She Gave Birth to Her Firstborn Son
Fr. Martin and his traveling companion Fr. George begin the
next phase of their pilgrimage with a half hour bus ride from Jerusalem
to Bethlehem . Then a local cab driver shepherds them around
the various sites on their to-do list as well as one that they never heard
of. Such is the adventurous nature of
travel. The off itinerary stops and
contact with the local residents are often the most rewarding experiences. Fr. Martin comments that the visit to the
Church of the Nativity, venerated for millennia as the site of Jesus’ birth,
left him disappointed in that the crowd of tourists left him unable to enter
into any meaningful prayer. A problem
solved by the peace and solitude at his next unexpected stop.
In the course of this short chapter on Bethlehem Fr. Martin
offers us two useful meditations. The
physical constraint of the doorway requires that one enter the Church of the
Nativity on one’s knees. This leads him
to a reflection on the value of humility in our spiritual lives. His thoughts echo the ancient desert masters
from the first centuries of Christianity.
Those holy men and women considered humility as the mother of all
Christian virtues. Fr. Martin reminds us of the fundamental grace of salvation
history, God’s taking on our humanity so that we might have a share in his
divinity.
His second reflection centers on the persons of Mary and
Joseph as human beings who love and trust in God and each other, but were
likely to still be confused and fearful of an unknown future. There is much here for each of us to think
about, especially those of us who are parents, in Fr. Martin’s speculative
meditation on Mary and Joseph.
Questions to Ponder
- How have we responded to fear and confusion in our lives? Are we comfortable in putting our trust in God or is it something we need to constantly work on?
- A truly humble person is one who is proud of the gifts God has given them and recognizes that they are to be put in the service of others. They also recognize the God given gifts, talents and dignity of others as being equal to their own. How can reflecting on the hidden life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph help us grow in the proper understanding of the Virtue of Humility?
- Fr.
Martin comments that others had advised him that a trip to
Deacon Michael McKenna
Rick Steeves visits modern-day Bethlehem
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Father Martin and Father George were fortunate to visit Bethlehem when they did. The news currently brings us sad images of escalating violence in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, with locals throwing rocks and the police countering with tear gas. One wonders if there will ever be a lasting peace for the people who live in the birthplace of the Prince of Peace.
ReplyDeleteIn the chapter, Father Martin reminds us that a visitor has to bend low to enter the Church of the Nativity. It takes a certain humility to approach Christ. And while humility was a great spiritual virtue for the desert fathers, currently there is little emphasis on the value of humility in our society. I see a ot of aggression and self-absorption, but little in the way of humility. Which is why we are lucky to have Pope Francis, who in word and deed reflects Christ-like humility.
And so while we cannot visit the little town of Bethlehem this morning due to the violence, we can always pilgrimage there in our hearts. I am reminded that the word,Bethlehem, in Hebrew, literally means “House of Bread.” Jesus, the Bread of Life, was born in the “House of Bread.”
I have to agree with Dr. Olsen that we see little in the way of humility nowadays in our society . In the churches I frequent in the area, particularly for Sunday masses, there is little genuflecting, much social talking while sitting in the pews before mass, making it sometimes difficult for one to pray before time. Maybe we need to make the entrances to our churches much smaller so that we, too, have to bend a knee to enter, and thereby remind us of what we are about to encounter once we enter.
DeleteI found Father Martin's comment about the snapping of photos and generally "touristy" behavior to be a sad commentary on our indifference to that which is deemed to be holy. In the video of Bethlehem, the Muslims showed humility in their kneeling posture inside their mosque. In a way, I felt sad to see that Bethlehem was this really crowded city, with people going about their daily routines indifferent to what took place there 2000 years ago. I guess all of these impressions remind me of the difference in being a tourist or a pilgrim.
Being a Christian is a daily workout to keep us aligned with God.
ReplyDeleteWe put our trust in God, but because we are living and limited beings, we must constantly engage ourselves in our relationship with God through our wireless prayer communication, workship and adoration. Ora et labora.
Humility is a difficult virtue to attain and we find so many people who act wtih arrogance. It is important that we try to be humble, but not humiliated. Some people see in humility a sign of weakness. Christ said to turn the other cheek instead of responding aggresively. Mother Theresa of Calcutta comes to my mind when she said that she learned from a young age to care for others by watching her mother and father performed so many charities and helping others. She learned to be humble then because she experienced what it is really important in lieu of focusing on vanities, etc., common to young people. That is why it is so important to bring the younger ones to see and help the needy, so that they learn that looks are nothing next to feeding a hungry person, or helping children who are terminally ill by giving them the opportunities to go to a special camp, etc. If we only worked on this more, our youngsters will turn out much better and happier.
Mary and Joseph experienced the same fears and anxieties of all those who are parents or have the responsibillities of parents. They must have thought of the future of Jesus and the other children of Joseph. As all parents learn as the years pass by, they also had to guide their children but also trust them and support their ideals and dreams, even if they do not agree with them. Mary and Joseph knew that Jesus was not an ordinary child; he was very special indeed and I feel that somehow they knew that God was there to provide for him in any capacity. Nevertheless, there was a limited revelation to them about God's plans for Jesus, but they hung in there as the events took place and kept trusting God by surrendering to his almighty will. After all is said and done, we also have to eventually surrender to God's will or to the destiny of each child as he/she makes decisions and chooses one way or the other.
Mary and Joseph did not have to travel that far, although in many instances they had to flee from here and there to safeguard their son, but eventually they returned to their original town. However, Jesus had a calling and he followed it. Joseph died before Jesus's public life, but Mary, we are not sure, perhaps ended up in Turkey with John the Evangelist or just visited there and then after many years probably returned to Israel??? We are not sure, but life is certainly full of surprises. Like the old folks used to say: "Once you have children, you will not have a moment's rest in your life any more".
I can see why Father Martin felt they way he and George felt when seeing the indifference of the world of the tourists versus they world of the pilgrim who is there for a deeper meaning and not just for seeing new and exciting places. Just at the beginning of September, my husband and I visited St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City and sat in one of the front pews and prayed the rosary. We were also watching the workers putting the final touches to the altar as the Pope's visit was approaching. We also could watch the hundreds of tourists passing back and forth, some respectfully, but some dressed in a way and carrying themselves in a manner not proper for a place of workship. I eventually had to close my eyes because I could no longer focus on my prayers. I ended up offering my rosary for them. 'God have pity of us humans, for our ignorance, selfishness, and arrogance'. Most people think they know it all, that they have all the right ideas. Maybe they are very good persons indeed, so let the Lord be the sole and only judge.
Happy reading of Jesus A Pilgrimage. What a great book indeed. Thank you F. Mar