“He unrolled the Isaiah scroll and found the passage….” Lk 4:17

Being a Prophet and Welcoming a Prophet

January 24 and 31 – the third & fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Jeremiah 1:4-7 Corinthians 12:12-30 Luke 4:14-30

First reading from Jeremiah[1]

The Lord said to me, “I chose you before I gave you life, and before you were born I selected you to be a prophet to the nations.” And I answered, “Ah, ah, ah, Lord God. Behold I cannot speak, for I am but a child.” But the Lord God said to me, “Do not say that you are too young, but go to the people I send you to, and tell them everything I command you to say. Do not be afraid of them, for I will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken.”

The word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Alleluia, alleluia.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke[2]
Glory to you, Lord.

Gospel for the third Sunday -- Lk 4:14-21

Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord[3]. Rolling up the scroll, He handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on Him. He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of Him and were amazed at the beautiful words that fell from His lips.

Gospel for the fourth Sunday -- Lk 4:22-30

But then the hometown folks started to wonder among themselves and ask, “How can this be? Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” But Jesus, knowing their wonderment said to them, “I expect you will quote this proverb to me, `Physician, heal yourself’ –meaning, `Why don’t you do miracles in your hometown, just like those we hear you did in Capernaum.’” He replied, “Amen, I say to you, a prophet is not accepted in his own hometown. Indeed, I tell you, there were many Jewish widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a Gentile widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many Jewish lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman, a Syrian Gentile.”

When the synagogue-congregants heard this, they were infuriated. They rose up, drove him out of the town, led him to the edge of the hill on which their town had been built, and were going to hurl him over it. But Jesus passed through their midst and went away.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

----------------
Introduction
St. Luke: the evangelist for Cycle C

Today is the third Sunday of Ordinary Time in Cycle C. For the most part the evangelist for Cycle C is Luke. Among the four evangelists, Luke is a very favorite for many. In him only are found the greatest of Jesus’ parables. In Luke only is found the parable of Lazarus starving at the gate of a rich man who is eating sumptuously.[4] (Lk: 16:19-31) In Luke only is found the parable of a Prodigal Son returning home to a father who is prodigal with forgiveness.[5] (Lk 15:11-32) In Luke only is found that mother of all parables -- the Good Samaritan who stopped to pour the oil of compassion into the wounds of a poor man waylaid by robber on the road between Jerusalem and Jericho. [6] (Lk 10:25-37)

A prophet’s reception in his own hometown

One Sabbath in his hometown of Nazareth Jesus went to the synagogue where the hometown folks who knew Him were gathered. He rose to do one of the readings.[7] He unrolled the Isaiah scroll and read from the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor .Etc. Finished reading, He rolled up the scroll and He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” Then He sat down, and all in the synagogue were deeply impressed.

But not for long. After all, this hometown boy was simply one of them. Puzzled they asked each other, “Isn't this Joseph's son?” (Lk 4:22) Evangelist Mark expands upon their puzzlement: “The local folks said among themselves, `He’s no better than we are. He’s just a carpenter, Mary’s boy, and a brother of James and Joseph, Judas and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.’ And so they would not accept Him.” (Mk 6:2-3)

At this point, Jesus reminds the local folks that a prophet never gets a good reception in his own hometown. In fact, they fare much better far away from home, as did the prophets Elijah and Elisha. Jesus’ allusion to Himself as a prophet receiving bad treatment from the local folks infuriated the whole congregation. They sprang to their feet, grabbed Him by the nape of his neck, dragged Him to the edge of a cliff, and were going to throw Him over it. But He slipped through the crowd and walked away. (Lk 4: 29-30)

The scriptural prophet

The scriptural prophet is not one who foretells the future; rather, he is one who “lifts up his voice like a trumpet and tells the people their sins.”(Is 58:1) The scriptural prophet is one who tells people something they’re not hearing but need to hear. Or he tells them something that disturbs their comfort. Or he tells them something that makes them think, when they’re not accustomed to thinking. Or, finally, the prophet tells people something that disturbs their old patterns of thought. At the end of the day, a prophet is one who speaks `tough love.’[8]

