These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
At that time the officials of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, himself arrived at the city while his servants were besieging it. Then Jehoiachin, king of Judah, together with his mother, his ministers, officers, and functionaries, surrendered to the king of Babylon, who, in the eighth year of his reign, took him captive. And he carried off all the treasures of the temple of the LORD and those of the palace, and broke up all the gold utensils that Solomon, king of Israel, had provided in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had foretold. He deported all Jerusalem: all the officers and men of the army, ten thousand in number, and all the craftsmen and smiths. None were left among the people of the land except the poor. (2 Kgs 24:10-14)
I remember my first pilgrimage to Rome. I went to the Roman Forum and was captivated by the Arch of Titus which was erected after another sacking of Jerusalem, this time by the Roman army. The Arch has depictions of the triumphal parade award to Titus with soldiers carrying the vessels of the Jerusalem Temple to be deposited in the treasury of the Templo of Jupiter in Rome. A Jewish man was also viewing the Arch and turned and said to me in English: “This place is sacred to my people.” And I answered him, “It is also sacred to my people.”
The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name. (Is 49:1)
Sometimes we forget that the Lucan gospel begins with TWO annunciation stories and TWO nativities. Today, six months before Christmas, we celebrate the birth of John the Baptist, who prepared the way of the Lord. As Zechariah proclaims:
And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. (Lk 1:76-77)
Jesus said to his disciples: “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the Law and the Prophets.” (Mt 7:12)
I remember a Children’s Mass that was trying to explain the challenge that gospel writers faced. One of kids, playing the part of the gospel writer, asked, “Jesus said something about doing to others . . . but what was that last part?” One kid answered: “Jesus said: Do unto others BEFORE they do unto you.” Well, another kid answered, “No, he didn’t say that, he said, “Do unto others THEN they’ll do unto you.” Finally, one kid gets it right, “No, Jesus said, ‘Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.” Being a gospel writer had it’s challenges!
Jesus said to his disciples: “Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. (Mt 7:1-2)
We church people love to pass judgment on others. It just comes naturally. Perhaps that’s why Jesus had to spell it out for us: STOP JUDGING! And then to make sure we understood he added some of the most important words in the Scriptures: the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.
The picture today is of Mr Humphries from the Men's Department at Grace Brothers in the British comedy, Are You Being Served?. With good humor, Mr Humphries always made sure that everyone got measured.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Mt 10:29-31)
God's love is a providential love, God provides for all our needs . . . and we of little faith need reminding because sometimes we forget. It's like that old gospel hymn that Ethel Waters used to sing: ♫His eye is on the sparrow . . . and I know he watches me♫. Like a mother who tenderly cares for her child, like a father helping his child to take a first step . . . our God cares for us . . . and provides for all our needs. This God who like a loving parent will never, ever forget us.
