APPETIZER: "God sent forth his Son", but to prepare a body for him, he wanted the free co-operation of a creature. For this, from all eternity God chose for the mother of his Son a daughter of Israel, a young Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee, "a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary". By his obedience to Mary and Joseph, as well as by his humble work during the long years in Nazareth, Jesus gives us the example of holiness in the daily life of family and work. (CCC 488, 564)
MAIN COURSE: The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary take us to the beginnings of Jesus' life as a human being, five events that all of us are pretty familiar with. We all know about his miraculous conception in Mary's virgin womb at the Annunciation. We have heard about of her Visitation to St. Elizabeth who called her "blessed among women". Every year we ponder the mystery of his marvelous Nativity in Bethlehem with heavenly angels and mystical magi. We bless candles on February 2 to honor his Presentation in the Jerusalem Temple when he was 40 days old and was first called a "Light" for the world. These Joyful Mysteries come to close with the fifth one: the Finding of 12-years old Jesus in the Jerusalem Temple after he was lost for three days. But it is what the Gospels say at the end of this 5th Joyful Mystery that will form the theme for our Bitesize lesson this week: Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart. Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people. (Luke 2:51-52)
That's all we hear about Jesus until he appears at the Jordan River to be baptized 18 years later. The Catechism, like the Gospels, makes little to no detailed reference about the childhood and young adult years of Jesus. But what both DO say is amazing when you stop to think about it: the Word of God, the Eternal Son of the Father, upon becoming human lived a normal, regular, ordinary everyday like like us. Think about that for a moment. The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity becomes a man "for us and for our salvation" (Creed) and then CHOOSES to spend 90% (from birth to about age 30, he died at 33) of his human life doing what we do at home, in school, at play, in the workplace, etc.
We know that Jesus' life and actions were normal
and ordinary like everyone else because of the reaction of his fellow villagers
when they heard him acclaimed as a prophet and miracle-worker. The Gospels tell
us that when he became known for popularity and healings, the people of his
hometown were both amazed and incredulous. St. Matthew records the
reaction of Jesus' hometown folk in his Gospel: He returned to Nazareth,
his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and
said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?” Then
they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and
his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. All his sisters live
right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?” And they were
deeply offended and refused to believe in him. (Mt 13:54-56, NLT) "Deeply
offended"..."refused to believe". They simply could
not see in him - or accept about him - that he was THAT different from them.
Their experience of him had been as one3 of the Nazareth kids, a neighborhood
boy, and later on as a young man, the local guy they called to come fix
their fences or homes or build a table and benches. The majority of
Jesus' life was so normal.
As a young man we can imagine how Mary might wake him in the dark early morning telling him it was time to get up for work. After rousing himself from bed and throwing on his tunic, he would splash some cold water on his facer and sling his leather tool bag over his shoulders. Perhaps his muscles were still sore and tired from the prior day's labor, but off he went. In those days a "tekton" (Greek word for laborer, craftsman or carpenter) would most often go out to a job site and not have a workshop at home. Knowing how Nazareth was geographically situated, Jesus most likely had to walk several miles to his day's gig. But Mary would have been sure to pack some bread and fruit into his tool bag to sustain him along the way. Then, at the workday's end back to Nazareth he went, sweaty, tired and probably wishing his tool bag wasn't so heavy! How often dow e stop and ponder THIS Jesus? Jesus the Worker. Jesus the Nazarene. Jesus the Guy-Next-Door?
This is something that should give us great hope and encouragement when we reflect upon our own ordinary lives and wonder if we can make any difference in the world by simply being who we are. It is not just through extraordinary signs and wonders that God becomes present among others and bestows his blessings. He so often - and most usually - does so in simple, quiet and unassuming ways. And "Nazareth" carries this message to us.
You see, both the Scriptures and the Tradition of the Church inform us that everything Jesus did as a man was done for our salvation. That means, he did everything as a way of showing, teaching and leading us to embrace a life reoriented back to God. A life that rejects sin and selfishness and strives instead to replace these with love for God and neighbor. This is a life that can be lived anywhere by anyone so long as they live it with Jesus in mind and heart, depending upon his grace to life them up and enable them to love, to forgive, to show mercy, to promote peace.
And yet many people fail to grasp this awesome truth and miss the opportunity! Through the centuries people have thought - and many still think today - that in order to be a holy person and live a life of heroic virtue we have to become a clergyman, or go away to a monastery, or dedicate our life as a missionary in some Third-World struggling nation. Now these are indeed good things - if they are a particular person's vocation - but Jesus's very life on earth should clear up this misunderstanding. The life of Jesus of Nazareth - at home, work and socializing - shows us that astounding grace and holiness is available to every Christian in whatever situation of life we might be. Many saints have called this a "Nazareth" way of living that is possible for everyone. It is a wonderful reality that is revealed to us especially in the Joyful Mysteries of the rosary!
This is something that should give us great hope and encouragement when we reflect upon our own ordinary lives and wonder if we can make any difference in the world by simply being who we are. It is not just through extraordinary signs and wonders that God becomes present among others and bestows his blessings. He so often - and most usually - does so in simple, quiet and unassuming ways. And "Nazareth" carries this message to us.
