Christians, especially Catholics, generally know about and venerate The Virgin Mary, mother of God born incarnate. But much less known and appreciated is that it’s through Joseph that Jesus fulfills his prophesied role as the Messiah, a direct descendant of Father Abraham and King David.
Ponder this, whenever someone diminishes the status of an adoptive father or stepfather.
Our priest gave a beautiful homily yesterday on Joseph’s silence and obedience. He is under-appreciated in many Christian traditions, but most Catholics that are paying attention have a pretty healthy respect for him…or at least that’s my observation after joining the Catholic Church 13 yrs ago after being an 40- year evangelical.
Joseph may be the very model of the unsung hero. So much about what happened Just Wasn't Done. And it has been observed that not a word from him is extant.
They shouldn’t diminish an adoptive parent but in fact praise them. In 2 of my 6 serious relationships (just realized that’s 1/3) the woman was adopted and considered those parents her “real” parents, if that term even fits.
Everything about the story is strange, from beginning to end. From the virgin birth to God giving humanity the greatest sacrifice one can make, the life of his Son; ended in the horror of the crucifixion. And yet, Jesus of Nazareth has to be the most transformational figure in the history of our humanity. His message of love, forgiveness and salvation was never before heard. This rabbi of peace - never forget that our Savior was a Jew - who walked among us 2000 years ago, simply just upended the norms of the world; rejecting the old laws of vengeance, greed, lust, and sins of all stripes. He showed us a path to a better life, if we have the wisdom to listen and heed his teachings. And he knew we would fail, again and again, and so he asked only that we confess and try again, trusting in his mercy. Thank you, Celia for reminding us of the wonderful mystery of our shared faith.
Much truth here Bruce. But I always return to the tale’s end, that the State and religious authorities of the time executed him. Of course, it may have all been part of God’s plan, but go try to live like Jesus today and to quote Woody Guthrie “if Jesus was to preach like he did in Galilee/They’d lay Jesus Christ in his grave”.
I've wondered whether Mary was a "virgin" to cover for having an illegitimate child, who could be a "king" as well as a legitimate one. The message is that legitimate or not, a child is a child, no matter what covenant his parents broke.
In these days of mob tyranny -- much of it objectively wrong -- like sterilizing one's child in fealty to a wrong-headed (and frankly vain belief) that they are not the sex they truly are -- it takes, and has taken, moral courage to stand up to it. That's Jesus' legacy. Speaking out against the crazy beliefs of the mob - crowd.
It has truly amazed me, over the past ten years especially, how willing most people are to foment absolutely idiotic ideas, for example hobbling a generation of white males by resurrecting hiring based on immutable characteristics.
But at this point, my religious education is slotted way in the past, apart from reading Ecclesiastes three decades ago, and listening to the potent discussion on Exodus among the likes of Jordan Petersen, Ben Shapiro, Jonathan Pageau, and Dennis Prager, to name a few.
"That's Jesus' legacy. Speaking out against the crazy beliefs of the mob - crowd."
So very true! He reminded people that they need to do what is right, not what 'appears' right in the eyes of the crowd. His criticism of the Pharisees was focused on the fact they were more interested in 'looking' righteous instead of actually doing what was right.
And yet the Pharisees already had good examples in their own history: Daniel, as well as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, choosing to do the right thing instead of what those around them were demanding.
As a child, I wondered what the H-E-Double Toothpicks "died for our sins" meant. The sins of vanity, of taking on corrosive beliefs in fealty to the crowd. And here we have the dominant ideology driving people away from faithful marriages and producing children towards self-aggrandizing selfish pursuits.
Isn't it amazing, that with all this world history, and numerous hysterias and dangerous beliefs, people would still flock to that? (Speaking of which, this particularly gullible guy I know, who once upon a time was a Mennonite, just posted a pro "woke" image of two middle-aged white women holding up a colorful sign that says "woke"). I have grokked that he is a moral narcissist. No matter what evidence is provided him that these beliefs are actually hurting people, he just doubles down. That's the most amazing image to me --the person who is so pleased with himself for promoting a hateful ideology.
That's what Jesus died for. He dared to speak out against this. And it will never end. There will always be another wolf in sheep's clothing guiding people off a cliff in the name of moral superiority.
