REFLECTION Sunday´s Gospel

Feast of the Holy Family - Cycle A (26 Dec 2010)

Fr James McTavish, FMVD

Stay focused!

Christmas time is a busy one and many things are going on. With so many things on the agenda it is important not to lose focus. But this requires discipline. Now for many in the world of today discipline is a dirty word. Actually discipline is linked to the word disciple, and both have their roots in the Latin word ‘to learn’. As the book of Proverbs reminds us “Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks discipline” (Prov 25, 28). Discipline is not just about renouncement, punishment and becoming a Spartan. In fact it also speaks of spontaneity, creativity, openness – to be disciplined is also to be faithful to the Holy Spirit. The discipline here consists of being faithful to the inspirations of the good Spirit and discipline helps us to be focused. To renounce that which does not lead us to the goal. It is a refusal to be side-tracked or to be distracted. It is the way to fulfil goals and dreams. What a great gift to receive this Christmas – a Hi Fi, not the stereo system, but high fidelity to what we know we should do, and the discipline to remain focused.

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family - Mary, Joseph and the child Jesus. They have been full of Christmas joy when it seems that it is brought abruptly to a halt. The gospel of Matthew tells us that the magi departed and the angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream telling him ““Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him” (see Matthew 2, 13-15. 19-23). It is true that the birth of the child Jesus brings newness. Have you perceived the newness that he brings? If you look carefully you will see new things have happened in your family. Perhaps that person who was not a church goer has decided to come back or that relative who always seemed like Scrooge has had a conversion of heart! If we look into our own hearts we can spot the birth of the infant King in that new attitude, that new hope. But today’s gospel reminds us to be vigilant. Herod is after the baby Jesus!

Don’t think this is all just part of a quaint bible story. What is written is for us and for our salvation. Could it be that still today, over 2000 years later, Herod is still wanting to kill the child Jesus? Let us see. There are many Herods that threaten relationships in the family. Herods of pride, jealousy, ambition and keeping bad memories to name a few. These all threaten the peace and harmony within the family. One teenager we know in Manila told us that before her family lived in peace and harmony. They were quite poor but they had enough to get by on. The parents spent time with them and the kids went to school by jeepney (a type of small bus common here in Philippines). But now ten years on, the family business has grown. They have 3 cars and go to school with their driver. They do not see their parents as they are too busy making money. The teenager told us that for Christmas she would trade in all the money they have to go back to the family life they had before. Brothers and sisters, Herod is very real, don’t be naive! The Herod of ambition, of excessive desire for material wealth while others have nothing. That is why St Paul urges us all to put on the armour of Christ to defend ourselves - “Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do” (See Colossians 3, 12-21).

The Word of God is really a sword to fight the bad spirit. How important to spend time learning how to wield this sword. Last year I met a journalist who was so familiar with words but so lacking in knowledge of the Word of God. I think that was one reason why he was so sad. Knowing so many words but not THE Word leaves us many times speechless in front of our own problems and those of others. A strong relationship with Jesus, and sensitivity to the Spirit speaking through his Word helps us to know the will of the Father and to be vigilant against the attack of the Evil one. A good question to ask myself is what is the Herod that threatens my spiritual life? In third place I think is anxiety. Anxiety kills the Prince of Peace and let’s face it, many of our fears are irrational and ungrounded, (not all but some). In second place is being too busy like my friend the journalist who gave no time to prayer and consequently has a shallow faith. But perhaps our greatest lack is in not standing up to Herod.

In Shakespeare’s play ‘Julius Caesar’ we find the line “Coward dies a thousand deaths, the brave die but once.” We need to be brave and stand up to Herod! The Holy Spirit is bigger and tougher than the bad Spirit and could easily tap him out in a fight. But we need to listen to the prompts of the Holy Spirit and put them into practice. It requires discipline though and practice. Look at Joseph. He obeys promptly what the angel said and takes the child and his mother and flees. He does not wait until the soldiers arrive and then start complaining that to follow God’s plan is difficult. Instead ‘he walks while he has the light’ and sets of at night. In being prompt and obedient, he shows high fidelity to the Spirit.

Once the angel came to me and told me what to do. I did not do it and I suffered! We were doing some small renovations – making our laundry area in the back garden a bit better and more effiecint for the 12 missionaries now in our house. One concern I had was how the noise would affect our life of prayer. Instead of being faithful to this query I kept quiet. When the hammering was going on during prayer time it was nothing like the hammering I heard inside me! The bad spirit was enjoying so much and causing mini-havoc in me. I was not faithful to that small insinuation to dialogue. But look at Joseph. How did he know to take the child and flee? How could he recognize the voice of the Spirit as for sure there were other voices there telling him to stay put. His dilemma could be summarised by that song by the Clash “Should I stay or should I go now? If I stay there will be trouble, if I go it will be double.” How did Joseph know what to do? He had followed that voice before! He was a good disciple, disciplined and had learned to listen to the angel and obey – this was not the first time the angel had come to help him and it would not be the last. We can ask ourselves if there is anything outstanding the Lord has asked us to do and still we have not done it?

It is easy to stay at the level of inspiration. We need to pass from inspiration to perspiration! To putting it into practice. A resolution to “love the world more” makes us feel good but may not save anyone in particular. Our spiritual resolutions must be concrete. The angel tells Joseph to rise, take the child, flee and stay put. Joseph follows these exact steps. Part of our prayer is not just to be inspired. Hell is full of people with good inspirations they say! We need action, to put into practice what we understand in a very concrete way. And to carry out what we have prayed means that we need discipline and we need to stay focused.

Let us ask St Joseph in a special way for his same focus and dedication to take care of the child Jesus that has been born in us and in our families this Christmas. That we can learn how to listen to good inspirations and put them into practice. That families will not be naive to the threat of Herod today but by being faithful to the Holy Spirit can promptly put into practice the will of God being disciplined and staying focused in their mission to bring Jesus to the world. Amen.