus’ invitation to the disciples, “Come and you will see,” was a promise and would be a life-changing event for them. Andrew and the other disciple, traditionally thought to be John, first made tentative steps towards Jesus. They follow him for a while until Jesus turns and asks them, “What you looking for?” Jesus doesn’t waste time, he gets to the core of the issue. He doesn’t ask, “Who are you?” “What are your names?” But, “What are you looking for?” The disciples’ response to Jesus’ question begins with the title “Rabbi,” which John tells us means “Teacher.” The disciples ask where Jesus is “staying” and, implied in their question, is the desire for the life Jesus will teach and share with them.

Jesus’ question is put to us. “What are you looking for?” He is asking a root question, getting us to focus on the core of our lives. What are our priorities? Where did we get them? Are they based on Jesus and his teaching? If so, how do they affect the course of our lives? Do our daily choices reflect the one we have chosen to follow? Following Jesus takes a lifetime of listening, learning, acting and, when necessary, repenting. This period of learning may be what John is suggesting when Jesus invites the searchers to, “Come and you will see.” They go with the Teacher and stay with him. In the synoptic Gospels Jesus goes in search of disciples. In John the disciples search for Jesus. So where’s the truth? It’s in both descriptions. At times and in different circumstances, we hear Jesus’ call to follow him. It might be a fundamental call to change the direction of our lives. Or, the invitation may be to respond in a specific way to something we must do today. At other times, like the disciples, we experience a longing or hunger for God and so we go searching. (This longing is expressed in Psalms like 63 and 42.) We may decide to talk with someone we know to be wise concerning our restlessness. Or, we pick up a book that has been recommended to us. Perhaps we go on a retreat, or take long walks to mull things over. At these times we join the disciples who asked Jesus, “Rabbi… where are you staying?” In one form or another our longing and searching result in our choosing to spend more time with Jesus so we can learn where he “stays.” When the two searchers ask Jesus, “Where are you staying?” the word John uses for staying (“menein”) is the same word he uses in chapter 15 in the parable of the vine and the branches. There Jesus promises that those who “stay,” or “remain” in him will have the indwelling of Jesus and his Father. John’s gospel has deeper layers than the mere physical meaning of the words. When Jesus responds to the Baptist’s disciples, “Come and you will see,” he is not speaking of the house where he lives. He is inviting them to come to experience him on a deeper level—to discover where he has life with God.

We tend to remember special moments by recalling the date and the time they happen. John tells us, “It was about four in the afternoon,” when the disciples received their invitation from Jesus. I wonder how many times Andrew and John repeated the story of their first encounter with Christ and concluded their witness with, “It was about four in the afternoon”? We don’t need to know the time of the day the call happened. But for Andrew and John that moment was very important because it began the journey that would forever change their lives. By giving us the time they were invited to go and stay with Jesus and so the gospel is underlining the importance of that moment for the disciples. The evangelist also seems to be suggesting the importance of the call each of us has received. It may not have been at a particular moment but, even if we experienced the call spread out over our lifetime, the invitation to go with Christ and “stay” with him has been, or should be, life-altering.

The reader of John’s Gospel will note there is no scene when John the Baptist baptizes Jesus. The Synoptics narrate Jesus’ baptism replete with the skies opening; the Holy Spirit descending in the form of a dove; the voice from heaven declaring Jesus to be, “My beloved Son.” But, in John’s Gospel, what we have is the Baptist testifying to Jesus’ identity. There aren’t any special signs or wonders to back up his testimony. Jesus passes by and John points him out to his disciples. That’s it. They trust John to be a reliable witness and they accept his testimony about Jesus. It’s as simple as that: a reliable person, without visible proofs, testifies to what he has seen and heard. Those who trust him take him at his word and change their lives accordingly. Parents want their children to believe in Jesus and practice their faith. We want our friends and those we know to share our faith and receive the life it gives us. The church is a community of Jesus’ disciples who have “stayed” with and have “seen” where he lives. Our responsibility, as individuals and as a church called to follow Jesus, is to invite others to “Come and you will see.” People will come to know Jesus through our witness and testimony about him. There will be no special signs from heaven to back up what we say but if, like John the Baptist, our life has integrity and shows signs that the Spirit has been breathed upon us, then our often fragile testimony will be more than enough to attract others to “Come and see.”

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

Come, and you will see.

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• Are you searching for something? What are the deepest longings of your heart?
  Have you looked for answers in another person, in a life event, or a sudden epiphany?
  What, exactly are you searching for: (answers to a big life question, love, purpose, happiness, money, for example)?
  Or are you not looking for anything new in your life at this time?
• Has there been a teacher in your life who really inspired you to look for something new and different?
  Did you have a personal relationship to this person?
  Was it scary or exhilarating?
  Have you ever been influenced by someone else’s willingness to try something new or to change your mind about something?
• How would you respond, if instead of really answering a question, a person invited you to “come and see”?
  Are there rewards in this leap into to unknown?
  Are there dangers?
• Is it important to you to be a seeker at all times in your life?
  What are you waiting for?
• When was the first time in your life you felt drawn to get to know Jesus better?
  Do you feel that you know Him now?
• We don’t know if Andrew ever preached or led a group; but he changed the course of Jesus’ mission.
  Notice that Peter was brought to Jesus by his brother Andrew, after Andrew had stayed quite a while to learn something about Jesus
  Do I know of anyone whom I might take to meet Jesus?
  Have I ever brought someone to the Church, to Jesus, to a better life?
  Do I realize how important this is?
• Where is Jesus? Where do I think He stays? Can He be found in my life?
• What new name might Jesus give you? Why?

• Adapted from Paul Gallagher, OFM (Young Adult Ministry—Spiritual Direction, St. Peter Church, Chicago):

  Do you know the story behind how you were named? Do you have a nickname and how did you get it? Do you have a nickname that is not known to everyone? How is the name an expression of your relationship to the person who gave it to you, to the people who use it? What name might Jesus give you right now?

  If you were Simon, what would you be thinking when you meet Jesus and he says that you are going to be called Peter/Cephas?

  What do you think the two disciples of John the Baptist were thinking when they heard him say “Behold the Lamb of God?” Just from how they are described here, what kind of men do you think they were? What do they say to you by the fact that they are willing to abandon John and the rest of his disciples in order to go to Jesus?

  If Jesus would ask you what are you looking for, what would you say? Are you looking? Where are you looking? What behaviors would point to the fact that you are really looking?

