I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
a light for the nations,
to open the eyes of the blind,
to bring out prisoners from confinement,
and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.
A fellow in the VA told me his particular Christian denomination has chosen for its mission to be a non-violent church. I asked if that meant they oppose abortion. He sadly, replied "They don't think abortion is violent."
It's easy to choose your own ideals and live by your own moral standards. It's fun to design your own public image. It's not so easy to be God's light for the nations.
Today the Church celebrates the Baptism of Jesus, the beginning of his active ministry. It is a joyous, festive occasion as our church building rings with the words of Isaiah. The scriptures remind us of the particular election which we enjoy: God has chosen us. And of God's pleasure in Jesus. With you I am well pleased!
Today is Christmas for adults. Children may not want to listen President Obama's second inaugural address; but adults are compelled to pay attention, whether they voted for him or not. Likewise adult Christians must pay attention to the Baptism of Jesus because they find their own identity and vision in his ministry.
Because we are Baptized, Eucharisted and Confirmed in Christ we know that God's pleasure in Jesus includes us. But, like every other privilege, it comes with a price. If freedom is not free, we should expect the freedom of the children of God will come with an extraordinary price.
The first price to pay is not too much: we allow God to love us in prayer. Gathering in our churches to worship God in the Mass and Liturgies; supporting our churches with time, talent and treasure; choosing friends and fellowship among the members of our congregations; learning the moral teachings of our tradition; reflecting on our scriptures and the lives of the saints; maintaining a schedule of prayer within our households: these are the ordinary pleasures of Christian life.
At times these duties may stretch our resources but life and aging teach us that you can't have everything you want. You make your choices and live with the consequences. You don't have to look very far to find people who choose not to belong to God, and the odds are good they're not pleased with the consequences. The Psalmist assures us:
Neither in my youth, nor now in old age
have I seen the righteous one abandoned
or his offspring begging for bread.
All day long he is gracious and lends,
and his offspring become a blessing. (Psalm 37: 25-26)
have I seen the righteous one abandoned
or his offspring begging for bread.
All day long he is gracious and lends,
and his offspring become a blessing. (Psalm 37: 25-26)
(The same Psalm 37 offers many comparisons between the life of virtue and that of foolishness.)
As we begin a new year, recalling the lessons of the past and our hope for the future, as we celebrate Jesus' setting out on his marvelous, dangerous and successful mission the Church resolves to follow him. And each of us prays for the fortitude to go with the Church.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.