Dr. John Coleman was the President of the Haverford College in Pennsylvania. He also served as one on the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank. Recently, he stepped down for a time from those distinguished positions. He wanted to experience again what it to work with his hands and muscles. He tried his hands at digging ditches, working on his farm, collecting garbage and washing dishes. He learned again with brawn rather brain, to be employed, to be turned down because he had no particular skills and to work among strangers. He found his various jobs difficult and tiring. He was fired as a dish-washer. He was unemployed for a time. By these actual experiences, he found out what many human beings go through.
There is SOMEONE infinitely more distinguished and more influential than Dr. Coleman. His name is JESUS CHRIST. He is GOD, all knowing and all powerful. Remaining God; He became a MAN in the form of a tiny infant some thousand years ago. In a week time now we will celebrate his BIRTHDAY. To prepare for that joyous event we might think of the fact that He who is a TRUE GOD became a TRUE MAN.
In today’s Gospel, the genealogy of Jesus was written to give us a proof of his human origin. He is truly a GOD and a true MAN. In the early Church, some falsely thought that Jesus was GOD but not man, while others thought He was a MAN but not God. We have some people today who followed those false ways of thinking. Do we realize that Christ was truly human? And now, what is it means to be truly HUMAN? Consider these thoughts and learn:
1) Christ was born like BABY, like all of us. The Gospel is the proof of this.
2) Like us, He was a helpless infant. St. Joseph “took the child and his mother” and fled to Egypt to escape from Herod’s massacre of babies.
3) Christ grew up. “He advanced in wisdom, age and grace with God and man.
4) He suffered hunger. “When He had fasted...He was hungry.
5) He suffered thirst, as He cried out on the cross...”I thirst!”
6) He became tired and weary. “Jesus... being tired on his journey sat down on the well.”
7) He even suffered temptations by the devil: in the desert, in his agony in the garden, and in dying on the cross.
8) He cried over Jerusalem and at the tomb of Lazarus.
9) He died a painful and a cruel death. Indeed, Christ is the perfect human being. The more we are like Him, the more truly human we will be.
How often people who are unkind, impatient, and making a lot of mistakes, give this excuse. “Well, I guess I am only human.” Actually, they are not fully human. To be truly human, we must be kind, loving, patient and compassionate as Jesus was. Yes, a true MAN, the ideal MAN, the outstanding MAN of all time and history. May all of us think of this as we prepare for the birth of the HOLY INFANT who was true God and true man?
Basic Concept: Treasure. One of the most frequently asked questions in any stewardship program is “How much do we want to give?” The answer is Stewardship is not minimum giving; it is maximum giving. That means giving as much as we can, as often as we can, from the heart as a faith response because we are generous stewards who want to share our Time, Talent and Treasure with others.
In this 4th week of Advent we have two optional memorials of Saints Peter Canisius and John of Kanty. Winter also begins on the 21st. The most important date is the Vigil of Christmas. We have our Children’s Christmas Pageant and all the MASSES for Baby JESUS. Please be very generous in your Christmas giving to our Parish. This is all for now, watch for the next bulletin... MERRY CHRISMAS TO ONE AND ALL!
Your Priest-Servant and Parochial Administrator,
Fr. Reggie