BEGIN THE YEAR WITH MARY, THE MOTHER OF THE LORD

NEW YEAR: 1^ST OF JANUARY: Lk 2:16-21

Today is a day of reflection and self-examination, as we come to the end of 2012, and it is at the same time, a day to revive our hope, as we make resolutions for the in-coming year.

Celebrating Mary, the mother of God

The liturgy of the Church proposes to all of us that we start the new year in the company of Mary, the mother of the Lord. Indeed, as she was blessed, may we be blessed too.

On the 1^st of January, we celebrate Mary, the mother of God, as we pray for peace. Calling Mary the mother of God may sound strange to many, and lot of Christians reject thus title outright. However, we must remember that such a title as a long history behind it, being accepted in the first Council of Ephesus (431 ad) as an affirmation of faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 

The dispute about the title

For a long time, people had been calling Mary Theotokos (the Greek title meaning Mother of God). Then Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, started teaching that we should call Mary simply the mother of Jesus or the mother of Christ, and he explained that, in Jesus Christ, human and divine natures are not united in one person that is the Son of God. People reacted, and the Council of Ephesus was called to solve the dispute. Nestorius’ teaching was condemned to the great rejoicing of people.

A profession of faith in Jesus, the Son of God

This title speaks about Mary and speaks about Jesus, her son. About Mary, it is an honorific title, reminding us of Mary's special role, given to her by God. It is in line with the words of Elizabeth, when she said: "And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?" (Lk 1:43).

By calling Mary the Mother of God, we do not mean that she conceived and generated God in her womb, or that God was born from her. In fact, the title is a profession of faith, not about Mary, but about Jesus, proclaiming that her Son, Jesus the Christ, is God. Nestorius started teaching that, in Jesus Christ, the two natures - the human and the divine - are just somehow put together. The Council of Ephesus teaches that the human and divine natures are united in one person (one true self) - the person of the Son of God. 

"If anyone does not confess that God is truly Emmanuel, and that on this account the Holy Virgin is the Mother of God (for according to the flesh she gave birth to the Word of God become flesh by birth), let him be anathema." (Can. 1.of the Council of Ephesus).

CELEBRATING OUR FAMILY

FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY: Lk 2:41-52

Raphael: The Holy Family

As we celebrate the Holy Family, we must remember that we are part of that family, since we are God's children. In a way, this is a strange family, similar to all other families, but also different. Jesus was like any other child, and yet so different.

Jesus is overwhelmed by his visit to the Temple

Celebrating the Holy Family, we remember Jesus going to the Temple for the first time, as a young boy. He was so overwhelmed and so deeply touched, that he forgot everything else. 

He had the desire and the attitude of the psalmist who said: 

"I have asked one thing from the Lord;

it is what I desire:

to dwell in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life,

gazing on the beauty of the Lord

and seeking Him in His temple." (Ps 27:4)

He did not want to go anywhere else. 

He belonged there, in the house of the Father.

Jesus behaved like a naughty boy

It is not surprising that he felt at home in the Temple. What is surprising is that he behaved a little like a naughty boy, putting his parents in serious trouble. They could not explain his whereabouts, looking like irresponsible parents, who lost their child. They trusted his sense of wisdom and maturity, but he forgot them. In a way, that is normal in a boy who is twelve years old. 

Finally, they found him in the Temple, discussing with the doctors of the Law, who were astounded with his knowledge and understanding. With nice words, his mother reproached him: Why have you done this to us? We were so worried.

Jesus' answer sounds like the answers of so many of our youths: Why were you looking for me? It is as if Jesus was trying to affirm himself before his parents and in front of people. However, he gave the reason for his question: I must be busy with my Father's affairs. Surely, you know that.

God is supreme

Jesus' answer is like a prelude of his future teaching, when he said: "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me" (Mt 10:37). And when he said: "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? And pointing to his disciples, he said, Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." (Mt 12:48-50).

Jesus puts it very clear: God his supreme; there is nothing and nobody who can supersede him.

As I said at the beginning, we are part of this family. In his first letter, John makes it very clear: "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are." (1 Jn 3:1, from this Sunday's second reading). Being God's children, we are destined "to be like him".

There are, however, two essential conditions:

a) We must believe in the Son of God, Jesus Christ;

b) We must love one another.

So simple and yet so difficult. We celebrate, so that we renew our commitment to live as the true family of God.

GLORY TO GOD AND PEACE ON EARTH

Together with the Angels
may we sing Glory to God.
It belongs to Him,
and it was revealed to us
in the birth of a little baby,
born to be the Prince of peace.
We sing God's glory with our voices,
and commit ourselves to manifest
that same glory in our lives,
building communities where
justice and love reign.

