Children, Run Joyfully

Sunday, December 15, 2013
"Children, Run Joyfully!"

It seemed an appropriate choice for rose (not pink) candle Sunday.  I'm not sure why the Church is suddenly fighting that battle (at least in this diocese) but so it is.  Pope Francis doesn't seem like he would care.

Singing this song this morning (a pretty basic one in terms of concept, little poetry to it) is the first time in a long time that the "manger" really hit me.  This is one of the cons of growing up Catholic (or any Christian denomination really) -- the manger sounds normal.

Today is the first time in awhile it hit me that "he'll be in a manger" is actually a great way to figure out that you've got the right baby.  Seriously, who puts a newborn in a used feeding trough for animals?

Jesus certainly did not choose an easy early life for himself.  He knows poverty.

I don't want to descend into this too much, but the "Santa is white" controversy actually obscures that news anchor's odder comment that "Jesus is white -- that's a verifiable fact".  Um, no.  No he was not.  He was also not middle class or top 1%.  He was poor.  He is on the side of the poor. Not the hardworking American middle class family.  The so-poor-you-put-your-newborn-in-a-doggie-dish socioeconomic bracket.

That's how He stood out from all the other babies in Bethlehem (crowded to bursting because of the census, remember) when He came down.  So poor He lay in a manger.

I think we forget that all too often.