Who Are My Brothers?

Gospel: Mark 3: 31-35

Today's Gospel invites us to put ourselves directly into the scene.  Imagine sitting among the circle around Jesus.  Someone announces: your mother and brothers and sisters are here!  Jesus pauses.  He gazes at each person in the circle.  Then he states:  My mother, my brothers, and my sisters are those who do the will of God in their lives.   Imagine Jesus gazing directly at you, saying those words to you personally, for it is an invitation.

Jesus invites each one of us to be his brother and sister - to share intimately in his life.  He invites each one of us to be his mother - to bear him within us and to bring him forth into the world through deeds of loving kindness and mercy.  This is what it means to do the will of God on earth, for Jesus himself came to be the incarnation of God's mercy in the world.  And now Jesus invites us to be incarnations of God's mercy in the world in our lives as well.

In the concrete, this means giving food and drink to the hungry and thirsty; providing shelter for the homeless; visiting and caring for those who are sick and in prison; clothing those who are naked; and giving welcome and hospitality to immigrants, refugees, and migrants.  This is the will of God for us.  This is how we become the incarnation of God's mercy in the world.  We are chaplains to the poor and marginalized, not to the empire.

The Great Sin

Gospel: Mark 3: 22-30

The sin that cannot be forgiven is to attribute acts of good to the power of the evil one, which is to denigrate good itself.  Jesus' opponents will argue that he comes from the devil, that he casts out demons by the power of the devil himself.  It is this encounter that prompts Jesus to speak of the sin against the Holy Spirit, the unforgiveable sin.  His opponents see a person liberated from their demons, and somehow argue Jesus is evil.

The logic is irrational, but evil itself is irrational too.  Consider the evil of our times.  The killing of innocent people by law enforcement has been a constant reality in history.  Those who defend the innocent, who seek to uphold human dignity of immigrants, migrants, and refugees - these are regarded as evil by the world, even those who claim to be Christian and serve as pastors of people.  And when the protectors of the innocent are themselves killed, their opponents rejoice in the same way Jesus' opponents gloated over his demise.

Sadly, this unforgiveable sin is more common than we are led to believe.  The world is in the power of the evil one.  The dragon goes about searching to devour those who oppose it.  Many are led astray by false prophets and pastors who give themselves over to power and wealth.  Our recourse is in the desert, and when the time comes it is on the cross of martyrdom as well.   

Continuing the Work

Gospel: Matthew 4: 12-23

After John the Baptist was arrested, Jesus took up his work, going into Galilee to preach the same message as John: to repent and to realize the kingdom of God is now in our midst.  Jesus adds the ministry of healing to the mission, curing people of whatever disease and illness they have.  Along the way Jesus invites other people to join him in proclaiming this message and in going about healing others, liberating them from their demons, and nourishing people at table.  

There are a variety of ways we can undertake this work.  Visiting the sick in hospitals and nursing homes.  Visiting those in prison.  Providing care and assistance to immigrants, migrants, and refugees.  Feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, and providing clothing to the naked at a variety of different shelters.  Offering shelter and building homes for those who are homeless and insecure.  These are the works of mercy to which we are called to undertake in the world.  These are the instruments of healing all of us can wield.  

The work of the Christian is not chaplain and apologist to the empire.  It is not to be a culture warrior or social justice warrior.  It is not to be about media empires or institutions of power and privilege.  The work of the Christian is to follow the Lord Jesus and to engage in the work he did on earth.  We repent of our sins when we provide direct care to the needy and vulnerable, for their presence convicts us of our sin of self-interest, indifference, and privilege that creates these conditions in the first place.     

The Great Need

Gospel: Mark 3: 20-21

In today's Gospel portion we find the perennial "not in my backyard" mentality of humanity.  When Jesus goes about helping people who are sick, in need of liberation from demons, and those hungry, his family and associates are fine when this ministry occurs in other towns and locales.  But when that need winds up on your doorstep and inconveniences you, then we become indignant and regard Jesus as utterly insane for this undertaking of mercy and love.  

