December 15
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Some Thoughts on the Liturgy “LOVE OF NEIGHBOR” SPIRITUALITY+ There was a parish mission in one of the affluent parishes in a major metropolitan area - the mission speaker asked a question: “What are the basics of Christian spirituality?” - I’ll give you the basics, he went on to say, and they are happening right in front of your eyes - he referred to an article in their local paper a couple of days before - an elderly person went each day to the newspaper box on the corner - she placed her money in the slot, opened the door, and took all of the papers - finally she was caught - the charge was that she was stealing the papers and then selling them - but when the authorities found the whole story, she was acquitted - the story was that she had very little money and she had been taking the newspapers back to her home to use as fuel - she said that she wanted to be warm at least a few minutes a day during that particular cold spell - he challenged the parish and said: “Before we can even talk spirituality in this church, we have to do something about the basics of living as Christians in the world.” - the parish went on to give a large amount of money to the surrounding shelters that year + John the Baptist is asked a question in the Gospel today by those he was baptizing—similar to that question of the parish mission speaker - what should they do to gain eternal life? - he answers it in two parts - the first part is what might be called “the love of neighbor spirituality” - give away some of your extra coats - give some of the food you enjoy to someone else - don’t cheat anybody - don’t talk of others in a bad way - don’t steal from others - and only after that, does he talk about “the love of God spirituality”, that is, the importance of Jesus, the importance of Baptism, and the threat of hell - the pattern toward a better spiritual life from John the Baptist’s point of view is: take care of “the love of neighbor spirituality” first and “the love of God spirituality” will be much easier and will follow naturally + I think that this is very important because it touches part of our spiritual problem - we have a tendency to love God first, and think that that is enough - we have a tendency to think that going to Church is more important than loving our neighbor - because it is so much easier - and actually it gives rise to contradiction: - for example, a person can go to Mass every Sunday and at the same time be people who have an angry attitude toward life - or a person can go to Communion, even every day, and at the same time refuse to keep her/his mouth shut about other people in town or in the parish in a negative way - I think that we often get caught up in “the love of God spirituality” and forget to start with “the love of neighbor spirituality” - the fact is that we can’t achieve a closeness to God without first of all, achieving a real love of our neighbor + The primary part of that “love of neighbor” spirituality for most Americans is the basic love of a husband for a wife and vice-versa, a wife for her husband - if we are married, this weekend is a good weekend to ask ourselves about how we are treating our spouse - or we should look at our families and extended families, and ask the question of whether we are treating everyone with the respect they deserve - or look at the circle in which we most associate, and ask the same question—are we treating them with the respect they deserve? + In the second reading, Paul gives the formula for a spiritual person - he mentions prayer as one would suspect—talking to God is extremely important in the spiritual life—but BEFORE he mentions it, he says: “Your kindness should be known to all.” - as John the Baptist, he gives them “the love of neighbor spirituality” first, and only then does he talk about prayer and the “love of God spirituality” - it is an important lesson for us to learn. |
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MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: "Bang!" -- AJR TIME TO GROW |
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The Gospel |
LUKE 2:39-40 |
LUKE 2:39-40
When Mary and Joseph had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child Jesus grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
Gospelthink: I grew into adulthood finding favor with God. Jesus's growth is an example to imitate for me.
"I get up, I get down and I'm jumpin' around. And the rumpus and ruckus are comfortable now. Been a hell of a ride but I'm thinkin' it's time to grow (bang! bang! bang!) So I got an apartment across from the park, put quinoa in my fridge, still I'm not feelin' grown. Been a hell of a ride but I'm thinkin' it's time to go (bang! bang! bang!) Here we go."
It is axiomatic in our age that
the role of parents in their children’s lives is of the highest
importance. If the parents of a child are responsible,
showing that they are capable of providing education and direction
to their children, the child will grow up well. In fact,
psychologists suggest that children who grow up in a healthy
environment will turn out to be mentally healthy adults.
If
anyone would have asked Joseph or Mary whether they felt that they
had provided a “healthy environment” for Jesus, they probably
would have said “no” because of the severe circumstances in
which the family grew up. But the Scriptures attest that
Joseph and Mary did provide a healthy environment when they
finally could settle at home. In that environment Jesus was able
to become strong and be filled with wisdom.
Wisdom is
not exactly the operating word as the group AJR describe the
growth of the adolescent in their song "Bang!" It
is, as they wrote about the song, a time to feel "weird."
In explanation they said about the song, "It is about the
weird middle ground between being a kid and becoming an adult: a
time when we're doing all the things adults are supposed to do,
but we don't yet feel grown up. The fact is, adulthood is bound to
hit us at some point, so the plan we made in the song is to 'go
out with a bang'."
The word "wisdom"
should be the word used as an adolescent grows into maturity. The
evangelist Luke used it to describe how Jesus grew. It implies
that the young person will indeed feel the anxiety of becoming an
adult--when they are supposed to do the things adults do, but they
do not want to. But to make this world be a better place, it is
exactly what the young person must do--give up the things of
"children" (even if the person leaves with a bang) and
become an adult who is aware of what must happen in their adult
lives.
As Jesus, that adulthood can be described as
"finding favor with God." It means as St, Paul described
to the Galatians, putting on the virtues of "love, joy,
peace, patience, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). it is not easy, of course,
and our human natures rebel against it, but it is what a Christian
is called to do.
PRAYER
Good and gracious God, you have called us to imitate Your Son as we continue to grow into maturity. Give us the grace to leave the selfishness of youth, and embrace the adulthood that You want us to have. Be with us, we pray.
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GUIDE FOR
CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT
Theme:
Like it or not, we must grow up, and with maturity.
DISCUSSION
QUESTIONS:
1. What
does the song "Bang!" teach young people?
2. What
are the characteristics of maturity?
3. What is quinoa and
why is it important in the song?
4. What makes up a "healthy
environment" for young people to grow?
5. Give your own
definition of "wisdom."
6. Studying the
virtues mentioned from the letter to the Galatians, what is the
most difficult to attain and why?
©2007
Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr.
Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin
Province of Mid-America