Gift of God Himself

“All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’”

Matthew 1:22-23

Merry Christmas, Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

What a great joy it is today, the day we remember and celebrate the gift of God Himself. God chose to take on human flesh to become one of us so that He can save us from death and eternal damnation. But God did not just choose to become man, He chose to do so in the most unbelievable of ways. Our God chose to enter into human history in the form an innocent, vulnerable baby. The King of kings and Lord of lords did not choose to be born into a rich ruling dynasty or in a warm palace, but rather into the family He had promised our forefathers — the line of David, a family as we know by the genealogy that included both good and bad kings — and in a stable, amidst the animals, a place that the world will not recognize as being a place of a king. Our God has come to be in solidarity with the people, from the least to the greatest.

God’s Kingdom is not restricted to nations, tribes, or languages. God came for all peoples. God came for YOU and for me. God came to give us the gift of Himself. This Christmas know that you are not alone and that no darkness can overcome you because Emmanuel, God with us, is here and that the Light of the World has come into the world to cast out the darkness that holds us back. We no longer need to be afraid or feel alone because our God has drawn close to us, entered into our world, and has made His dwelling among us. God has given to us the gift of Himself.

Merry Christmas!

A Gift Received and Given

“I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request. Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;
as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.”

1 Samuel 24:27-28

If you were to ask God for something for a very long time and He one day give it to you, what would you do? I imagine you would thank God, praise Him, and treasure and cherish this gift for which you have longed. But I guess if we take a closer look at the word “gift,” not only does it imply an initial giver and receiver, but the receiver in turn also becomes a giver. What am I trying to say? A gift in its truest sense is meant to be received, yes, but also given, even if we ourselves have longed for it.

It always moves my heart when I read or hear about Hannah’s story. Hannah ceaselessly prays for a son and when God grants her a son, Samuel, she gives thanks, praises and dedicates him to the Lord. After praying all that time for a son, she receives one and then she gives him back to the Lord. To some people Hannah might appear crazy or foolish, and at first she might appear so, but with time and through the lens of faith we come to see that Hannah truly embraced the gift of God, and in embracing it, she dedicated that gift to Him. All gifts are meant to be given, even if it has been given to us.

Hannah’s story can also be read with Mary’s. Both Hannah and Mary received the gift of a son, and they both praised God. If we look closely at the “Magnificat” of Mary, her song of praise, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord…” it looks very similar to Hannah’s “My heart exults in the Lord…” Both received the gift of a son, and both presented them and offered them to God. Only in giving did they truly receive. By dedicating her son to the Lord, Hannah and her husband were blessed with five more children (1 Sam. 2:21) and Samuel became a great prophet, and by Mary giving up her Son over to the will of God, we have received the forgiveness of sins, the gift of our salvation, and the hope of eternal life. When one gives what has been freely gifted to them, one will receive and gain more not simply for oneself but for others too.

What are some gifts the Lord has given to us? Have we been good stewards of them? Have we put them to good use? A gift is only a gift inasmuch as it is given. Are there any gifts or talents the Lord has given to me that I have used only for myself and not for others? May we this day ask the Lord to give us the grace and courage to offer up the many gifts He has given to us for the good of the people and for the greater glory of God.

Hannah Giving Her Son Samuel to the Priest, 1645, Jan Victors

The Ruler Who Comes to Us

“He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
and they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth;
he shall be peace.”

Micah 5:3-4a

In the first reading from Micah, we hear that this future coming leader in Israel will come from the least of the tribes of Judah, Bethlehem.  The Prophet describes this ruler “whose origin if from of old, from ancient times” (Mic 5:1). Who can this leader or ruler be, who is from of old? Certainly, no human being born in the future can be said to be from of old. This leader then must be of divine origin, who is eternal and from all times, including the ancient times. This leader must be God Himself. Although there is a promise of salvation and future leader, there will also be purification and destruction: “Therefore, the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, and the rest of his kindred shall return to the children of Israel” (5:2).  But when the time does come, this ruler will be a shepherd whose “greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth” (5:3). God does not promise to take away their pain and suffering (which really is self-inflicted) but will allow destruction to take place so that a renewal and restoration may come, one that will be ushered in with a remnant and a Messianic king who will be a ruler not just for the tribes of Judah, but for all peoples. We can see who this ruler is in the Gospel.  

In the Gospel passage (Luke 1:39-45), we are given the account of the Visitation where Mary, after being told she would bear the Son of God, goes to visit her cousin, Elizabeth in the hill country to a town of Judah. The Prophet Micah spoke of the Messianic king, the new ruler to come from among the least of the tribes of Judah, and here we see Mary, with the Son of God, going to a town of Judah. Moreover, Joseph, to whom Mary is betrothed is from the town of Bethlehem, from which the prophet Micah prophesied the new ruler would come. Mary’s journey with the child Jesus in her womb going to the town in Judah paints an image of God going to meet and save His people. However, for this encounter to take place, Mary and Jesus must be received. Not only did Elizabeth receive them, but the infant in her womb also received them, leaping for joy!  Perhaps, Elizabeth and Mary are part of the line of the remnant through which Jerusalem will be saved, restored, and renewed as prophesied by Micah. Elizabeth recognized that Mary was someone special, set apart by God for a particular mission, and so was the child in her womb. Furthermore, Elizabeth asked a very interesting and telling question, “And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me” (1:43)?  She recognized that the baby in Mary’s womb was no ordinary baby, she knew it was her Lord! The usage of the title, “Lord” by Luke also tells us something important since so far in the Gospel, “Lord” has only been used to refer to “Lord God” but now he uses it refer to Jesus. Moreover, the title, “Lord” is used in the Old Testament for the Davidic king, telling us that this child, as recognized by Elizabeth, is from the line of David. This Messianic king who Micah spoke of and of whom the first reading described is found in the baby in the womb of Mary, Jesus Christ. The people in the time of Micah were unfaithful to the covenant they made with the Lord, and so now Jesus has come to make a new covenant with the people of God, a covenant that is Himself, for the salvation of all and so that all may have new life. And the responsorial psalm echoes this sentiment, “Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved” (Ps 80:4).

Just as the prophet Micah spoke of the new leader in Israel, the Messiah will “stand firm and shepherd his flock,” (Mic 5:3a) so too in the responsorial psalm is the image of a shepherd given: “O shepherd of Israel, hearken, from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth. Rouse your power, and come to save us” (Ps 80:2-3). The psalmist goes on to implore the Lord to come down and save and protect His people. When we see how Jesus is the new covenant that comes to save all peoples and to give them life, our response can only echo that of the psalmist, “Then we will no more withdraw from you; give us new life, and we will call upon your name” (80:19).

Unlike the people at the time of Micah who broke the covenant with God and strayed away from Him and died, those who come to the Lord, Jesus Christ, who is the new and eternal covenant will never die. The new ruler in Israel, the Messianic King, and the Shepherd whose reach is the ends of the earth as prophesied by Micah is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is born of Mary.   

Will we like the psalmist today make the decision to withdraw from the Lord no more and so receive the new life He has come to give to us?