In our own day we find this same phenomenon time and again.  We are fine with sending people out on mission trips to other countries or even other parts of our nation we regard as lesser than where we live.  We love taking part in canned food drives or sending cards to those in nursing homes.  But when the homeless are found in our streets and neighborhoods we get the police to clear out homeless camps and harass those seeking food and assistance.  We then regard as crazy those helping in our own communities.

Jesus called people to help him in this ministry of care in our own day, and many of them saw him as crazy too.  Today Jesus calls us to this same ministry of mercy and love to the sick, possessed, and hungry in our world, even if - especially if - it inconveniences us.  We would rather do anything than directly encounter the person in need because that person convicts us of our indifference and lack of care.  That is why Jesus calls us to care for others directly and not vicariously.   

To Proclaim and Liberate

Gospel: Mark 3: 13-19

In today's Gospel portion Jesus chooses the first group of many to follow in order to help him in his mission to the world.  They are tasked with proclaiming the Good News and to deliver others from the demons that haunt them.  That we are to be about Good News is an essential characteristics of the Christian life.  We are not to traffic in the bad news of the world, but to continually remind humanity that God has come and liberated us from sin, that we are to extend this mercy to others.  

The proclamation of Good News is the first way in which we expel demons from the lives of others.  This message of mercy and forgiveness of sins releases many from the demons of guilt and shame.  The works of mercy offered to others is another way in which demons are driven away - the demons of mistrust, loneliness, poverty.  The sharing of table fellowship further expels these demons of loneliness and despair, hunger and pain that grips many lives.  

This is the task of all Christian disciples.  Yes, these twelve men are chosen here to these tasks.  But so too was the Samaritan woman at the well who proclaims Good News to her town.  So too is Mary Magdalene whom the Lord told to proclaim the Good News of the resurrection.  So too are we all to go and share the Good News through deeds of mercy and loving kindness, to bind wounds and liberate others from their demons, and to nourish others at the table of the Lord. 

The Crowds

Gospel: Mark 3: 7-12

In today's Gospel portion we find large crowds from all over Galilee and Judea making their way toward Jesus.  The modern Christian is utterly ecstatic over it all!  Look at those crowds!  This is exactly what we hoped for and wanted in ministry.  We look to monetize such situations, of course claiming to use it to help others. Meanwhile, the order for the pastor's custom jet has been placed from his 12,000 square foot mansion...

In any case, we find Jesus taking great pains to avoid the crowds as much as possible.  He repeatedly told people whom he healed not to tell anyone about it, but to simply offer thanks.  People did not heed that instruction, and now we have these crowds.  They are not following Jesus.  They are looking for healings and deliverances, and Jesus provides them because he cares for the people afflicted, not to satisfy the whims of the crowd, who continually look for ever more spectacles.

No, the crowd is not following Jesus, for it will not want to go where he is headed.  The crowd will instead turn on Jesus and push him to his execution.  Today we are reminded to avoid the crowds, to seek instead the voice of the Lord who tells us to just give thanks and to go about extending mercy and love to others.  In the infancy and Epiphany stories the characters heeded the voice of God and went about humbly following where they were led.  That remains our task - to follow Jesus and not the crowd.

The Soul Mission

Gospel: Mark 3: 1-6

Another Sabbath day in another house of worship.  Once again the congregation and its worship leader face a challenge.  A man in the congregation suffering from a withered hand appears, asking for healing.  Some in the congregation argue that such an intervention would be work that violated the Sabbath laws against such activity.  The worship leader disagrees and heals the man who had been suffering for so long with this malady.  

In doing so, Jesus makes an important point about the purpose of religion.  The whole point of the Sabbath and the congregation is to provide healing to other people, to extend mercy and loving kindness.  Religious congregations so often are about gathering for self-gratification and validation of one's beliefs and practices.  We often choose our congregations based on such preferences of what we like in worship, message, and justification of our political biases.  

