Solemnity of MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD - Saturday 1 January 2022 (EPISODE: 342)

Solemnity of MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD

Saturday 1 January 2022    (Liturgical colour - White and Gold)
(EPISODE: 342)

First Reading: Numbers 6:22-27
Psalm: Ps 66:2-3. 5. 6. 8. "May God bless us in his mercy."
Second Reading: Galatians 4:4-7
Gospel Acclamation: Hebrews 1:1-2. Alleluia, alleluia! In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; now he speaks to us through his Son. Alleluia.
Gospel: Luke 2:16-21

Image Credit: ID: 1740958460  - Icon of the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus. Canvas, oil. Contributor: Gouache7

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Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers and reflections for the Mary Mother of God. Year B - January 1, 2022 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-solemnity-of-mary-the-holy-mother-of-god-1st-january-2022-episode-342?si=f66746e6e8f64619a34f6322d1287eae&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing  

 (EPISODE: 342)
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Homily – Fr Paul Kelly 2022.

At the start of a new calendar year...  (with 2021 now freshly behind us)...    Our minds turn to our Lord's words to us from Scripture-  ........  
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." (Rev 22:13)

Since Our Lord is the beginning and end of everything...   and;   The Lord is truly "The One who was, who is and Who always will be."       

We are on the surest possible ground when we dedicate this new year, and all our words and actions,  to the  Lord who brings all good things to perfection and completion.  

We dedicate this new year to the intercession and protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God;  the mother of the church; and our heavenly mother too..    

At the start of a new year - we echo the perfect words that were first on the lips of Mary....  who said yes to Our Lord at the annunciation...

Here I am ...   here I stand, the servant of the Lord...   let it be done to me according to your word...   
with Mary, let us stand ready with the new possibilities of  this brand new year...  to be of service to the Lord.

and our prayers are full of the inspiration we find from the scriptures, and the words of the Saints....    

such as Psalm 20:v 4-5
'4 May God  give you the desire of your heart
    and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory
    and lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your requests."

Good heavenly advice at the start of a new year can also be readily found in St Paul:

Philippians 3:13 -14 13 "Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

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(https://catholicreview.org/solemnity-of-mary-mother-of-god-ushers-in-new-year/)
In the octave of Christmas, we're still focused on the Prince of Peace, but also Mary, the Queen of Peace," ......... "We begin a new calendar year praying for peace in the world, in our homes and in our nation."

..... Pope Francis said that "a new year is a chance for a new start, a time to remember that all people are brothers and sisters and a time to nurture amazement that God became human to save all people.  The feast of Mary, Mother of God is also is a time to remember how strong maternal love and care are, and how they are the secret to making life more livable.

 "Through the intercession of the virgin Mary, may the Lord grant us to be artisans of peace — and this begins at home, in the family — every day of the new year."

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(https://www.newyearwiki.com/new-year-religious-quotes)

"Let us go forward in peace, our eyes upon heaven, the only one goal of our labours."
St Thérèse of the Child Jesus (1873-1897)- Doctor of the Church

cf (similar)

New Year's Day is a good time to fix one's eyes on the only One who knows what the year is to hold.

There are many of us that are willing to do great things for the Lord, but fewer of us  who are willing to do the little things. (Dwight L. Moody)

(paraphrase)
God is our strength.
Let Him be the strong foundation of our life
so that we will be truly uplifted when things go well,
and so that we will not stumble when things go badly.
Happy New Year!

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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

  HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

{{God's kindness, peace  and grace to everyone!!}}

On this special Solemnity of Mary the Holy Mother of God,, trusting in God's timeless faithfulness, mercy, and love, let us first call to mind our sins.

Lord Jesus, your beloved and Mother is thereby the Mother of God. Lord have mercy
Your beloved mother is Help of Christians. Christ have mercy
Your beloved Mother is the Queen of Heaven. Lord have mercy

May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation
2. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.
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PREFACE: Blessed Virgin MARY I
Euch .Prayer: 2
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{Thanks everyone, and THROUGH God's grace and mercy, and the faithful intercession of Mary the holy mother of God, may this be for you all a blessed, healthy and grace-filled year of the lord 2022.}

The Lord be with you……
(let's bow our heads to receive God's blessing)

May God, the source and origin of all blessing,
grant you grace,
pour out his blessing in abundance,
and keep you safe from harm throughout the year. Amen.

