Poem: "Christmas Carol" by Sara Teasdale

The kings they came from out of the south,

All dressed in ermine fine;

They bore Him gold and chrysoprase,

And gifts of precious wine.

The shepherds came from out of the north;

Their coats were brown and old;

They brought Him little newborn lambs –

They had not any gold.

The wise men came from out of the east,

And they were wrapped in white;

The star that led them all the way

Did glorify the night.

The angels came from heaven high,

And they were clad with wings;

And lo, they brought a joyful song

The host of heaven sings.

The kings they knocked upon the door,

The wise men entered in,

The shepherds followed after them

To hear the song begin.

The angels sang through all the night

Until the rising sun,

But little Jesus fell asleep

Before the song was done.

Poem: The Journey of the Magi by T.S. Eliot

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

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

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

Poem: “The Wise Men” By Madeleine L’Engle

A star has streaked the sky,
pulls us,
calls.
Where, oh where, where leads the light?
We came and left our gifts
and turned
homeward.
Time had passed, friends gone from sight.
One by one, they go, they die
to now,
to us –
gone in the dazzling dark of night.
Oh how, and where, and when, and why,
and what,
and who, and may, and should, O God, and might
a star, a wind, a laugh, a cry
still come
from one –
the blazing word of power and might –
to use our gifts of gold and myrrh
and frankincense as needed,
as our intention was to do the right?
Here, there, hear – soft as a sigh –
willing,
loving
all that is spoken, back to the flight
blazing too fierce for mortal eye.
Renew –
redeem,
oh, Love, until we, too, may dazzle bright.

Poem: “The Holy Star” by William Cullen Bryant

As shadows cast by cloud and sun
Flit o’er the summer grass,
So, in Thy sight, Almighty One,
Earth’s generations pass.

And while the years, an endless host,
Come pressing swiftly on,
The brightest names that earth can boast
Just glisten and are gone.

Yet doth the Star of Bethlehem shed
A luster pure and sweet,
And still it leads, as once it led,
To the Messiah’s feet.

O Father, may that holy star
Grow every year more bright,
And send it glorious beams afar
To fill the world with light.

Poem: "The Voice of the Christ-Child"

The earth has grown old with its burden of care,

But at Christmas it always is young;

The heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair,

And its soul full of music breaks forth on the air,

When the song of the angels is sung.

         It is coming, old earth, it is coming tonight!

         On snowflakes which cover thy sod,

         The feet of the Christ-child fall gently and white,

         And the voice of the Christ-child tells out with delight

         That mankind are the children of God.

On the sad and the lonely, the wretched and poor,

The voice of the Christ-child shall fall;

And to every blind wanderer open the door

Of a hope which he dared not to dream of before,

With a sunshine of welcome for all.

         The feet of the humblest may walk in the field

         Where the feet of the holiest have trod –

This, this is the marvel to mortals revealed,

When the silvery trumpets of Christmas have pealed,

That mankind are the children of God.

Spirituality: "Look for Him where no one else Would" by Pope Francis

           Christmas is an encounter with Jesus. On this holy night you are invited to ask yourself how you can meet Jesus, whether you are ready to meet Jesus, or whether you let yourself be carried along by life as if it were all just a game. No, Jesus is knocking at your heart; Jesus is telling you the same thing that the angel told the shepherds: a Redeemer has been born to you. He simply asks you to listen – or rather, he asks you to seek him. Today he invites us to seek. 

And where should we look for him? The sign that was given to the shepherds is the same as always. I’ll repeat it as it was told to them: seek him in a manger, in a stable. The sign is the same: look for him where no one else would. Don’t look for him among the lights of the great cities; don’t look for him in appearances. Don’t look for him in all that pagan assemblage that is offered to us continually. Seek him in the unusual, in surprising places. Seek him like those shepherds who were told to look for a new-born child lying in a manger. Seek him there. Push away the foliage, and underneath you will find the shoots of life, in that simplicity, in that littleness.