Greek Orthodox also revere the Virgin, called Theotokou. One of our biggest holidays is for Kimisis Theotokou, or the Falling Asleep of the Theotokou. ("Falling asleep" is a synonym for death; Mom's priest wrote to me that he was saddened by the falling asleep of my mother.) It was the name of my paternal grandmother's church in Brooklyn.
In the meantime, yesterday went to the YIVO for a last-night-of-Hanukkah concert starring singer-actress Eleanor Reissa, a delight. Here's a video from quite a few years ago (by the looks of her hair color), but she sang the same song on the video, "Reyzele," one of my favorites. Reissa's introduction is very funny; I love what she says about suffixes. What English teacher wouldn't?
The first Christmas after I had my own son, Luke 2:19, ‘But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart’ really struck me. Just imagine! Holding your child and random strangers come from afar to see and venerate Him!
That marvelous expression, “pondered them in her heart”, is the work of translator William Tyndale, the last man executed for translating the Bible into “vulgar tongues” like English. Catholics, however, respected his work and his knowledge, so he was accorded the privilege of being strangled before he was burned, so as not to suffer.
When the Catholic Church finally approved publication of the Bible into English, it was predominantly Tyndale’s work that was adopted.
I do not want to restart holy wars. Just amazed by the work of this man and the irony.
My two law partners are Catholic and I couldn’t have asked for better partners. Truth is, I didn’t deserve them.
"The same reason they don't have dogs." I got a good chuckle out of listening to her introduce the song. I love hearing the NYC accent with a Yiddish twang. Good, better, best! Thanks for sharing.
Our church service yesterday ended with one of most incredible musical experiences I've ever had. The youth were singing a song I'd never heard before, with lyrics about peace on earth, and the congregation was instructed to start singing "Silent Night." As we began to sing, I got goosebumps--the youth literally seemed like a choir of angels singing above the manger scene we were invoking with "Silent Night." I ended up in tears, which is not a common thing for me.
Funny you should mention Silent Night. Our service ended with my daughter and the alto soloist doing a -- mingle? -- of In the Bleak Mid Winter, a favorite in it's own right, and Silent Night. A three Kleenexer -- which is more and more common as I age.
Your first line, “I don’t ordinarily care much for contemporary Christian music,” describes me, too, Celia. However, I’ve long-appreciated the double meanings in “A Baby Changes Everything.”
I was not familiar with the second song by 4Him, but it is an interesting consideration of what Joseph could have thought.
My quibble with many of these songs (and shows and movies) that portray Biblical stories is the imposition of 20th/21st century ideals, attitudes, and sensibilities on a first century Jewish and Roman cultural perspective. I realize human nature grapples with common struggles and joys regardless of the era within which one is born, but I think of how UN-dramatically the Biblical books tell the story of very dramatic events. While it can be a sweet personal exercise to imagine the feelings not described in scripture, I think it’s important to absorb the examples of Mary’s “fiat” (her “yes” to the angel and God ) and Joseph’s obedience in our overly emotions-focused age.
(Is my fuddy-duddy-ness showing?)
May the beginning of Christmas on Thursday be for you all the beginning of new blessings and joys for all you dear JiP’ers!
You’re not being Fuddy Duddy Sally (that’s a great rock and rock nickname 💭) but subsequent generations invariably force historical stories through their own contemporary lens. I recently volunteered at the Grand Reopening of the Austin History Center (a beautifully restored multimillion dollar building that once housed the old downtown Public Library) and was struck by how the opening exhibits eschewed the traditional “Great Man” narrative to focus on African Americans, Hispanics, gays, and other marginalized communities, in keeping with 21st Century messaging. We can certainly argue if it’s gone too far, especially with a figure such as Jesus Christ who represents a universal ideal, but it’s kind of inevitable from my perspective. Merry Christmas 🎁
To your point, Ken & Sally, my local theater recently turned Shakespeare's As You Like It into a musical and had several black cast members. No. Just NO.
I'm beyond tired of "whiteness" being erased and denigrated.
We’re a long way from Madonna’s controversial “I’m keeping my baby!” lyrics. I was briefly hooked on a contemporary Christian station in H town where all the bands sounded like U2; I remember enjoying Casting Crowns. My friend Steve Huston (RIP) produced a record for a group 3 or More which came to mind with the other group’s name. I do like Faith Hill’s secular work as I’m attracted to strong women in any genre so I’ll look. I’m burned out on all the traditional carols and songs I play so it’s time for some new blood…next year. Time has kind of run out this year, with Christmas a mere 72 hours away.
