+ Don’t you just love the grumpy old auntie that no matter how beautiful or delicious or comforting something is, she will always have the last word, and the last word will always be something like: “Well you know, of course, it won’t last!”
She is the one who always sees the cup not only half full, but the water is contaminated.
+ Here we are. We just celebrated the great solemnity of Christmas. Godincarnated himself into our humanity making us, in the process, even more divine.
What a marriage — humanity and divinity!
And the very next day — not even 24 hours away — we have our “spiritual auntie” telling us the story of the first martyr, St. Stephen.
And not only that, Jesus delivers the rotten news: “They will scourge you, hand you over in the courts, brother will hand over brother to death, father will do the same to his sons, children will do the same to their parents.”
Lovely, huh?
But, whoever endures to the end will be saved. Giving up is not an option.
+ Well, of course, it is an option — just not the option of one who believes, one who is filled with hope, and one who has experienced God’s saving word and transforming grace.
Such a person knows that life is filled with martyrdom, and its sadness, grief, pain and sorrows, and its ugliness and doom.
At the same time, grace, power, Spirit, truth, joy, and enduring strength can get us through any calamity — anything, even death itself.
+ Wow! What an amazing grace the word made flesh. The universal Christ of all time has entered our humanity never to leave it!
Literally, we are saved!
Father Perry D. Leiker is the 14th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.
