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From today’s Gospel reading, we can also see where parents’ true joys lie:  to watch their lineage blossom and grow and move out into the world to do great things in the Lord.  Zechariah was able to watch his son, John the Baptist, grow into a young man who could “turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.”  For those of us who are parents, we share in Zechariah’s joy when we see our children, or grandchildren or great-grandchildren, go out in the world and make a difference.

2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-11, 14a, 16

Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27+29

L uke 1:67-79 And his father Zechari'ah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, (68) "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people, (69) and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, (70) as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, (71) that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us; (72) to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant, (73) the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, (74) to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, (75) in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. (76) And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, (77) to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, (78) through the tender mercy of our God, when the day shall dawn upon us from on high (79) to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Meditation by Brian Kokensparger

D uring the Christmas season, and especially on Christmas Eve, I cannot help but think of family, and especially about how families “work.” I especially try to avoid comparing my family’s holiday traditions with those of others.

What works for my family does not necessarily work for yours.  Some families decorate their Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. Others decorate the tree weeks before. Others decorate no tree at all.  Others, I’m astonished to say, decorate a tree they have stolen out of a yard or a farmer’s field.  (Alas, growing up on a Christmas tree farm, I saw this happen a lot.)  We should always beware of characterizing a family as “close” or perhaps “dysfunctional” solely by observing their traditions. Because what we might see when observing a family from the outside might not be totally accurate.

In the first reading, for example, one looking upon King David’s splendor in contrast with the treatment of the Ark of the Covenant, might be led to believe that David no longer cared about his relationship with the Lord, that he no longer revered the Covenant.

Similarly, many of us struggle, especially during the holidays, with how we care for our families, especially our parents.  There can be much guilt associated with this struggle.  Should we be doing more for our parents?  Should we be visiting them more often, even though our busy lives do not yield to this very easily?  With a parent in a nursing home, we might wrestle with the question about bringing the parent into our own home.  If we determine that we cannot, is it out of selfishness or necessity?  All of these questions come to a head during the Christmas season.

Today’s readings have an answer, of course. (They always do.) In the first reading, the Lord reminds David through Nathan that He was the one who made David a great King in the first place. The Lord is “a father to him.” So who is David to worry about the Lord? The reading reminds us to always remember that we are products of our parents, of the families and circumstances into which we were born. Our parents had a very large role in making us who and what we are today. Should we therefore succumb to our guilty feelings and second-guess the life decisions we have made? Since our parents taught us how to make these life decisions, wouldn’t that be like second-guessing them?

From today’s Gospel reading, we can also see where parents’ true joys lie: to watch their lineage blossom and grow and move out into the world to do great things in the Lord. Zechariah was able to watch his son, John the Baptist, grow into a young man who could “turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.” For those of us who are parents, we share in Zechariah’s joy when we see our children, or grandchildren or great-grandchildren, go out in the world and make a difference.

So if we are feeling guilty about not doting over our parents, I believe today’s readings tell us to relax. We are simply doing what they taught us to do.

There are limits, of course. Everyone needs to have their basic needs met, and deserves to live out their senior years with dignity. This is not just a family issue, but a global one.  So if we are not doing what we can in this area, it is not just our parents we are letting down.

If we pity our parents and their current situation, perhaps it will help if we remember that it was they who built the world we are currently living in, and their greatest joy is to watch us build something even greater.

Supplementary Reading

Emmanuel, God with Us

Behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel — which, when translated, means, God with us – Matthew 1:23

In the Bible, Jesus has many names that identify His character. One of those names is Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” See, before Jesus came to the earth, the Spirit of God resided in the temple. People weren’t able to be connected with God the way we are able to connect with Him today. They had to go through all sorts of rituals to make themselves clean enough to go to the temple. Because of Jesus, we believers are now the temple of the Holy Spirit. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He is the one who cleanses us and makes His home in our hearts.

Isn’t it good to know that God is with us? He is closer than the very air we breathe. His peace is always with us. His joy is always with us. His power is always with us, and His victory is always with us. The next time you feel alone, remember, you are never alone because you serve Emmanuel — the God who is always with us!

Father in heaven, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus and choosing to make Your home in me. Thank You for filling me with Your peace and joy. I bless You today, knowing that You will never leave me nor forsake me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. – Joel & Victoria Osteen # # #

GOD BLESS US ALL!

O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU. – Bobot Apit

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