There's a radio station (93.9) here in Commicago that starts playing Christmas music on November 1!!! What's worse, there are only about 20 old classics in their playlist. It gets old in about 2 days. Why?! It's so disappointing because there's SO much great Christmas music out there!
I made some awesome and very eclectic CDs for myself and to give as gifts. The music ranges from Dave Koz's Smooth Jazz Christmas tunes, Aaron Neville's "Lousiana Christmas Day", Bare Naked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan's "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," a bluegrass banjo version of "Jingle Bells," to Handel's "Messiah." Play on!
I have an app for Cape Cod Classic, I think out of Chatham, which unlike New York City's classical music station still features mostly dead white male stuff. And it plays real Christmas music. But truth to tell, I don't listen to the radio much anyway.
I've noticed that most contemporary pop music seems to follow a similar pattern--very few verses, but repeated over and over. It seems to highlight a lack of creativity that seems to be plaguing the entire entertainment scene. Movies, too, are mostly sequels or remakes.
The old hymn writers were talented. They were melodic and conveyed doctrine which was reinforced with every singing. The contemporary writers not so much. Keith and Kristyn Getty being exceptions, I think.
Christians, especially Catholics, generally know about and venerate The Virgin Mary, mother of God born incarnate. But much less known and appreciated is that it’s through Joseph that Jesus fulfills his prophesied role as the Messiah, a direct descendant of Father Abraham and King David.
Ponder this, whenever someone diminishes the status of an adoptive father or stepfather.
Our priest gave a beautiful homily yesterday on Joseph’s silence and obedience. He is under-appreciated in many Christian traditions, but most Catholics that are paying attention have a pretty healthy respect for him…or at least that’s my observation after joining the Catholic Church 13 yrs ago after being an 40- year evangelical.
Joseph may be the very model of the unsung hero. So much about what happened Just Wasn't Done. And it has been observed that not a word from him is extant.
The strong silent type 💪
They shouldn’t diminish an adoptive parent but in fact praise them. In 2 of my 6 serious relationships (just realized that’s 1/3) the woman was adopted and considered those parents her “real” parents, if that term even fits.
Mark, I was astonished reading your comment. I am a practicing Catholic. You took the words out of Father Ed's mouth from yesterday's sermon.
Christians need to reproduce. Period. There is nothing better than having children. If you do not want to raise kids, great, but...
Everything about the story is strange, from beginning to end. From the virgin birth to God giving humanity the greatest sacrifice one can make, the life of his Son; ended in the horror of the crucifixion. And yet, Jesus of Nazareth has to be the most transformational figure in the history of our humanity. His message of love, forgiveness and salvation was never before heard. This rabbi of peace - never forget that our Savior was a Jew - who walked among us 2000 years ago, simply just upended the norms of the world; rejecting the old laws of vengeance, greed, lust, and sins of all stripes. He showed us a path to a better life, if we have the wisdom to listen and heed his teachings. And he knew we would fail, again and again, and so he asked only that we confess and try again, trusting in his mercy. Thank you, Celia for reminding us of the wonderful mystery of our shared faith.
Much truth here Bruce. But I always return to the tale’s end, that the State and religious authorities of the time executed him. Of course, it may have all been part of God’s plan, but go try to live like Jesus today and to quote Woody Guthrie “if Jesus was to preach like he did in Galilee/They’d lay Jesus Christ in his grave”.
I've wondered whether Mary was a "virgin" to cover for having an illegitimate child, who could be a "king" as well as a legitimate one. The message is that legitimate or not, a child is a child, no matter what covenant his parents broke.
In these days of mob tyranny -- much of it objectively wrong -- like sterilizing one's child in fealty to a wrong-headed (and frankly vain belief) that they are not the sex they truly are -- it takes, and has taken, moral courage to stand up to it. That's Jesus' legacy. Speaking out against the crazy beliefs of the mob - crowd.
It has truly amazed me, over the past ten years especially, how willing most people are to foment absolutely idiotic ideas, for example hobbling a generation of white males by resurrecting hiring based on immutable characteristics.
