Search
-
December 17, 2022Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.
As we end this third week of Advent, “the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham”, is a reminder that Jesus was fully human, while fully divine. Advent, one of my favorite seasons since I was a child growing up in Haiti, brings back memories of joyful expectations. My late parents – may they rest in peace – and my surviving siblings remain part of unforgettable images from the past. More recently, these memories were enriched with words of wisdom from my Dominican family. Meister Eckhart, a medieval German Dominican mystic, once asked: “What good is it to me if Mary gave birth to the Son of God [centuries] ago, if I do not also give birth to the Son of God in my time and culture?”
In their time and culture, holy women and men gave birth, and still give birth to Christ, present to the hundreds of millions of Christians praying, performing works of mercy in small sanctuaries not too different from the stable where Baby Jesus was born, in major basilicas, or in mission lands.
“Giving birth to Christ” is a lived experience of the larger Catholic community in the US, Mexico, Latin America and worldwide. “Las Posadas” (the Inns), celebrated mostly by Hispanic communities from December 16 until Christmas’ Eve, is an example of how neighbors can get together to “give birth to Christ”. Las Posadas commemorates the journey that Joseph and Mary made from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of a safe refuge where Mary could give birth to the Baby Jesus. Each evening, families go in groups to houses in their neighborhood. The visitors represent the Holy Family looking for hospitality. After an initial rejection, the residents of the houses visited will welcome the Holy Family when they find out that the pregnant Mary and Joseph need help. The tradition of “Las Posadas” challenges us to pay attention to the many pregnant women and families, including hundreds of thousands of homeless and so-called migrants, who yearn for peace and justice. Jesus and His Holy Family know firsthand about rejection. Like today’s migrants and homeless, they have “been there” some two thousand years ago. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, pray for more justice and peace worldwide! AMEN!