May he give you integrity in the faith,
endurance in hope,
and perseverance in charity
with holy patience to the end. Amen.

May he order your days and your deeds in his peace,
grant your prayers in this and in every place,
and lead you happily to eternal life.
Amen.

And may the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son,+ and the Holy Spirit,
come down on you and remain with you forever.

Amen.

 

Dismissal:

 Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.
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HOMILY:

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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly

Image Credit: ID: Image Credit: ID: 1740958460  - Icon of the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus. Canvas, oil. Contributor: Gouache7

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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)

"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.

Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993) . (Sydney Australia).

Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria. Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.

Christmas Hymn - "Word Made Flesh" by Paul W. Kelly. Based upon: John's Gospel 1:14,  1 John 4:9 , & Isaiah 9:2, 6, 7.
(Written on 8/5/20; 10/9/20).  Arranged and sung by Stefan Kelk, with adjusted lyrics.  2020. https://www.airgigs.com/user/stefankelk

Marian Hymn - "Salve Regina Mater Misericordiae." (Traditional 11th Century). Melody: Mainz (1712), Hymn #783 - Brébeuf Hymnal. From https://www.ccwatershed.org/hymn/
 
Marian Hymn – "Quem Terra, Pontus, Aethera." ("Whom Earth and Sea and Sky Proclaim"). Traditional 6th Century Hymn. Melody: Bartholomaus Gesius (d.1613). #376 - Brébeuf Hymnal. From https://www.ccwatershed.org/hymn/

[ Production - KER - 2022]

May God bless and keep you.
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First Reading

Numbers 6:22-27 (NRSV)

A reading from the book of Numbers.
The Lord spoke to Moses:
"Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying,
'Thus you shall bless the Israelites:
You shall say to them,
"'The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you peace.'
"So they shall put my name on the Israelites,
and I will bless them."
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 66:2-3, 5, 6, 8 (JB)

R. May God bless us in his mercy.
God, be gracious and bless us
and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth
and all nations learn your saving help. R.
Let the nations be glad and exult
for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the peoples.
you guide the nations on earth. R.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
May God still give us his blessing
till the ends of the earth revere him. R.
Second Reading

Galatians 4:4-7 (NRSV)
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Galatians.
When the fullness of time had come,
God sent his Son, born of a woman,
born under the law,
in order to redeem those who were under the law,
so that we might receive adoption as children.
And because you are children,
God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying,
"Abba! Father!"
So you are no longer a slave but a child,
and if a child then also an heir, through God.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation
Hebrews 1:1-2 (JB)
Alleluia, alleluia!
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets;
now he speaks to us through his Son.
Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 2:16-21 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke.
When the angels had left them
the shepherds said to one another,
"Let us go now to Bethlehem
and see this thing that has taken place,
which the Lord has made known to us."
So they went with haste
and found Mary and Joseph,
and the child lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known what had been told them about this child;
and all who heard it were amazed
at what the shepherds told them.
But Mary treasured all these words
and pondered them in her heart.
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
as it had been told them.
After eight days had passed,
it was time to circumcise the child;
and he was called Jesus,
the name given by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Year C – Saturday night and Sunday Morning Masses, (25-26th December 2021) (Episode: 341)

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary And Joseph. Year C - 

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
Readings: Year C
1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28 
Psalm blessed are those who dwell in your house O lord
1 John 3:1-2, 21-24
Luke 2:41-52

(Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. Item ID:505470880 -
Christmas religious nativity scene, Holy family abstract watercolour illustration Mary Joseph and Jesus in the starry night Contributor- Thoom )
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Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers and reflections for the the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary And Joseph. Year C - Sunday, 25-26 December 2021 by clicking this link here:
https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-solemnity-of-the-holy-family-year-c-episode-341/s-P767sZgmbcK?si=16a371a8c8c64770ac84e372dfcc6fa8&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing   
(Episode: 341)
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I came across a wonderful poem on the Birth of Christ and the Holy Family, by British poet Godfrey Rust.  It is called: Midnight in Bethlehem, Zero AD. 
"...... No room at the inn. No room anywhere.
They gave him the only place they could spare and the promised Messiah was born that night
on the floor of a stable without any light ….
and while Mary slept there, exhausted and cold, Joseph sat by feeling helpless and old. 
This wasn't the way he had thought it would be
when the angel had told him that destiny chose them to look after the Holy One.
No, this was a farce. What God had done was to trust the care of the Saviour instead
to a man who could not even find him a bed. 
If only he'd planned it more carefully then.
If he only could go back and do it again. 
....... when the shepherds burst in all breathless and wild
and stopped in their tracks when they saw the child.
They shifted their gaze from the baby's bed and their eyes met his, and he nodded his head,
standing awkwardly, not knowing quite what to do now they all knew for certain the story was true. 
They stayed there for minutes. It might have been years.
Not one of them spoke. Their hopes and their fears;... were gathered around this helpless God
as their minds tried to grasp what it meant. 
Where he stood Joseph was silent as finally he saw this was how it was planned to be,
that the smell and the dark and the dirt and the pain were not Joseph's mistake but God's choice once again: past midnight in Bethlehem, Joseph knew that men would be saved despite all they might do.
He could not control it. He did not understand.
He felt like a baby himself in God's hand.
He remembered the angel had said that his name would be Jesus, God saves."  
 
It is a beautiful picture of the confusion, chaos and uncertainty that occurs in times of crisis, which would be familiar in any family. And it's a reminder that God is at work even in the messiness of thwarted plans and unexpected situations. The helplessness felt by Joseph is reassuring to all of us when things aren't going so well.  We all pray for peace: peace in the world, peace in our own families, peace in our own hearts. As with every worthy desire, the holding of an idea is often easier than putting it into practice.  
 
The readings today remind us that peace indicates an absence of conflict, but peace does NOT promise an absence of differences. True peace does not necessarily indicate an absence of misunderstanding, nor does it deny opposing opinions. True peace implies holding contradictory or opposing forces in harmony. Perhaps such a definition might be more helpful when we seek the meaning of an "ideal community" or an "ideal marriage" and so on. We do not really mean uniformity, but rather, "two solitude's embracing," or unity, (a communion of differences that enrich others). 
 
Joseph and Mary have care and support for each other, their openness to God's will in their lives, and their dedication to supporting and assisting each other, as a family unit, and in their individual vocations in life is an inspiration for us all, and a wonderful model for every family and community. Is there really any family that can say of itself "we are perfectly average"? Each family is unique and has its own individual characteristics because it is made up of unique individuals.  
 
In the gospel -   Jesus is already wise beyond his years.... he is a smart kid and he quickly realises that 'being about his father's affairs' at this stage of his life means that he must go back with his family and respect and learn from his mother Mary and his step-father Joseph and grow as he learns from their wisdom and guidance.   
 
Mary realises that she must ponder and reflect and learn from Jesus and the events of his life, and prayerfully contemplate the meaning of his vocation, which is unique and special. We too must follow Mary in constantly reflecting on the meaning of Jesus' life and contemplating deeply and prayerfully on what Christ's life and actions mean for the events of our lives too. We must be brave. We must be open. We must be ready to have regular shifts of thinking and an attitude of openness and discipleship. 
 
The holy family's respect and openness to listen and learn from each other, to support each other in the calling each person has is important. We might all have plans and hopes for members of our family, but the best thing we can do, ultimately, is to listen and dialogue with them about the inner calling and vocation that each is uniquely called to search for and live out; and this might be a vocation or calling that is different from our hopes or expectations. In the end openness to God who is at work in the lives of each of us is the most important thing, and living and working with each other in respect and love.  
 
It is astounding that 2021 is now coming to a rapid close! Can you believe that it will soon be 2022? I pray that this new year will be a time of grace for all of us as we, with Mary, ponder and treasure the things that God is doing in our lives.  And May God grant us peace in our hearts and lives and give us open, prayerful and grateful hearts. 
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Fr Peter Dillon – homily
Feast of the Holy Family - Year C - 2021

The Church has chosen the first Sunday after Christmas to celebrate the feast of the Holy Family. This is a time of year when our focus is on that community who love us even though they mightn't like us all the time, our family, in all its complexity and wonder. We've probably celebrated with some of them around a meal table over the past few days and shared our deepest feeling for them, with the occasional argument thrown in. It is what families do because they feel safe with each other. At least that is the intention. For those who attended Church over Christmas, we have heard yet again the story of a family that overcame adversity to accept an enormous responsibility, of being the parent of the saviour of the world, without really knowing what it all might mean.