But at this point, my religious education is slotted way in the past, apart from reading Ecclesiastes three decades ago, and listening to the potent discussion on Exodus among the likes of Jordan Petersen, Ben Shapiro, Jonathan Pageau, and Dennis Prager, to name a few.
"That's Jesus' legacy. Speaking out against the crazy beliefs of the mob - crowd."
So very true! He reminded people that they need to do what is right, not what 'appears' right in the eyes of the crowd. His criticism of the Pharisees was focused on the fact they were more interested in 'looking' righteous instead of actually doing what was right.
And yet the Pharisees already had good examples in their own history: Daniel, as well as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, choosing to do the right thing instead of what those around them were demanding.
As a child, I wondered what the H-E-Double Toothpicks "died for our sins" meant. The sins of vanity, of taking on corrosive beliefs in fealty to the crowd. And here we have the dominant ideology driving people away from faithful marriages and producing children towards self-aggrandizing selfish pursuits.
Isn't it amazing, that with all this world history, and numerous hysterias and dangerous beliefs, people would still flock to that? (Speaking of which, this particularly gullible guy I know, who once upon a time was a Mennonite, just posted a pro "woke" image of two middle-aged white women holding up a colorful sign that says "woke"). I have grokked that he is a moral narcissist. No matter what evidence is provided him that these beliefs are actually hurting people, he just doubles down. That's the most amazing image to me --the person who is so pleased with himself for promoting a hateful ideology.
That's what Jesus died for. He dared to speak out against this. And it will never end. There will always be another wolf in sheep's clothing guiding people off a cliff in the name of moral superiority.
Not exactly on topic, and not quite as funny as his valley forge skit, but https://youtu.be/gpPPKtaayhM?si=Yqo8qAF7qVpenYUW
Nice lyrics!
Greek Orthodox also revere the Virgin, called Theotokou. One of our biggest holidays is for Kimisis Theotokou, or the Falling Asleep of the Theotokou. ("Falling asleep" is a synonym for death; Mom's priest wrote to me that he was saddened by the falling asleep of my mother.) It was the name of my paternal grandmother's church in Brooklyn.
In the meantime, yesterday went to the YIVO for a last-night-of-Hanukkah concert starring singer-actress Eleanor Reissa, a delight. Here's a video from quite a few years ago (by the looks of her hair color), but she sang the same song on the video, "Reyzele," one of my favorites. Reissa's introduction is very funny; I love what she says about suffixes. What English teacher wouldn't?
https://youtu.be/3JuoJ99iwKs?feature=shared
The first Christmas after I had my own son, Luke 2:19, ‘But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart’ really struck me. Just imagine! Holding your child and random strangers come from afar to see and venerate Him!
That marvelous expression, “pondered them in her heart”, is the work of translator William Tyndale, the last man executed for translating the Bible into “vulgar tongues” like English. Catholics, however, respected his work and his knowledge, so he was accorded the privilege of being strangled before he was burned, so as not to suffer.
When the Catholic Church finally approved publication of the Bible into English, it was predominantly Tyndale’s work that was adopted.
I do not want to restart holy wars. Just amazed by the work of this man and the irony.
My two law partners are Catholic and I couldn’t have asked for better partners. Truth is, I didn’t deserve them.
PS: “The Bible in English” by David Daniell is very good, if a bit academic.
"The same reason they don't have dogs." I got a good chuckle out of listening to her introduce the song. I love hearing the NYC accent with a Yiddish twang. Good, better, best! Thanks for sharing.
"I love hearing the NYC accent with a Yiddish twang."
I know. Me too!
Our (micro!) choir did "Mary did you know" yesterday.
It is impossible to place ourselves in That Place. But Music -- those black dots! -- can come close.
Our church service yesterday ended with one of most incredible musical experiences I've ever had. The youth were singing a song I'd never heard before, with lyrics about peace on earth, and the congregation was instructed to start singing "Silent Night." As we began to sing, I got goosebumps--the youth literally seemed like a choir of angels singing above the manger scene we were invoking with "Silent Night." I ended up in tears, which is not a common thing for me.
Funny you should mention Silent Night. Our service ended with my daughter and the alto soloist doing a -- mingle? -- of In the Bleak Mid Winter, a favorite in it's own right, and Silent Night. A three Kleenexer -- which is more and more common as I age.
