The Season of Advent is especially challenging at this time – it should be about Hope, but we are drenched in distress throughout the world.
Here at St Matthew’s, we have been knocked back severely by not being recommended for a Glasgow City Council Communities Funding grant. We are dedicated to promoting diversity and supporting the most vulnerable individuals and groups and this has come as a shock since we work closely with other local groups who have benefitted from the grant funding.
Saint Andrew’s-tide and Advent coincide at this time – St Andrew, as well as bringing his brother Simon to Jesus, is the one who notices the small boy with just some bread and fish to bring to feed an impossible amount of people. We are now forced to see how little we have and how much is needed – may Advent bring us the Grace to step forward with the love of God in our hearts in order to make provision for those in need. And by so doing, we know we will receive grace ourselves.
Meanwhile, we must address ourselves to further funding applications in order to keep the roof over our heads! It’s hard work!
While contemplating these local needs, we are ever more mindful of the devastation facing people in the West Bank and those returning to Gaza with no homes and those frightened of bombing in Ukraine and those fearful of conflict in Sudan….Saint Andrew, pray for us, stand by us please.
And a little Child shall lead them
5th Sunday after Epiphany – “You are the salt of the earth”
Last Sunday we celebrated Candlemas and pondered on the fourth song of the Incarnation Season – after the Benedictus announcing John’s birth, the Magnificat of the pregnancy, magnifying the Lord, the Gloria of Christmas and now the Nunc Dimittis of Simeon
NOW Lord, you can let your servant depart in peace.
NOW, because, we reflected, there must have been a THEN – the waiting, the expectation.
For Simeon – that’s it done
NOW I can leave.
Simeon and Anna leave the stage of the story, never to be heard of again, and so our attention is drawn back to the holy family and specifically, the baby.
They went back to the family home “meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favour was with him,”
The baby re appears in the story some years later when he’s 12 years old, back in the Temple when we’re told he is found questioning the doctors of the Law and then returning to the family home to GROW: “he increased in stature and favour with God and men.”
So you could say that’s the end of the ‘fairy stories’ of Christmas – the angels, wise men, shepherds – all our twinkly lights packed away…how long will he keep the Crib up this year, why is the Crib still there…I thought Christmas was in November anyway…
The NOW for Simeon has been achieved
But the baby has to grow. Arms enfold him until he is big enough to set out on his own, he needs to learn – he doesn’t TELL the doctors of the Law in the Temple what’s what – he ASKS QUESTIONS, in order to GROW in wisdom.
There is a strong thread of change and growth and development and learning from the birth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Today’s Gospel, read throughout the Churches of God throughout the world today, drops into the pan
An agent of change – SALT. To change the flavour of the world as you find it.
And does that salt come from above, some mystical salt cellar in gorgeous silver as it was prized in our land 250 years ago, or in artisan ceramic salts..
No. Unfortunately. It’s YOU.
And is this agent of change and taste – to which I would add some French herbs or garlic or whatever – to leaven the spiritual lump of our existence?
NO. That’s why we have the OT Reading today
The change of flavour is to be real – Incarnate, you might say , rather like God – it is to be reflected in who gets bread and who gets a home and who gets to be enslaved and who gets to have their yoke broken.
Come to me, my yoke is easy and my burden is light – says the Heart of Jesus.
Sounds great until we remember that the salt of change is YOU…….ME!
And as if that wasn’t daunting enough, this image of the flavour of change in the world, is used by the grown up Jesus to remind us how easily we can lose interest in that sort of religion
How easily we lose our saltiness – our commitment to real time transformation.
That’s what he means by adding GOOD WORKS, as light and Glory to the conclusion of today’s gospel passage.
Not bright ideas, not well being vibes, not indicators of development… he grows up and increases in stature and wisdom
And says – YOU are the salt of the earth. Let your Good Works be seen!
Ps – the prime movers in the growth of the child, were Mary and Joseph
Later on he would learn from Mary of Magdala and Mary at Bethany, perhaps more than from his male disciples.
When the colour of the liturgy of the Church turns to green, it means: now you need to grow…. In stature or wisdom or grace
So pay attention to the teachers around you.