We can sometimes do a great disservice to the family of Jesus nativity if we forget that they too knew uncertainty and fragility. Where was their safety and security, where was their comfort at the very time when great care needs to be taken with the mother and child? The Holy Family at Bethlehem, reflects our own families, making contact again by looking more at our similarities than our differences.

                    
We could miss out on some of the richness of today's feast day if we assumed that the life of Mary, Joseph and Jesus was perfect, stress-free and idyllic. We over-romanticize the picture of Joseph lovingly teaching Jesus the carpenter's trade, or Mary teaching Jesus how to pray. Certainly, Jesus was born into a loving family, but it was a real community of people with all the inevitable conflicts and tensions and misunderstandings and hurt.

'Why have you done this to me and your father?' Mary rightly asks. His response seems to have about it all the offhand indifference of the self-centred adolescent: He replies, 'I must be busy about my Father's business' which comes close to sounding like "None of your business." By denying Joseph the title of Father, Jesus is beginning to own and assert his identity. His awareness of his identity as the Son of God is something he has not yet come to understand, he has not yet learned how to use his youthful experience compassionately.

Of course, when children grow up they have a way of branching out on their own. They want to be more than inheritors of tradition. They want to make their own mark. Sometimes parents can feel utterly bewildered and hurt by the direction their children take in life. In today's Gospel story Mary and Joseph became painfully aware that their son was not born to be a miniature reflection of themselves.

Luke tells us that Mary and Joseph did not understand what Jesus was talking about when they eventually found him. They did not comprehend the conflict that might arise from our two loyalties to God and family. The reality of that conflict will emerge only later in his ministry; here it is foreshadowed, and Luke softens the scene when he says that Jesus lives under the authority of Mary and Joseph and grows in wisdom and stature.
 
Later in life, Jesus begins to formulate his own values and preach his own vision, and he often comes into conflict with his own religious tradition.

  Even though Jesus seems insensitive about his parents' feelings, he is nevertheless providing a sharp check against any over-possessiveness. His more important task is to do the will of his Father. Despite the great value we Christians place on family life, we cannot make a god of it, thinking that the family is the only thing that matters. Family is not separate from our relationship with God and for us to fully appreciate its wonder, we must include God in it. We can become self-enclosed and self-engrossed as a family or community or parish that we fail to be aware of wider issues, of the will of God, the demands of justice, the needs of others. We can lose a sense of belonging to a wider family, the family of God, the human family. We can treat our families as if they were sects: we look after our own, never mind the rest of the world. And we can view our own particular religious family, our Church, with the same kind of sectarian exclusivity. Christ will not allow us to love only our own, to be concerned only about our own inner circle of those we know well and feel comfortable with. 


Today provides an opportunity to reflect on our families and our relationships with other members, with our wives or husbands, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. What contribution are we, as Christians, making to build a better society through building a better family? What do we see as our responsibilities towards each other member of our family? How can we follow more closely the example of the Holy Family of Nazareth?

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References:
Prologue - Fr Paul W. Kelly

Homily - Fr Peter Dillon 

Some ideas adapted from 'Sharing the Word through the Liturgical Year, by Gustavo Gutierrez.

Joseph and the shepherds. Written for the carol service at St John's, West Ealing in 1989.  Of course it is fairly certain that Jesus wasn't born in 0 AD (more likely sometime between 5BC and 2BC), and 0 AD doesn't actually exist as the calendar goes from 1 BC to 1 AD, and these days it's correct to call them 1 BCE and 1 CE, but hey, it's a poem. © Godfrey Rust,godfrey@wordsout.co.uk . See here for details of permissions for use.

Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. Item ID:505470880 -
Christmas religious nativity scene, Holy family abstract watercolour illustration Mary Joseph and Jesus in the starry night Contributor- Thoom

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The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary And Joseph. Year C
(Sunday)   (Episode: 341)

"How happy they who dwell in your house, O Lord."

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (or/ The Lord be with You)
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Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins,
and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
Lord Jesus, you are mighty God and Prince of peace. Lord have mercy//  You are Son of God and the Son of Mary. Christ have mercy// You are Word made flesh, the splendour of the Father. Lord have mercy.
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.  Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation

Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.