What’s more, the scriptural prophet does not relish being a prophet. In the first reading Jeremiah was frightened when the Lord God called him to be a prophet. He stuttered and stammered: “Ah, ah, ah, Lord God. I don’t know how to speak; I am too young to be a prophet.” And the Lord God replied, “Do not say that you’re too young, but go to the people I send you to, and tell them everything I command you to say. And be not afraid of them, for I will protect you.” (Jer 1:7)

Prophet Fr. Bourgeois

The prophet is one who disturbs old patterns of thought. A few years ago, the Vatican sent a letter to the Maryknoll community stating that Fr. Roy Bourgeois, a Maryknoll priest of 36 years, had 30 days to recant his statement of public support of women's ordination (which indeed disturbs an old pattern of thought in the Church), or he would be automatically excommunicated. (Excommunication is by no means as drastic as being thrown over a cliff!) Fr. Bourgeois’ response to his threatened excommunication reads in part,

To the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith:
I was very saddened by your letter dated October 21, 2008, giving me 30 days to recant my belief and public statements that support the ordination of women in our Church, or I will be excommunicated. I have been a Catholic priest for 36 years and have a deep love for my Church and ministry. When I was a young man in the military, I felt God was calling me to the priesthood. I entered Maryknoll and was ordained in 1972. Over the years I have met a number of women in our Church who, like me, feel called by God to the priesthood. You, our Church leaders at the Vatican, tell us that women cannot be ordained. With all due respect, I believe our Catholic Church’s teaching on this issue is wrong and does not stand up to scrutiny. A 1976 report by the Pontifical Biblical Commission supports the research of Scripture scholars[9], canon lawyers and many faithful Catholics who have studied and pondered the Scriptures and have concluded that there is no justification in the Bible for excluding women from the priesthood. Conscience is very sacred. Conscience gives us a sense of right and wrong and urges us to do the right thing. Conscience is what compelled [prophet] Franz Jaegerstatter, a humble Austrian farmer, husband and father of four young children, to refuse to join Hitler’s army, which led to his execution. Conscience is what compelled [prophetess] Rosa Parks to say she could no longer sit in the back of the bus. Conscience is what compels women in our Church to
say they cannot be silent and deny their call from God to the priesthood. Conscience is what compelled my dear mother and father, now 95, to always strive to do the right things as faithful Catholics, raising four children. And after much prayer, reflection and discernment, it is my conscience that compels me to do the right thing. I cannot recant my belief and public statements that support the ordination of women in our Church.

“Do not be afraid of them, for I will be with you to protect you,” said the Lord God to Jeremiah. If Fr. Bourgeois was “afraid of them,” he soon got over his fear when he drove to his hometown in Louisiana. There he told his 95-year-old father, his 3 siblings and 13 nieces and nephews about the threatened excommunication. His father cried a little, Fr. Bourgeois recalled, then said, “God brought Fr. Roy back from the war in Vietnam, from his mission work in Bolivia and El Salvador, and God’s going to take care of him now. I stand by my son.”

Prophet Fr. Küng

The prophet is one who disturbs the old patterns of thought. Fr. Hans Küng, a Swiss German Catholic theologian, is a prophet who lifts up his voice like a trumpet and tells his Church something it doesn’t want to hear. At one time Küng was a close friend of Fr. Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI). The two taught together in the University of Tübingen in Germany during the 1960s. There they had a standing weekly dinner appointment on Thursday evenings to discuss a journal they edited together. The two served as theological experts for the German bishops at the Second Vatican Council.

However, in 1979, Küng’s right to teach Catholic theology was revoked by Pope John Paul II, because he had called into question Catholic teaching about papal infallibility. (That revocation was by no means as drastic as being thrown over a cliff.) The then Cardinal Ratizinger, as a member of the German Bishops’ conference, played an important role in that revocation. In a little volume (remarkably small for a man known for voluminous and scholarly works filled with German thoroughness) prophet Fr. Küng writes that he cannot believe:

- that He, who warned the Pharisees against laying intolerable burdens on people’s shoulders would today declare all `artificial’ contraception to be mortal sin;

- that He, who particularly invited failures to his table, would forbid all remarried divorced people ever to approach that table;

-that He, who was constantly accompanied by women (who provided for his keep), and whose apostles, except for Paul, were all married and remained so, would today have forbidden marriage to all ordained men, and ordination to all women;

- that He, who said “I have compassion on the crowd,” would have increasingly deprived congregations of their pastors and allowed a system of pastoral care built up over a period of a thousand years to collapse[10].

