25 December 2019 / Christmas - Mass During Night • Isaiah 9:1-6 • Psalm 96 • Titus 2:11-14 • +Luke 2:1-14 •
Title: Found In
Translation.
[__01__] Sometimes,
we become anxious when we send a text message to someone and the other person
does not respond back in a timely fashion – that person might be à me.
The other day, I received 2 messages … one from someone
telling me about some article about the popularity of the fleece vest… and
because he knows I liked fleece vests about 15 years ago…he’s forwarding me a
text and article. Ok, cool, but I do not recognize your number.
The second was from someone who told me he was returning
my call – “Sorry… I missed your call…. I have to go out this afternoon let’s
talk and catch up after Christmas in January.”
The phone number-to-name connection was not made/recognized and this was precipitated by my recent upgrade of my phone …and the
numbers did not all transfer over. I am slowly re-entering them and also
somewhat anxiously from time to time messages getting people whom I do not
recognize … “What are you talking about?”
… “Yes, I’m the fleece vest
guy. …but who are you? ”
[__02__] To
read and receive a decent translation of information, we not only need to know
what is being said, but who is saying it, we need the TRANSLATION and the
TRANSLATOR.
I bring this up because Christmas reminds us that Jesus
is not only a “MESSAGE” and a “TRANSLATION” but he is the MESSENGER and
TRANSLATOR. I should save Jesus’ number ! It’s good to have a TRANSLATOR.
[_03_] Lately,
I have gone to several medical appointments – doctor’s appointment with my
mother – how has Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s is the movement disorder that affects your balance, agility
and other physical characteristics.
I am often impressed with how little the doctor/physician
says at these appointments and how actively engaged the nurse and nurse
practitioner – Meredith – is.
Meredith
has a medical vocabulary and knowledge of the brain and neurology that rivals
any doctor. Meredith really runs the appointment.
A few months ago, a young medical student sat in on the
appointment, taking notes as part of his academic neurology rotation. He did
not say anything. He just listened. He knew what to do.
We really hang on her Meredith’s every word at these
appointments at the hospital. In fact, the hospital appointments are kind of
inconvenient to get to, because they are at a hospital in upper Manhattan, but
when you have access the word and information, you need..you go there. I am
often the driver and/or bodyguard for these trips. I try to not say too much. I
do not have the word. I am there to receive the word, even if I do not
understand – at first – what is being said. What is being TRANSLATED
[__04__] To translate … effectively, I suggest we
are called to … COURAGE … to COMPASSION and CONNECTION It’s not easy.
We are also trying to learn the COURAGE – the COMPASSION
and CONNECTION of Christ in the Gospel.
[__05__] 1st COURAGE. The Gospel tells us that: “In the beginning
was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.” (John 1:1)
Jesus is the word made flesh who dwelt and pitched his
tent among us. (John 1:14)
But, this communication of the word required the COURAGE
of Joseph and Mary for whom there was no
room at the inn. But, the word – Jesus – finds a way into the lives of Mary and
Joseph. They survive and by their courage help us to survive.
Father Ronald Knox wrote that Joseph and Mary come to
understand that that their child – Jesus - belongs not only to them but to the
whole human race, to all languages and people.
He came to gave his life as a ransom for many. And, he came to speak and
live and be among us. We listen for his
word. Immanuel. God with us. The Word
among us.
What is his language? He speaks all of our languages and
when we look up on the Cross and Crucifix we recall that he speaks to us about
all of our sufferings and fears.
His courage is also a message of COMPASSION.
[__06.01__] 2nd COMPASSION.
“COMPASSION
OF PRAYER”
Our
church – our parish was founded in 1914 – not only for those as a compassionate action who know
the WORD and words of prayer … but also for those who do not to pray and those
who do not know how to pray …but also for those who do not come here – or may
not yet come here – so that we can pray for them …and, if possible, also reach
out and teach them how to pray the word, even if they do not have our number.