Glory to God in the highest
and peace on earth.

The video presents Lubengele Parish, in Chililabombwe, Zambia, singing the traditional tune Gloria in Bemba.
May God bless you all and bring peace to our hearts and our society.

I BRING YOU GREAT NEWS

A child to us is born,

bringing light and hope

to a people living in darkness,

lost in their evil ways.

He is the Prince of peace

and the giver of life.

May all of us 

welcome him

in our hearts 

to heal our pains

and find salvation.

They sing: Shimoneni Icengelo bane. Let us come to the Light, because the glory of the Lord has revealed itself to us.

To you all I wish a Merry Christmas, and may all rejoice in the coming of the Saviour.

WITH MARY’S FAITH, LET US WAIT FOR THE LORD

IV SUNDAY OF ADVENT:Lk 1:39-44

HE WILL BE OUR PEACE

This Sunday's liturgy moves around two main themes: Mary, who is proclaimed blessed by Elizabeth, and Christ, who willingly offers himself to come to do God's will. And what is God's will? - we may ask. The prophet Micah puts it in a very short sentence: "He himself will be peace", as he comes to "feed his flock with the power of the Lord" (Micah 5:1-4).

CHRIST OFFERS HIMSELF TO COME

The letter to the Hebrews speaks of God being tired and disgusted with all the oblations and sacrifices that people offered: "You took no pleasure in holocausts or sacrifices for sin". They were offered with a magic mentality, thinking that they work automatically and effectively, even without reflecting any inner attitude of the heart. God does not need the blood of animals or even less the blood of people. Remember that human sacrifices were strictly forbidden by the Law, being considered an abomination. What God expects is a pure a heart, filled with love and compassion. And Christ offered himself to do just that. Being faithful to God's will, he was rejected by the people who prefer selfishness to love and revenge to mercy.

MARY, THE MOST BLESSED

In this Sunday's gospel, Mary is proclaimed by Elizabeth "the most blessed". At the annunciation, the angel Gabriel had addressed her as the "favoured one". This favour and this blessing is a gift of God's love. It is not something that Mary possess, as if it rightly belongs to her. It is a gift of God's mercy; a gift given to her for our sake. However, not forgetting what has just been said, Elizabeth proclaims Mary "the most blessed", because she believed. Mary is a woman of faith, ready to do God's will. In that respect, she is completely different from the first woman, Eve, who rejected God's will, thinking that she knew better than God. Mary believed; that's why she is great. She is the mother of the Lord!

Let us accompany her in expectation, filled with hope and love, ready to welcome the baby Jesus in our hearts.

REJOICE IN THE LORD!

III SUNDAY OF ADVENT:Phil 4:4-7

What are we looking for? Pleasure or joy and peace?

In todays world, many people confuse joy with pleasure. Indeed, they may go together, as two partners walking hand in hand; however, time and again, pleasure is but a mask of true joy, leaving a sour of aftertaste, filled with disappointment, which may turn into despair. The search for pleasure is seen as a supreme good that should be looked for at all costs. This search for pleasure is many times an attempt at hiding the emptiness and drowning the sorrows deep down in the heart. We refuse to face ourselves and to recognise how much our hearts are confused and anxious, in turmoil. Sometimes, it seems as if the more we look for pleasure, the more true joy stays away from us.

Looking for joy in the wrong place

Why all that? May be we look for joy in the wrong place. Already in his time, the prophet Jeremiah reproached his people, because "they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water" (Jer 2:13). 

Nowadays, the broken cisterns that hold no water are the in drugs, alcohol, sex, wealth and power, inn which we take refuge. They bring some pleasure, but after a while, they become our masters, and we their slaves, with our lives destroyed and wasted.

In this Sunday, we hear a call to rejoice. The prophet Zephaniah shouted in a loud voice: 

"Shout for joy, daughter of Zion,

Israel, shout aloud!

Rejoice, exult with all your heart,

daughter of Jerusalem!

The Lord has repealed your sentence;

he has driven your enemies away.

The Lord, the king of Israel, is in your midst;

you have no more evil to fear." (Zeph 3:14-15).

Why should we rejoice? Because the Lord is in our midst, and he has defeated our enemies. We have no reason to fear. We are in his hands, in his safe and caring hands.

Be happy: the Lord is near!

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul repeats a similar message:

"I want you to be happy, always happy in the Lord; I repeat, what I want is your happiness. Let your tolerance be evident to everyone: the Lord is very near.