Jesus makes it abundantly clear that religion is about the mercy of God and nothing else.  The Sabbath is about the healing of a people weary from work and pain.  The congregation exists to support one another in the journey of faith, in the healing of one another along the pilgrim way.  If religion is not about these things then it has no value at all, like salt that has lost its taste and preservative properties.  Today is a day for us to commit to this love, mercy, and healing Jesus institutes as our mission as authentic religious practitioners.  

Missing the Point

Gospel: Mark 2: 23-28

Whenever we travel our routines are upset and we have to adapt.  We eat what is available to us and what is provided to us by others, which often is not our usual fare.  It may even deviate from disciplines of diet we have adapted.  However, we make these allowances because it is necessary for us to eat in order to carry on in the world.  We make no fuss about it with others because they are providing hospitality and care to us.  

In today's Gospel reading Jesus and his disciples are traveling and pluck some grain in order to eat along the way.  Such was often provided to travelers and to the poor.  However, the Pharisees object to this action because they regard it as working on the Sabbath.  We find their objection unreasonable based on our own human experience above.  Also, travel was prohibited on the Sabbath as well, as it is today, and clearly both Jesus and the Pharisees themselves are traveling in this story.  

The Sabbath was created to provide rest and to release people from burdens.  How often is it the case that religion has created burdens for people rather than ease them, as happens in this story and many others regarding the Sabbath in the Gospels.  To heal another, to liberate a person from their demons and burdens, to feed another person  are all noble deeds on any day, but especially on the Sabbath which was created for just such purposes. 

Finding What Works

Gospel: Mark 2: 18-22

There is a value to using an item for as long as possible, patching and repairing it until it can no longer be used any longer.  At the same time, we also have to recognize when it is time to finally accept the fact that the item can no longer be repaired and used.  A new item must be purchased to replace the old one.  We may have grown attached to that old item and are reluctant to toss it away, leery of the new one because it is unfamiliar and strange.  

The patch of clothing and the wineskin analogy Jesus provides to us today are metaphors for the spiritual life.  None of us has the same faith practices and understandings from when we were a child.  We have adapted and adjusted our spiritual practices when something no longer works for us and a new practice and understanding are needed for us to continue to love God and our neighbor as we should, in order for us to practice love and mercy in the world.  

In the life of faith many old things still work well for many people, and they should be retained.  Those who have found new things helpful should not disdain those who still use older things that continue to help them love God and others.  At the same time, those who still use the old should not scorn the new or those who have moved to other practices that help them love God and others.  As long as our goal is to practice love and mercy to all, we should use whatever means - old and new- that help us achieve that end. 

Living with Doubt

Gospel: John 1: 29-34

Writers of the New Testament struggle with the identity of John the Baptist and his understanding of Jesus.  Some passages like this one suggest he has sure knowledge and certitude about Jesus.  Others assert that John has doubts in prison or is at the very least unsure of who Jesus is.  It could very well be both.  We have moments of certitude in our lives, followed by moments of doubt and lack of clarity.  This is the normal human condition.

It is also the normal condition of the life of faith.  The apologist will suggest that everything is sure and certain in the realm of theology and faith, a claim that is the very antithesis of faith itself.  Authentic faith acknowledges the presence of doubt and uncertainty.  It has the humility to being open to the possibility of being wrong, of entrusting oneself to God alone with one's doubts, saying with Peter: Lord I believe; help my unbelief. 

The life of faith is not one of absolute certitude.  It is resting comfortably with doubt and uncertainty, knowing full well our limitations and faults that we bring to the relationship.  The authentic person of faith is not a braggart or the one claiming certitude of knowledge.  It is the humble one who brings those doubts and fears before God and entrusts oneself entirely to God.  The authentic life of faith is the vulnerability of the desert.

