Peace Over Drama

"...today, as in Jesus' own time, Christmas is not a children's fable but God's response to the drama of humankind as it seeks true peace. 'He shall be the one of peace' says the prophet referring to the Messiah. It is up to us to open wide the doors to welcome Him. ... Happy Christmas to everyone!"

Pope Benedict XVI
Reflection at the Angelus Prayer
December 20, 2009

Drama.

What better word to describe the human experience. It seems life mostly hinges on a continuum of played out events, some scripted, but for the most part life leans towards improvisation, adaptation, and a few surrenders. It seems difficult to understand the design of the Creator at times. The natural law indelibly written onto the heart of every human being gets consistently challenged by the evil one who simply takes the virtues and distorts them just enough to seem alluring.

The result is drama.

Some say that drama is the spice of life, but they presume that the opposite of drama is boredom. More than anything, humanity wants to exist with as little tribulation as possible; however, drama gets in the way. And one drama leads to another and to another. The drama of covetousness leads to the drama of infidelity. In point of fact, each of the Ten Commandments deals with a specific drama.

Christ came to provide the antidote to the poison of drama that was released in Eden and has been transmitted to every human being from that moment forward save Blessed Mother. When the Christian celebrates Christmas, the joy to world that gets loudly proclaimed is that the savior has come; the one who can provide the true opposite to the devil's perversion. Christmas celebrates the true coming of peace.

God Incarnate seeks the marriage with His bride the Church. Despite the drama man entertains, He, that is to say, Christ, remains ever faithful, ever true, ever peaceful. CK Chesterton wrote in his book, Day by Day, of the lack of drama in a truly happy marriage. Read this passage and envision Christ as the groom and oneself as the sensible wife.

A happy love-affair will make a drama simply because it is dramatic; it depends on an ultimate yes or no. But a happy marriage is not dramatic; perhaps it would be less happy if it were. The essence of a romantic heroine is that she asks herself an intense question; but the essence of a sensible wife is that she is much too sensible to ask herself any questions at all. All the things that make monogamy a success are in their nature undramatic things, the silent growth of an instinctive confidence, the common wounds and victories, the accumulation of customs, the rich maturing of old jokes. Sane marriage is an untheatrical thing; it is therefore not surprising that most modern dramatists have devoted themselves to insane marriage.

How sane is one's relationship with Christ? As Christmas approaches it's a good question to ponder. For if one finds that there is high drama this time of the year; if the shopping outweighs the magnitude of the reality that God physically entered into the human experience, then perhaps it is time to reexamine the meaning of the season.

Perhaps the reason that the nativity creche displayed in the public square remains so offensive to some Americans is that it does not depict a drama, but rather it symbolizes the peace they desire yet their hearts are ever closed to receive it. In dramatic fashion they expel this image of tranquility, jealous of the comfort it may bring to others.

To all believers, this author wishes a very Merry Christmas. To all non-believers, peace be with you.

A Marvelous Thing

First a little family history...

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers... and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

Matthew (RSV) 1:1-2,16

For the sake of brevity and readability, the middle section of this list of generations was omitted. Turn one's focus to the last line and zero in on Joseph the husband of Mary. At first glance it appears very ordinary and matter of fact. All know that Joseph was indeed the husband of Mary. Today, if one were to get introduced as the husband of one's spouse, it would hardly register as anything but normal.

Yet in St. Matthew's day, and for the audience whom he wrote for, the Hebrews, it would have been out of the ordinary to introduce a man as the husband of a woman. In fact a read of the entire genealogy from Matthew's gospel doesn't mention any of the wives. Mary is singled out, and for good reason.

To understand this a little better, it's necessary to examine the Latin translation of Matthew 1:16 with an emphasis on the words in bold below:

Iacob autem genuit Ioseph virum Mariae, de qua natus est Iesus, qui vocatur Christus.

(Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.)

Beginning the with the word genuit which is actually a verb meaning to beget or to bring forth. In the modern English translation this verb gets changed into the noun, father, though the Douay-Rheims holds true to the verb and uses the word begot here. It's important because each in this line of succession did something active to create the next person in line until that line gets to Joseph. Suddenly there is a shift here for Joseph did not beget Christ yet his importance in the matter is not lost.

Virum is a Latin word for husband; however, it is also the word for hero, person of courage, honor and nobility. Joseph is the hero of Mary. Were he "just a husband," the Latin word used here might have been conjugis or conubium, which simply translate to spouse or partner. Yet throughout scripture, when the husband is spoken of, it is a title of honor. The virum has duties, responsibilities, and a distinct role in the family and society.

This notion may prove a bit difficult for modern western culture where men have been largely emasculated under the guise of equality for women. In point of fact, a study published by the University of Sheffield in England revealed that women on birth control pills are more attracted to effeminate men. They in essence begin to want a male version of themselves. A cursory look at the pop stars of today reveals a decidedly androgynous bent in preference by the younger set, most of whom are on the pill. Bogart, Brando, and Gable wouldn't get very far with today's "modern" woman.

Yet the Hebrews of St. Matthew's day would have understood perfectly what it meant that Joseph was the virum of Mary. He was her protector; her champion; the leader of the family. That he had this position for the mother of Christ placed him in a status of high esteem and importance. He was much more than just a stepfather or ancillary character of the nativity story.

Finally there is this interesting word, natus. This word literally means to be produced spontaneously; to come into existence; to spring forth, grow and live. Mary, full of grace, was the chosen one to be the conduit for God incarnate, the Christ, to come into human history. How logical and appropriate that hers is the last human being's name mentioned in this line of succession detailed in Matthew's gospel. The last is first, indeed.

And do not consider this genealogy a small thing to hear: for truly it is a marvelous thing that God should descend to be born of a woman, and to have as His ancestors David and Abraham.

St. John Chrysostom