There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:4-7).

It is easy to be tolerant, when our hearts are at peace. And God is a God of peace. There is no need to worry, because God will guard our hearts and our thoughts. We must not fear God; we can approach him with confidence, putting before him our needs, our worries and our sufferings.

JOHN THE BAPTIST CALLS FOR FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE

All kinds of people came to John, to be baptized and to receive guidance from him. Luke presents John as an upright man, who stood for the truth and who was not afraid of speaking out. He presented himself as a Voice, the voice that calls out in the desert, asking people to repent, to convert and to adopt new attitudes - attitudes of fairness and of justice. He spoke against exploitation, extortion and oppression.

To the tax collectors he said: "Exact no more than your rate." And to a group of soldiers who came to him, he advised:"No intimidation! No extortion! Be content with your pay!"

John reminds us that the coming of the Messiah must bring about a society based in fairness, justice and peace.

JOHN THE BAPTIST IS AN HISTORICAL FIGURE

II SUNDAY OF ADVENT:Lk 3:1-6

“In the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judaea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the lands of Ituraea and Trachonitis, Lysanias tetrach of Abilene, during the pontificate of Annas and Caiaphas the word of God came to John son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.” (Lk 3:1-2)

In this Sunday’s gospel, Luke is very careful in situating John the Baptist historically. The gospels are not first and foremost books of history. They are proclamations of the Good News of salvation brought to us by Jesus Christ and, at the same time, they are catechesis - the catechesis  given in and to the Christian communities, in order to deepen the knowledge of Jesus Christ and of his way of life and in order to guide and strengthen them, so that they stand as true witnesses to the love of God. The writers of the gospels were neither secretaries writing a report nor journalists putting down the detailed facts observed by them. Empowered by a deep and strong love of Jesus Christ, they felt obliged to help many others to have a share in that love.

The Greek and Roman world were full of stories of heroes and of gods, which expressed the most deep human desires, revealed through the most vile or the most honourable and glorious actions. Luke makes it very clear that John the Baptist and the Messiah that he announced were not fairy tale stories. They were real people who lived among other people. Their lives can be situated in a certain time and in a certain place. John started his ministry during “the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign” (Lk 3:1).

As Christians, we do not believe in fairy tales. Jesus and Jesus’ gospel have their feet well grounded on the soil of human living. And that is what we are preparing ourselves to celebrate at Christmas: the mystery of the Son of God who came to share our life and our suffering, in order to bring salvation.

My prayer

“My prayer is that your love for each other may increase more and more and never stop improving your knowledge and deepening your perception so that you can always recognise what is best.” (Fil 1:9-10)

A TIME OF EXPECTANCY AND HOPE

I SUNDAY OF ADVENT: Jer 33:14-16

This Sunday, we start the season of Advent, which is a time of expectancy and hope.

The daily news are a litany of natural disasters and wars, compounded with an economy in recession and people suffering from all kinds of strange diseases, leading many to loose faith and to despair. This time of Advent comes to remind us that, in spite of all the hardships and sufferings, we must look forward, because better times are coming.

Stand erect and hold your heads high!

In this world, where most people are full of apprehension, misgivings, and suspicion, the Christians must be a beacon of hope. Even if the end of the world is near,  as some preach, Christian must “stand erect and hold their heads high” (Lk 21:28), because the PROMISED ONE is coming with salvation.

The prophet Jeremiah was considered a prophet of doom, because he was constantly warning the people about the incoming catastrophe. His call was for change and conversion, so that the disaster might pass them by. However, in his later life, he transformed himself into a prophet of hope, helping people to see beyond the present suffering. 

In his old age, St. Augustine saw the Vandals enter his city, bringing destruction and death. Many people thought that it was the end of the world, and they looked to Augustine for guidance. And his answer was: It is the end of this old world, and the birth of a new world.

Honesty and integrity in the land

A Christian can never lose hope. Let us listen to Jeremiah’s words, full of promise: 

The “Promised One” (the Messiah) 

“shall practise honesty and integrity in the land.

In those days Judah shall be saved

and Israel shall dwell in confidence.

And this is the name the city will be called:

The-Lord-our-integrity.” (Jer 33:15-16)

The hope that fills our hearts will gives the courage and boldness to practice “honesty and integrity” and to work for justice and peace in the land.

Psalm 25:8-10,14

The Lord is good and upright.

He shows the path to those who stray,

He guides the humble in the right path,

He teaches his way to the poor.

His ways are faithfulness and love

for those who keep his covenant and law.

The Lord’s friendship 

is for those who revere him;

to them he reveals his covenant.