Homily: Bridget Mary Meehan
In these times of turmoil and anxiety, there are angels in our home, community and all around reminding us that the glory of God surrounds us and guides us like a brilliant light- illuminating our path.
The Glory of God enfolds us like a cosmic womb.
In the first reading the prophet Isaiah describes the nurturing aspects of darkness that enfolds us like a cosmic womb. Elizabeth Johnson, in her powerful reflections on the divine, speaks of the "cosmic womb" of God. She writes that the divine is not only the creator of life but the very space that holds and nurtures all life. Johnson imagines this divine womb as a place where all creation is born and continually re-birthed, a divine matrix of life that nurtures and protects. In this image, we are reminded that the incarnation is not just about a moment in history but about the ongoing presence of God that holds the entire universe in love. We are invited into that womb to receive God’s peace, which casts out all fear.
We can give birth to the divine every day.
The medieval mystic, Meister Eckhart, reminds us that “We are all mothers of God.”
Like Mary, we have the capacity to give birth to the divine within. This means that the Christ Presence is not only born into the world through the historical Mary, but also through each of us, in every moment we choose to welcome God into our lives. The power of love triumphs over our fears and Christ is born anew within us each and every day through our compassionate care of our sisters and brothers and our prophetic witness to the Gospel.
We are one, connected in the Cosmic Christ
Our second reading from Hebrews reminds us that Emmanuel God dwelled in our midst in Jesus and forever in the Cosmic Christ; in whom we are one and in whom we live, and move and have our being. Here we are all one, connected, in the. Depths of divine love. Here is our deepest reality, our soul power where there is nothing to fear.
There is nothing to fear, God is here.
In the Gospel of Luke, the angel voices assure the shepherds, with the words: “Do not fear.”
Richard Rohr invites us to see fear not as something to be condemned but as something to be transformed even in our struggles, doubts, and fears. He writes, “When we truly grasp this, fear begins to lose its hold on us. The divine light, though overwhelming at first, is not meant to blind us but to reveal a deeper reality: God is here.”
Listen to Real Life Angels in our world today
The real angels, who birth the divine are among us, are those who step into our fear-filled moments with messages of hope, encouragement, inspiration and strength.
Who are the real angels, the messengers of God’s love, showing us that in ordinary life, light and grace, can prevail?
Let us pause now for a minute and give thanks for the angels of grace in our lives and world.
In our MMOJ community, you are the real flesh and blood angels- who inspire, challenge and comfort me each week in these crazy times when the world seems upside down. Thank you!
Like the angels we are and are called to be, let us celebrate this Christmas Eve with good news of great joy!
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