December 22, 2013

Bulletin December 22, 2013

4^th Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 7:10-14; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-24
These are the days of frenzied chaotic excitement. That’s a mouthful of words and emotions. I, just like all the Christmas believers, am trying to find a few moments of ‘peace’; a few precious moments when I can just sit, be still and reflect on this feast.
One of the great books on Jesus is The Lord written by Romano Guardini in 1954. Pope Benedict who was then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinzer wrote this, “Guardini’s book The Lord has not grown old, precisely because it still leads us to that which is essential, to that which is truly real, Jesus Christ Himself. That is why today this book still has a great mission.’ I have recommended this book for years and now am in my third reading of it; it is a priceless classic and still in print.
Msgr. Guardini has such beautiful words to get me to those areas of peace that this season is all about. He starts out Chapter 3 entitled The Incarnation in this way: “The Christmas liturgy includes these beautiful verses from the eighteenth chapter of the Book of Wisdom: ‘For while all things were in quiet silence and the night was in the midst of her course, thy almighty word leapt down from heaven from thy royal throne...’ The passage, brimming with the mystery of the Incarnation, is wonderfully expressive of the infinite stillness that hovered over Christ’s birth. For the greatest things are accomplished in silence—not in the clamor and display of superficial eventfulness, but in the deep clarity of inner vision; in the almost imperceptive start of decision, in quiet overcoming and hidden sacrifice. Spiritual conception happens when the heart is quickened by love, and the free will stirs to action. The silent forces are the strong forces. Let us turn now to the stillest event of all, stillest because it came from the remoteness beyond the noise of any possible intrusion –from God.”
It comes down to how I view God...and somehow I say that God is ‘up there’ and our faith says that God ‘came down’ to be with us; to be one of us; to show each of us how special we are; to die for us; so that we may forever be with God. This is God’s plan, always has been. How can I comprehend this...I can’t. How did God do this...I read the readings, but again, I have no way of comprehending this. Msgr. Guardini says this that seems to hit the nail right on the head: “...a friend gave me a clue that helped my understanding more than any measure of bare reason. He said: ‘But love does such things!’”
It’s all about God’s love...all the time...to every single person...in every situation that happens...and this is the love that is drawing each person to ‘Love’ Msgr. Guardini says, “None of the great things in human life springs from the intellect, every one of them issues from the heart and its love. If even human love has its own reasoning, comprehensible only to the heart that is open to it, how much truer must this be of God’s love! When it is the depth and power of God that stirs, is there anything of which love is incapable? The glory of it is so overwhelming that to all who do not accept love as an absolute point of departure, its manifestations must seem the most senseless folly.”
‘Love does such things.’ Yes it does. On 11/12/13, a simple day to remember, I was in Target and two very little kids eyed in the back of the store the Christmas decorations. And their faces were radiant: ‘Mommy Christmas...Christmas Mommy.’ I thought, ‘Oh I’m not so sure Mommy was ready for this.’ The kids were...and I reflected on where my excitement was? Am I preparing? Am I thinking about God’s love for me? Am I sharing God’s love of me? ‘But love does such things!’ And God’s love never stops. So where am I in my life and what am I doing?
Christmas is a time for me to focus my attention on this mystery of the Word made flesh, Emmanuel, God-with-us. Can people see God in me? Gerard Manley Hopkins stated it wonderfully, “The world is charged with the grandeur of God” because it is filled with the Spirit of Jesus. But do people see the Spirit of Jesus in me?
Paul gave me direction for my life when he said in the second Reading to the Romans, “Paul, (and I insert my name into these words...Peter) called to be an apostle, and set apart for the gospel of God...called to belong to Jesus Christ....called to be holy...” Do I have the eyes of faith of Joseph in the Gospel?
I am called to be Jesus; I am not called to be passive. The special little ones in Target recognized the season...hopefully were aware of Jesus in the crib...in their eyes they saw love. Well in my hectic schedule these next days and today...am I aware that love is happening all around me? Am I aware that many need just the type of love that I am capable of giving? I must take time to look at Christmas through the eyes of the little ones. I must take time to look at Christmas through the eyes of the people still recovering from the Typhoon Haiyan. I must take time to look at Christmas past in my own life and Christmas present too. To do this I must take some precious moments today and Monday and Tuesday, Christmas Eve, and even Wednesday, Christmas Day itself to reflect on God in my life...and...’But love does such things.’ AND BE GRATEFUL AND PRAISE GOD! ! !
So I reflect on:

• Since I know God loves me and needs me to love, do I believe that God will ask of me only what I can do?
  
• Do I react when I feel God is asking me to do more than I can handle; or maybe am I not realizing how God is stretching me and already filling me with His grace to do these things?
  
• Do I trust that God is with me through everything?
  
• Joseph certainly was faced with much that he was unprepared to do, what does his faith and trust show me?
  

Sacred Space 2014 says:

“When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife.

• The humility of Joseph was not something weak or wilting. He followed the word of the Lord and became Mary’s husband. I allow the richness of that word to show me how Joseph was a disciple and see what I might learn from him.
• Attending to his dreams, Joseph took care not to ignore how God was communicating with him. I look to God for a way forward in my problems.”