Luke 2 New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
Chapter 2
The Birth of Jesus. 1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. 2 This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. 9 The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. 10 The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:
14 “Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Comments
"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.”
It calls me into greater awareness of God in all things - to not look past the small and the ordinary - and to not just look but trust I will discover God.
Jeremiah 29:10-14 (NABRE)
10 For thus says the Lord: Only after seventy years have elapsed for Babylon will I deal with you and fulfill for you my promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the Lord—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope. 12 When you call me, and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. 13 When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart, 14 I will let you find me —oracle of the Lord—and I will change your lot; I will gather you together from all the nations and all the places to which I have banished you—oracle of the Lord—and bring you back to the place from which I have exiled you."
Luke 11:9-10 New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
9 “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Don't be hasty to elevate and assign too much meaning to big things. The world is contained in an atom.
All the people I look past. All the people I consider in-or less significant. Signifying. Dignifying. How often I can't/don't/won't see his dignity in each one. How easily I would have looked past him. Esteemed him not. Just like I do daily with not only those I don't know, but more significantly, those I do know. I esteem them not.
More fodder for
-To know truly who I am
-So I can take my sinful self to God
-So he can forgive me
-And I can experience the great mercy of God
Composting.
There is a song that always comes to mind when I think about the baby Jesus.
Be Born in Me (Mary) Francesca Battistelli
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsXOP7aQeqQ
This song is a prayer for me.
Chorus
Be born in me. Be born in me.
Trembling heart, somehow, I believe
That You chose me
I'll hold you in the beginning,
You will hold me in the end
Where is the baby Jesus in my life today?
Who is the small insignificant person that is manifesting Jesus in my life today?
This question is hard to answer in a concrete way.
One of my friends teases me that my Mac Pro is my baby Jesus.
My Mac Pro is almost always with me and I am very protective of my Mac Pro.
I am pretty sure that Fr. Mark had a different idea in mind.
I feel often that my insignificant work is to be present - to serve others humbly when opportunities arise. I am becoming comfortable with insignificance.
My ancestors are French Huguenots who settled among the Mennonites in the 1700s in Pennsylvania. My great grandparents left the Mennonite church to join the Charismatic movement during the early part of 20th century. Huguenots had a tradition of doing insignificant things to reflect their faith in Christ. A rural Huguenot community in France sheltered Jews during World War II. A French Jew, who settled in the US, made a movie as an act of gratitude for being sheltered by the Huguenots. Here is an article that reviews this movie “Weapons of the Spirit.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/weaponsofthespiritnrhinson_a0a92f.htm
In college I started reading about the Mennonites and reading their theology. I learned that a distant cousin was actually a leading Mennonite theologian. Mennonites theology advocates for living and doing good in an unassuming way -- “not letting the left hand know the good the right hand does.” I am working to embrace this way as a personal aspiration.