The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . Hopefully everyone has enjoyed a wonderful Christmas amongst their friends, family, and loved ones. This year, due to the timing of Christmas Day, we have a Second Sunday of the Christmas season before we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany on Tuesday (Masses at the Sacred Heart 09.30 and 19.30). It may surprise some people to discover that we are still celebrating Christmas. Although some are still conscious of the tradition of taking down decorations on ‘Twelfth Night,’ for so many others Christmas more or less ends on Boxing Day, and in the shops Christmas decorations disappear rapidly after the 25th to make way for the sales posters. It can seem strange that the nativity scene is such a relatively small element of such displays, but in fact it illustrates an important point: ‘The Word became flesh and lived among us.’ The term translated in most bibles as ‘lived’ – or ‘dwelt’ in some older versions – has the literal meaning ‘pitched tent,’ or perhaps ‘encamped.’ ‘The Word became flesh and encamped among us!’ This reminds us of the tent which the Israelites carried with them in the wilderness, the tent in which the Lord dwelt; but there is a difference too. When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, the tent was at the centre of the community. It was also quite a ‘dangerous’ place, which only the ritually pure could enter. However, in our Christmas story the place where the Word chooses to enter and live among us is almost inconsequential; an animal shelter in a small town. One where lowly shepherds are welcome to enter, indeed are the first to witness this event. Yet though it may seem inconsequential, without it no crib scene would have any significance. The Holy Family in the stable may appear to be a small element, but in fact it is the reason for all the rest of the scene. The image of the tent also suggests the image of a journey. We’ve already mentioned the echoes of the journey of the Israelites in the wilderness, but we might also think of the travels of the Holy Family from Nazareth to Bethlehem, then to Egypt, and then back again to Nazareth. Journeys marked by worry and danger. Saint Luke’s account of the journey to Bethlehem places the Holy Family in a land controlled by an oppressive occupying force. Saint Matthew’s account of the flight into Egypt reminds us perhaps of the plight of contemporary refugees fleeing persecution.  The Word became flesh and encamped among us . . . . .

On Tuesday this week we celebrate the Epiphany a Holy Day of Obligation. The story of the Magi following the star to Bethlehem to find the baby Jesus is one of the most heartwarming parts of the Christmas story. The Greek word for the foreign visitors is best translated “magi” although in popular understanding they are sometimes called the “Three Kings” or the “Three Wise Men.” Whoever they were, they are an example to us of great courage and trust. They willingly left their home countries to travel for an unknown distance in search of a new born child they knew nothing about. They had packed expensive gifts (a dangerous even courageous act when traveling overland in those days) and met with the most powerful man in the country, King Herod, on their quest to find the baby.  When they found the baby in an unassuming little town in an ordinary family, their hearts told them they were in the right place and they were overjoyed. The humble surroundings didn’t stop them from worshiping the little child and then offering their lavish gifts to him. After that, they dared to listen to their dreams and defy the King, thereby protecting the vulnerable child. Probably none of what they did seemed rational to those around them, but because they followed an inner guidance, we still celebrate their journey today. Questions of the week  Do you know someone who has done something to follow his/her heart which seemed completely irrational at the time but turned out for good? Please share.  When have you followed your intuition or inner guidance or Holy Spirit even though it went against cultural or family norms? How did it bear fruit?

With the story of Jesus’ birth still fresh in our minds on this first Sunday after Christmas, the church uses the opportunity to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family with all of the readings focused on families. The Gospel readings are from Matthew this year, so the focus this week is on Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph. (When we read from the Gospel of Luke, the focus is on his mother, Mary.) If the story of Jesus’ birth warmed our hearts with its tale of the star over Bethlehem and the magi who travelled long distances to worship and bring him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, the story today takes a terrible turn. Mary and Joseph have no time to savour his birth or let the wonder of the magi’s visit sink in because suddenly their baby’s life is in danger. Like millions of refugees throughout history, they must flee their home country on short notice with just a vague sense of a distant destination. Because they trust the guidance the angel gave Joseph in a dream, they save their son’s life.  Tragically, however, many families lost sons to Herod’s cruelty when he ordered all baby boys killed in his efforts to kill Jesus. (These verses are omitted from the Gospel passage today.) So the Feast of the Holy Family is not “The Feast of the Perfect Family in a Perfect World.” The Church celebrates this family today because of Mary and Joseph’s willingness to say “yes” to raising God’s son, even though it brought them great fear, anxiety, uncertainty, and even anguish because of the evil one man, Herod, wreaked on so many families. They were a holy family, but they did not escape any challenges of being a human family. Questions of the week  Does it change anything for you to think about Jesus’ family in terms of being a refugee family like so many millions today and throughout history? How so?  Mary and Joseph changed course unexpectedly when they needed to in order to protect Jesus’ life. When have you had to change direction suddenly? Can you see the hand of God at work in that change?