You see, both the Scriptures and the Tradition of the Church inform us that everything Jesus did as a man was done for our salvation. That means, he did everything as a way of showing, teaching and leading us to embrace a life reoriented back to God. A life that rejects sin and selfishness and strives instead to replace these with love for God and neighbor. This is a life that can be lived anywhere by anyone so long as they live it with Jesus in mind and heart, depending upon his grace to life them up and enable them to love, to forgive, to show mercy, to promote peace.
And yet many people fail to grasp this awesome truth and miss the opportunity! Through the centuries people have thought - and many still think today - that in order to be a holy person and live a life of heroic virtue we have to become a clergyman, or go away to a monastery, or dedicate our life as a missionary in some Third-World struggling nation. Now these are indeed good things - if they are a particular person's vocation - but Jesus's very life on earth should clear up this misunderstanding. The life of Jesus of Nazareth - at home, work and socializing - shows us that astounding grace and holiness is available to every Christian in whatever situation of life we might be. Many saints have called this a "Nazareth" way of living that is possible for everyone. It is a wonderful reality that is revealed to us especially in the Joyful Mysteries of the rosary!
DOGGIE BAG: Here are a few things to take away with you for spiritual snacking throughout your day.
Saint Quote: "At Nazareth Jesus glorified God and sanctified us infinitely more by His inner life, His prayers, than by His outer life, most holy though it was. Likewise, no matter how holy our external life may be, God is much less glorified by it than He is by our inner life...It is a great grace to live the life of Nazareth." (Blessed Charles de Foucauld, d. 1916)
From Our Catholic Tradition: Mary's Perpetual Virginity. When talking about the Holy Family of Nazareth, people often ask if Mary had other children. The Blessed Mother did not conceive and give birth to any other child except for Jesus. This is why we call her the Blessed or Ever-Virgin Mary. Her Perpetual Virginity is one of the 5 main doctrines of the Catholic Faith about Mary. Just for the sake of clarity the other 4 are: Immaculate Conception, Mother of God, Assumption Body and Soul into Heaven, and Spiritual Mother of the Church.
Except for Catholics and Eastern Orthodox believers (who by the way comprise about 75% of all Christians), most others believe that she and Joseph had other kids because the gospels mention "the brothers and sisters of Jesus". But in the Greek language of the Gospels, the same word ("adelphos") was used for "sibling" or "cousin" or "relative". So we take that linguistic fact - along with the constant Church teaching about this topic - and come to the truth that Jesus was her only Child. The Catechism supports this teaching where it says: "The Bible mentions brothers and sisters of Jesus. The Church has always understood these passages as not referring to other children of the Virgin Mary. In fact James and Joseph, "brothers of Jesus", are the sons of another Mary, a disciple of Christ, whom St. Matthew's gospel significantly calls "the other Mary". They are close relations of Jesus, according to an Old Testament expression." (CCC #500).
Consider the way we treat an awesome sport player's jersey: we retire his number as a sign of honor and respect for a job well done. In a smilier way, we can say that the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary was "retired" after having Jesus as a way of honoring the truth of his divinity and the total uniqueness of his conception and birth.
Saint Quote: "At Nazareth Jesus glorified God and sanctified us infinitely more by His inner life, His prayers, than by His outer life, most holy though it was. Likewise, no matter how holy our external life may be, God is much less glorified by it than He is by our inner life...It is a great grace to live the life of Nazareth." (Blessed Charles de Foucauld, d. 1916)
From Our Catholic Tradition: Mary's Perpetual Virginity. When talking about the Holy Family of Nazareth, people often ask if Mary had other children. The Blessed Mother did not conceive and give birth to any other child except for Jesus. This is why we call her the Blessed or Ever-Virgin Mary. Her Perpetual Virginity is one of the 5 main doctrines of the Catholic Faith about Mary. Just for the sake of clarity the other 4 are: Immaculate Conception, Mother of God, Assumption Body and Soul into Heaven, and Spiritual Mother of the Church.
Except for Catholics and Eastern Orthodox believers (who by the way comprise about 75% of all Christians), most others believe that she and Joseph had other kids because the gospels mention "the brothers and sisters of Jesus". But in the Greek language of the Gospels, the same word ("adelphos") was used for "sibling" or "cousin" or "relative". So we take that linguistic fact - along with the constant Church teaching about this topic - and come to the truth that Jesus was her only Child. The Catechism supports this teaching where it says: "The Bible mentions brothers and sisters of Jesus. The Church has always understood these passages as not referring to other children of the Virgin Mary. In fact James and Joseph, "brothers of Jesus", are the sons of another Mary, a disciple of Christ, whom St. Matthew's gospel significantly calls "the other Mary". They are close relations of Jesus, according to an Old Testament expression." (CCC #500).
Consider the way we treat an awesome sport player's jersey: we retire his number as a sign of honor and respect for a job well done. In a smilier way, we can say that the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary was "retired" after having Jesus as a way of honoring the truth of his divinity and the total uniqueness of his conception and birth.
SCRIPTURE VERSE TO MEMORIZE: "And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:17)
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