You may remember the 1984 movie 2010. It was the sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey. Throughout the movie Keir Dullea in the Character of Dave, returns to a space mission during a time when the Earth is on the point of World War III. That character, whenever he appears, says that Something wonderful is about to happen.

We can see the same kind of foreshadowing in today’s gospel. Mary appears to Elizabeth, St. John the Baptist jumps for joy in her womb and together we understand that something wonderful is about to happen.

Two-thousand years later, we celebrate Christmas, but are we aware of the something wonderful. We know that in 70 years, approximately, from the moment described in todays gospel, the whole Jewish world with change radically. The Christian world will start to come into its own. The pagan world will be invited to join in tradition of the Jews as celebrated by the Christians. But all will not be right with the world. Peace, will not come. There will be wars and rumors of wars throughout the 2000 years.

So we learn of the something wonderful, but we look to see what the something wonderful is. The answer is simple. Something wonderful is happening at the time of this gospel passage and is happening at our time. The something wonderful is beyond what we can learn at Christmas. The something wonderful is that God truly is with us, those who make themselves His people by accepting his Lordship in their lives.

Many of you don’t know that this year was a painfully difficult year for me. Yet, what did I learn though it? That God is with us at all times, this same message that we see in the name of Jesus, is the message in our lives. What have you learned? Do you understand your faith in terms of those words: God is with us? What is the effect of those words on how you live your life. Hopefully, the effect is: do not fear!!! Do not be afraid!!! Allow God to transform you. Give yourself over to this God who is with us and trust that all will be well. That is because the more we understand this, the more we see ourselves in a new light and see whom we are differently.

We need to understand that the days are over now in which the role of being Catholic is to be one who simply rode along on the bus to Heaven as the priest and the bishop drove along. That is not Catholicism. It is where each of us IN the community lay, ordained, religious, bishop, and each of us AS the community come and are in relationship with Jesus. We share that relationship with Him and each other. That relationship affects how we live, move and have our being. It affects everything and the more we are affected by it the more we grow in holiness.

I am reminded of the moment my Grand-uncle, also a priest and a former Cistercian monk asked me if I was going to Heaven. “I hope so.” I replied. This was when I was in high school in the early 1970’s.

“What is this I hope so.” He said. “You are going to Heaven.” He was the first to explain to me that we are to celebrate what Jesus is doing in our lives, not be in terror of judgement day. This is because we are now in relationship with Him. God is with us, and we are with him. This is the center of how we live our lives, by humbly approaching this God who is love beyond our ability to comprehend and experiencing more and more each day this love as we grow in our ability to love in return. The fruit of this relationship is love and wisdom which teaches us who we are, and where we are going.

What do we celebrate at this time? Something Wonderful.

God Bless You,
Fr. Robert J. Carr
Fr. Carr is an alliance member of the New Song Community, the pastor at St. Benedict Parish in Somerville, MA and the editor of this blog.

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