In the grotto of Bethlehem today, in order to enter the place where Jesus was born, one has to crouch down, to lower oneself: to meet Jesus one has to make oneself small. Shed all pretension. Shed every ephemeral illusion; get down to the essential, to what promises you life, to what gives you dignity. Lower yourself: do not be afraid of humility. Today we are told that the higher you hold your head, the more important you are. The more vain you appear, the more power you have. The more one shouts and quarrels, the more discord one sows, the better. No, that’s not the case! Lower yourself; make use of meekness. Listen and live together in peace. Recognize your dignity and that of others. Love and let yourself be loved.

Source: Pope Francis, Encountering Christ, pp.31-32.

The Epiphany of the Lord

The Epiphany of the Lord

January 5, 2014

Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72; Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6; Matthew 2:1-12

The city of Jerusalem is favored in Scripture as the holy city of God, but in today’s political reality, many have an ambiguous relationship with the inter-faith mountain town. Native and immigrant Christians in the Middle East are often not allowed to travel into the ancient lands where they can pay homage to their ancestors in the faith and to the significant places of our tradition. Scripture tells us, “Nations will walk by your light and all will raise their eyes to you as they gather and come to you.”  Alas, Jerusalem, the radiant city of God, cannot be seen or visited by many.

            The Gospel places us just south of Jerusalem in Bethlehem where the wise visit the infant and his parents. Herod already called them to him to bring them into his conniving plan with the instructions, “Go and search diligently for the child,” but their search was made easy because of the star that preceded them. Were they originally in on Herod’s plan? It seems that many people around us today are out for their own profit. Self-interest weighs heavily into people’s actions at the expense of others. The non- and pre-Christian culture often did not attend to the needs of others as people sought their own security and gain. Did the magi accept Herod’s plan? Who could refuse the offer of a mighty king? If so, what made them change their minds? The star? The journey? Seeing the innocent, good child? Their choice to let Jesus live in peace and security would have meant going back on their word – a very dishonorable action for any wise man in the Orient. The actions of the magi were remarkable because they honored the boy they were to betray.

            Epiphany is significant to Christians because it began the process of opening the faith to the Gentiles. Scripture could be fulfilled where all the peoples of the world would recognize God as Lord, but it did not happen in sacred Jerusalem. It happened in a tiny shepherding village in the shadows of the great mountain of the Lord. The revelation of God can occur outside the Temple, outside the sacred city, in the smallest of places. It can occur anywhere in the kingdom of God and to any people, whether they are Jews, Christians, other, or from no religious tradition at all. God’s revelation is not bound by our constraints and expectations. All who hear the word of God and come to belief are copartners in the promise of Christ.

            Many like Epiphany for various reasons. (1.) The powerless, helpless boy wields enormous power over an aggressive king. (2.) Small insignificant places and people become the instrument of everlasting glory. Everyone has intrinsic value. (3.) The men known as sages show their otherworldly wisdom, thus confirming their status as virtuous men whom we are to imitate. Head and heart helps them make choices. They strive for the common good and show their shepherding care for others. (4.) An exclusive faith, bound by laws and rules, is inclusively opened to all so they can live in freedom. (5.) Jerusalem, the special place of God’s presence, becomes more than just a place; it becomes a symbol of worship that can be done anywhere. No one has to travel to Jerusalem to fulfill one’s Christian duties because the faith is to be lived out in the world. (6.) The in-breaking of God’s love to the world means that we make decisions based on God’s love and mercy rather than laws and traditions. (7.) We choose God and we are therefore God’s new chosen people. We are God’s gift to ourselves.

            If you are like me, you find it difficult to give yourself a gift, even in this season of giving. Giving to others is easy; giving more away than what you have is expected. I struggle as I want to live simply and without many needs, but sometimes I recognize the importance of receiving a gift I can give to myself. I’m still learning, and I have to spend time in prayer first by telling God that I need something: whether it is time or space or beauty or balance. God is always kinder to me than I am to myself. God wants me to splurge on myself from time to time so I can see myself as a gift the way God and others see me as a gift. Are you in the same boat as me? God values us, no matter how important or unimportant we think we are. We have to learn to receive what God is begging to give us. We are God’s chosen people and he wants to spoil us rotten. Let yourself go and receive the Lord’s goodness. This might be his epiphany, his manifestation, to you this Christmas. You are the new Jerusalem – the place of God’s visitation. Rise up in splendor. Your light has come. Raise your eyes and look about and you shall be radiant at what you see and your heart will throb and overflow. God will praise you as you recognize his goodness in your midst.