Full Communion

Gospel: Mark 2: 13-17

The Pharisees are shocked to see Jesus eating with horrid sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes, and many others.  They are aware of what sharing a meal, eating at table means: communion with another person.  How can a righteous person allow for such a thing!  It is an utter scandal to the Pharisees who are as conscious of ritual purity as priests and Levites of the Temple.  The very idea of eating with sinners was scandalous and unthinkable.  

But Jesus will eat with the Pharisees as well, another table filled with sinners, though they would not think so.  Or, they may see themselves as sinners, but not like those sinners.  They are worse than we are.  Such is our own thinking as we come up with various ways to exclude other people from the communion table while finding reasons to justify our own presence and participation at communion.  We claim all are welcome, as long as all means me and not thee.

Jesus ate with tax collectors, prostitutes, the one who would deny him thrice, the one who would betray him, those who would abandon him, you, and me.  Jesus asserts his communion with the entire human race, with every human person.  He excludes no one.  If this is the posture and action of Jesus, it must be ours as well.  Everyone needs feeding.  Everyone needs communion with the divine.  We are that communion and presence left in the world.  We must provide it to all in need. 

Which is Easier?

Gospel: Mark 2: 1-12

A doctor and medical professionals spend a great deal of time and energy in their work of healing people of their infirmities.  Even when the malady is curable, the work of medical care is not easy, and it is very delicate.  In that work the healing of a person is never instantaneous.  It requires time, patience, and constant observation.  Eventually the healing is completed.  It was not easy work for the patient or the medical professionals who cared for her.  

Now, consider forgiving the sins of another person.  It does not require years of medical study and practice.  It is a power all of us are capable of performing.  Yet, how hard we find it!  A person has done us a great harm, and we find it difficult to forgive.  It may take us some time to reach that point, but the moment of forgiveness is instantaneous, the healing immediate.  The act of forgiveness heals both the wrongdoer and the one who forgives.  

So, when Jesus asks the question - which is easier to do: say to another get up and walk, or your sins are forgiven - we might well ask that question of ourselves.  We come to realize the power of healing that we have within us: we have the power to forgive others, to effect a great healing on others and on ourselves.  Imagine if we used this power far and wide.  Imagine the healing we could realize in the lives of others and within ourselves.  Imagine... 

Refusing No One

Gospel: Mark 1: 40-45

In today's Gospel portion we find a leper approach Jesus freely - an unclean person who is a complete outcast to the rest of society.  He asks to be healed, saying that if he wills it, Jesus can make him clean.  Jesus does in fact will it.  He does not shrink from the encounter with this person. He embraces it and makes this person whole because the man needs it, because it is the right thing to do, because he is the extension of God's mercy on earth.

Even when people, like this leper, do not heed the command of Jesus, they are healed.  The healing is not contingent on anything else.  What is more, there is never an instance where Jesus refuses to heal another person, or liberate them from their demons, or eat with another and nourish them at table.  Jesus does so for the foreigner and outcast, the sinner, his enemies, even those who will betray him and deny him.  The mercy of God is open to all people.

Is that the case with us? We often state this to be so, and we love to sing All Are Welcome, but are they? How many unclean people do we have in our lives - people we would not eat at table with, attend church with, or associate in any way? Today is a day for us to reflect upon and to work toward this ideal which Jesus sets before us: to care for all people, to welcome all people without question or qualification, to be the extension of God's mercy in the world as Jesus was. 

Ideals of Ministry

Gospel: Mark 1: 29-39

In today's Gospel portion relating the healing of Peter's mother-in-law we find the core of all effective pastoral ministry.  We encounter a sick person in need.  People invite Jesus to visit her.  He asks them about her life and personality, and they share information and stories about her.  Jesus then simply approaches her, holds her hand, and helps her up from her bed.  Here there is no fanfare, no magic words or ointments.  There is just concern, compassion, listening, presence, and invitation that bring healing.

Once she is restored to health, Peter's mother-in-law then demonstrates to us the proper response of the disciple who has received healing at the presence of Jesus.  She does not go about telling people about it.  She says nothing at all.  She simply gets up and serves other people.  This is what each of us is called to do in our lives as well.  When we become conscious of the presence of the Lord, of his healing effect in our lives, our task is simply to serve and extend mercy to others without any fanfare.