We can reach out in prayer.
St. Paul reminds us that Holy Spirit does not dwell only
in Temple/church of California redwood beams and brick and marble, but also in
Temple of your heart and my heart. We are Our Lad of Lourdes Church. Advent and
Christmas are times to pray for those who do not know how to pray or those did
not know how to pray.
The statement
“I do not know how to pray” is itself a prayer – these were words of the
disciples to Jesus saying, “Lord teach us to pray.”
Our
prayers have gravity and our prayers have gravity when the focus on the
immediate needs of the day.
[__06.02__] COMPASSION OF COMMUNION AND FORGIVENESS.
Christmas
reminds us of the word or God which is made flesh, embodied in Jesus Christ for
us.
John Henry Newman (sermon: Christian Sympathy /
Christmas) described it this way:
Christ took our human nature and human form, was born in
a human body as Jesus of Nazareth in a particular place and personality. He then suffered personally for you and for
me and he put himself through a torturous passion to make amends – or to atone –
for our sins. He takes our guilt upon himself, not because we are good, but
because He is good.
Analogously,
you as a mother, a father, a teacher – anyone who cares for a y young person –
will do the same – not just because they are good but because you are striving
for goodness. You will accept some (or even all) of the blame for a young
person’s wrongdoing. After all, what is forgiveness if not the letting go of
all the blame and punishment I may want to heap upon another person. I am
called to pick up that end of the cross. That’s the word made flesh. That’s a
compassionate translation.
And, in any act of repentance for forgiveness we might
make, we recognize that we share a common nature. If we repent or forgive only
superficially, Jesus said, then we have cleansed only the outside of the dish. Christ’s word of love, mercy and yet the word
is meant not only to be heard and seen but also to be hidden and saved and
savored within.
Then, after Jesus suffered at the Passion of Good
Friday, offered his body on the Cross, he took and and allowed that body to be
broken, divided and in a sacramental sense – divides that still at the altar,
in Holy Communion. Take this body, divide it among yourselves: “Take this all
of you and eat it, this is my body, given up for you.”
This
compassion is Christ’s CONNECTION to us.
Courage
leads to compassion and compassion leads to connection.
[__07__] 3rd
CONNECTION.
Connection reminds us we care care not only about “WHAT”
is being said but “WHO” is saying it.
We read the Gospel so that we will have – in a spiritual
way – Jesus’ number saved in our phone and we will recognize him when he calls.
[__07.01__] Last week, my mother had another
appointment, a neurology appointment and my father and I drove together to the
hospital.
On this particular busy December Christmas shopping day
in NYC, I could find no parking space. There was no room at the inn, nor at the
main hospital garage, nor at the second hospital garage, nor on any nearby
street. I just had to drive around the block several times.
When the appointment was over, I took the call from my
“customers”/parents and went to pick them up.
I was consoled to know that my mother’s check-up went very well. We got
the word from Meredith and from the doctor.
Of course, that was important – the medical part. But what came next was also
important. At first this seemed extraneous – extra – information, but it was
not extraneous. It signified not only the importance of the “translation”
(information) but also “translator” (individual).
That is, my father shared with me – without any prompting
- what Meredith was doing for Christmas … that she would be going to London to
visit her brother and sister-in-law, what her brother does there… how long he’s
been there .. he’s been there for 10 years and works in construction, what his
wife does for a living. She works for Apple.
When you trust in a word, you also trust in a person and
this regard Meredith has become a person, almost a part of our family in the
way that a trusted medical professional or counselor can be. We trust the word,
and the person. It’s almost as though we
were all going to London, or part of the journey.
We are all going, spiritually, to Bethlehem, to receive
his word, the word made flesh and continue our journey. And, we need translators
to get there, fellow believers who both cherish and challenge us.
Do we know that word? And, equally important – do we recognize the number?
Do we know that word? And, equally important – do we recognize the number?
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