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Angel Songs & the Star of Wonder: Christ is Born Today by The Rev. Joyce Stickney No matter what, every year Christmas comes. Thank God! As we pass over into winter, Advent begins, bringing with it a mix of enthusiasm and dread. As nights lengthen and the cold intensifies, our religious tradition guides us to keep things plain and untinseled. We take our cue from nature, contrary to the commercial world, where a simplicity sets in after the harvest. A season of silence attunes the ear to hear angel songs. A season of darkness adapts the eye to see once again that star of wonder. At this time of year the church pays extra heed to Israel's prophets. They spoke to a people like ourselves, at risk of being crippled by their fears, of lapsing into despair, of being overwhelmed by the work required to fix problems. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Mary, John the Baptist, and Jesus together announce the coming of God's reign of justice. God's reign they say will be like a wedding, like a path through the wilderness, like the consolation of the grieving, like a homecoming… also, like the birth of a child. At Christmas, on our credenza at home, we set up a small stable with figures of people and animals. It's not something we do the rest of the year, but we do it at Christmas as a tradition - one that teaches and retells a story we want to hear and tell over and over -- the story of Christ's birth. Legends say that St. Francis of Assisi set up the first nativity scene. His version had live animals. In Francis's day (similar to our own), Christians and Muslims were battling for control of the Holy Land, including the town of Bethlehem. The fighting distressed Francis. He decided to set up a "Bethlehem" in his own town to remind us that every corner of the good earth is already a holy land. All the earth is sacred. When we are inspired to make a pilgrimage to Bethlehem we need travel no farther than our own city, our own home, our own heart. As Christmas approaches and conflict and violence continue in the Middle East and throughout our world, we are stretched to believe that when we sing "Christ is born today", we proclaim TODAY, not centuries ago. This is a bold claim anchored in hope. It means that suddenly there's a child to care for, to feed, to clothe, to keep safe and warm, and this child is Christ the Lord, right here and now - coming into the midst of everything; our fears, `unreadiness', and strife. There is no perfect situation or time in which to celebrate Christmas and Christ's birth. Over 2000 years ago a baby boy was born in a stable in the midst of a broken people and conflict throughout the land…yet the angels sang, the stars shown, the people visited, and the world rejoiced. This continues to be true today. Christ is born among us as we care for our neighbors, open our doors in friendship, show hospitality, feed those who are hungry, shelter the homeless, visit those who are sick or in prison, and love one another. As it was centuries ago, the world and our lives are in desperate need of Jesus' birth and his salvation. While Christmas is nearing may we be quiet enough to hear the angel songs and may our eyes be focused enough to see the star of wonder as we journey to the crib side and rejoice together in our savior's birth. Please come celebrate Christ's birth with us: Dec. 24, 2004 5:30 Children's Mass and Midnight Mass at 10:30 p.m.
Copyright © 2004 St. Augustine by-the-Sea
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