Word to the Wise
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 -
[Song of Songs 2:8-14 or Zephaniah 3:14-18a and Luke 1:39-45]The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness and renew you in his love, he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals. [Zephaniah] For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled. [Luke]
There is nothing like being able to spend Christmas in company with family or close friends! The old Christmas song, "I'll be home for Christmas...." captures the reality in a sentimental way! The true joy of Christmas is the presence of significant persons in one's life and to have them personally present to enjoy. No wrapped gift can substitute for the hug of a loved one! I remember my years in Kentucky when it was not possible to get "home" for Christmas but I had the joy of an invitation to a local "home" each of those four years. That one family remains a treasured friendship. My Dominican community here in Houston is large and I will spend Christmas here this year in their company since I was with my family at Thanksgiving!
The scripture for today speaks of the presence of God in our midst! This is true in a very physical way for Mary and Elizabeth in the gospel scene! Zephaniah the prophet speaks of this presence as a cherished hope after the Babylonian captivity is over. The manger scene can help us to focus on this very important reality - the birth of Christ makes him a physical presence in our midst. We celebrate this every time we celebrate the Eucharist, but at Christmas the joy of this presence can be truly great. It may seem a bit sentimental to say, but if we make the effort, we can always have Christ "home for Christmas!" AMEN