The Readings for the Holy Family, Sunday within the 8va of Christmas:
Once again we find this scary concept that God is growing up.
This is the God that loves us.
That came to be one of us:
Not just with us
One of us.
How can God empty himself so deeply, so fully?
This is a divine mystery.
Yet it stands not alone: for God the Father emptied himself fully in the Son, and the Son created all of life, pouring himself out on the Universe.
And when we rejected his love,
He poured himself out yet more
Becoming infinitely small.
The smallest life humanly known
A cell.
Fully human, fully divine, fully alive.
The Conception of Divinity
The Immaculate Virgin as Ark of the Covenant
Then two cells.
Four
Eight,
Millions and millions
And Jesus.
Born of his Mother,
Held in Joseph’s arms.
And we ourselves can know this outpouring best
can mirror this emptying
By doing it.
The Letter to Diognetus says, “And if you love Him, you will be an imitator of His kindness. And do not wonder that a man may become an imitator of God. He can, if he is willing. For it is not by ruling over his neighbours, or by seeking to hold the supremacy over those that are weaker, or by being rich, and showing violence towards those that are inferior, that happiness is found; nor can any one by these things become an imitator of God. But these things do not at all constitute His majesty. On the contrary he who takes upon himself the burden of his neighbour; he who, in whatsoever respect he may be superior, is ready to benefit another who is deficient; he who, whatsoever things he has received from God, by distributing these to the needy, becomes a god to those who receive [his benefits]: he is an imitator of God. Then thou shalt see, while still on earth, that God in the heavens rules over [the universe].
This is only possible, though,
In God’s family: the Church
And today, we celebrate the beginning of that family
In Nazareth.
All is emptying out
And all is Joy.
God grows up.
What is this mystery?
What is the miracle that is sung at Christmas?
That God wets the bed.
That Joseph had to get out of bed in the wee hours (no pun intended, maybe)
To change bedding
To sing the child to sleep
To wonder about waiting for sleep to find him again
Wondering what had happened.
And Mary nursing the child
Life flowing from her breast
to Life himself.
And baby poo stinks.
And the first summer when there were birds
and the child – who made them –
Saw them finally as his eyes
learned to see
other things than Mom’s face
and Not the Mommy
And there was a thing
hidden in the room
that only babies can see
in the dark
and it is scary
and did Joseph have to keep a light?
Or were the stars enough?
Go and help your father.
Me? Really?
This was the first time I’d been asked to help
This was important.
What are you doing here?
Mom said I should help.
Oh. Get down here and help then…
The image ends there…. but God has done so.
And loves us the more for it
And we him.
Merry Christmas
Doxos 