SUN 26TH DEC 2021(‘00): THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY & JOSEPH C
1. 1SAM1:20-22,24-28 (why omit v. 23?)
- Read 1:1-20! Celebration of the Misery&Triumph of Hannah-the-Mother!
- Why is ‘Yahweh” regularly associated with ‘infertility’ in women?
- In spite of modern knowledge, are women still thought of as ‘fields or ovens’?
- Why is it presumed in TheBible that men don’t contribute to ‘childlessness’?
- Who are The3GreatBiblicalRoleModels for ‘ChristianMothers’?
- What of the claim, that contemporary women as they struggle against the odds to create their ‘mother-ministry’, have to take ‘pot-luck’, like Hannah?
2. THE PSALM: 83:2-3, 5-6, 9-10
- Read 83(84) 1-12! The reassuring beauty of Yahweh’s DwellingPlace!
- Where is ‘Yahweh’s dwelling place’ in our local church?
- Would not Yahweh’s dynamic presence utterly threaten our church’s-resource?
- Is this excerpt designed to induce in us a sentimental mindlessness?
- Since it is at least hinted in TheBible that ‘Yahweh-lives-in-ThePoor’?
- ‘TheyAreHappy!’: Is this psalm really in praise of ‘priests&levites’?
3. 1JN3:1-2, 21-24
- In what ways is being (called) ‘God’sChildren’ a privilege, or a burden, or…?
- 45words! TheNature&Advantage&Cost&Ambivalence of being ‘Adult Christian’!
- How am I being initiated&trained into the Demands&Procedures of ‘SeeingGod’?
- If I were ‘rooted fully’ in ‘ThePowerOfJesus’, where would the flatterers be?
- What will to ‘mutual love’, if ‘will-to-truth’ rears its beautiful head?
- ‘Cos ‘TheSpiritOfWisdom’ may include&embrace ‘modern thought’ also!
4. LK2:41-52
- What ‘interpretations’ have I been given for this narrative, with its nuances of Passover&Temple&ThirdDay&Twelve&Father&Mother! & Samuel-the-Oblate!
- How are parents being enabled to discern&value their child’s ‘peculiar destiny’?
- When did ‘HisMother’ bring back to the light what She’d ‘stored up’?
- Why does Joseph-His-Father never speak in this ‘gospel’?
5. The presence&action of the BlessedOne, is it like this?
The previous weekend, Samantha was calling Mam on the mobile during a cruise on the Shannon! But if she was, didn’t the thing leave her hand an’ fall straight into the water! That night, Effie heard the lot from her bedroom, Sam’s tractor voice an’ Mam saying ‘Sam, as well it was only that an’ not yerself! Didja say ‘Jesus-lost, Jesus-found!’ To which Sam shouted, “O for cryin’ out loud wi’ th’ pigs! It wasn’t lost, it was gone!” On Thursday, Effie was prepared! ‘Gran!’ ‘Yes, a sthore?’ ‘Effie recounted the mishap, &Mam’s give-out, ‘Jesus-lost, Jesus-found!’ ‘Well it’ll leave Sam in a bit of a…’ ‘Gran!’ ‘Yes, my dear! It’s an old prayer we usedta say if we lost somethin’, that Jesus ‘d help us t’ find it again!’ ‘an’ what did Jesus lose, Gran? Was it his mobile?’ ‘Worse than that, Effie! When he was a child, he was lost for a whole day on his Mammy an’ Daddy in th’ big city! ‘Like Listowel?’ ‘Bigger even! So they had a real hard time lookin’ for him! An’ guess where they found him?’ ‘ The Guards barracks?’ ‘Better! The school beside the chapel!’ ‘If he’d a mobile they coulda phoned him! But I’ll tell Sam about Jesus, she’ll be pleased! An’ I hope I lose somethin’ soon, so that I can say the prayer! Great!!’
6. RIDDLE
Biblically, which is of more value? Mother of Father or Daughter or Son?
Refections and comments can be emailed to adbi@chokmah.ie