In this one simple passage and story we have the entire Gospel, the entire program of pastoral ministry and care for others.  It is to have empathy for others, to listen to the stories of other people with caring presence, and to invite others to rise again.  And when we are the ones to rise from our sick beds in response to the Lord's invitation, we are to simply serve others in the same way, to provide that same healing and care to others in deeds of love and mercy. 

Demons Among Us

Gospel: Mark 1: 21-28

Unless one has actually worked in religious institutions, the presence of a demon in the midst of a religious assembly seems shocking.  This story of a man possessed by a demon in the synagogue is shocking, but not because the demon is present there.  We are more shocked at how those in attendance are more shocked that Jesus took the time to expel the demon from the religious assembly than the fact that the demon was there in the first place.

How often is it the case that we grow comfortable with the demons in our midst.  We grow accustomed to gun violence, the violence of the government against its own citizens, the unjust wars, the animus against immigrants and outsiders.  We accept the scandals in our churches, the hypocrisy, the idolatry of money and power.  We even become apologists for such things because we cannot accept the idea that we are wrong and have made an indecent choice.  

But Jesus comes to expel the demons from our midst.  He later commissions his disciples to do the same.  Today's reading invites us to reflect on the demons we have grown to abide in our midst, to have the desire to have them removed, and to take up the work of the Lord Jesus to remove these demons from our lives and from our assemblies.  Do we want the demons removed from our lives, or have we grown comfortable with them?

Leaving it All

Gospel: Mark 1: 14-20

We have received over time a false idea that the first disciples of Jesus were poor fishermen, but this is not the case.  Yes, they were fishermen, but they were not poor.  As today's Gospel portion notes, they had employees and they owned boats, indicating they were men of means.  Later in the Gospels these men will say to Jesus that they have left everything to follow him - what will they receive in return.  That is the lament of someone of wealth, not of poverty.

They follow Jesus because he takes up the ministry of John the Baptist after he was arrested.  He proclaims the message of repentance and the kingdom of God being at hand now.  They may have had the idea initially that this kingdom was going to be an earthly, institutional one and that in giving up their fishing business they would be rewarded with governmental power and wealth, ruling over the new and restored nation of Israel.

But the kingdom of God is not an institution.  It is a way of living in whatever time, place, and government in which one finds themselves.  It is about going from place to place doing good, extending love and mercy to all who need it, providing healing, liberation, and nourishment at table. For such will always be needed in every time and place, such is what these men eventually fell in love with and committed themselves to it with a love that transformed them.

The Repentant God

Gospel: Matthew 3: 13-17

Apologists twist themselves up over the baptism of Jesus.  If Jesus is God and sinless, then why does he have to be baptized? The answer given is that he is instituting the sacrament, even though John has been baptizing for a while, as he and his disciples have.  Others will provide all sorts of concoctions to evade this dilemma when in fact the simplest answer is always the best one:  Jesus came to be baptized.  He was baptized.  He undertook the ritual of repentance as the human that he was.

Apologists overlook the many times in the Old Testament where God repents of the evil he had done or intended to do.  The baptism of Jesus represents the definitive repentance of God once and for all.  In the person of Jesus no more will God be the warrior God inflicting violence and genocide on the earth.  No more will God be the vengeful God wreaking havoc on humanity with natural forces.  No more will God be the God of law and judgment and punishment.

Instead, God will be the the one to live among us, to share our hopes and fears, joys and sorrows.  God will be extending mercy in healing our infirmities, liberating us from our demons, and nourishing us at table.  In taking on our humanity, in submitting to the ritual of repentance, Jesus gives us an example to follow.  We too must repent and take up the work of mercy.  We too must put away the God of violence for the God of mercy and love.  This is what baptism means for God and for us.