-that He, who defended the adulteress and sinners, would pass such harsh verdicts in delicate questions requiring discriminating and critical judgment, like pre-marital sex, homosexuality and abortion.” (Why I am still a Christian by Hans Küng) [11]

Conclusion

To be a prophet & to welcome a prophet

At the end of the day, a prophet is one who speaks `tough love.’ Sometimes we are called to be a prophet who speaks tough love especially to someone we love. That takes courage. But the Lord God says to us what He said to Jeremiah, “Do not be afraid of them, for I will protect you.” (Jer 1:7) Sometimes we are called to welcome a prophet who speaks `tough love’ to us. That, too, takes courage. But Jesus promised that, “Whoever welcomes a prophet in my name shall receive the reward of a prophet." (Mt 10:41)

[1] This first reading from Jeremiah is taken from the fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

[2] I have combined the gospel readings of the third and fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C, because they belong together as one story. The gospel for the third Sunday, if read alone, is simply truncated.

[3] Isaiah 61: 1--2

[4] Cfr. 26th Sunday Ordinary Time, Cycle C.

[5] Cfr. 24th Sunday Ordinary Time, Cycle C.

[6] Cfr. 15th Sunday Ordinary Time, Cycle C.

[7] Any adult man could be permitted by the president to read the scriptures.

[8] `Tough love’’ is an expression coined by Dorothy Day, an American journalist, social activist, anarchist and devout Roman Catholic convert.

[9] Scripture scholar Auxiliary Bishop Sklba of Milwaukee almost had his consecration as bishop cancelled at the last moment, by the Vatican for stating that Scripture in fact did not preclude women priests, and also for stating that an all-male only clergy couldn’t be defended simply on the fact that all the Apostles were men.

[10] Reference to the dire priest-shortage afflicting the Church.

[11] On September 24, 2005 Pope Benedict received his one-time friend at his summer home in Castel Gandolfo, and in a four-hour session that stretched over dinner they essentially agreed to disagree.

Cana in Galilee

Cana in Galilee

“Six earthen vessels standing in a row” (Jn 2:6)
The Best Wine Saved for Last

January 17, 2010, The wedding feast at Cana
Isaiah 62:1-51 II Corinthians 12:4-11 John 2:1-11

Alleluia, alleluia.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
Glory to you, Lord.

There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran out during the festivities, Jesus’ mother came to Him with the problem. “I can’t help you now,” He said, “It isn’t my time yet for miracles.” That, however, didn’t stop Jesus’ mother. She told the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.” Now nearby there were six earthen vessels standing in a row which were used for Jewish ceremonial washings, and which held perhaps 20 to 30 gallons each. Jesus told the servants to fill them to the brim with water. When this was done He told them, “Now dip some out and take it to the master of ceremonies.” When the master of ceremonies tasted the water made wine, not knowing where it came from (though, of course, the servants did), he called the bridegroom over. “This is wonderful stuff!” he exclaimed. “You’re different from other hosts!! Usually they use the best wine first, and afterwards, when everyone is full and doesn’t care, then they bring out the less expensive stuff. But you have saved the best wine for last.” This miracle at Cana in Galilee was the first of Jesus’ signs. It manifested His glory, and because of it His disciples believed in Him.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

----------------
Introduction
Cana: the first of Jesus’ signs

Today, January 17, 2010, is the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time in Cycle C. For the most part, Cycle C takes the gospel readings from evangelist Luke. Occasionally, however, the gospel will be taken from evangelist John, as is the case this Sunday.

Epiphany is a Greek word meaning a manifestation. The Lord’s baptism (last Sunday) was an Epiphany or manifestation: after Jesus was baptized, a voice from heaven said, “You are my beloved Son; with You I am well-pleased.” (Lk 3: 22) The wedding feast at Cana (this Sunday) was also an Epiphany or manifestation. John writes, ”This miracle at Cana in Galilee was the first of Jesus’ signs. It manifested His glory, and because of it His disciples believed in Him.” (Jn 2:11)