  Is the pattern of John the Baptist, Andrew and Peter in the gospel present in how you have been led at times in your relationship with God? Is it true now? Could it be how God would like to work in your life now: to lead you to a more intimate relationship with God? Are you looking?

• From Barbara Reid, O.P. (Professor of Scripture, Dean at Catholic Theological Union, Chicago):
  Who was instrumental in bringing you to Jesus? Pray in thanksgiving for them.
  Whom do you bring to Jesus?
  Give thanks for your body, through which you glorify God.
• From Jude Siciliano, O.P.:
  How do I include God in my daily decisions?
  When I must make an important decision, how much time do I give to prayer?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action:

Adapted from Justice Notes in “First Impressions”, a service of the Southern Dominican Province:

”Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” —1 Samuel 3:3b-10

Our country will shortly have a new president and vice-president, and national, state and local officials will begin the job of leading our country, which has been so richly blessed, and which is facing unparalleled problems. We hope that Samuel’s words in today’s first reading will be the constantly repeated prayer of all who are elected to public office. Our own prayers and participation on behalf of the common good are also essential.

Prayer for President-elect Joe Biden and all Newly Elected Officials:
“Let us pray today for our nation and for President-elect Joe Biden as he prepares to assume the monumental task of leading this great country. We ask God our Father to bless him in this historic moment in our nation’s history. And we give thanks and rejoice with all Americans in the significance of the election of the first female and African-American vice-president. May the Holy Spirit guide President-elect Biden, Vice President-elect Harris and all of our nation’s new leaders with wisdom, compassion, fortitude and a profound commitment for the dignity and sanctity of all human life. We pray that these new leaders will use the powers of their office to defend the most vulnerable among us. And, may our Heavenly Father help all of us to put aside our differences, heal divisions and work together for the good of all people. Amen.”

What can I do?

1. Pray daily for our new president and for all public officials. (Cut out the prayer above and use it regularly.)
2. Pick one policy initiative you want to work for in the next four years, and make a plan for being ACTIVE in making positive change happen.
3. Be active in working for local and national policies which “build a world of peace, solidarity and justice”.

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:

Read this poem from an unknown classmate in a graduate course on John, and imagine that Jesus is speaking these words to you:

In the beginning was the Word.
A Word who must be spoken.
A Word spoken into skies.
and called into hills.
Spoken into rivers and fields
A Word Spoken into life
in flowers
in birds
and in every kind of animal.
A Word spoken with love and breathed into
the heart of man and woman
that they might be ready to hear.
And when the time came that all was in readiness,
The Word was spoken into flesh,
spoken to call his own
out of the darkness and into the light.
To those who would know this Word, he beckoned
and still is beckoning—now—to you.
Come, see where I live;
spend your time with me
Be my own,
Be disciple.
Is the question of the first who followed your question still:
Teacher, where do you live in my world?
The answer they heard is the same,
which, in silence you will know:
Come, I will take you there.
I live within your heart.
Your heart that I have seen,
Your heart that I have known
I live there, calling you beyond yourself
Calling you into my own life,
Calling you to the vision of my Father
Calling you to be fishers of people.
Calling you to be disciple.

Poetic Reflection:

from Fr. Michael Kennedy, in “First Impressions” 2006:

“Suddenly It All Makes Sense”

(2nd Sunday Ordinary Time)

Sometime we
Should use the Gospel of
This day to remind ourselves
And others that the fourth
Gospel has the call of Peter
Happening in simple human
Interaction and not from
A trumpet blast or a
Quick appearance of
Gabriel or Raphael
Or even Michael
And we sometimes
Forget that Jesus did not
Just want missionaries since He
Did not just say go and preach and
Baptize to the ends of the earth for
He also said come and be with Me
And let your eyes and hearts be
Opened and this part of the call
To discipleship is every bit as
Important as preaching and
Teaching and baptizing for
Without hospitality the
Message is as phony as
Any contemporary
Promise to solve
Issues of justice
Sometime
Or not
****
And we must
Never forget that it was
The call to come and see that
Got Peter to commit and amazingly
It is what gets us today too for
When we experience the joy of
Feeling at home it is still true
That suddenly it all
Makes sense

— from “Musings from Michael” © Michael J. Kennedy 2006

Closing Prayer

Dear Jesus, we have heard your call and it compels us to follow. Bless me with a clear sense of my call. Make me sensive to the action of your spirit. Give me wisdom and courage to act on your call on behalf of the people or situations I encounter [Pause to call to mind the issues you want to pray about]. Give me ears to hear and eyes to see.

The Baptism of the Lord, January 10, 2021

Gospel: Mark 1:7–11

Theme: Jesus is God’s beloved; we have been initiated into Jesus’ life and mission through baptism

Mark 1:7–11

And this is what John the Baptist proclaimed: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the holy Spirit.”

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

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Music Meditations

• “Here I Am Lord” (sung by John Michael Talbot) [YouTube]
• “I Have Loved You” (by Michael Joncas) [YouTube]
• “Open My Eyes” (by Jesse Manibusan) [YouTube]

Opening Prayer

From the Mass for the feast of the Baptism of Jesus:

Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan did proclaim him your beloved Son and anoint him with the Holy Spirit, grant that all who are baptized into his name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior.

Companions for the Journey

From “First Impressions”, a service of the southern Dominican Province, written by Jude Siciliano, O.P.:

Mark makes sure we don’t miss Jesus’ importance and the significance of the event. Immediately after John baptizes him, the Holy Spirit descends on Jesus and he hears the voice from heaven affirming his identity. If this were a movie there would be a blast of trumpets; if it were a play, a spotlight would suddenly shine on Jesus. Mark does a similar thing—he turns a “spotlight” on Jesus with the voice from heaven. Later in the gospel Mark will introduce a similar voice at another dramatic moment, on the mountain of Transfiguration. At Jesus’ crucifixion, a Roman soldier speaks the message, “Truly this man was the Son of God.”

At Jesus’ baptism there are two familiar biblical images—water and the Spirit. We recognize in these biblical themes that go through the Old Testament, all the way back to the opening lines of Genesis—where there was also water and the hovering Spirit. Mark is suggesting that, through Jesus, a new creation is about to take place. What was destroyed by sin and disobedience is about to be restored by the coming hoped-for Messiah who brings the Holy Spirit with him.