Your first line, “I don’t ordinarily care much for contemporary Christian music,” describes me, too, Celia. However, I’ve long-appreciated the double meanings in “A Baby Changes Everything.”
I was not familiar with the second song by 4Him, but it is an interesting consideration of what Joseph could have thought.
My quibble with many of these songs (and shows and movies) that portray Biblical stories is the imposition of 20th/21st century ideals, attitudes, and sensibilities on a first century Jewish and Roman cultural perspective. I realize human nature grapples with common struggles and joys regardless of the era within which one is born, but I think of how UN-dramatically the Biblical books tell the story of very dramatic events. While it can be a sweet personal exercise to imagine the feelings not described in scripture, I think it’s important to absorb the examples of Mary’s “fiat” (her “yes” to the angel and God ) and Joseph’s obedience in our overly emotions-focused age.
(Is my fuddy-duddy-ness showing?)
May the beginning of Christmas on Thursday be for you all the beginning of new blessings and joys for all you dear JiP’ers!
You’re not being Fuddy Duddy Sally (that’s a great rock and rock nickname 💭) but subsequent generations invariably force historical stories through their own contemporary lens. I recently volunteered at the Grand Reopening of the Austin History Center (a beautifully restored multimillion dollar building that once housed the old downtown Public Library) and was struck by how the opening exhibits eschewed the traditional “Great Man” narrative to focus on African Americans, Hispanics, gays, and other marginalized communities, in keeping with 21st Century messaging. We can certainly argue if it’s gone too far, especially with a figure such as Jesus Christ who represents a universal ideal, but it’s kind of inevitable from my perspective. Merry Christmas 🎁
To your point, Ken & Sally, my local theater recently turned Shakespeare's As You Like It into a musical and had several black cast members. No. Just NO.
I'm beyond tired of "whiteness" being erased and denigrated.
I do think it is inevitable. A few years ago on Quora, someone asked about Jesus always being portrayed with blue eyes, and in my answer, I pointed out that that isn't at all true. Pictures of Jesus inevitably conform to the culture in which they are produced. For example, in Asia: https://www.firstpost.com/world/how-asia-remade-jesus-a-new-book-presents-intriguing-insights-into-the-story-of-global-christianity-4522901.html
We’re a long way from Madonna’s controversial “I’m keeping my baby!” lyrics. I was briefly hooked on a contemporary Christian station in H town where all the bands sounded like U2; I remember enjoying Casting Crowns. My friend Steve Huston (RIP) produced a record for a group 3 or More which came to mind with the other group’s name. I do like Faith Hill’s secular work as I’m attracted to strong women in any genre so I’ll look. I’m burned out on all the traditional carols and songs I play so it’s time for some new blood…next year. Time has kind of run out this year, with Christmas a mere 72 hours away.
There's a radio station (93.9) here in Commicago that starts playing Christmas music on November 1!!! What's worse, there are only about 20 old classics in their playlist. It gets old in about 2 days. Why?! It's so disappointing because there's SO much great Christmas music out there!
I made some awesome and very eclectic CDs for myself and to give as gifts. The music ranges from Dave Koz's Smooth Jazz Christmas tunes, Aaron Neville's "Lousiana Christmas Day", Bare Naked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan's "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," a bluegrass banjo version of "Jingle Bells," to Handel's "Messiah." Play on!
I have an app for Cape Cod Classic, I think out of Chatham, which unlike New York City's classical music station still features mostly dead white male stuff. And it plays real Christmas music. But truth to tell, I don't listen to the radio much anyway.
Good ol’ KSBJ?
Contemporary Christian music is called 7/11 music. Seven verses sang eleven times.
Interesting! I didn't know that.
I've noticed that most contemporary pop music seems to follow a similar pattern--very few verses, but repeated over and over. It seems to highlight a lack of creativity that seems to be plaguing the entire entertainment scene. Movies, too, are mostly sequels or remakes.
Is it just me or does all (well, most) contemporary music sound the same?
It’s not just you! I’m not sure what’s happened, but it’s been a long time since I heard any newer pop songs that stand out from the rest.
The old hymn writers were talented. They were melodic and conveyed doctrine which was reinforced with every singing. The contemporary writers not so much. Keith and Kristyn Getty being exceptions, I think.