...what we have seen and heard
we proclaim now to you,
so that you too may have fellowship with us;
for our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.
In my post of Christmas Day I reflected upon the mystery of God's becoming a human being; that is to say, a system of systems amid the systems of human life; a story amid the innumerable histories of humankind; and a name by which they are identified.
I know it sounded arcane and perhaps out of tune with the dazzling glory of the occasion, but it's an approach to the mystery of the Incarnation; and, I like to think, may lead us to a deeper wonder before the doctrine.
Saint John might have appreciated the attempt for in today's first reading he speaks of Christians finding a dual fellowship with one another and with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
In the Lord, and especially through our sacraments, we are wrapped in the Holy Trinity. In Baptism we become new creatures; in the Eucharist, we consume and become his Body and Blood; in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we share with Jesus the guilt of the world and the redeeming grace of rebirth. Confirmation accentuates our life in the Spirit of God; we breathe God's life. Our presence to neighbors and friends is a breath of fresh air in a very stale environment.
And so on! There is no end to this mysterious reflection!
On Christmas, I added the sly remark that each individual has only half of a reproductive system. It is complete when it meets a person of the opposite sex and when their union is able to conceive and gestate a third human. The Church honors that mystery of conception, gestation, birth, and ongoing nurture with the Sacrament of Marriage.
Marriage, then, is one way -- a most wonderful way -- for the individual to escape isolation and connect to others. This "system of systems" is integrated with other systems in a perfectly natural, familiar, and fruitful union. For marriage binds one person to another person and their family. Their married love engages in-laws with nieces, nephews, aunts, and uncles. They have children with the expectation of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They become acquainted with the ancestors of both families, and often see those ancient stories reenacted in their children and grandchildren. Without the knowledge of their ancestors their children might seem alien; and they will wonder, "Where does that come from?"
Saint John's gospel alludes to all these sacraments, from Baptism to the Anointing of the Sick. And always within the context of fellowship. The disciples with Jesus, and Jesus with the Father. And the disciples with those who will not see the Risen Lord but believe through their word.
"We are writing this so that our joy may be complete." Even the Sacrament of Confession is a joyful sacrament as we consider the saving, healing, and reconciling grace of our fellowship. Seeing myself through the eyes of the Church, which is friendly, understanding, and compassionate, I become all the more available to God's forgiving glance.
I hope this same joyful Spirit impels this homily blog. May your life also be filled with the complete joy of Christmas.
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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.