May 2009
Who better to represent this month of of mothers, but our Heavenly Mother Mary? She was the new Eve, the first creation since the fall to be conceived with out the stain of original sin. She was vessel of the Incarnate Word, the new Arc of the Covenant, and the beloved Mother of God. Our first mother, Eve, gave us temporal life after her initial disobedience to God. Mary, through her fiat, gave us the way to eternal life. She gave us her Son. Let us celebrate our mothers. Let us forgive each other and bring peace to the family table.
March 2009
In all of our scrambling to find just the right outfit for St. Patty’s Day on the 17th, many of us forget that two days away is the feastday of the foster father of our Lord and Savior. That’s right! This month’s pick for Saint of the Month is none other than St. Joseph.
St. Joseph was a man chosen from all men of all time to be betrothed to a young woman with a very special destiny. It was his singular responsibility to keep her and the Child safe from all harm, provide for them, care for them, and raise the Child in a way that would prepare Him for the riggers of His adult life. Oh, and he got one shot at doing it right. God only had one Son to send. No pressure…
St. Joseph rose to the occasion as the Father knew he would. He listened to the angel who visited him, and he followed directions to the letter. His obedience saved Mary from single-motherhood and saved baby Jesus from death by King Herod’s hand. He was content to live chastely. Whether he understood his wife’s role as Arc of the Convenent or not, he knew that this was God’s will for him and for her.
There is much speculation about the daily life of the Holy Family since there is no mention of Jesus’ childhood in Scripture. I like to believe it was peaceful, with Jesus eagerly learning new things through the muscle-memory of His human flesh. This fascination with mundane things must have been a source of amusement for His earthly parents. Perhaps even a few prayers of thanksgiving on the part of St. Joseph, “He’s a good boy, Lord, thank You for entrusting Him to me.”
February 2009
This month’s pick for Saint of the Month is St. John the Evangelist!
As we talk about February and little paper hearts, it is important to remember that love begins and ends with God. God created us in love, God sustains us in love, God sends us out to love as He loved us. That’s a whole lot of lovin’!
One of the meditations Stephen often goes back to is what it must have been like for John, the beloved apostle, to recline his head on Jesus at the Last Supper. To what extent would a person be changed if he listened to the heartbeat of God? To have that kind of intimacy with the Creator of the Universe must have been more profound than anything else before or after. It would have been at that moment that John knew he would never again be as he had once been. He was more.
John bore witness to the transfiguration. John stood at the foot of the Cross and was given charge of the well-being of the Mother of God. John was given the vision of Revelation. Is it any wonder that he didn’t begin his Gospel narrative with the beginning of Jesus’ ministry or the beginning of Jesus’ earthly life? He knew more. He was given insights no other being–with the possible exception of the Mother of God herself–had. He began his narrative at the beginning.
In the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with God and the WORD was God. And all things came to be through Him, and nothing came to be without Him…
So as we move through this month of love, let us remember the saint who was the first to show us God’s love.
January 2009
According to legend there were three wise men, Casper from Europe, Melchoir from Asia, and Balthazar from Africa, who watched the star from its rising, and recognized that it hailed the birth of the new King of Israel. In this time it was customary to pay the child homage and bring gifts appropriate for such a grand occasion.
The men set off from their homelands and met on the road to King Herod’s palace. Israel was unique in that the crown was not always passed from father to son. However, the palace was a good place to start. When they arrived and inquired, their news was met with dismay rather than great joy.
Herod’s advisors sent them East to Bethlehem. The King, not wanting to be replaced, told them go and return to him with the location,”…so that I too may do him damage–I mean homage .”
The three set off and found the Child with His mother in a house where they were residing. They presented their gifts of gold, frankencese and myrh. Though seemingly customary gifts: gold for His kingship, frankencence to offer in prayer, and myrh for the anointing, there is a darker side. Myrh is also used in the anoiting of the dead. Without knowing it, they were foreshadowing Jesus’ role in our world: He came to the poor, He came for the Gentiles, He was our King, He was our High Priest, He was our Sacrifice that we may be reconciled to the Father.
After their visit, an angel of the Lord appeared to them and warned them not to return to King Herod’s court, so they set out by a different way. As they traveled, they decided not to return to their homelands but instead to remain together and travel for the rest of their days.
Today they are entombed side by side in a church in Germany.
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