Bethlehem, Mary and Us
Heroes capture our imagination. Whether it’s the courageous Judith of the Bible, the Arthur of British legend, or the real life heroes the likes of Mother Teresa or Nelson Mandela, we are hooked on heroes. They invite us to flights of fancy that allow us to see ourselves in their accomplishments. We all long for models who rise from humble beginnings and triumph over adversity. They are role models who inspire and motivate. At the same time our contemporary culture attempts to hold up celebrity as synonymous with heroism. But notoriety and sensationalism fail as testimonies to real greatness. And though sports heroes, for all their personal failures, do provide our young people with a vehicle for both imagination and imitation, they nonetheless remain in the realm of celebrity, with very few making the grade as heroes.Today the Word of God offers brilliant examples of heroism and an invitation to follow in them.Bethlehem had a faded image of glory and only a vague promise as the future birthplace of the Messiah. The present reality was that she was even “too small to be among the clans of Judah.” She was occupied by a foreign power, helpless in the presence of an oppressive rule. She was the mother of mere shepherds and common folk. Her only strength was in patient endurance. In the face of the harsh realities of the present, her only asset was hope. In a similar way, a young girl from Nazareth, not all that far from Bethlehem, faced an uncertain future as she visited her elderly kinswoman, seeking as well as offering comfort. She is pregnant and unmarried, a double-barreled crisis in her culture. All she had was an incomprehensible promise, but the reality of her present was crashing in on her as she faced an uncertain future. What was happening to her was as confusing as it was mysterious, as frightening as it was provocative. But her trust triumphed. The future promised to both Bethlehem and the young girl from Nazareth was no more far-fetched than the one offered to us. In so many ways, our personal struggles in the present have only a vague promise of resolution. The current climate in our country and the world presents us few options. Whether it’s the threat of terrorism or the ecological crisis, the throes of a financial crisis or the health care debacle, we feel a kinship with that little town and the humble maiden. The hopelessness of those systemic issues often pales in comparison with personal issues of critical illness, ruptured relationships, or other personal struggles.But the promise sustained Bethlehem’s hope and Mary’s faith. That same promise has the potential to comfort us. We recognize that, as the prophet Micah assured Israel, the past will be prelude. Just as Israel had struggled throughout her history, just as her own infidelity ruptured her relationship with the Lord, God was always compassionate, always present to raise her up again. Like Mary, we take comfort in those close to us, recognizing that the presence of God’s saving power is most often revealed in others who offer themselves in union with our struggles. Mary and Elizabeth’s exchange of greetings is our model for fulfilling the promise: in being present to one another, God’s promise finds its best expression.As we approach this Eucharist and the celebration of the coming of God in the person of the Christ, we live in times that are as traumatic as those of a little town oppressed and seemingly forgotten, as bewildering and inexplicable as that of a young pregnant girl. Their waiting for the fulfillment of the promise has given us heroic evidence of patient endurance and humbling hope. Their greatness was rooted in their faith in the power not of self, but of the one who, after all, is there to save. The psalmist’s prayer should be our prayer, a prayer that is humble and at the same time courageous. It places trust in the only one who can overcome the crises we face in life.O shepherd of Israel, hearken,from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.Rouse your power,and come to save us.Once again, O LORD of hosts,look down from heaven, and see;take care of this vine,and protect what your right hand has planted….That’s the real difference between a hero and a celebrity.