The down-to-earth meanings of Cana

There are various down-to-earth meanings in the story of the wedding feast in Cana. For some Cana is a sign of Jesus and Mary’s sensitivity toward an embarrassed bridegroom whose wedding party is running out of wine. For others Cana highlights the human side of Jesus and Mary: both believe in human celebration, and both are ready to help it along with the fuel of celebration: wine. Still others see in Cana the dignity of marriage affirmed by the presence of Jesus and His mother. Finally, for the Eastern and Western Church Cana is a justification for their great devotion to Mary and for their belief in her intercessory power before her Son. ”They have no wine,” Mary intercedes with Jesus. (Jn 2:3)

A matriarch and Mary

Matriarch Eunice Kennedy Shriver died on August 11, 2009 at the age of 88 years. Her brother Ted Kennedy died a few days later on August 25, 2009. Eunice had a great devotion to Mary and belief in her intercessory power. One of Eunice’s sons, Timothy, who has a B.A., M.A and Ph.D., wrote in 2008 when his mother was already ailing:

When I was a child, May was Mary’s month. My mother demanded that we children
convene after dinner and say the rosary every night. We complained, cut corners, giggled, and misbehaved. But for the most part, we did it. How could I have known that 40 years later, I would be saying the same rosary with my mother as she lays in bed at 86, struggling for health. Some days, speech is difficult for her and walking impossible. Some days, it’s all she can do to raise her head. But even on those days, the words of the rosary come easily. “Do you want to lead Mom?” “Yes. Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee….”

Son Timothy, despite his impressive B.A., M.A and Ph.D., unabashedly confesses:

I can hardly begin to capture how much meaning and purpose my mother’s devotion to Mary has given me. The rosary was my first exposure to the power of repetitive prayer and led me to study the meditative practices of all religions where mantra and repetition form a pathway to silence and peace. Those beads in my fingers still create an almost biological reaction: “Calm down!” they seem to call out no matter the moment. “Move to your center! Be still!” Mary was everywhere in myhouse as a child and also set the tone for a resolute belief in the importance of women. My mother pushed and pushed for women in politics, in science, in religion, in advocacy. I find myself over and over again asking if there is a female perspective on a problem that I’m missing -- a women’s role that is being overlooked.

The mystical meaning of Cana

So much for the down-to-earth meanings of Cana. But since this is the gospel of St. John, we can expect to find a more mystical meaning flowing in those six earthen vessels standing in a row. A long time ago a very mystical friend, who was particularly intrigued by the story of Cana, wrote in a letter:

Those 180[1] gallons of water which Jesus changed into wine were tears! It's a nugget I stumbled upon on one of my lonely hunts. And so you see, if we all eat, drink and are merry now, if we all laugh now, there won't be any water in earthen vessels for Jesus to change into Wine.

In another letter dated the very next day, she’s still in a mystical mode, and she writes:

Suppose we told the story of the wedding at Cana from the viewpoint of the bride who is not even mentioned in John’s account. You presume that if there was a wedding there must have been a bride. Suppose the bride is one who’s just been married to a good man named Joseph. And she’s dancing one of those wild Jewish dances, when everybody joins hands and you go round and round. And the bride is having a really good time. But then something begins to distract her. She sees a single stray cloud on the horizon on a clear summer sky! It’s a stroke of sadness which always mingles with human gladness.

I’m not quite sure what my mystic friend was saying. (That’s the nature of mysticism.) But I can guess. In her scenario the bride is Mary -- the spouse of Joseph and future mother of Jesus. What is the “single stray cloud on the horizon on a clear summer sky,” which the dancing bride suddenly sees amidst all the merry-making? It is a foreshadowing of the suffering that a Son born to her would have to undergo. It is a foreshadowing of what the old man Simeon will see when Mary brings her Son into the temple for purification. “This child,” he predicts, “is destined for the fall and the rise of many in Israel. And sorrow, like a sharp sword, will break your own heart.” (Lk 2: 34-35)

Conclusion
The best wine for last

The mystic in all of us hunts for a sizeable meaning of such a sizeable miracle that turns 180 gallons of water into 180 gallons of wine. And this is what our hunt finds:

We are all earthen vessels standing in a row,
sooner or later filled with a feeling of emptiness.
We are all earthen vessels standing in a row,
waiting to fill our emptiness with water and a miracle.
We are all earthen vessels standing in a row,
waiting to be filled with wine that won’t run out on us.
We are all earthen vessels standing in a row
waiting to be filled with the fine wines of Isaiah[2]
--with Bordeauxs and Beaujolais and Sauvignons.
We are all earthen vessels standing in a row,
hoping against hope and believing with faith
that the best wine is being saved for last.

