Cracking a Few Eggs

Feast of the Holy Innocents

Matthew 2:13-18

This is a tough one. The text is hard to read and appropriate.

King Herod versus the Magi.

Herod:

Works from his ego

His holding on to power motivates all

He looks and sees spies and threats and treason

The Magi:

Work from their humility

Their seeking motivates them to protect, honor, defend

‘You can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs”

Sounds innocent enough. 
But isn't it a capitulation?
  
The story in Matthew’s Gospel highlights raw power

and what happens when fear and envy and power go unchallenged.

What do I do with threats?

What do they bring out in me?

Violence?

Frozenness?

Courage?

I am warned and reminded…the unnoticed, the seemingly unimportant, the completely vulnerable, the innocent…

Not expendable…

Beloved.

  

Grace, the Surprise

THE SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD

CHRISTMAS

At the root of it all, isn’t Christmas about surprise?

How surprising that in such an un-extraordinary way God chose to enter the human situation…to know it from the inside.  It is WAY too particular for my comfort.  Why Mary?  Why Joseph?  Why Bethlehem for God’s sake!  Why Jesus?  Why a dirty stable, or hut in a field, or broken down garage?  Why?

SURPRISE! 

But after my (very un-poetic and unimaginative) questioning it might sink in.  When it comes to Christmas it is best if I bring along my ability to wonder, and my open and receptive body.

Last night I was reminded…in a BIG (albeit very small and quiet) way.
Her name is Grace.  And she is almost 5 years old.  She played Mary in our family’s traditional (and messy) rendition of the Lucan Christmas story.  But was Grace ‘playing’ Mary?  With imagination and wonderment, and openness, SURPRISE!  She WAS Mary.

After swaddling the hard ceramic Jesus in a bit of cloth, she laid him in the itchy manger and knelt there, gazing for an amount of time downright unnatural for a 5 year old!  Not moving.  Palpably pondering.  Still.  Focused.  With truly breathtaking openness, awe and wonder.  All twenty-six of us were surprised!  All twenty-six of us were gifted. 

So much to learn from the ‘little’ ones among us. 

Thank you Grace!
Thank you for reminding me just how surprising GOD AMONG US really is!

“Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart”  Luke 2:19

Pondering:

So quiet

Not rushed and anxious

Open

Patient

Heavy but not burdensome

To be more of a ‘pondering’ sort…not a bad thing to lean into;)

It's That Time

BERNARDIN FAMILY

LITURGY OF THE INCARNATION

(used with permission, St Meinrad Archabbey, Brother Martin, artist)

DECEMBER 24, 2017

Mary: Grace
Joseph: John Paul

Angel: Vince III

Shepherd: David with voice of Sam;)

Grumpy Innkeepers:

Sarah and Aaron

Andrew and Harley
Joseph & Theo

Opening Prayer

ALL SING:
Silent night, Holy night
 all is calm, all is bright
'
Round yon virgin, mother and child

Holy infant so, tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, Holy night
. Shepherds quake,
at the sight
.  Glories stream from heaven afar

Heavenly, hosts sing Hallelujah.

Christ the Savior is born,
 Christ the Savior is born.

Reader 1 - Nina:
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled.  So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.  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, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child.

(Mary and Joseph, arrive in town and seek a place to stay, knocking on doors asking for room a la Bernardin tradition…Grumpy innkeepers respond with various degrees  of disinterest and intolerance)

Reader 1 –continues:
There 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.
(shepherds approach)

Reader 2 – Margaret:

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock.  The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great awe.

(Angel stands over the child with arms raised in praise)
The angel said to them,
(Angel reads his/her line)
“Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 
For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

Reader 2 – continues:
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the Angel, praising God and saying:

All:  Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.

All Sing:
Angels we have heard on high
sweetly singing o’er the plains
and the mountains in reply
Echo back their joyous strains.
            Gloria in excelsis Deo!
            Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your Joyous strains prolong?
Say what may the tidings be
which inspire the heav’nly song.  (refrain)
            Come to Bethlehem and see
            Him whose birth the angels sing;
            Come , adore on bended knee
            Christ the Lord, the newborn King.  (refrain)
See him in a manger laid
Whom the angels praise above;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
While we raise our hearts in love.  (refrain)

Reader 3 – Sam: 
When the angels went away from them to heaven, the
shepherds said to one another, 
(Shepherds have their moment)
Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.

Reader 3 continues:
So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.  When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child.  All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds.

All:
…And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.

Intercessory Prayer

ALL SING

Silent night, Holy night
.
Son of God, love's pure light

Radiant beams from thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord at thy birth,
 Jesus, Lord at thy birth.

Silent night, Holy night 
All is calm, all is bright
'
Round yon virgin , mother and child

Holy infant so, tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace.

GOD BLESS US...ONE AND ALL!