Removing the Stain

Gospel: John 3: 22-30

There are a plethora of immaculate conceptions who walk about in our midst, people who assert that they have no regrets, a self-defense mechanism for fragile psyches that is of itself an utter lie.  Every person has regrets, actions and words that have harmed other people.  Every person has sinned and deprived of the glory of God.  If the just man sins seven times a day, what of us who are not so just? Each human being has need of repentance, regeneration, and cleansing.

Hence the various purification rituals in the Jewish tradition.  From the rituals associated with the keeping of a kosher kitchen to the ritual ablutions of entering the Temple mount and synagogue, the Jewish tradition reminds one continually of one's need for cleansing and repentance.  This idea becomes the core message of the ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus as they go about baptizing people in a ritual bath recalling the waters of creation, of the Red Sea, the flood of Noah, and the waters of the Jordan.  

Today we remember our need for repentance, regeneration, and renewal.  We remember the waters of our own baptism in using holy water on entering a church or in our own prayer life.  We continue to seek forgiveness and wholeness as we recommit to the mission of Jesus to bring healing, liberation, and nourishment to others in the work of mercy and loving kindness - in actions that bring regeneration and wholeness to others and to ourselves.

Revealing God

Gospel: Luke 5: 12-16

Today's Gospel portion is a reminder to us that Epiphany is about the manifestation of God to the world, not the manifestation of our own egos.  Jesus heals a leper, and as he does so often Jesus instructs the man to show himself only to the priests, to offer a thanksgiving sacrifice, and to tell no one.  The miracle and the sign is God's manifestation to the world; it is not designed for us to make it all about us, as is our tendency in so many things in life.  

The leper is one who suffers in many ways: physically, psychologically, and socially.  They suffer the physical pains of Hansen's Disease, to be sure.  However, they also suffer the isolation and stigma of society that casts them off.  They come to regard themselves as unclean and an outcast, never having the hope of social interaction and communion with others.  In restoring this leper physically, Jesus restores the whole person, bringing them into communion with others and healing their psyches as well.

Herein lies the full manifestation of God in the world: God comes to us in order to restore the leprosy of humanity, to restore communion between God and humans, to restore communion between all people.  We too are instructed to offer a thanksgiving sacrifice to God, telling no one about it.  For Epiphany - and all of the religious life - is not about our own egos and self-promotion.  It is about God's presence in our lives and world, about our constant thanksgiving for it and ongoing pondering of it within our hearts. 

Mission Failure

Gospel: Luke 4: 14-22

In today's Gospel portion we find the mission of both the Lord Jesus and by extension his followers.  It is to bring good news to the poor, liberty to captives, bringing sight to the blind, liberating, captives, and proclaiming a Jubilee Year in which all debts are cancelled.  Clearly we can see that the Lord Jesus fulfilled this mission, for which he was brutally executed.  Such a mission cannot take place without significant opposition from the powers of wealth, state, and institutional religion.

What of Jesus' followers - how have they fared in this mission? Some, to be sure, have excelled in it, committing their lives to the care of the poor and oppressed and sick with great heroism and sacrifice.  For most who claim the name Christian, however, it has been a great failure, as they became agents of oppression and exploitation, servants to the powerful and rich at the expense of the poor, sick, and marginalized.

Followers of Jesus are not called to serve as chaplains to empire and all its trappings of military power and sports entertainment.  Jesus calls disciples to care for the sick and imprisoned, the poor and needy, to provide healing and relief to them in body, mind, and spirit, to liberate them materially, spiritually, intellectually, and morally.  The season of Epiphany is our time to recommit to the mission of Jesus, and to rid ourselves of apologetics for empire and oppression.

Failing to See

Gospel: Mark 6: 45=52

The disciples had seen Jesus perform a remarkable miracle to feed people.  Yet, today's Gospel portion notes that they failed to see and understand the meaning of the events of Jesus.  Recall that they themselves were unwilling to provide funds to feed the people at that event, relying instead on asking Jesus for such help.  They were gripped by fear of what spending that money on feeding people might do to their plans for that money.