[1] The six earthen vessel contained 20-30 gallons each. 6 x 30 equal 180
[2] Isaiah 25:6.

The Business of Christmas on an Icy Highway

January 10, 2010, Feast of the Lord’s baptism
Isaiah 42:1-3, 6-7 Acts 10:34-38 Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

First reading from Isaiah

Thus says the Lord: “Here is my servant, whom I strengthen—the one I have chosen and with whom I am pleased. I have filled Him with my spirit, and He will bring justice to every nation. He will not shout or raise His voice or make loud speeches in the streets. He will not break off a bent reed nor put out a flickering lamp. He will bring lasting justice to all.

I, the Lord, have called You and given You power to see that justice is done on earth. Through You I will make a covenant with all peoples. Through You I will bring light to the Gentiles. You will open the eyes of the blind and set free those who sit in dark prisons.”

The word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Alleluia, alleluia.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
Glory to you, Lord.

The people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their heartswhether John might be the Christ. John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but One mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Then one day Jesus Himself joined the crowds being baptized by John. And after He was baptized, and was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my beloved Son; with You I am well-pleased.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

----------------

Introduction
Back to Ordinary Time

The feast of the Lord’s baptism brings the curtain down on the Christmas season. The three kings have returned to their villas. The star of Epiphany is turned off, and the crib scene has been dismantled. The Christmas tree has been defrocked and is thrown out on the curb. The poinsettias, which don’t want to let go of “the happiest time of the year,” are holding on for dear life. Tomorrow, January 11, 2010, we will turn the liturgical clock back to Ordinary Time, and we will trudge along in the deep snow until Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2010. Then we will enter again into the Extraordinary Time of Lent in preparation for Easter, April 4, 2010.

`Business as usual’

Tomorrow we return to Ordinary Time but not, indeed, to `business as usual.’ When an angel announced to the shepherds keeping night-watch over their flocks that a Savior had been born for them in the city of David, they hurried to Bethlehem where they found an Infant lying in a manger. Then, Luke writes, “The shepherds returned to their fields and flocks, praising God for all that they had heard and seen." (Lk 2:20) They had, indeed, seen something: they saw “an Infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” (Lk 2:12) And they had, indeed, heard something: they heard choirs of angels singing “Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth.” (Lk 2:14) What the shepherds had seen and heard made such a difference, they didn’t return to` business as usual.’

Christmas made a great difference also for the Magi. After the star of Epiphany led them to where the Infant lay, they did Him homage and then returned to their eastern villas, praising God for all that they had heard and seen. They, too, had seen something great: they had seen not only a star; they had also seen ”Jesus Christ Superstar.” That made such a difference that the Magi decided not to return to Jerusalem and report the Infant’s whereabouts to Herod. Instead, they took another route home. (Mt 2:12) The star and the Superstar of Epiphany made such a difference for the Magi that they did not return to `business as usual.’

The business of Christmas on New Year’s Day

An updated version of a Christmas card received years ago reads:

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings have returned to their villas,
When the shepherds are back in their fields,
Business as usual is over, and the business of Christmas begins.

One year the business of Christmas began quite quickly for me on New Year’s Day. At high noon on January 1, 1984, I was on the highway from Milwaukee to Chicago to celebrate with relatives. That highway would prove to be like the one that ran between Jerusalem and Jericho, on which a poor man was waylaid by robbers. (Lk 10:25-37) As my dog Tina and I were speeding along 20 mph amidst the worst snowstorm of the season, we suddenly came upon a young couple waylaid by car-trouble. They were trying to push their stubborn car off the highway and on to an exit ramp.

At that moment, Jesus’ parable about the Good Samaritan, who stopped to pour the oil of compassion upon a poor man waylaid by robbers, suddenly loomed up in me. It disturbed me, as it inconveniently invited me to stop. Like everyone else that day, I simply wanted to `mind my own business’ and arrive safely at a New Year’s destination. (`Minding your own business’ conveniently saves you a lot of trouble.) But Jesus’ powerful parable prevailed: I exited the highway to see how I could be of help. The couple gave me a telephone number. I got back on the highway and headed for the nearest phone to make a S.O.S. to the couple’s family. After performing that noble Samaritan deed, I continued on towards my New Year’s destination.