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Nativity of the Lord II

Euch Prayer II

Communion side.  pwk:  RH
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Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.

Archive of homilies and reflections:  http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email:  paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead:  https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:

"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

Roman Missal, 3rd edition, 2010, (ICEL)

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA.

"The Psalms" by The Grail - 1963, 2009.


Prayers of the Faithful - Robert Borg "Together we pray" - (1993).

St. Ralph Sherwin Gloria  - written and sung By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski.  2011 ccwatershed.org.

Christmas Hymn - "Word Made Flesh" by Paul W. Kelly. Based upon: John's Gospel 1:14; 1 John 4:9; & Isaiah 9:2, 6, 7. (Written on 8/5/20; 10/9/20).  Arranged and sung by Stefan Kelk, with adjusted lyrics.  2020. https://www.airgigs.com/user/stefankelk

Traditional hymns: performed by the Bobby Cole Chamber Choir, licensed via Shockwave-Sound.com   (https://www.shockwave-sound.com)

[Production - KER - 2021]

May God bless and keep you.

(Christmas) - The Feast of the Nativity of the Lord. Year C – 2021 (EPISODE: 340)

(Christmas) - The Feast of the Nativity of the Lord. Year C – 2021 (EPISODE:340)

 

"A Child is born for us!"

 

[The Readings for the Mass During the Night, aka "Midnight Mass" will be read at all Masses in this parish on Christmas Eve and Christmas day]

 

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

 

First Reading: Isaiah 9:1-7

Psalm 95:1-3. 11-13. "Today is born our saviour, Christ the Lord."

Second Reading: Titus 2:11-14

Gospel Acclamation: Luke 2:10-11. Alleluia, alleluia!. Good News and great joy to all the world: today is born our Saviour, Christ the Lord. Alleluia!

Gospel: Luke 2:1-14

 

Image: Shutterstock Licensed. ID: 345281795 - Hand drawn vector illustration with nativity scene. Baby jesus born in Bethlehem. -Important information   - Release information: Signed property release on file with Shutterstock, Inc. Formats EPS - 4000 × 2000 pixels • 33.9 × 16.9 cm • DPI 300 • JPG  - Contributor -

Halfpoint

 

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Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers, and reflections for the "The Feast of the Nativity of the Lord. Year C" - by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-christmas-2021-the-nativity-of-the-lord-jesus-christ-episode-340?si=919b4675da27404ea32e9227637f8dbf&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing   (EPISODE:340)

 

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Hello everyone and happy Christmas.

 

This Christmas Season is always such a beautiful time. We celebrate God who loved us so much that he pitched his tent with us and made his home with us forever… To share our joys and sorrows, our graces and temptations, our failures and successes.

 

Let us pray this Christmas for all the standards and ideals which Christ was born to establish; that they will take hold deeply in our hearts and in our world:  especially … peace, compassion, love, generosity, mercy, justice and so many more…Let us all rejoice in the Lord, for our Saviour has been born in the world. Today true peace has come down to us from heaven.   The word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen his glory!  

 

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It's always wonderful to look around – at mass (tonight/today) and as we travel around the community too, at Christmas time, and see the smiling faces of families and friends…(young and older)… and the smiles and the look of wonder on the faces of children -  It is such a special time!    And we think of special shared meals…  catch-ups….   And stories and laughter, and tears of joy….   and special contact made with those who are far away, but still very close to us in our hearts and minds….   

We can feel the peace, love and charity of God in a deep way at this time… 

(especially on this night/day)   and it inspires us to live that peace and kindness every single day of the coming year (and beyond)…

 

"Christmas belongs to children…  and the child within all of us….."  And the child within each of us is the Christ-child – Jesus – born this (night/day) -  This child was first born in Bethlehem on a bleak winters night – some two thousand years ago….    He is God made human…  who came to make us all brothers and sisters with him - in God's family. We are all one beloved family in Christ, who loves us beyond all telling. The child Jesus now abides deep in the hearts of each one of us– whatever age we are…   we're sons and daughters of God the Father, forever!  And God is dwelling in our hearts, lives and actions through the power of God's spirit of love. (CS)

 

As generations of Mothers and fathers have known throughout history….    When a baby's time has arrived to be born…   virtually nothing can stop that…   babies don't wait for perfect conditions, and peaceful settings before being born…    there are countless reports of babies being born in the back of cars on the way to the hospital,….    Babies have been born in the middle of blackouts or earthquakes….    Mother's have gone into labour in the middle of battle zones…..  world events big or small, international or local politics, -being far from home,  having nowhere to stay….   none of these things…  can halt the birth of a baby whose time has arrived. 