On the first Sunday of Advent we heard the lament from Isaiah that became our prayer of longing, “Rend the heavens and come down”. Today, Mark tells us, God is doing just that, answering our prayer and coming to our aid: the heavens are “torn open” and the same Spirit present at the creation of the world, has again come upon the face of the earth. Besides human misery there is so much beauty at every turn in the world. But this beautiful earth itself is damaged by our sinful excesses. Is it the smog over the city below that makes the sky color so? We need to be washed in the same Holy Spirit that descended upon Jesus at his baptism.

Today’s scriptures and feast assure us that our Advent prayer is answered; God has torn open the heavens and come upon us and also on the waiting earth. Mark makes it clear that the rending of the heavens, the descent of the Spirit and the voice itself, were personal experiences for Jesus. (”On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn and the Spirit, like a dove descending on him. And a voice came from the heavens, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’”) Jesus is being commissioned; he will now begin his life of public ministry. From this point on his ministry will manifest the power the Baptist anticipated. Yet, Jesus will meet resistance from powerful forces that will eventually crush him. The confirmation Jesus received at his baptism will be a strength for him as he faces rejection from religious leaders and even abandonment by his disciples.

I didn’t hear any voices at my baptism—I was an infant. I dare say neither did those baptized as adults. But we have heard that voice many times since our baptisms, haven’t we? Whenever we were faced with choices: the easy way out or the way of integrity; the truth or a lie; an opportunity to help someone, or move on; an effort to correct a wrong or turn a blind eye—didn’t we hear an interior voice reminding us who we are by our baptism? “You are my beloved child with you I am well pleased.” Didn’t we pray for guidance to make the right choices and strength to follow through on our decisions? At those decisive and testing moments did we turn to God for help? Were we strengthened by that same Spirit the Baptist promised Jesus would baptize us with; a Spirit that is powerful in us, recreates us and forms us into, what Genesis describes as, God’s image and likeness? Those who are called to give witness to the God of love, compassion and justice are not left on their own by God. The Spirit is given them to do their work—God’s work. We can look it up: the gift of God’s Spirit is right there in every book of the bible, starting in Genesis and now present at the beginning of Mark’s gospel—and Jesus freely anoints us with that Spirit that was with him and now is with us. John the Baptist promised that Jesus would baptize us with the Spirit. Baptism inaugurated Jesus’ mission and Mark was reminding the early Christians, as he does today for us, that through their baptism they too were sent on mission. We are not baptized into a stay-at-home community to enjoy our gatherings, sing our hymns and say our prayers. There is too much need in the world. But, if Jesus’ life with the Spirit is any clue, we too will face resistance, suffering and possibly death, as Jesus did.

There is a lot in my life that awaits me and will challenge my commitment to Christ. How will I respond? On my own—“forget about it.” But today Mark reminds us again that we are not on our own. We have been baptized into the Spirit of Jesus, a Spirit of power expressed in service that may require much personal sacrifice. That Spirit is more than enough to finish the work God has begun in Jesus and continues in us.

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

You are my beloved son; with you I am well pleased

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• Can you recall a time when you were affirmed by someone in your life?
• Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt that you started anew?
• What is special about you?
• Do you believe that you have been sealed with God’s seal?
• Can you think of any people who lived out their baptismal call?
  Was there a price to be paid?
• In my academic or business world, in my social world, in my personal relationships, in my moral landscape generally:
  What are my baptismal privileges?
  What are my baptismal expectations?
  What are my baptismal obligations?
• Which is more important: baptism or ordination?

• By Barbara Reid, O.P., in America, the national Jesuit weekly magazine:

  Recall a time in which you were aware of God’s great delight in you.
  Am I aware that baptism means more than membership in a church?

  As you savor that experience in prayer, how are you empowered to share that love?
  Pray for the openness to regard all others as beloved daughters and sons of God who “shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34).

• By Fr. Paul Gallagher, in “First Impressions”:

  Of what significance to you is your baptism?
  Why did your parents have you baptized?
  Why does the church baptize?

  Do you think your parents were proud of you?
  Can you recall a specific time when your parents let you know that they were proud of you?
  What effect did that have on you?

  Do you know people who lived much of their life without one of their parents?
  Did that affect them?

  Do you think that Jesus had sense that God approved of the way he was living his life?
  How do you think it affected him?

  Do you think that God is proud of you?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

Adapted from a homily by Fr. William Bausch:

At one time, in the first three centuries of the Church, Baptism was a scary, life-changing event. It signified that the person being baptized was going to have to play the game of life by a different and counter-cultural set of rules. Baptismal sponsors were those who walked with the one seeking initiation into the Church, mentoring her, supporting him. At one’s baptism, those same sponsors were present throughout the various rites to testify that the initiate lived a life that exemplified the principles upon which Christianity was based.

Then, in about the fourth century, Church membership (as ratified by baptism) became the politically correct thing to do in order to succeed in a Christian society which emanated from the Emperor or king down. Baptism gradually became an assent to a series of theological precepts and ideas rather than an entre into a moral landscape which required certain behaviors and precluded others. Baptism became an entrance into a “club” rather than a challenge to live a certain way. The rise of infant baptisms intensified those changes, and godparents and the congregations alike asserted creedal beliefs which they were required to pass on to the newborn. Gradually, baptism became a private family celebration rather than one participated in by the entire community. The RCIA program for adults wishing to become Catholic has tried to revive some of the original meaning of the early sacrament, but it is sometimes a hard sell, even among the clergy.

Has my own personal upbringing emphasized my initiation into a life of service, modeling Christ? Do I see any connection between this story of Jesus’ baptism and my own baptismal call? Do I ever think of myself as sealed with God’s seal? What does that mean to me? If I have been a godparent, has this been a purely ceremonial experience, or have I actively been involved in the religious and moral formation of the one for whom I have acted as godparent? What do I need to change in my understanding of the meaning of my baptism?

Poetic Reflection:

Father Michael Kennedy, S.J. thinks about Jesus’ reaction to his own baptism:

“Thank You Dad”

(Baptism of the Lord)

It really is quite
Amazing how seldom
We praise our children
Or friends or even the
One closest to being
Our true heart mate
For it seems we are
Troubled by some
Dismaying anxiety
That if a nice word is
Even whispered the
Beneficiary will have
A head that explodes
From arrogance

But the gracious Lord
Who made us will have
None of this stupid worry
For he gives praise every
Single time he calls each
And every one of us one
Of His beloved children
And he does this every
Second of our lives
So it is like a never
Ending encore of
His pledging love
Again and again
And yet again

So perhaps
Instead of rejecting
The pledge of love
We need to seize a
Cue from this mentor
Who as he completed
Baptism by John was
Said to have heard the
Father say that he was
His beloved child and
Is it not likely that in
His heart the newly
Baptized one
Said simply
Thank you
Dad

—from Musings by Michael

Poetic Reflection:

This poem, by Mary Oliver, can be used to discuss: a) the sense of obligation Jesus must have felt to his relatives to continue in the family trade and to follow their wishes instead of the wishes of his heavenly Father; and b) the obstacles we sometimes need to overcome in order to do what we are called to do:

“The Journey”

One day you finally knew
what you had to do and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice—
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
around your ankles.
”Mend my life!”
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do—
determined to save
the only life you could save.

