THE RESPONSE

A Response


They listen attentively
the people
just short of mesmerized
while the homilist
says such nice things,
decked out in pious clichés
and spiritual euphemisms.

They, the people, are as happy
as children with Christmas toys
nothing he says disturbs them;
their complacency is reinforced,
no need for metanoia here
in this architectural salute to God
Like the neighbors in the synagogue
they wonder at the homilist’s wisdom.

They sing hymns not robustly
like those in beer halls
but properly, placidly;
they bow their heads
at all the proper times
as well trained as fire
extinguishers on Pentecost;
everything is pious, comfortable, complacent.

Then one Sunday the homilist
looked up from his fastening notes,
startled at his own thin daring
and said:

“War is a curse
wasted lives, destroyed wounded.
Our brave soldiers don’t sacrifice their lives --
their lives are brutally taken from them.
We must work for peace
in the cause of the Prince of Peace,
peacemaking is not an option.


There is a rumbling stir of discomfiture.
Politics don’t belong in the pulpit.
This priest is a flaming liberal,
a rabble rouser, un-American.
Like the neighbors in the synagogue
they take offense at him.

We don’t have to listen
to this drivel, slobbering
out of a radical mouth
into the ears of a captive audience.

We want to hear about
nice things, pious things
not this verbal trash about
peace.
The next step from the pulpit
will be a protest march.

The collection baskets
passed with officious care
that Sunday
were empty.

A Christmas Meditation

CHRISTMAS MEDITATION 2006

Fr. T. Ronald Haney

Christmas is the time when we celebrate God becoming human. The mystery of the Incarnation.

In the little town of Bethlehem, away in the manger, a human baby was born who was the Son of God.

The problem is that too often in the popular imagination we zero in and remain in Jesus’ divinity. Jesus as God.

As a result, Jesus’ humanness is relegated into a corner of our consciousness like an old lamp.

But, Jesus is “like us in all things except sin.”

This means that Jesus had the exact same emotional reactions as we do.

Jesus experienced doubt, uncertainty, impatience, frustration, anger as well as joy, happiness, amazement, surprise, friendship, love.

Some examples: Jesus became frustrated with the thick-headed lack of understanding on the part of his disciples. “Oh you of little faith. How long will I put up with you?”

Jesus displayed anger in the Temple where he drove out the money-changers. ”My house is a house of prayer. You have made it a den of thieves.”

Jesus was amazed by the Centurion who begged him to cure his servant. “I have not found so great a faith in all of Israel.”

Jesus felt exhilarating joy with the children who came to him. “Let the little children come to me.”

Jesus knew doubt and uncertainty in the Garden of Olives. “If it be your will, let this chalice pass from me.”

Jesus had to dig deep to gain self-knowledge, to find his true self.

Jesus had to struggle to know what exactly his mission in life was.

Jesus’ emotions ran the gamut just as ours do.

The consciousness of Jesus’ humanness, his human emotions, can bring us into a closer relationship, a warmer friendship with Jesus.

Just knowing that Jesus experienced what we are going through enables us to feel greater intimacy with him.

When you ponder a gospel story, you need to meditate on that gospel story from the vantage point of Jesus’ humanness.

For example, in his encounter with the rich young man who finally walked away from Jesus, Jesus felt severe disappointment because he had looked upon that young man with love.

When many people walked away from Jesus after he promised his flesh to eat, Jesus felt loneliness and dismay.

Jesus is truly, fully human.

We have to enter into his emotional reactions to understand him more consciously, with more friendly love.

Jesus is the baby born on Christmas who grew into the man who said, “I call you my friends.”

We are Jesus’ friends. Jesus is our friend.

How often in your personal prayer, in the time after you receive Jesus in the Eucharist, how often do you begin your prayer with the words, “Jesus, my friend”?

If you think of Jesus exclusively as God, then all these human characteristics are wiped our.

And Christmas will be merely an emotional, sentimental tableau.