4th Sunday of Advent

The Hands that First Held Mary’s Child

Every year I look forward to this fourth Sunday of Advent. The readings finally bring us closer to the mystery of God being born among us. Some years there are only one or two days of preparation for the Great Feast. Very rarely do we have the opportunity to enjoy the full week of expectation.

On Friday of Week Three we began reading the account of the birth of Jesus according to St. Luke. That day we heard of the plight of Zechariah and Elizabeth as the angel announced they would birth a child in their old age. Luke continues in the Saturday reading announcing that Mary of Nazareth will also conceive – a child who will be holy and called the Son of God. There is a hint her of the man Joseph to whom she was engaged. Now, here we come to the Fourth Sunday of Advent, with a return to the gospel of Matthew and who do we find – a sleeping Joseph! The angel appears and settles Joseph’s concern about publicly dismissing the pregnant Mary. Joseph awakes from his sleep and takes Mary as his wife.

There is such a burst of surprise, wonder and awe in these birthing announcements. Frequently my prayer focuses on the feelings Elizabeth and Mary experienced in facing these wondrous events. More recently my thoughts are turning to Zechariah and Joseph in the midst of their struggles to believe. I share with you a hymn I have grown to love. Perhaps it will also help you move into the human reality of this mystery. Thomas Troeger the hymn text writer muses on what Joseph as man, as father may have felt, feelings that well-up as he cradles the child, as he is overwhelmed by the dream memory, as he gently holds the tiny form in his palms.

The tune that is suggested for this hymn text is RESIGNATION. You can find that in most hymn books. In Catholic Book of Worship III it is number 538.

 -Sister Loretta Manzara, CSJ

The Hands that First Held Mary’s Child

1.      The hands that first held Mary’s child

Were hard from working wood,

            From boards they sawed and planed and filed

            And splinters they withstood.

            This day they gripped no tool of steel,

            They drove no iron nail,

            But cradled from the head to heel

            Our Lord, newborn and frail.

 

2.      When Joseph marveled at the size

Of that small breathing frame,

            And gazed upon those bright new eyes

            And spoke the infant’s name,

            The angel’s words he once had dreamed

            Poured down from heaven’s height,

            And like the host of stars that beamed

            Blessed earth with welcome light.

 

3.      “This child shall be Emmanuel,

Not God upon the throne,

            But God with us, Emmanuel,

            As close as blood and bone.”

            The tiny form in Joseph’s palms

            Confirmed what he had heard,

            And from his heart rose hymns and psalms

            For heaven’s human word.

 

4.      The tools which Joseph laid aside

A mob would later lift

            And use with anger, fear, and pride

            To crucify God’s gift.

            Let us, O Lord, not only hold

            The Child who’s born today,

            But charged with faith may we be bold

            To follow in his way.

Text: Thomas H. Troeger, b.1945, © 1985, Oxford University Press

Reprinted under OneLicense #A-711091

Image: ian borg/Unsplash

The Third Sunday of Advent

The Responsorial Psalm for the liturgy of the Third Sunday of Advent carries the theme for the day.  In fact, Psalm 146 outlines the reason for this holy season because we are promised one who will teach us about the transformation of all the ills of a society.  Today, more than ever we need to cry out again and again, “Lord, come and save us.”

Psalm 146 (7-10)

“It is the Lord who keeps faith forever,

Who executes justice for the oppressed;

Who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free.

The Lord opens the eyes of the blind

And lifts up those who are bowed down;

The Lord loves the righteous

And watches over the strangers.

The Lord upholds the orphan and the widow,

But the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

The Lord will reign forever,

Your God, O Zion, for all generations.”

Lord, come and save us.

-Sister Elaine Cole, CSJ

Image: Vidar Nordli-Mathisen/Unsplash

Psalm 146 is a powerful declaration of God's character and compassionate actions, emphasizing His faithfulness, justice for the oppressed, provision for the hungry, liberation for prisoners, healing for the blind, support for the weak, love for the righteous, protection for foreigners, and care for the vulnerable (widows/orphans), concluding with His eternal reign and a call to praise Him. (AI Summary)

Standing in More Than One Place

Standing in More Than One Place — at the same time.

In 2009, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie presented a TED talk that made the rounds in social media. It was called The Danger of a Single Story and reflected on how seeing from only one point of view or from one cultural context creates a very distorted story of the whole. Certainly, the work of the Truth and Reconciliation experience or Black Lives Matter or the Feminist movements agree with Ngozi Adichie.

There is also its opposite which might be called the Challenge of Holding More than One Story at the Same Time.

Enter 45 year old Mandy Gull-Masty who is the current Minister of Indigenous Services in Canada.

She was elected Deputy Chief of the Cree Nation of Waswanipi during which time she held portfolios in finance, housing, mining and administration.

In 2017, she was elected Deputy Grand Chief of the Cree Nation government.

By 2021, she became the first woman elected as Grand Chief of Grand Council of Cree Nation government representing Cree People in Northern Quebec. During this time she expanded protected lands, advanced a moose conservation initiative, revitalised Cree language and culture as well as promoted transparent governance and economic planning.

Naming all these positions, lets us see clearly that she is well rooted in the story of indigenous history.

In what seems like a sharp turn in the road, she is now part of the liberal caucus that is negotiating an oil pipeline. Many, though not all, indigenous leaders are opposed to such a move.

Ms. Gull-Masty, from indications so far, is a grounded, astute and very articulate leader. Is she perhaps a newer generation of leader learning how to navigate the complexity of more than one story at a time? Is she perhaps a leader who will find a path toward integrity each step of the way?

The building of a new pipeline is not a given yet. The most interesting part now are the conversations, the various points of view, the engagement that is hopefully authentic. It is simply not clear where it will all land.

I for one will be cheering for Ms. Gull-Masty in all the twists and turns yet to come.

 -Sister Margo Ritchie, csj

Image: Javier Allegue Barros/Unsplash