While at sea in today's scene the disciples see Jesus walking on the water, and again they are gripped by fear at the sight of the Lord, even though he came to them with the intention of calming their fears.  It is fear that prevents them from understanding, from seeing Jesus for who he actually is, from being generous in caring for other people.  Authentic discipleship cannot be based on fear; it can only arise from loving kindness and mercy.  

We say that Jesus is manifest in the person of other people, but we act otherwise.  We have created an entire culture of mistrust of others with our stockade fences, alarm systems, walls of exclusion, and the like.  We create entire institutions of exclusion to warehouse people we do not want to see or interact with: prisons, detention facilities, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities.  Today let us go to them that we might see Christ manifest in the world today, to bring and receive light with them.   

A Shocking Challenge

Gospel: Mark  6: 34-44

“This is a deserted place and it is already very late.
Dismiss them so that they can go
to the surrounding farms and villages
and buy themselves something to eat.”
He said to them in reply,
“Give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Are we to buy two hundred days’ wages worth of food
and give it to them to eat?”

This exchange between the disciples and Jesus is worth reflection.  We go to Jesus with a problem about hunger in the world.  He tells us to feed people ourselves.  Our response is to object, saying the price is too high.

This begs the question: what is more important than feeding people that we are not willing to pay this amount? Sadly we provide lots of answers to that question as human beings: weapons of war, sports stadiums, ballrooms.  The list is endless.  We would rather pray for a miracle to occur in order to feed people rather than feed them ourselves.  We never pray for a miracle to construct weapons of war, or sports stadiums, or ballrooms.  We always find the money for those things.  

Jesus once again reveals himself to us in these days of Epiphany in this exchange.  He also reveals something about ourselves.  Today is a day for us to reflect upon our priorities as individuals and as communities of people.  Rather than pray for a miracle, perhaps today we are called to be the miracle.  

Epiphanies

Gospel: Matthew 4: 12-17, 23-25

In the spiritual poverty of our times we have come to reduce this season after Christmas to the recognition of just one Epiphany event - the encounter with the Magi at the manger.  In times past there was an entire season of Epiphany where we reflected on a variety of epiphanic encounters with the Lord: his baptism in the Jordan, the first miracle at Cana, Jesus encountering Nathaniel, and so many other encounters for us to consider.  

As a result of this poverty, we have come to believe that there is only one way to have an encounter with the Lord, narrowly prescribed through institutional decree.  Yet, in these reflections on the wider epiphany we come to realize that God is encountered in many different ways: through sacramental celebrations to be sure, but also through encounters that at first seem ordinary but in fact are charged with deep meaning.  They could take place under a tree or at a meal.  They can happen to saint or sinner, outcast or in-person.

So while the liturgical cycle will quickly return us to Ordinary Time, let us continue to reflect on the epiphanies of the Lord both in the scriptures and in our lives.  It is a time for us to pay attention to the many different ways we encounter God in our lives each and everyday.  It is a time to train our spiritual eye to see the Lord present in each person we encounter, each moment of our day, and see in what ways those encounters nourish and transform our lives. 

A Path for All

Gospel: Matthew 2: 1-12

It is often said that this feast of Epiphany and the coming of the Magi marks the acceptance of the Gentiles into the family of faith, a promise the Messiah would bring upon his arrival on earth, and this is true enough.  However, it does not tell the whole story of just how radical the acceptance of the Magi are in the historical scene of the day.  We are often told that the Magi are mysterious and little is known about them, but this is not so.

The Magi were sages and astrologers from the Zoroastrian community in what is today Iran.  They were rivals of the Jewish sages, often engaging in heated debates and contests of wisdom.  Some Magi performed magic as well, creating even more controversy about them.  This information comes to us by way of the Talmud.  In short, the Magi were not only foreigners and Gentiles, but also were bitter rivals of the Jewish religious leaders of the day.  

