Christmas Eve 2021: Bilingual Eucharist

 

Gaudete Sunday 2021, Bilingual Eucharist

 

All Saints Eve: Isaiah 25:6-9, Revelation 21:1-6a, John 11:32-44

 Isaiah 25:6-9

"...On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of

well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. And he will

destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread overall 

nations; He will swallow up death forever...."

What a contrast we see in the lessons we read this morning! Two realities unfold before us! 

One reality we are very familiar with! 

We live in it day to day! Oh yes there is friendship and beauty and fun and love…but there is also the unexpected, illness and sorrow and loss!  

The prophet Isaias describes our situation as  living life covered by a veil! He speaks of a shroud that covers the face of all people that darkens all the nations! There is a shadow that affects us and all creation!

 John in our lesson from Revelation asks one of the heavenly beings who the multitude of persons before the throne of God are! His answer is revealing! To at least one celestial being they are the same people who were living in great tribulation in a world of turmoil. 

Does that describe our world and sometimes our life?

 The gospel also illustrates his truth! It speaks to us of of a family that Christ had befriended and whom he loved, Mary Martha and their brother Lazarus, who quite unexpectedly seems to have fallen ill and dies!  

 NO surprise for us here! Specially in the last year we have lived with illness, upheaval, masks, vaccine, social distancing, isolation, lack, fear of death, the loss of loved ones and friends. 

Jesus himself said to his disciples, in this world you will have difficulties!  

John, 16:33 ~ I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation

 1 Peter 4:12 ~ Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you, 

In this world that is, in this present reality,  we now live and journey! Here we have to work, raise our families, here we fall in love, confront adversity, confront a pandemic, see success and disappointment, sometimes are beset by  fears. 

We must do so trusting every day in God, calling out to him in our time of distress, waiting for Him to answer our call, going to him with our questions, with our complains, when we face trials and do not understand, even as Mary and Martha do in our gospel lesson…!

The other reality we see in a vision of the Spirit! 

God speaks to the Apostle John and  has promised to make all things new, to set all things right!  there is no hunger or thirst , where there is no mourning or pain, no scorching heat and where the tears of all will be no more!

It is to God and to the peace and beauty of this place that we have
entrusted our loved ones who have departed this life. We no longer see them but still are united to them by love! Today as we remember them we pray that they delight in the presence of God, that their sorrows are healed, and that we will one day be together again! 

It is also the promise of Jesus to the grieving sisters in our gospel lesson. I am the resurrection and the life, those who believe in me will live even though they die…! And this one to his disciples, In my fathers house there are many rooms…I will go and prepare a place for you and I will come for you so you can be where I am!

 Between one reality and another we wander! We are people that are passing by, folks  looking for another place! Those who are immigrants have a sense of what that means…preparing to leave a place for another! we are folks that should understand impermanence, people who are citizens of  the nations yet also hold a citizenship in heaven.

 

Hebrews 13:14  For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come

 1 Peter 2:11   Dear friends, you are foreigners and strangers on this earth !

 We are GYPSIES We are nomads, we go to a permanent home with God! 

 THIS is the message of All Hallows and Hallowtide…don’t squander the gift of life, BE THE light in a world of darkness, understanding and reconciliation where there is conflict and hatred, a voice in favor of the week and the needy! WE need to remember, to be vessels for God, a home for his Spirit touched by his peace!  

Blessings

Seraph

 

Mark 9:30-37

Jesus and his disciples passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.

Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

Our text from St. Mark  leads us to consider and meditate upon some basic aspects of  our faith and what it means to be a Christian, First thing that comes to mind is:

PUPIL:

To be a disciple is to be a pupil,  a student one who learns from Jesus. 

Sometimes images like these pass us by as we read and think about scenes in Scripture which are full of  stories about Jesus preaching to the multitudes or healing the sick...yet here we find that Jesus is avoiding the crowds because he is teaching the disciples!

Here are a few other examples of this truth:

John 6:45:  "As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me"

Hebrews 5:8 " Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered"

 Daniel 5:21:   " The king was driven from human society. He was given the mind of a wild animal, and he lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he learned..." 

Hebrews 8:11 "Not one of them will have to teach another to know me, their Lord.' “All of them will know me, no matter who they are...." 

The Apostles were though to have been uneducated men but  in ACTS 13 it is noted that their confidence amazed their hearers and it was understood that they had been with Jesus, his disciples! 

We should never forget  that first and foremost we are called to be pupils...disciples of Christ. 

POWER  : 

Power, authority, seems to have been a big deal to the disciples! Several places in the gospel it states that they spoke about who among them would be first or most important. 

One time the mother of James and John came and asked Jesus that her sons would seat at his right and left hand! In this text, it seems the conversation had turned to an argument! I can imagine that: Peter saying I am the Rock! John remarking , he likes me better! Judas.well I am in charge of the money.....!   

Sometimes we think that simply coming to the gospel or perhaps attending church automatically frees us from the inner desire of domination...of being my own God, of being master, telling others how to live and what to do...! Here is a clear example of this issue which we all face....the pecking order! It happens at church, school and in our homes! We struggle to prevail in big and small ways! 

PERHAPS this is a reason why the apostle Paul, speaks to couples and to Christians, about the importance of being subject to God AND to one another for love of God.  

Jesus did not ignore this power struggle among his disciples! 

LUKE 22:25
"And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called 'Benefactors.' "But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant.…"

 Mark's word here for “servant” is diakonos. Though diakonos eventually evolves into the name for a distinct role in the Church (deacon), it was used in the ancient world for the kind of menial service usually done by slaves. 

The interesting thing is in their discussion about earthly preeminence, they missed the Lord teaching concerning real power, the power which would bring someone crucified back to life. and they were AFRAID TO ASK HIM. 

What is the real power of our faith? I can think of a few things; the power of humility, forgiveness, obedience, power to sear the voice of God, the power that transform, hatred into love, sorrow into joy, death into life eternal. POWER OF PRAYER AND SERVICE AND THANKSGIVING AND WORSHIP.

 PEOPLE: 

As they speak of power and position.....Jesus reminds them his message is about people, and he brings a child among them....! 

For us this is not shocking, children in our culture have a special place but it has not always been so, and definitely, it was not that way in the society where Jesus lived.  

The medieval Mediterranean theologian Thomas Aquinas taught that in a raging fire a husband was obliged to save his father first, then his mother, next his wife, and last of all his young child. When a famine came upon the land, children would be fed last, after the adults! 

The gospel is about God and about people! God's love for people, his death for people , his welcoming of people, his eating with people, his grieving with people , his feasting with people,,,,his defense of people, his prayers for people. Even those society deems as less important or unworthy, God loves and values! 

RELIGION THEY ALREADY HAD, TEMPLE , SACRIFICES, THE RITUALS, THE RULES....all this they knew!   THEY forgot that the gospel is about people!  

Blessings

Seraph