Posted by The WORD in other words (2019) by Fr Reynaldo Jimenez SVD – Baguio City
Thursday 2nd Week of Advent
An ancient rabbi likens truth to a naked man and stories to a clothed man. When truth goes about the village proclaiming the truth, villagers run away horrified, not by the truth per se but by the fact that truth is naked. Stories, however, are clothed and thus are even accepted into their homes. Truth and stories are both people but stories are more welcome! Because “bare” truths are harder on the mind (and eyes) than “clothed” stories!
In a way, Jesus came into the world, not as bare truth only but he chose to clothe himself with human flesh. He entered the world not only like one of us but completely one of us. God knew man‘s heart. God‘s Word needed to be shown and experienced in order to be accepted and understood in the world.
Mary‘s YES enabled the Word to come and be welcomed by humanity. Her “yes” became her story which clothed Jesus and thus be welcomed into our own hearts and be received as warmly as Mary and Joseph received their Son.
Mary and Joseph nurtured and taught Jesus in the ways of the Jews. Jesus became fully one of us! Mary‘s “yes” is an invitation for all of us to say our “yes” when called upon to “clothe” the Word of God today.
We are the “stories” Jesus is now sharing with the world. Our life tells “the wonders God has made” (Ps. 118: 23). We now walk in the footsteps of Jesus.
Let us make the word of God welcome into the homes of those who despair and are suffering. In this season of awaiting the Lord, we “clothe” ourselves with the truth of his Love.