 

Even my own beloved father was born in Rose Bay, Sydney, on a very cold winter's night in 1942,(midway through world war II) …   as that same suburb was being shelled by an enemy submarine stationed in the ocean outside of Bondi.  -  Dad was born in a blackout, with air raid sirens blaring, and people moving to shelters, as several buildings around that suburb were being hit, most of the shells did not explode, some did. But his arrival was not waiting for anything. (years later, it was a source of great amazement and amusement to us when Dad later visited the hospital where he had been born, to find that it had been turned into a veterinary hospital, but at least it wasn't a stable.  Although he did grow up to be an excellent home-taught carpenter and handyman. 

 

But in any case…   just as the birth of any baby occurs ready or not, so too with God…   conflict, injustice, oppression, war, disaster, famine, poverty, violence, sin… none of this can impede the arrival of God into the world to help us. In fact, God has deliberately entered right into the middle of all this confusion and chaos – and will adapt and absorb all of it, into Christ's message and ministry of salvation! (Stuhlmler, p197) .  This is truly a miracle and a thing of great wonder and awe. 

 

In this Christmas gospel….   We are told that there was no room in the inn, for the Holy family.  Which is mind-boggling! 

Jesus, the King of all creation, and God the son, was born in a stable because there was no room for him anywhere else… No one had room for this baby and his loving family?         This is a powerful sign of things to come…..  "God's son has sought an entry into the over-crowded hearts and lives of people of every time and place; and he so often could not find room; and still he searches to find permanent living-room for him and his loving message in the "manger of our hearts and minds"….  --and his rejection—continues still. The only place where there was ultimately room made for Jesus during his life, was on a cross.  

 

We would expect that the most important person to ever be born…  the greatest king and Lord – should be born in somewhere special and royal…. And suitable..     But here, (quite deliberately in God's plan – this is no accident  in any of this) -   The first announcement of God's arrival among us, came to some shepherds. Shepherds were despised by the orthodox "so-called proper" people of those days. Shepherd were quite unable to keep the many fine details of religious law; and neither could they observe all the endless hand-washings and rules and regulations. Their flocks made far-too cmany demands on their time,. and so the orthodox looked down on them as being unclean and sinful. But, it was to simple shepherds of the fields such as these, that God's first royal message arrived.

 

Also, I had never realised this until now, but I read that these shepherds were in all likelihood shepherds with a very specialised task. ……. In the Jerusalem Temple, (every morning and evening), a pure and unblemished lamb was offered as the ancient, approved sacrifice to be offered to God. In order to ensure that the supply of perfect, spotless lambs was always  available, the Temple authorities had their own private sheep flocks; and it has been said  that these flocks were pastured near Bethlehem. It is most likely that these shepherds who heard the news of the angels, were in charge of the flocks from which the Temple offerings were chosen. Isn't it a lovely thought that the shepherds who looked after the Temple lambs, were the first to  meet Jesus… THE lamb of God  who takes away the sins of the all the world." (WB)

 

Also, another fact that is wonderful…..    In the culture of that time, when a child was born, the local musicians congregated at the house of the birth to greet him with simple, joyous, local music. Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem and therefore that ceremony could not be carried out. But God provided something much better….   It is a wonderful thought that the choirs of heaven took the place of the absent chorus of earthly voices, - and angels sang the songs for Jesus that the earthly singers could not sing. Shepherds and a few "waifs and strays" likely joined in with their humble voices too, to welcome the Holy one of God. And these voices would have been the best welcome in history. (WB)

 

This king's humble birth – (the greatest King ever)…    whom we celebrate today in the Christian faith, is God who is not to be found in fine palaces and dressed in soft robes; ….he is never one who would be out of touch with the realities, messiness and hardship of everyday life. Rather, this King… is one of us…. And he knows the life we live because, he too lived it too, and claimed no special advantage over ordinary people . This is indeed news of great joy.  (CS)

"

God doesn't just love us "just a little bit" – Tonight/today tells us that God loves us completely, and the message of Christmas (and in fact, the whole message of Jesus' life and ministry), is that God gives up everything to put his love into action, and be as close to us as possible, - as to be one of us!