Not ten minutes later, my car, `speeding’ again at 20 mph in treacherously slippery conditions, left the highway, hit the only signpost for miles around and came to a dead-stop in a deep ditch packed with snow. Traumatized I climbed up through blowing snow and howling wind to the level of the highway. There I was traumatized even more: tons and tons of priests and Levites saw me but, nevertheless, passed me by. I waited and waited in the raging snowstorm for a Good Samaritan to stop and hoist my dog and me on his donkey and carry us to the nearest inn and telephone.

Then suddenly the words of the gospel for New Year’s Day howled in my mind even louder than the wind: “And the shepherds returned to their fields and flock praising God for all that they had heard and seen.” (Lk 2:20) Anger welled up in me, and I found myself crying out to all those priests and Levites passing me by: “Haven’t you seen and heard something this blessed season that makes a difference for you on the icy highways of life? Or are you all on a fast track back to `business as usual?”

A patrolman back to `business as usual’

The only one to eventually stop was a mean-spirited Illinois State patrolman who added to my trauma. He grumbled about me “going too fast for the road conditions.” He complained that I did not have a renewal sticker on my license plate (it was in the glove-compartment). He even threatened to throw me in jail. And that would have complicated matters terribly, unless my dog Tina would be permitted to go to jail with me. The poor patrolman was mad: instead of being out in a raging snowstorm, he much more preferred to be home, cozily watching a football game, as he guzzled down a few beers. No doubt, he had seen all the stars of the football season over and over again, but had never seen the Superstar who could have inspired him to make a difference on the icy highway between Milwaukee and Chicago. Instead, so soon after Christmas, the patrolman was back to `business as usual.’

As I look back on that 1984 New Year’s Day, the many facets of the Parable of the Good Samaritan (that mother of all parables) jump out at me: on the road to Jericho we are sometimes the Good Samaritan, sometimes we are the poor man waylaid by robbers, sometimes we are the Jewish priest and Levite passing right by glaring human needs, and sometimes we are even thieves who victimize others.

Another updated version of that Christmas card reads:

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings have returned to their villas,
When the shepherds are back in their fields,
Business as usual is over, and the business of Christmas begins:
To stop and make a difference on the icy highways of life

Old Scrooge and the business of Christmas

In A Christmas Carol by Dickens, the ghost of old Jacob Marley, dead seven years to the day, appears on Christmas Eve to his old business partner Ebenezer Scrooge. After a day’s work in his `counting house,’ old Scrooge has just returned to his cold and solitary home, when suddenly Marley’s ghost appears to old Scrooge. The ghost is filled with deep regret and remorse over his past selfish life (a regret and remorse which is as heavy as the chains he drags). Marley’s ghost cries out to Scrooge:

At this time of the rolling year I suffer the most. Why did I walk through the crowds of human beings with my eyes turned down, and never raised them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode? Were there no poor homes to which its light would have led me?

Scrooge, tries to console old Marley’s wailing ghost, saying, “Oh but Jacob, you were such a good man of business.” Wringing his hands the ghost shouts back at old Scrooge:

Business! Humanity was my business! The common welfare was my business! Charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence were all my business! The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business.

Conclusion
The business of Christmas

Energized by a Superstar we've seen this Christmas season, we now return to Ordinary Time but not to `business as usual.’" As the curtain goes down on this Christmas season, the business of Christmas begins:

To stop and make a difference on the icy highways of life.
To assure affordable healthcare for the uninsured.
To be concerned for the nation’s 10 percent unemployed.
To bridge the mean-spirited abyss between Democrats and Republicans.
To get on not with the business of the party but of the people.
To get on with Marley’s business: Humanity!
To see and hear what the shepherds and Magi saw and heard,
and then to take another route home.

Epiphany: the Good News of Inclusion

Epiphany: the Good News of Inclusion

January 3, 2010, Feast of Epiphany
Isaiah 60:1-3, 5-6 Ephesians 3:1-3 Matthew 2:1-12

First reading from Isaiah

Arise Jerusalem, and shine like the sun; the glory of the Lord is shining on you! The Gentiles will be covered by darkness, but on you the light of the Lord will shine; the brightness of His presence will be with you. The Gentiles shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. The wealth of the Gentiles will be brought to you. Great caravans of camels shall come from Midian and Ephah. They will come from Sheba bringing gold and incense. People will tell the good news of what the Lord has done!

