Voices Found: WLWC First Sunday after Christmas C: VF 4 , VF35:

 

Voices Found #4

Mary heard "Who is my mother?

Who is in my family?

All who do my Father's bidding,

all these ones belong to me."

Later on the hill she heard him,

"Woman, see your new son there!

You, my friend, behold your mother!"

So Christ formed new bonds of care.

Words: Carolyn Winfrey Gillette

Music: Ecce Deus,Alfred V. Fedak

 Jesus was a  teen-ager. Luke tells us about the 12 year old boy trekking with his parents  to Jerusalem for Passover. On the way home, he ran back to the Temple, enraging his parents and testing the limits of their authority. Like all teens, Jesus had to separate himself from comfort of his childhood family find his own way forward.  For Jesus that was the torturous path to his Abba in heaven. At 12, he was living the Sturm and Drang of adolescence. For parents today it may help  to remember that even Mary and Joseph had to contend with a rambunctious  teenager.  Even Jesus had to rebel.

Mary said to Jesus."Child, why have you treated us thus? Look! Your father and I have been tormented in searching for you."  Then Jesus said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in the house of my Abba?"  And they did not understand the thing he said to them.  And then, he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject to them.  And his mother treasured all these things in her heart.

Luke 2:48-51, tr. Gafney

Revelation 22:10, 22-27,; Luke 2:41-51 are appointed for the First Sunday after Christmas in the Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church Year C.

Reflection:

Now the angel carried me away in the spirit to a great high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down from the heavens from God.

And I saw no temple in the city, for the Sovereign God, the Almighty with the Lamb is its temple.  And the city has no use of sun or moon to shine in it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

Revelation 21:10, 22-23, tr. Gafney

Meditation:

Voices Found #35

Star-child, earth child, go-between of God,

love Child, Christ-child, heaven's lightening rod,

this year, this year, let the day arrive,

when Christmas comes to everyone,

everyone alive!

Hoped for peace child, God's stupendous sign,

down-to earth Child, star of stars that shine.

this year, this year, let the day arrive,

when Christmas comes to everyone, 

everyone alive!

Words: Shirley Erena Murray (1931-2020)

Music: Star-child, Carlton R. Young

 As a baby Mary could protect Jesus, nursing and protecting him from Herod. Then she could save her Star-child.  On the trip home from Jerusalem she realized that she could protect him no longer.  She  feared what lay ahead: another slaughter, another edict? The Passion was ahead.

For now, she  treasured her  comforting  memories of angels and shepherds at the Nativity.  She  pondered the joy and peace heralded by her Star-child.   She  sang "Magnificat!"

Prayer:

Voices Found # 152

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in you, O God my savior,

for you have looked with favor on your lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

you, the Almighty, have done great things for me, and holy is your name.

You have mercy on those who fear you from generation to generation.

You have shown the strength of your arm

and have scattered the proud in their conceit,

Casting down the mighty from their thrones and lifting up the lowly.

You have filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.

You have come to the help of your servant Isreal,

for you have remembered your promise of mercy,

The promise you made to our forebears, to Abraham and his children forever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.  Amen.

Words: the Song of Mary, Enriching our worship 1, 1998 The Church Pension fund

Music: Melody from Antiphon 17 (Laus Trinitati) by Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) adapted by Lisa Neufeld Thomas