As preached by Sister Cecelia
Holy Wisdom Church
December 27th, 2020
1 Samuel 19:11-17, 2 Samuel 5:1-3; Matthew 2:19-23; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Christ is born! Glorify Him!
This week we have again seen
news reports of the lines of cars and people coming to receive boxes or bags of
food were amazingly long—stretching for miles. There are so many in real need.
The epistle this morning speaks of love as being the greatest, the only long-lasting
virtue or capacity we have. Think of how many are responding with love for so
much food to be available to fill this need.
There is also the man who
experienced many years ago the choice he had to make for his family of four—the
choice of which bill to pay. He lived in Florida, so he chose to not pay the
utility for heat. That was the year Florida had the coldest winter ever. Many
years later, he had made a success of his own business. Remembering his own
difficulties back then, when he had to choose which bills to pay, he contacted
several utilities and requested how much they would need for their customer’s
delinquent bills that would necessitate stopping their service. Imagine the
surprise when many families received a notice that their delinquent bill had
been paid by this man. Hearing of this man’s creative generosity, many others
are following in his footsteps and helping others in the same way in other locations.
These are just some of
the stories we have heard that epitomize for me the presence of the love that
God has put in our hearts. I have been amazed at the creativeness of the many
endeavors across the nation. Many commented on how much joy it gives them to be
able to help in so many ways. Then there are the medical personnel who feel joy
when their patients get better, but they are also facing sadness and sorrow when
so many succumb to their illnesses and die with their own loved ones not able
to even be present.
In today’s Gospel, we
hear that Joseph learned in a dream that it was now safe to take Mary and Jesus
back to Israel. While he was joyful about the ability to return home, he also
faced the fear and sadness of what could still happen, with Herod’s son Archelaus,
who was worse than his father, ruling the area. Witness the love that Joseph
had for Mary and Jesus and the faith and trust in God that he showed by
listening to his dreams. We don’t know what creative ways Joseph chose to care
for his family, but we do know they survived.
I recently read We Belong
to the Land, written by a Byzantine priest living in Palestine, Father
Elias Chacour. His family had lived in Palestine for umpteen generations. While
a lot of the book spoke of the extreme difficulties the native Palestinians have
experienced since Israel became a country, what I am amazed at is the creative
love Father Elias displayed over and over again, in bringing disparate groups
together.
When he was ordained, he was assigned to a
village that had not had a priest for some time. There was an elder of the
parish who let the young priest know he was not wanted and to go away. Since Father
Elias opted to stay, the elder showed him to his awful accommodations, gave him
no food, and for years made his life quite difficult.
In the village were members of his Byzantine
church, members of the Orthodox church, Muslims, atheists, communists, and
Jews. None of them spoke to or associated in a friendly manner with those in
the other groups, though they sometimes had to work together. After several
years, Father Elias’s creative ways with all the people in the village
eventually brought them together. Now there are daily examples of real
co-operation and love among all the different groups in the village and even
beyond. Father Elias realized that the Palestinians needed to have available
higher educational opportunities for them to ever get beyond their poverty
level. Overcoming many difficulties by his creative loving work, he has
fulfilled his dream to build a school for both high school and accredited
college levels for both Jewish and Palestinian youths together.
What have we been able to
do to help others? Many phone calls and zoom visits have been made just to give
those who are shut-in a chance to talk and know someone is thinking of them.
Creatively managing the safety precautions for the work areas so that our
businesses could keep going and our employees employed has been no small task. Making
extra donations to food banks does not take any creativity but is a work of
love.
Being creative in how we
show our love to those we live with or come into contact with—always at a
distance these days—is a gift of God that takes the same faith and trust that we
see in Joseph.
May we always remember
God’s love for us so that we may find our own ways to love in return.
Christ is born!
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