1st Reading: Isaiah 7: 10-14
Reflection: Marie Dennis
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
YHWH spoke to Ahaz, “Ask for a sign from YHWH; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!” But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask! I will not test YHWH!” Then Isaiah said, “Listen, O House of David! Is it not enough for you to weary those around you, must you also weary YHWH? Therefore, the Holy One will give you this sign: the young woman will be with child, and give birth, and the child will be given the name Immanuel. The word of the Lord.
The signs are everywhere that we are on the threshold of a new way of being, a new paradigm, a new logic for life. What we are birthing will be closer to the beloved community. It will be richly, beautifully diverse, and decidedly nonviolent. It will not depend on weapons or violent force. It will not perpetuate systemic or structural violence. This new way of being, this new paradigm, will nurture inclusive human dignity, respect for the integrity of creation, and the kind of right relationships toward which Isaiah was pointing.
This new paradigm will be based on a completely different understanding of our place as humans in the whole Earth community — and a recognition that we are latecomers at that to a spectacular cosmic reality that we are just now (thanks to the Hubble and Webb telescopes) beginning to see. It will recognize that diversity and relationality are imbedded in the cosmos and essential to survival on this planet. And it will clearly identify and reject violence in all its forms.
I see this shift happening everywhere. I know thousands of people, communities like the Pax Community around the world, who are giving their lives to making the Promise we celebrate in this holy season real.
I see it in brilliant work to root out systemic racism, voter suppression and structural injustice; to end the death penalty and mass incarceration; to redress centuries of oppression against Indigenous communities; to break habits of exploitation that are destroying the earth; to learn and promote restorative justice practices; to welcome migrants and refugees; to rid the world of nuclear weapons; to fundamentally rework U.S. budget priorities; to celebrate diversity and promote unwavering inclusion and respect for the rights of all people no matter how they identify, believing that radical inclusion is the foundational message of the Sermon on the Mount.
Isaiah said: “The Holy One will give you this sign: the young woman will be with child, and give birth, and the child will be given the name Immanuel” – God with Us. Yes, the signs are everywhere; we are on the threshold of a new way of being, a new paradigm, a new logic for life. May it be so!
2nd Reading: Romans 1: 1-7
Reflection: Mary Blissard
When Fr. Joe suggested that we each reflect on our reading, I recalled a priest at the “folk Mass” at old St. Luke’s named Fr. Fred. Some of you may remember him- Fr. Fred heartily embraced and supported the lay participation in all aspects of the mass. He was approachable and affable, (and) over 50 years ago he initiated dialogue homilies where he would ask someone, what do you think about this particular reading? What did it mean? How do you respond? Maybe it wasn’t only the teenagers who hoped they wouldn’t be called on, but that certainly made me listen attentively and consider what I could say if I were picked to respond.
In humility, and a little imposter syndrome, I offer these thoughts on Paul’s letter to the Romans. During our planning, Fr. Joe pointed out that this message of Paul to the Romans was considered very counter- revolutionary to what was happening at that time. There was great separation in the mixed community of Rome, with Jewish and non-Jewish converts looking at each other with mistrust or worse. Paul considered and carefully phrased his letters as a call to faith to ALL nations, and later said, “the path to faith is what is preached and what is preached comes from the word of Christ.”
I imagine that Paul had the faith not only in his mission, but also in individual’s and nations’ choices, that led him to hope, the kind of hope we feel during Advent that a new way is possible. This is the state of our current narrative in today’s world. Sen. Corey Booker wrote this about hope: “Hope confronts. It does not ignore pain, agony, or injustice. It is not a saccharine optimism that refuses to see, face or grapple with the wretchedness of reality. You cannot have hope without despair, because hope is a RESPONSE.” And then this is what strikes home to me in Paul’s message, as Booker says, ”Hope is not a feeling, it’s an active conviction that despair will never have the last word.”
I emphasize that it is action fostered by our faith that leads to hope. For the PAX community, it is the engaged action in contributing thoughtfully to the synod, to outreach in the community, and to dialogue with one another in the mass and zoom services. In recent past, Fr. Joe has lauded the persistence of the PAX community and uplifted the servant leadership – apostleship – that Paul calls for. Fr. Joe reminds us that the first requirement is Love, in and around the community, and of course, to Listen, and ask, “what is the vision?” We can’t be passive in our quest.
The here and now of what is happening – in the world, in our nation, and our neighborhoods, as well as in the church, calls for some counter- revolutionary thinking. It’s not just believing or holding a faith, it’s the action of sharing the Good News with all, and that choice is where our power lies. Our prayer today is “make us your living voice.” Amen.
Gospel: Matthew 1:18-24
Reflection: Mary Lou Melley
“Suddenly the angel of God appeared in a dream and said to Joseph – do not be afraid to wed Mary. It is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived the child, she is to have a son. Joseph did as the angel had directed.”
I discovered, through the years, that a few personal situations arose over which I had no control. The only step forward was to say, “Thy Will be Done” as Mary says in the Magnificat and as Joseph did “as the angel directed.”
When I was ready to deliver my 4th child, I was very concerned since medical difficulties had arisen during my second and third deliveries. I knew that all precautions had been addressed, but the result was uncertain and unknown. That’s when Mary’s words “Thy will be done” came to me: faith, hope, (and) trust in God.
“For nothing is Impossible with God.” There were complications, but they resulted in my healthy fourth child and, in a short time, my recovery.’’ “My soul does magnify the Lord.”
Meditation: The Magnificat
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.