Epiphany, January 3, 2021

Gospel: Matthew 2:1–12

Theme: There are epiphanies in all of our lives; What journey are you on?

Matthew 2:1–12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.”

After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.

They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

---

Music Meditations

• “O Magnum Mysterium” (by Morten Lauridsen; sung by Robert Shaw Chamber Singers) [YouTube]
• “We Three Kings of Orient Are” (sung by Angel City Chorale) [YouTube]
• “Away in a Manger” (sung by Celtic Woman) [YouTube]
• “Glow” (by Eric Whitacre; sung by World of Color Honor Choir) [YouTube]
• “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (sung by VoicePlay) [YouTube]

Opening Prayer

Father, all powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks.
Today you revealed in Christ your eternal plan of salvation, and showed him as the light of all peoples.
Now that his glory has shone among us, you have renewed humanity in his immortal image.

Companions for the Journey

From “First Impressions”, a service of the Southern Dominican Province, 2011:

We do not know much about the Magi. For example, the text does not tell us there were three, as they are often depicted in paintings and creches. We do not know if they came from different nations or races. We are not sure if they were priests, royalty or astrologers. Their anonymity makes it possible for Christian tradition to place much symbolic meaning on them: they have come to symbolize diversity of race, ethnic background and nationalities. As today’s reading from Ephesians suggests, God’s grace has revealed the mystery to us that all peoples, not just a chosen few, will come to discover their place as, “co-heirs,” partners in the promise in Christ through the gospel. Matthew has depicted in the Magi the gospel truth that seekers from all nations will come to recognize Christ and be welcome in his presence. And, that the promise of Israel’s being a light for the nations, as the prophets anticipated, is now fulfilled in Christ.

Contentment isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Coasting along may feel smooth and familiar but it won’t take us anywhere new. It won’t take us on an uncomfortable journey where we don’t know the landmarks; where we will have to keep trusting the voice inside that urges us not to turn back or stop. Leaving contentment behind will require us to keep looking up ahead, placing one foot in front of the other, asking questions and trusting. There will surely be doubts and regrets along the way, but new life will also open up for us and eventually, like the Magi, we will come to the place where God waits for us. What will God look like at that moment? Certainly what the Magi saw was hardly impressive; a poor family in a nondescript village and an infant. However, the Magi had been led by the light of the star. Was it a star in the heavens or an interior light that kept them looking and then shone brightly for them, revealing the truth at the end of their quest?

God was present among the obscure; hidden in an out-of-the-way place. No splash, no “color commentator” to make God’s presence exciting for the sporting spectator. Yet, it took three strangers from another place and tradition to recognize someone special. Does it take the outsider in our midst to help us see beneath the surface or admit what we have been afraid to admit about our lives? So many disclaim the presence of God in their lives or down play and hide the gifts they have. Sometimes it’s the stranger or the person outside our familial surroundings who makes us aware of how gifted by God we are. People like teachers, mentors, religious guides, friends, etc., are often like the Magi visitors, who come from elsewhere and spot the divine light in us. They “manifest” (for that is what Epiphany is about, the manifestation of God in our world) to us the God we have been overlooking. These are light-bearers, stars that guide us to meet the Holy Presence in our lives and in the world around us. They shine a light before us and encourage us to venture out, to see life and ourselves from another perspective.

For those of us who leave the familiar and follow a distant light we may find ourselves in a place we never would have imagined going. There we will meet the divine—but in disguise, of course. For the Magi it was the infant in the crib. For us, the journey may take us to entirely new places: teaching religion to teenagers in the church basement; our wedding day and a person we have found and with whom we have decided to journey the rest of our days; a new way of praying; a bereavement group that begins to open new life for us after a death; a vocation in ministry; old age, faced not with dread, but excitement and discovery; new friends who have less materially to share, but more spiritually, etc.

We have come to church to celebrate Epiphany. How else might we celebrate this feast of recognition? We might recognize and honor the divine presence in the less important of our society: the children around us; those who clear our tables in restaurants; who sell us newspapers on the corner; who collect our garbage; who harvest our crops; who are very aged; who are weak, infirm or dying.

Today we also ask God to shake us out of our religious complacency and, like the Magi, stir up a hunger for God in us. Ask for the courage to let go of the comfortable and familiar and request the energy to once again go looking for God. Ask to be open to finding the holy in unfamiliar and “unholy” places. Ask for forgiveness for accepting what is immediately around us and for being satisfied with the status quo. Ask for the grace not to be disappointed when God isn’t found in the routine of familiar prayers and predictable ritual. Ask for a sense of wonder and awe in the little things of life that contain the spark of the divine. Ask for the spirit of a searcher, one willing to look up and follow a star beyond familiar borders. Ask to be able to put aside barriers that keep us apart from “the others”. Ask for the help to recognize the revelation of God, despite all appearances to the contrary. Ask for an Epiphany.

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

Where is the newborn King of the Jews?

