January 4, 2011, Elizabeth Ann Seton

Reflection (The readings are below, for your reference)

Christina Rossetti wrote a beautiful poem that was matched with an Irish melody and recorded by Jars of Clay. The poem is here below. I thought of it when I read today’s scriptures. Love surely came down at Christmas … AGAIN! And it comes again today, and tomorrow and the next day after that. One of the (many) images of God that comes to mind is that of a parent who observes the kids once again misbehaving and says, “Do I have to come over there?” Because that’s exactly what God did … and does! God, who is love, came over here to show us a lesson! So every time I witness an example of God’s love in the actions or words of another person, whether it’s Mother Theresa, or Bono, or my neighbor across the street; every time I catch myself before I say the hurtful word; every time someone forgives me; every time anyone defends the afflicted, or saves the children of the poor, or reaches out to an enemy in a gesture of peace; each time one of these things (and a thousand others) happens, I know that love surely did come down at Christmas and we are learning the lesson!

What do you see in today’s readings?

Love came down at Christmas,

Love all lovely, Love Divine;

Love was born at Christmas,

Star and Angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,

Love Incarnate, Love Divine;

Worship we our Jesus:

But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,

Love shall be yours and love be mine,

Love to God and all men,

Love for plea and gift and sign.

The Readings

1 John 4:7-10

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God became human into the world so that we might live through God. In this is love, not that we loved God but that God loved us and became human to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Psalm 72:1-4,7-8

O God, with your judgment and with your justice, endow the leaders.

They shall govern your people with justice
   and your afflicted ones with righteousness.

The mountains will bring peace for the people,
   and the hills justice.

They shall defend the afflicted among the people,
   save the children of the poor,
   and crush the oppressor.

Virtue shall flower in their days,
   and world peace till the moon is no more.

May they rule from sea to sea,
   and from the river to the ends of the earth.

Their foes shall bow before them,
   and their enemies will lick the dust.

Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
   Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.

Mark 6:34-44

As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.’ But he answered them, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?’ And he said to them, ‘How many loaves have you? Go and see.’ When they had found out, they said, ‘Five, and two fish.’ Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand households.

With one exception, the readings are from the website below, with adjustments to make the text more inclusive. The Psalm is from Psalms Anew, St. Mary’s Press, 1986.

http://bible.oremus.org/