Themes for this Week’s Masses

First Reading: John the Evangelist tells us that we receive from Jesus whatever we ask because we keep his commandments. He also asks us to trust every spirit that comes our way so we can discern the good from the bad. As we belong to God, we will instinctively know the difference between the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit. We love one another because love is of God and everyone who loves is begotten by God. If God so loved us, we also must love one another because if we love another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us. If anyone says, “I love God” but hates his brother, then he is a liar. This is the commandment we have from him: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. If we love God, then we keep his commandments. The victor over the world is the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. The Spirit of Truth testifies to it and gives us testimony that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. God hears us whenever we ask for anything. The Son of God has come and given us discernment to know the one who is true, and we are in the one who is true, in his Son Jesus. He is the true God and eternal life.

Gospel: When John the Baptist was arrested, Jesus withdrew to Galilee and he began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” When Jesus saw the vast crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. He made the disciples give them some food. Like a good shepherd, he fed the flock. After the five thousand had eaten, Jesus and his disciples embarked onto a boat so they could head to the mountains to pray. When the boat was far from shore, a storm came up and tossed them back and forth, but Jesus quelled the storm and the winds died down. Jesus returned to Galilee to preach. He entered a synagogue, opened the scrolls, read from the prophet Isaiah and declared that this Scripture passage is fulfilled in their hearing of it. A man full of leprosy seeks healing from Jesus if Jesus wants to give it to him. He does and he sends the cleaned man on his way. Jesus and his disciples where they spent some time baptizing. John and his disciples were also baptizing. A dispute arose between a Jew and a disciple of John about ceremonial washing. They pointed out that many people were going over to Jesus. John replied that he is the friend of the bridegroom, while Jesus is the groom.

Saints of the Week

January 5: John Neumann, bishop (1811-1860), emigrated from Bohemia to New York and joined the Redemptorists in Pittsburgh before being named bishop of Philadelphia. He built many churches in the diocese and placed great emphasis on education as the foundation of faith.

January 6: Andre Bessette, religious (1845-1937), was born in Quebec, Canada. He joined the Congregation of the Holy Cross and taught for 40 years at the College of Notre Dame. He cared for the sick and was known as a intercessor for miracles. He built St. Joseph’s Oratory, a popular pilgrimage site in Canada.

January 7: Raymond of Penyafort, priest (1175-1275), was trained in philosophy and law and was ordained in 1222 to preach to the Moors and Christians. Though he was appointed bishop of Tarragon, he declined the position. Instead he organized papal decrees into the first form of canon law. He was later elected Master of the Dominican Order.

This Week in Jesuit History

·      Jan. 5, 1548: Francis Suarez, one of the greatest theologians of the church, was born at Granada.

·      Jan. 6, 1829: Publication of Pope Leo XII's rescript, declaring the Society to be canonically restored in England.

·      Jan. 7, 1566: Cardinal Ghislieri was elected pope as Pius V. He was a great friend of the Francis Borgia and appointed Salmeron and Toletus as apostolic preachers at the Vatican. He desired to impose the office of choir on the Society and even ordered it. He was canonized as St. Pius V.

·      Jan. 8, 1601: Balthasar Gracian was born. A Spanish Jesuit, he wrote on courtly matters. He is the author of "The Compleat Gentleman" and "The Art of Worldly Wisdom."

·      Jan. 9, 1574: Fr. Jasper Haywood died at Naples. He was superior of the English mission. As a boy he was one of the pages of honor to the Princess Elizabeth. After a brilliant career at Oxford, he renounced his fellowship and entered the Society in Rome in 1570. An able Hebrew scholar and theologians, he was for two years professor in the Roman College.

·      Jan. 10, 1581: Queen Elizabeth signed the fifth Penal Statute in England inflicting heavy fines and imprisonment on all who harbored Jesuits and Seminary priests.

·      Jan 10, 1567. Two Jesuits arrived in Havana, Cuba, as a base for evangelization.

·      Jan 11, 1573. At Milan, St Charles Borromeo founded a college (the Brera) and placed it under the care of the Society.