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• The visit of the Magi does not show up anywhere in recorded history as a factual report; it is a biblical story full of meaning for us. We should not be asking: “Did it really happen like that?”, but rather: “What does it mean?” What did the story mean to you as a child? What does this story mean to you now?
• Magi were outsiders, who did not consider themselves special in God’s eyes. Yet it was to them that the reality of Jesus was revealed.
  Do you know of any outsiders that have had insights or experience about God, or the church?
  What does that tell us about who God welcomes into the mystery of God’s life and presence?
• Have I ever viewed anyone else as a religious outsider?
  Have I ever viewed anyone else as an outsider in my friends, my family, my ethnic group, my country?
  What does this tell me about staying in my comfort zone?
• What do you think helped the Magi to persevere on this arduous journey?
  Do I respect the spiritual journeys of others, even if I do not understand where they are going or why?
• Someone said Christianity is lots of long walks. What have some of yours been? Have you always known of the ultimate destination or were you figuring that out as you went along?
• What is the role of an open mind in a spiritual quest?
  What might be the role of doubts in a spiritual quest?
• Where is God in the dark, lonely and uncertain moments of your life?
  Where are the stars in my life, guiding me to something?
• To US a child is born. Do I believe that, really?
• The magi brought gifts to the child Jesus and his parents. Since God has everything, what gift can I give to God?
  What gifts can I bring to the world—and are they what is left over after I have every experience, every comfort, every honor, every material advantage I want for my self and my family, or are these gifts something I am sharing with the least of my brethren?
• The Magi were not followers of the tradition into which Jesus was born.
  Which comes first in the quest for God: faith in a particular set of theological principles, an unblemished moral life, obedience to those who hold positions of leadership in the church, theological degrees or scholarship, a yearning for meaning and union with Jesus?
• Do we ever sit in judgment on those who we think might be/ought to be excluded from God’s love (gays, unmarried mothers, those in the opposite political party, the rich, those whose lives are not in line with Catholic doctrine)?
• The Magi followed a bright star which brought them a revelation of a new truth.
  Are you a bright star for anyone, helping them see, for example, the way to God’s love?
• Epiphanies are sudden moments of truth, joy, clarity and hope which emerge when we least expect it.
  Have you ever experienced an epiphany, even a small “aha!” moment?
• What does this tale of the Magi say about where God is and who God is?
• From Fr. J. Ronald Knott, pgs. 42-43.
  

  [In the church], instead of talking people into going on spiritual adventure, we often just led religious tours. We give up the goal of transforming people and settle for conformity. If you think taking a tour of shrines of the Holy Land is the same as walking in the footsteps of Jesus, you’re not on a spiritual adventure, you’re on a package tour. These Magi people were not on a tour. They were on a scary, spiritual adventure–one that took massive amounts of personal courage…
  Too many of us just don’t believe in going places. There is so much about our church that values keeping people in bounds, constraining the adventurous. We often punish the adventurous and reward, protect and coddle the mediocre. Just like the Magi, Jesus left his carpenter shop and went on a spiritual adventure. He went about inviting others to drop what they were doing and follow him without looking back.

  What form does my membership in the Catholic Church take?
• From First Impressions, a service of the southern Dominican Province:
  Where are we looking for Jesus today? Even if we had no other gospel story than this one, we should know where to look: among the newcomers and displaced; among the newborn poor and their families; among those who have no roots and are searching; among those pushed around by an uncaring system of laws and decrees.
  Would I describe myself as one of the modern-day magi, a searcher for God?
  How do I go about that search each day?
• From First Impressions, a service of the southern Dominican Province:
  The Magi remind us that our quest for the living God must never end. Nor can we be complacent with where we are on our faith journey, or satisfied with our current spiritual life. Such satisfaction can be a form of darkness. There is always more about the mysterious ways of God to be discovered if only, like the Magi, we are willing to make the journey our inner light prompts us to begin.
  Do I feel my faith life is something I do out of habit and routine?
  What steps might I take to renew my spirit?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

I read Psalm 72, then I reflect on the way power is revered in our society, and, in the main, how that power is used. What are the dangers of power? This psalm is frequently used as a description of the way an ideal ruler must use power. I think of our history and all of the ways in which power has been abused. Has this been the story in our own church? In what way am I myself tempted by my desire for power and control? What steps can I take to combat this natural tendency? I pray to Christ for the courage to let him be in control.

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:

Adapted from “An Epiphany” by Rev Bob Wicker:

I had been doing some calculations in the sand when like a thunderbolt two of my old friends walked up the road to meet me. They said they heard stories of people beyond the river where wondrous signs foretold big changes – changes that would make the world different forever. So we stood there in the road a long time, three old friends now living in faraway places only to find ourselves called together by events and stories and signs we did not understand. We argued first about what we knew, then we argued about what we didn’t know.

What do these things mean, we wondered? What should we do? What can we do?

Next we began to plan our journey with the same excitement we had when we first encountered each other on a pilgrimage three decades earlier. We knew once again that we had to travel where the heavens directed us. Wandering planets, stars and great comets pointed the way. Will it be a wedding, a coronation, a death or a birth, we wondered. Who are the people in this faraway land whose royalty is marked by signs in the heavens? Whatever the occasion we would honor it with gifts suitable for a royal event. We packed and set off in the cold darkness guided only by our reckonings of the path the heavens gave us.  The long journey fueled many doubts and more arguments over campfires. This desert is not safe with wild animals and robbers. Why are we doing this anyway? What brought us all the way out here? Yet each time doubt and fear rose in our bellies like indigestion, one of us would point out that you do not take a journey because you know all the answers. Someone else would note how our path seemed to be set out before us like a long carpet. We all knew just where we had to go. We just weren’t sure why.

Has there been a time in your life when you wondered where you were headed and why? It is comforting to know that others who have come before us have often felt the same way. Pray the following prayer of Thomas Merton: “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always, though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”

Poetic Reflections:

Here are some lovely poems for you to just enjoy this week and throughout the Christmas season:

“The Wise”
by William Everson (BROTHER ANTONINUS, O.P.)

Miles across the turbulent kingdoms
They came for it, but that was nothing,
That was the least. Drunk with vision,
Rain stringing in the ragged beards,
When a beast lamed, they caught up another
And goaded west.
For the time was on them.
Once, as it may, in the life of a man,
Once, as it was, in the life of mankind,
All is corrected. And their years of pursuit,
Raw-eyed reading the wrong texts,
Charting the doubtful calculations,
Those nights knotted with thought,
When dawn held off, and the rooster
Rattled the leaves with his blind assertion—
All that, they regarded, under the Sign,
No longer as search but as preparation.
For when the mark was made, they saw it.
Nor stopped to reckon the fallible years,
But rejoiced and followed,
And are called “wise”, who learned that Truth,
When sought and at last seen,
Is never found. It is given.
And they brought their camels
Breakneck into that village,
And flung themselves down in the dung and dirt of that place,
And kissed that ground, and the tears
Ran on their faces, where the rain had

"The Journey Of The Magi”
by T. S. Eliot

A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a long journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.
And the camels galled, sorefooted, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.
Then the camel men cursing and grumbling
and running away, and wanting their liquor and women,
And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty and charging high prices:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.

Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,
And three trees on the low sky,
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wine-skins.
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arriving at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you might say) satisfactory.

All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we led all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.