 

God is absolute love – completely and deliberately choosing to be interested, involved, close to, and "actively-joining-in" on our lives. God categorically refuses to be aloof or distant. Our Lord constantly gets right "in-there" - into the messiness of life and never leaves us to muddle on alone. And that is wonderful beyond imagining!!

 

Christmas shows us the way God thinks and acts…. Jesus was born to SHOW us that God's ways are all about "down-to-earthness," real "approach-ability," nearness, care, practical compassion, mercy, justice, inclusing, humility and above all: involvement.

 

We remember today, the birthday of a person whose whole life, (from birth, ministry, death to resurrection), speaks of complete, generous, self-giving and love. And we want to imitate Jesus in all these things, In our lives too!

 

 

God's miraculous decision to join-in with us, and be with us, means that, "as a result, there is nothing too complex, too messy, or too vulnerable about our own lives into which God cannot or will not enter." 

 

A parishioner sent me a Chritmas message which had a fitting quote on it which she cherished..  it was one she and her late husband received a few years back and it made such an impression that it is quoted in Christmas greetings every year since then…  and rightly so….   It sums up this season….and this night/day…..

 

"May you have the joy of Christmas, which is Faith,

May you have the Spirit of Christmas, which is Peace,

May you have the Gladness of Christmas, which is Hope,

And the Heart of Christmas, ….which is Love"(A)

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References:

 

Fr Paul W. Kelly

 

(CS)= Fr Carroll Stuhlmueller CP – Biblical mediations for advent and Christmas season p194, 197ff.  

 

(WB)= " Luke's Gospel" - Barclay, William. 1975. The Daily Study Bible. Edinburgh: St Andrew Press.

 

FR RICHARD LEONARD, SJ. QUOTED IN "THE TABLET" PAGE 7, 15TH DECEMBER, 2018. TAKEN FROM REFLECTIONS IN "What Are We Waiting For? Finding Meaning in Advent & Christmas" Richard Leonard, SJ. Paulist Press New York / Mahwah, NJ. Copyright © 2014 by Richard Leonard, SJ. 

 

Iris and (the late) Ron Burnell, (Christmas Card)   (supplied).

 

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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au

To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com

 

To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.

https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

 

You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com

 

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:

 

"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

 

Roman Missal, 3rd edition, 2010, (ICEL)

 

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA.

 

 

"The Psalms" by The Grail - 1963, 2009.

Prayers of the Faithful - Robert Borg "Together we pray" - (1993).

 

St. Ralph Sherwin Gloria  - written and sung By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski.  2011 ccwatershed.org.

 

Christmas Hymn - "Word Made Flesh" by Paul W. Kelly. Based upon: John's Gospel 1:14,  1 John 4:9, & Isaiah 9:2, 6, 7.

(Written on 8/5/20; 10/9/20).  Arranged and sung by Stefan Kelk, with adjusted lyrics.  2020. https://www.airgigs.com/user/stefankelk

 

Traditional hymns:

O Holy Night (Vocal Duet),

Joy to the World (Choir), 

Away in a Manger (Choir), performed by the Bobby Cole Chamber Choir, licensed via Shockwave-Sound.com

( https://www.shockwave-sound.com)

 

[ Production - KER - 2021]

 

May God bless and keep you.

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The Feast of the Nativity of the Lord. Year C

 

(24-25^th December) (EPISODE:340)

 

 

 

The Lord be with you.

 

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On this Feast day of The Birth of Our Lord, Heaven has been joined to earth. God has become flesh and dwelt among us. A blessed, happy and peaceful Christmas to everyone.

 

Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins,

 

and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

 

Lord Jesus, you are mighty God and Prince of Peace. Lord have mercy//

 

You are Son of God and the Son of Mary. Christ have mercy//

 

You are Word made flesh, the splendour of the Father. Lord have mercy.

 

May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

 

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Memorial Acclamation

 

When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.

 

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Nativity I

 

Eucharistic Prayer II

 

Communion side. PWK: LH

 

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I pray that you have a truly blessed and joyous Christmas and that Our Lord's love and peace will completely fill your hearts and minds, and safe travelling to and from your destinations…

 

God bless.

 

Go, and announce the gospel of the lord.