The word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Second reading from Ephesians

“I, Paul, the servant of Christ, am here in jail because of you – for preaching that you Gentiles are also a part of God’s household. No doubt you already know that God has given me this special task of showing God’s favor to you Gentile, as I briefly mentioned before in one of my letters. God Himself revealed to me this secret plan of His, hidden from former generations, that the Gentiles also are included in His kindness." (Eph 3:1-3)

The word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Alleluia, alleluia.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Glory to you, Lord.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, astrologers 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 Christ 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 astrologers 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.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

----------------
Introduction
Epiphany: East and West

The feast of Epiphany (a Greek word meaning `a manifestation’) brings the curtain down on the Advent/Christmas drama. In the Eastern Church, Epiphany focuses especially on the baptism of the Lord. That, indeed, was a heavenly manifestation. A voice from heaven pointed to Jesus and proclaimed, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” (Mt 3: 17) On Epiphany the Eastern Church blesses water and baptizes its little ones.

In the Western Church, Epiphany focuses upon the adoration of the Magi. That, too, was a heavenly manifestation. Matthew writes that a star rose in the east and led the Magi (astrologers --star gazers) to a stable and pointed to an infant lying in a manger. There they offered the infant gifts of gold, incense and myrrh[1]. (Mt 2:11) Matthew is alluding to the words of Isaiah, “Great caravans of camels shall come from Midian and Ephah. They will come from Sheba bringing gold and incense.” (Is 60:6)

Tradition’s elaborations of Scripture

Scripture says that a star led astrologers from the East to an infant lying in a manger, where they presented him with gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. Tradition, however, has elaborated on the scripture. Though Matthew’s gospel doesn’t say how many astrologers there were, tradition eventually came up with three. Because Matthew adds a third gift of myrrh to Isaiah’s gifts of gold and incense, three astrologers were needed, each to carry one of the three gifts. (Mt 2:11, Is 60:6)

Tradition even gives the astrologers names: Melchior of Nubia, Caspar of Tarshish, and Baltazar of Chaldea. It also claims that the three astrologers represent three races: Baltasar was an Asian, Gaspar was a white European and Melchior was an African and therefore black. Tradition even claims that their remains were discovered in Persia, brought to Constantinople by St. Helena, transferred to Milan in the fifth century and finally to Cologne, Germany in 1163, where they are now the prized treasures of the Cologne Cathedral. Finally, it was medieval tradition which turned the astrologers into three very glitzy kings.

A cute little story?

Epiphany was a very emphasized feast before Vatican II. For one thing, it was an immovable feast; it was always celebrated on the 6th day of January.[2] Now the feast may be celebrated either on its old traditional date of January 6, or it may be moved to the Sunday after January 1.[3] What’s more, in the old days the feast enjoyed a `privileged octave;’ for eight straight days the Mass of Epiphany was repeated verbatim -- using the very same epistle, gospel, and prayers. After Vatican II, the feast lost its privileged octave. Perhaps the revisionist liturgists of Vatican II weren’t as wise as the wise men, and viewed Epiphany as not much more than just a cute little story of three kings wrapped in fine robes, visiting an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes.

The good news of inclusion

The medieval tradition which turned the astrologers into three glitzy kings from the East might delight the child in us, but it isn’t very profound. Nor is it very profound to simply debunk the story. More profound than glitzing or debunking the story is to go in search of its religious meaning. At the end of the day, the gospels are not historical documents; their aim is not to record history. The gospels are religious documents; their aim is to communicate religious meaning. And the religious meaning of Epiphany is the good news that God includes the Gentiles in His kindness.

