A reflection on the daily readings, for Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time, by Father Perry.
In “Jesus B.C.,” a film produced by the Paulist religious community (watch: https://youtu.be/6FNmyPT9mP8) the creators try a very imaginative (not literal) way of describing what the letter to the Hebrews attempts to tell today.
In describing what Jesus had to do and why he had to do it, the text says: “Therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way.”
In Philippians 2:7, Paul puts it like this: “Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness, and found human in appearance.”
And so in this most creative short film, God the Father (in his heavenly mansion) is speaking with his servant (an angel) and his housekeeper (presumably, another angel) who are harping on and on about those ungrateful humans on earth and are recommending that he get rid of them.
God instead finally decides to send his own Son, “Chris” (Christ).
When God and Chris have the big conversation about God’s intentions, God tells Chris not to worry because, of course, he would “go down there” in royalty and with protections and in every way show them very powerfully who he was and they would have to respect him.
But Chris (Christ the Son) responds in these or similar words: “No father, I must go down there just like them, but poor and vulnerable so I can become as close to them as possible and they will be able to relate to me and accept me. I must become just like them.”
And so “the Word took on human flesh and was born among them.”
Indeed, the heart of the Christmas message.
This little film is a way of imagining — and I must say, in a most imaginative way — the what and the how and the way of Christ (“Chris”) becoming a man and accepting suffering, even “death on a cross.”
This is the book of Hebrews as it speak to us today.
+ But it is in the Gospel of Mark that we see the overwhelming attraction to Jesus the Christ, who is filled with spiritual powers and love and caring, and good news and grace and blessing and a way to discover God within and among.
And as Jesus would be described by this Gospel of having the need to go to nearby villages and all around to preach the good news, it would be said of him: “So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.”
And this is and would be just the beginning!
This word would be spoken, and human and crucified and loving to the end, and resurrected and eternal and yours and mine, and there for all and forever.
And as shepherd to and for us, Jesus would kindly and lovingly declare: “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. Alleluia!”
(This short film is a must watch; it will warm your heart and give beautiful and nonliteral meanings to the story.)
It is worth your while and highly, highly recommended.
About it, you will talk!
Father Perry D. Leiker is the 13th 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.