“On the Mystery of the Incarnation”
by Denise Levertov

It’s when we face for a moment
the worst our kind can do,
and shudder to know the taint in our own selves, that awe
cracks the mind’s shell and enters the heart:
not to a flower, not to a dolphin,
to no innocent form
but to this creature vainly sure
it and no other is god-like, God
(out of compassion for our ugly
failure to evolve) entrusts,
as guest, as brother,
the Word.

“The Three Holy Kings”
by Ranier Maria Rilke

Legend

Once long ago when at the desert’s edge
a Lord’s hand spread open–
as if a fruit should deep in summer
proclaim its seed–
there was a miracle: across
vast distances a constellation formed
out of three kings and a star.
Three kings from On-the-Way
and the star Everywhere,
who all pushed on (just think !)
to the right a Rex and the left a Rex
toward a silent stall.
What was there that they didn’t bring
to the stall of Bethlehem!
Each step clanked out ahead of them,
as the one who rode the sable horse
sat plush and velvet-snug.
And the one who walked upon his right
was like some man of gold,
and the one who sauntered on his left
with sling and swing
and jang and jing
from a round silver thing
that hung swaying inside rings,
began to smoke deep blue.
Then the star Everywhere laughed so strangely over them,
and ran ahead and found the stall and said to Mary:
I am bringing here an errantry
made up of many strangers.
Three kings with ancient might
heavy with gold and topaz
and dark, dim, and heathenish–
but don’t you be afraid.
They have all three at home
twelve daughters, not one son,
so they’ll ask for the use of yours
as sunshine for their heaven’s blue
and comfort for their throne.
Yet don’t straightaway believe: merely
some sparkle-prince and heathen-sheik
is to be your young son’s lot.
Consider: the road is long.
They’ve wandered far, like herdsmen,
and meanwhile their ripe empire falls
into the lap of Lord knows whom.
and while here, warmly like westwind,
the ox snorts into their ear,
they are perhaps already destitute
and headless, for all they know.
So with your smile cast light
on that confusion which they are,
and turn your countenance
toward dawning with your child:
there in blue lines lies
what each one left for you:
Emeralda and Rubinien
and the Valley of Turquoise.

Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 20, 2020

Gospel: Luke 1:26–38

Theme: Listening to and accepting God's plans for me

Luke 1:26–38

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.

“He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.

“And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

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Music Meditations

• “Holy Is His Name” (composed by John Michael Talbot) [YouTube]
• “Mary Did You Know?” (sung by Anthem Lights) [YouTube]
• “The Ground” (“Pleni sunt caeli”) (composed by Ola Gjeilo) [YouTube]

Opening Prayer

From the prayer from the liturgy for the Fourth Sunday of Advent:

In the psalms of David
in the words of the prophets
In the dreams of Joseph,
your promise is spoken, eternal God,
and takes flesh at last
In the womb of the Virgin.
May Emmanuel find welcome in our hearts.
take flesh in our lives, and be for all peoples
the welcome advent of redemption and grace.
We ask this through him whose coming is certain
whose Day draws near:
your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit
One God, for ever and ever.

Companions for the Journey

Adapted from a sermon N.G. delivered at Stanford’s University Public Worship in 2008 (with a little help from Walter Burghardt, S.J.):

Can it be that Christmas is almost upon us? Where did Advent go? It seems that Christmas comes while we are busy doing other things: baking cookies to leave on people’s doorsteps, writing cards, shopping—mostly online these days, trimming trees, creating a sense of nostalgia about what Christmas ought to be but can’t be this year (and maybe never was…). And becoming a family happens, too, often while we are not paying attention: while we are trying to decide how to adapt our Christmas traditions to ones that are safe, or attending the kindergartner’s Christmas Sing via zoom, or patching up boo-boo’s or listening to our pre-teen talk about how mean the other kids are. That’s how family happens. That’s how becoming a family happens except most of the time we are not thinking about it, we are simply going about the business of living and loving. And a marriage happens that way and also divorce it seems, while we do the dishes or do lunch or make love or make money, or hang drapes or hang lives—or don’t do any of those things. That’s when and how marriages happen and how divorces happen, and sometimes we don’t even know it. Life is what happens when we are making other plans.

It is also true that that is the way God happens—as we go about doing other things. Look at Luke’s story of a Hebrew maiden in Galilee: As she swept the floor or washed clothes or baked bread, (somehow I don’t think she spent her days praying at a pri dieu while servants did the heavy lifting), as she busied herself about the task of putting together the pieces of her future, into the midst of her dreaming and planning for her new life comes God disguised as an angel (which is almost always how God comes—in disguise—and turns her future upside down.

When I was young, I believed that Mary serenely acquiesced to what was being asked of her—she had no fears, no doubts; after all, she was being given the great honor of carrying God. Who could say no to that? Well, a closer reading of this gospel passage has Luke portraying Mary as unsettled and perplexed by this unannounced visit. Catholic tradition has had much to say about the confusion and hesitation that Mary experiences when the angel first makes its announcement. (”She was much perplexed and pondered what sort of greeting this might be… ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’”)

As a result, Christian artists have tended to focus on Mary’s surprise at the moment the angel approaches her. In many Renaissance Annunciations, Mary holds up her hand, palm outward, as if to tell the angel to slow down; in Botticelli’s sublime Cestello Annunciation—probably my favorite painting of all time—Mary’s knees buckle and her eyes drift closed, as if she is about to faint. In a Donatello sculpture from about 1430, Mary’s body twists away from the angel even as she turns her face toward him. In an even more dramatic Ghiberti relief from 1407, the Virgin holds up an arm protectively, as if she expects the angel to strike her. A Memling Annunciation from the 1480’s, like Botticelli’s, portrays a fainting Virgin; however, in this one, she has a couple of smaller angels conveniently at hand to help keep her steady.

One more look at the passage shows that “she was greatly troubled” at Gabriel’s announcement. And “she pondered what sort of greeting this might be.” The angel quickly has to reassure her, “do not be afraid.” How could she not be afraid? In her tiny village, where everyone knows everyone else and many people are related to one another, everyone knows that she and the man who is already her legal husband have not yet begun to live together. And all of them can count to nine. What will they say about her, what kinds of nasty looks will they cast her way when her precious child is born too soon?

