Our readings for Sunday are here.
These are the poems, my notes, and interpretations of Fr Dennis’ homilies from the Masses of
- January 15, 2017 10AM
- January 19, 2014 8:30AM
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The poems Fr Dennis references these years are:
- 2017 homily — Winter Grace by Patricia Fargnoli
- 2014 homily — The Necessity for Irony by Eavan Boland
In 2017, we reflected on —
- In Isaiah (49:6), we hear that the Lord made Isaiah, Israel, the prophets, and, of course, Christ himself to be a “light to all the nations” (emphasis added), to the magi, the Jewish people, the Gentiles (that’s us!). It feels like an echo of the Epiphany.
- In the gospel, John the Baptist said, “I did not know him,” in the sense that he did not recognize Jesus for who he truly is.
- It feels consoling, in a way, that someone like John the Baptist could be wrong.
- He saw Jesus but did not understand Jesus was the “Son of God”; he had been wrong.
- Also, the earlier Spirit and Fire messages about the Messiah (from spirited and fiery John the Baptist) sound threatening, but Jesus generally isn’t like that or that sort of threatening, particularly to the anawim (the poor and marginalized).
- Patricia Fargnoli’s poem Winter Grace is about not seeing and then, eventually, seeing (like John the Baptist) that “which is otherwise always eluding you.”
In 2014, we reflected on —
- In the gospel, John the Baptist said that “I did not know him [as the Son of God]” until the Spirit / Dove descended on Jesus — that’s us!! —
- As it is often the reflection on past events that helps us recognize Jesus. We hope and aspire to recognizing Him a little sooner in the course of our events.
- The persistent aspiration to holiness and the humility regarding our limitations are aspects of our holiness, but being recognized as holy by others after-the-fact seems also to be an aspect of being Holy.
- In the second reading (1 Cor 1:2 “to you who have been … called to be holy”) addresses the saints and all of us hoping to see what’s right in front of us. E.g., Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. recognized the presence of God in our lives, and in community, and that he might very well have to die for living so.
- Eavan Boland, an Irish poet (1944-2020) captures the after-the-fact epiphanies in her poem, the Necessity for Irony, with her final lines of
- that I was in those rooms,
with my child,
with my back turned to her,
searching — oh irony!–
for beautiful things.
- that I was in those rooms,
Our featured image today is a jewel (8″ x 8″), and as with all jewels it was pure internet chance that I found it: the Behold the Lamb of God Icon by Ed Narvaez. The notion of the “black sheep” captures that sense D2 was going for with the after-the-fact recognition of the holiness and value of someone who, at the current moment, doesn’t seem to fit. Like the saying that Jesus came not only to comfort the afflicted, but to afflict the comfortable. 🙂
Mr. Narvaez is quite gifted and accomplished in a variety of art forms; he resides in Boulder, CO. His description of his icon capture of the restored icon in St Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium is well-worth the visit to his site. I have received Mr. Narvaez’ permission to display the image; please respect his artistic rights. The actual icon is still available for sale, if you are captivated by it.
The Surest Sign 