Up until now, everyone in the Christmas drama is Jewish. Isaiah, the great prophet of Advent, is a Jew. All the main characters (Joseph and Mary, Zachary and Elizabeth, old Anna and Simeon in the temple) are Jews. The shepherds, though unwashed and unkempt, are also Jews. Even the angels singing “Glory to God in the highest” seems to be singing in Hebrew. The lead actor in the Christmas drama, the Messiah Himself, is for sure a Jew -- "a descendant of David according to the flesh." (Rom 1:3)

Up until now something has been missing from the Christmas drama. The Gentiles are missing! The drama of universal salvation waits for the last act, and it comes with the arrival of Gentile astrologers. The story of a bright-shining star leading Gentiles into the Christmas drama is suffused with religious meaning. It bears tidings of good news that “Gentiles, too, are included in God’s kindness.[4]" (Eph 3:3) That, indeed, was shocking news for Jews who thought that they alone belonged to the household of God. Epiphany summons the Jews to move over and make room for Gentiles in God’s house. The drama which began on Christmas Eve with no room in the inn for the holy family (Lk 2:7), now ends with much room for everybody. The arrival of Gentile astrologers announces the same good news that Peter announced in Cornelius’ house “that God has no favorites but gives welcome to anyone of any nation who fears Him and does what is right.” (Acts 10:34-35)

Hiding the good news?

In Ephesians Paul writes that he’s in jail for preaching that Gentiles, too, are included in God’s kindness and belong to His household. The inclusion of Gentiles, Paul says, was “a secret plan, hidden from former generations” but revealed to him by God Himself. (Eph 3:3, 6) We are puzzled at the thought that God’s plan to include the Gentiles in His kindness was hidden from former generations. We wonder who hid that good news in the first place? Did God hide that good news from the Jews of old, or did they hide it from themselves? Why in the world would God want to hide the Good News of Inclusion?

The Jews of old scrupulously excluded Gentiles. They built exclusion right into their very Temple. A stone wall five feet tall (called the Separation Wall) divided the Temple’s outer court of the Gentiles from the inner court of the Jews. On the wall were attached xenophobic signs prohibiting any Gentile under the pain of death from going beyond the prescribed line.

By an ironic twist of fate Gentiles down through the centuries have doggedly excluded Jews from their kindness. That history has Shakespeare’s merchant of Venice complaining, “Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, senses, affections, passions? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?” With the fires of Holocaust still burning in our minds, we ask who, indeed, hid the good news from the Nazis that not only German Gentiles but also German Jews were included in the kindness of God? Did God hide that good news from the Nazis, or did they hide it from themselves?

Today we ask who hides the good news that women in the church are also included in the kindness of God? Does God hide that good news from the church institution, or does a male-driven institution hide that good news from itself? Today we ask who hides the good news that gays are included in the kindness of God? Does God hide that good news from the religious right or from homophobes, or do they hide that good news from themselves?

On Christmas Eve the US Senate passed a bill that would provide affordable medical insurance to about 31 million legal U.S. residents who are now uninsured. The vote was strictly according to party lines: 60 Democrats voted for the bill, and 39 Republicans voted against it. Our two noble parties couldn’t find it within themselves to reach across the aisle and include each other in this historic bill. The spirit of exclusion is all pervasive: it weaves not only through religion but politics as well. And even in the arena of politics it has a religious dimension.

On Christmas Day Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab, a 23-year-old Nigerian, tried to ignite the incendiary powder mixture he had taped to his leg, as Northwest Flight 253 began its final approach to Detroit. Who hid the good news from this Islamic extremists that Western infidels also are included in the kindness of Allah? Did Allah hide that good news from Abdulmutallab, or did he with help from radicalized Muslims hide it from himself?

All the great religious stories (whether Jewish, Christian or Islamic) need a last act, and all need the same last act! All need a Star of Epiphany to purify them not of their diversity, uniqueness, or quaintness but of their animus to exclude. Jews, Christians and Muslims need a Star of Epiphany suffusing them with a creative spirit which can find a way to include the other in the kindness of their God.

Conclusion
The Christmas dismissal

A Christmas card of many years past bore a very meaningful dismissal of the Christmas season. A slightly updated version of it reads:

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings have returned to their villas,
When the shepherds are back in their fields,
The real business of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To seek the path to peace,
And to worship a God
Who includes everyone in His kindness,
and Who asks us to do the same.

[1] Myrrh: a yellowish-brown to reddish-brown aromatic gum resin with a bitter slightly pungent taste obtained from a tree.
[2] The date of January 6 was fixed quite early in history
[3] The universal church celebrates Epiphany on January 6. In the USA it’s celebrated on the Sunday after January 1.
[4] Living Bible translation