The angel did not lay out a blueprint for Mary—telling her in great detail what the scenario would be. So the key words here are not obedience, but courage and trust. It is the same for us. At least in my life, no angel appeared at my graduation from a tiny women’s college in New Haven with a little outline mapping out future events. Life unfolded, day by day, year by year, crisis by crisis and joy by joy, until this very moment, when the road ahead is still not any too clear. There are still options to be weighed, choices to be made, and where the spirit will lead I, personally, do not have a clue. As I look back, I see that often I had to trust in God when the way was murky or painful, I had to have the courage to make difficult choices when an easier way presented itself. Sometimes I had that courage, and other times, unlike Mary, I hedged my bets, choosing a safer route.

The bottom line is this: when God called Mary, when God asks you and me: “Will you?”, he reveals very little: the basic call, the bare bones. His invitation does not include a vita, a biography, a script; and so it calls for an unbelievable faith, trust beyond imagining, your hand in God’s. He does not promise a rose garden. He only promises that whatever the garden, Eden or Gethsemane, He will be there, faithful through all your infidelities.

Given the open-ended nature of the request, given the fact that Mary lived in a society where unmarried women who fetched up pregnant were often stoned, given the fact that she and Joseph did not make this decision together (I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that first discussion between the two of them), it is almost unbelievable that she responded that way the Luke says she did. “Be it done unto me according to your word”

Mary lived out that “yes” through the hardship of eking out a living in a land beset with political and economic woes, through the normal problems and joys of being a parent, through witnessing the difficulties of her son’s unpredictable career. She lived out that “yes” as she stood at the foot of the cross one terrible Friday afternoon, as she huddled in fear with the remnant of Jesus’ followers in that upper room after he died, as she went wherever life and the early church community took her. Her yes had to be said once, and repeated in her heart over and over. She, actually, was Jesus’ first disciple. According to St Augustine, DOING THE WILL OF JESUS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEING THE MOTHER OF JESUS. So it was with Mary herself.

So it is with us. Through the changes and adjustments, through wonderment and success, through sorrow and loss, through uncertainty, and often failure, we learn that doing the will of Jesus is easy when it is what we want, less so when it is something we do not choose to have happen. “Be it done according to your word” is harder to say when God’s word and my wishes don’t always line up perfectly. We are asked to give birth to the word of God in our everyday lives. The question: Will you follow me? Will you bring the Word of God into a broken and troubled world?

Saying yes, or “let it be” will change our lives, break our hearts, and move us closer to the Kingdom of God’s love.

That is how God happens.

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

Let it be done to me according to your word

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• What are some real-life attention-getters that we sometimes do not recognize as a visitation of the Holy Spirit?
• When have you most felt favored by God?
• Has your life turned out exactly as you have planned it? Is that good or bad?
• Who reveals to you the mysterious presence of God in human flesh?
• When have you experienced God dwelling with you in difficult circumstances?
• Is God asking you to do or agree to something that seems impossible? Has it happened in the past? What was your answer? What will it be now?
• When has doing God’s will been easy? When has it been hard?
• In what sense am I available to God’s spirit in me? What holds me back?
  (Fears, prejudices, greed, need to control the results; need for success, jealousy, resentments, excessive self-doubts, perfectionism (Mother Teresa: “Jesus did not call us to be perfect, He called us to be faithful”), sheer laziness)
  What holds me back?
• To which people in my life have I been anointed to bring glad tidings? What are those messages?
• How do I deal with sudden changes in my life? What is my first reaction? How do I adjust to those changes? Can I imagine Mary going through the same process?
• Doing the will of Jesus is more important than being the mother of Jesus. In my own life, it might be easier to do God's will when it is what I want, less so when is something I did not want to have happen. Doing the will of God is easier when it is something we want to do or expected to do anyway. Doing the will of God is much harder when it takes us out of our comfort zone. But when God happens in all part of our lives, our job is to say yes, not as an act of a blind faith, but as an act of the will. How did Mary deal with the unknown? How do we?
• When God called Mary, when God asks you and me: "Will you?", he reveals very little: the basic call, the bare bones. His invitation does not include a vita, a biography, a script; and so it calls for an unbelievable faith, trust beyond imagining, our hand in God's. Was this situation much easier for Mary than it would be for us? Why or why not?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:

A young girl, sheltered, waiting in Galilee, waiting for her life to begin. She is a virgin, untouched, still almost a child. Waiting. A marriage is planned for some time in the future. A contract has been made, a formal betrothal. He is older, stable, kind. They will never be rich; he is only a carpenter, after all. But life will be predictable, safe. Joseph will care for her. Until then, she works at home, and dreams of the future. Life will be good. She knows that.

Gradually, she is aware of wind, a slight noise, something is in the room with her. “Hello, Mary.” She hears her name on the merest breath of a sound. And with that greeting, her life changes forever.

Can you imagine that conversation between Mary and her parents? How does she explain things to Joseph? In her tiny village, where everyone knows everyone else and many people are related to one another, everyone knows that she and the man who is already her legal husband have not yet begun to live together. But all of them can count to nine. What will they say about her, what kinds of nasty looks will they cast her way when her precious child is born too soon? What makes her decide to visit her cousin Elizabeth so far away? What is the trip like? How does Elizabeth greet her? Does Mary’s response surprise you?

Go over the words of the Magnificat and savor the way in which Mary feels God’s presence in her life and in the world. Open yourself up to whatever God is calling you to this day. Contemplate how God is present to you, when, like Mary, you don’t get what you want, but get, instead, what God wants for you. Practice acceptance. Practice faith. Practice hope.

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

This meditation is based on the events just after the Annunciation in the gospel of Luke; the visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth:

It is striking that Mary, newly pregnant, hurries to the side of her cousin Elizabeth, to offer companionship and whatever help Elizabeth might need. Henry Nouwen said:

I find the meeting of these two women very moving, because Elizabeth and Mary came together and allowed each other to wait. Mary’s visit made Elizabeth aware of what she was waiting for. The child leapt for joy in her. Mary affirmed Elizabeth’s waiting. And then Elizabeth said to Mary: “Blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.” And Mary responded: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.” These two women created space for each other to wait. They affirmed for each other that something was happening worth waiting for. Here we see a model for the Christian community. It is a community of support, celebration, and affirmation in which we can life up what has already begun in us. The visit of Elizabeth and Mary is one of the Bible’s most beautiful expressions of what it means to form community, to be together, gathered around a promise, affirming what is happening among us.

