Day 650: Sunday, December 26, 2021

“You’re here, I found you and you may think you love me but… I love you More!"

TODAY We are all invited to our Emmaus Christmas Celebration

We'll open the celebration at 4:00 and start our liturgy at 5:00

From 4:00 - 5:00 share Christmas stories Past, Present or Future

Brief liturgy at 5:00 (we're all busy with family etc....)

Join OUR Zoom Celebration:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5193158573

Passcode: 1234

Meeting ID: 519 315 8573

One tap mobile for phones

+16699006833,,5193158573# US (San Jose)

Files for Downloading:

1. A Reading from Luke:

The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God

And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for God has looked with favor on the lowliness of the Almighty’s servant.

Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

for the Mighty One has done great things for me,

and holy is God’s name.

God’s mercy is for those who fear God

from generation to generation.

God has shown strength with God’s arm;

God has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

God has brought down the powerful from their thrones,

and lifted up the lowly;

God has filled the hungry with good things,

and sent the rich away empty.

God has helped servant Israel,

in remembrance of God’s mercy,

according to the promise God made to our ancestors,

to Abraham and to his descendants forever.

Meditation Poem

A Real Scandal of the Birth of God (Christmas poem) By Kaitlin Hardy Shetler

Sometimes I wonder

if Mary breastfed Jesus.

if she cried out when he bit her

or if she sobbed when he would not latch.

and sometimes I wonder

if this is all too vulgar

to ask in a church

full of men

without milk stains on their shirts

or coconut oil on their breasts

preaching from pulpits off limits to the Mother of God.

but then i think of feeding Jesus,

birthing Jesus,

the expulsion of blood

and smell of sweat,

the salt of a mother’s tears

onto the soft head of the Salt of the Earth,

feeling lonely

and tired

hungry

annoyed

overwhelmed

loving

and i think,

if the vulgarity of birth is not

honestly preached

by men who carry power but not burden,

who carry privilege but not labor,

who carry authority but not submission,

then it should not be preached at all.

because the real scandal of the Birth of God

lies in the cracked nipples of a

14 year old

and not in the sermons of ministers

who say women

are too delicate

to lead.

Reading 2: Meister Eckhart

Pay attention now to where this birth takes place:

This eternal birth takes place in the soul totally in the manner in which it takes place in eternity,

Neither more nor less.

There is only one birth

And this birth takes place in the being and ground and core of the soul.

This birth takes place in darkness.

And not only is the son of the heavenly Creator born in this darkness

But you too

Are born there as a child of the same heavenly Creator.

And the Creator extends this same power to you

Out of the divine maternity bed

Located in the Godhead

To eternally give birth…

What good is it to me if this eternal birth of the divine son takes place unceasingly but does not take place within myself?

And, what good is it to me

If Mary is full of grace and if I am not also full of grace?

What good is it to me

For the Creator to give birth if I do not also give birth

In my time

And my culture?

This then,

Is the fullness of time:

When the divine one is begotten

In us.

COMMUNION

Spirit of Life, Spirit of the Divine, come to us in this celebration and bless these gifts of bread and wine. Encircle us with your love and inspire us to become the transformation we seek to become.

We are on our journey and our road meets with those of everyone who is walking toward freedom and liberation tonight – wherever they come from, whatever the sadness they face. With Mary we keep the human family together, telling them “we must go on, we cannot turn back. We have a role in creating a world of peace for us and all our children. Everyone is welcome in this new world without borders. Lament cannot take hold if gratitude gets there first.”

This is the message of our brother Jesus who was inspired by the fearlessness of his mother. She who saw him through every change, every danger and every heartbreak. This son and our brother Jesus now invites us to share with him this simple meal which he celebrated the night before he died with his mother and his companions. He knew the hours were precious and the time short. This gave new meaning to his words:

Come to the table and break this bread with me and understand that it is life itself.

And then he raised the cup and looked with love at each of the people in the room and saw everyone who had lived or would ever live and he invited them all saying:

Come and drink this cup of wine which we share together. Remember me and celebrate me by re-creating this meal whenever the Spirit moves you. It is a cup filled with love.

Kiss of Peace:

Let’s offer each other a sign of peace.

The Welcoming to Communion:

All are welcome at our table. And we know that only at the shrine where all are welcome will God sing loud enough to be heard (St. Theresa of Avila)

In the eyes of the Divine we are more than worthy. So beautiful in fact that God enjoys us and says with great passion “You’re here, I found you and you may think you love me but… But I love you More!"

Final Blessing:

May we find hope in the lights we have kindled on this sacred night,

hope in one another and in all who form the web-work of peace and justice

that spans the world.

In the heart of every person on this Earth

burns the spark of luminous goodness;

in no heart is there total darkness.

May we who have celebrated this winter solstice,

by our lives and service, by our prayers and love,

call forth from one another the light and the love

that is hidden in every heart.