The Magi were guided in ways similar to others in the Christmas story.  The same star that led them to the manger served as guide for the shepherds as well.  The same dreams that guided Joseph safely through the perils of his journeys also guide the Magi to safety as well.  Everyone has access to the lights God provides.  There are no chosen people with special privileges.  There are just people open to the wisdom and inspiration of God that leads us to Light itself and to the peace of all people at the manger. 

Making it Our Own

Gospel: John 1: 29-34

Many of us have had the experience of learning how to cook at home.  We are given a recipe for a certain dish, and we are instructed to follow the directions on how to make it as this is the approved way, the way it has been done for generations in our family.  And it is a good recipe that leads to a good outcome.  However, recipes are always improvised, and very often those variations lead to incredible outcomes as well.  It is often the case that the dish does not become one's own until we have the experience of owning it ourselves.  

John the Baptist heard about the coming Messiah from the tradition in which we was raised.  He even met Jesus on a number of occasions, but he did not recognize him.  Even in prison he asks whether Jesus is the one or should we seek another.  Even at the moment of baptism today's Gospel portion notes that John did not realize the identity of Jesus until afterwards.  Tradition and ritual are important things, but they are not sufficient for a life of faith.

If we live on tradition and ritual alone we have a vicarious faith that belongs to someone else.  More often than not we accept the tradition and partake of the ritual more to please others rather than because it is our own faith life.  Only when we can wed our life experience to a tradition and a ritual that it truly becomes our own faith.  Even if it contains a bit of variation, that's OK.  It is ours.  It is authentic.  It is based on the tradition.  John's experience is so often our own, if we allow it to be so. 

Who Am I?

John 1: 19-28

Long before Jean Valjean, another John wrestled with this question - who are you?  Some asked if he was Christ, the Messiah of God.  Sone asked if he was the Prophet, or Elijah.  Everyone was captivated with the figure of John the Baptist, but each time people asked these questions, he rejected them.  John knew who he was.  He was John, one sent merely to point the way to the coming Messiah, one sent to prepare the way for Another.  

There are many today who claim the mantle of the prophet.  Many today have the aura of Messiah figures.  They would deny this, of course, though they see themselves as existing in order to save the Church or to save society.  Such figures have existed since the time of Jesus, and they will continue to exist until the end of time.  Today's Gospel portion reminds us, however, that such roles are not to be accepted by any of us.

Our role, our identity and who we are is the same as that of John the Baptist.  We are to point out the presence of the Lord in our world today - in the poor and marginalized, in the hungry, thirsty, naked,  immigrant, migrant, stranger, in the sick and imprisoned.  It is there the presence of Christ resides and stands in judgment over us, but also calling us to serve him through deeds of love and mercy for these very ones where his presence resides in our world today.

A New Year's Resolution

Gospel: Luke 2: 16-21

Today's Gospel portion introduces a theme that we will find throughout the public life of Jesus.  In the reading today we encounter marvelous happenings: angels announcing the birth of the Messiah, shepherds coming to see the newborn child who is born among them in the roughness of nature, born in the world just as their children are born.  The shepherds go from the place to tell everyone they know about these happenings, creating a stir among the people in the area.  

By contrast, Mary has experienced a great many marvelous happenings.  She had been visited by an angel herself, an event that started all these other occurrences.  She then sees the marvelous deeds done to her cousin Elizabeth.  Now she finds herself giving birth to this child with whom everyone is fascinated.  Angels are present at this scene too, and shepherds come to celebrate the event.  Mary's response is to treasure all these things, and ponder them in her heart.

Throughout Jesus' public life we find this same dynamic.  He encounters someone who experiences a marvelous occurrence.  Jesus instructs them to tell no one.  They go and tell others anyway, creating a stir among the people.  Only a very few listen to him.  They treasure these things and ponder them in their hearts, just like Mary.  Mary is our model disciple.  Let us this year imitate her, treasuring and pondering rather than gabbing and pandering.  And perhaps our new year will have more peace, at least within our own hearts.