—Henri Nouwen, The Path of Waiting, p 23-24

Have you ever looked upon marriage, upon friendship and community as a way to wait together for what is to come? Sometimes all that is needed when someone is troubled or frightened is to be present, to sit with another in his or her sadness or fear and simply to be there for that person. However, there are times when we get so wrapped up in our own obligations, busyness or problems that we miss the cues that tell us we are needed. Have you ever known anyone who just seemed to come alive in the service to others? Did that person’s energy inspire you to exert yourself a little more? Is there a friend or someone in your family you can count on when you need companionship, especially while you are in transitional moments of your life? Do you count God or any of the saints as companions in such times? Speak to Jesus about your need for him in good times and in bad.

Poetic Reflection:

A discussion on the poem “Annunciation” by the late Stanford Professor Denise Levertov, adapted from Poetry Magazine:

Levertov asks us to slow down, to take a second look, to ponder for a moment what this eternal moment was like for Mary. Levertov invites us to notice. To notice Mary and her courage, her willing consent, her freedom offered to the glory of God. And as we do this, Levertov asks us one more thing: to take seriously that we might also experience an annunciation. Not just like this, of course, and yet something like this. Certainly, as she says, there have been other annunciations, some, where the recipient accepts openly; some happen where the recipient accepts in a sullen spirit, still others, where there have been outright refusals. And this observation both heightens the beauty, boldness, and courage of Mary’s response as well as invites us to wonder if we might do the same. Invites, us, indeed, to do the same: to be open to the movement of God, to receive with courage and joy, mingled of course with a holy terror at the presence of God, and in this way to participate in the movement of the Spirit:

“Annunciation”

We know the scene: the room, variously furnished, 
almost always a lectern, a book; always
the tall lily.
Arrived on solemn grandeur of great wings,
the angelic ambassador, standing or hovering,
whom she acknowledges, a guest.

But we are told of meek obedience. No one mentions
courage.
The engendering Spirit
did not enter her without consent.
God waited.

She was free
to accept or to refuse, choice
integral to humanness.

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Aren’t there annunciations
of one sort or another
in most lives?
Some unwillingly
undertake great destinies,
enact them in sullen pride,
uncomprehending.
More often
those moments
when roads of light and storm
open from darkness in a man or woman,
are turned away from

in dread, in a wave of weakness, in despair
and with relief.
Ordinary lives continue.
God does not smite them.
But the gates close, the pathway vanishes.

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She had been a child who played, ate, slept
like any other child–but unlike others,
wept only for pity, laughed
in joy not triumph.
Compassion and intelligence
fused in her, indivisible.

Called to a destiny more momentous
than any in all of Time,
she did not quail,
only asked
a simple, ‘How can this be?’
and gravely, courteously,
took to heart the angel’s reply,
the astounding ministry she was offered:

to bear in her womb
Infinite weight and lightness; to carry
in hidden, finite inwardness,
nine months of Eternity; to contain
in slender vase of being,
the sum of power–
in narrow flesh,
the sum of light.
Then bring to birth,
push out into air, a Man-child
needing, like any other,
milk and love–

but who was God.

This was the moment no one speaks of,
when she could still refuse.

A breath unbreathed,
Spirit,
suspended,
waiting.

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She did not cry, ‘I cannot. I am not worthy,’
Nor, ‘I have not the strength.’
She did not submit with gritted teeth,
raging, coerced.
Bravest of all humans,
consent illumined her.
The room filled with its light,
the lily glowed in it,
and the iridescent wings.
Consent,
courage unparalleled,
opened her utterly.

Artistic Meditation:

Pick an artistic depiction or two on the subject of the Annunciation (Fra Angelico, Boticelli, da Vinci, Caravaggio, Murillo, Donatello, for example) or use this one:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Annunciation_(Leonardo).jpg Reproduced under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

General Guidelines for viewing artistic representation of the Annunciation:

Each artist who has rendered a painting of the Annunciation (and there are many) has offered his or her unique interpretation, both artistically and religiously, of this sacred mystery. Keep in mind that each artist may also use details such as dress and physical surroundings which more closely match the culture from which he or she is coming rather than the actual biblical time and place. This is, in some ways, not true to scripture, but it is true to the understanding that biblical narratives are not just period pieces, or good stories, but can be interpreted through the filters of our own experience and should offer meaning for us and hope for us in the time and place in which we find ourselves. In that sense, they are timeless.

There are several artistic conventions surrounding religious/biblical art:

1. Birds are a symbol of the spiritual; a dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit
2. The angel Gabriel, either aloft or on the ground, is usually portrayed in human form, beautiful and young; some robes can be said to be priestly and flowing, others ethereal. Gabriel often is seen with a lily, which is the symbol of his official task as a herald. Occasionally he is portrayed with a scepter, sometimes with the words “Ave Maria, gratia plena” on or around it. In any event, his affect would portray his origin from on high, his attitude toward for Mary, and the content of his message.
3. Mary is almost always shown with a halo, or even a crown to reflect her holiness. The style and elegance of the halo/crown (gold with jewels or a simple wreath of flowers) is deliberate. It is significant when she is not painted with a halo or crown. If she is bareheaded, then it implies a sense of privacy or intimacy, as women throughout much of history did not go out in public with their heads uncovered.
4. Olive branches or olive wreaths are a sign of peace
5. The colors used by the artist for the clothing, and for the background carry a message as well.
6. Sometimes there are other scenes, some peopled with saints, biblical personages, or significant architectural details which are seen in the distance or in the background. For example, Fra Angelico’s painting is set in the Dominican convent of St. Mark, and a Dominican, St Peter Martyr, stands to the left.

Questions for Art Reflection on the Annunciation:

Where does this seem to be taking place? Describe the room or surroundings. Is the space indoors or out, public or private? What do you think the author is trying to convey? Are there other people in the vicinity? Does the angel lay out a blueprint for her future? Is God asking me right now to do something that seems impossible?

What do you notice about the posture of Mary? (Is she serenely listening? Is she brooding? Is she repulsed? Are her knees buckling in trepidation? What is the position of her arm or arms? What is her facial expression? What does that suggest to you? Do you get a sense of the artist’s interpretation of Mary’s personality, her response to God’s message, or her possible answer? How would I react in similar circumstances? Who reveals to me the mysterious presence of God in my life? Have I ever been faced with a very frightening situation and been assured that God was with me as I went forward?

Closing Prayer

Take some time to offer personal prayers for yourself or others, if you wish to…

By Thomas Merton:
You have trusted no town
With the news behind your eyes
You have drowned Gabriel’s word in thoughts like seas
And turned toward the stone mountain
To the treeless places.
Virgin of God, why are your clothes like sail?