Beloved Family:
Hong Kong Flu, the mumps…This does not quite qualify as a “litany,” but it represents a couple specific maladies which I have experienced at Christmas, over the course of my life. The flu was a “gift” my parents brought home from a December wedding. I was in Kindergarten, and it landed me in bed for several days. While I missed the school party, I recall that my brothers and sisters spent their change to put together a care package that actually surpassed what I would have taken in had I been present at school.
That memory has been revived for me like an annual Christmas movie. This has been a humbling and moving couple of weeks. Obviously, many people are dealing with “the miseries” of various kinds, a term used by Fr. John Carlin, my pastor at my second assignment in Parma. I am in solidarity with them!
I say humbling because I usually go at a particular clip with the preparations for the season of Nativity. This year, however, I needed to accept a good deal more direct assistance than usual. This is a very important lesson, after all.
I consider it very moving because of the spirit of the many who came to the fore to accomplish tasks and contribute to making the church beautiful and the liturgies so prayerful. Of course, that is not unusual. It is the character of the community of Saint Mary. It simply happens that on this occasion, I was vividly reminded by the Lord of the importance of acknowledging limits and, echoing the thoughts of a Jesuit priest with a regular podcast, “giving myself permission not to get it all done!” What a manifestation of the love and compassion made flesh in Christ Jesus and intended for us to imitate, as his disciples.
Speaking of manifestations, of course this is the meaning of Epiphany which we celebrate this weekend. The following comes from a sermon of Pope Saint Leo the Great, which I hope will serve as a fitting reflection on this occasion:
After celebrating but lately the day on which immaculate virginity brought forth the Saviour of mankind, the venerable feast of the Epiphany, dearly beloved, gives us continuance of joy, that the force of our exultation and the fervour of our faith may not grow cool, in the midst of neighbouring and kindred mysteries. For it concerns all men's salvation, that the infancy of the Mediator between God and men was already manifested to the whole world, while He was still detained in the tiny town. For although He had chosen the Israelitish nation, and one family out of that nation, from whom to assume the nature of all mankind, yet He was unwilling that the early days of His birth should be concealed within the narrow limits of His mother's home: but desired to be soon recognized by all, seeing that He deigned to be born for all. To three wise men, therefore, appeared a star of new splendour in the region of the East, which, being brighter and fairer than the other stars, might easily attract the eyes and minds of those that looked on it, so that at once that might be observed not to be meaningless, which had so unusual an appearance. He therefore who gave the sign, gave to the beholders understanding of it, and caused inquiry to be made about that, of which He had thus caused understanding, and after inquiry made, offered Himself to be found. Sermon 31, On the Feast of Epiphany
Let His Peace be with You,
Fr. Stephen
