I can recall from my high school chaplaincy days in Laredo, Texas the
classrooms full of posters with inspirational quotes about courage and being oneself. Christopher Reeve, the actor best known for playing Superman in the 1970s, who was paralyzed from the neck down in an equestrian accident, deceased in 2004 at age 52, once said, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (d. 1962) once said, “Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one.” Inspiring words. But for us Christians, there is more. We are not simply called, as we sometimes hear, to “speak our truth”. We are called to speak the truth, Jesus Christ. St. Paul, in this Sunday’s second reading (2 Corinthians 4:3-6), tells us that “We do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord.” We are, of course, unique individuals who want to be ourselves, unhindered in a society where it increasingly seems like we are being judged. We want to be given room to grow and make mistakes and discover our gifts, and we must, of course, try to be strong. But we are most ourselves and strongest in Jesus Christ, in God. A Christian belongs to Christ, in Whom we find the fullness of happiness and freedom, in Whom we find a safe space, in Whom we no longer need to pretend to have the courage and strength to conquer the world, through Whom we find our Creator, the Source of endless love that enables us to lay down our lives for another. Indeed, the same Saint Paul tells us in Galatians 2:20, “it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Belonging with you, Dominique+ Tomorrow, February 2, is the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple—as we call it in the Episcopal Church, an event that the Church, early in her pilgrimage (the early 400s, to be exact) realized it was important to celebrate. We are transferring this feast to Sunday, February 7, so to celebrate it together as community.
What is the importance of this event? It is another epiphany and thus God sharing again and more. Indeed, as Simeon, the “righteous and devout man” who comes to the temple, says as takes the child Jesus in his arms and praises God, “Master…my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:30-32) This revelation, of course, extends to us. We Christians never simply recall past events. We celebrate God present, Jesus, Light of the world, in our midst, the Risen Lord alive, sharing Himself. We celebrate Jesus, as our second reading (Hebrews 2:14-18) says, who “because he himself was tested by what he suffered, is able to help those who are being tested.” Jesus is more present than you realize, especially in your struggles. Jesus is with you in any and all suffering: in your aching body, in your frightened heart, in your lonely space, in the family tension, in the job search, in your struggles to pray. We indeed have every reason to hope. Yours in the light of Christ, The Rev. Dominique Peridans fellow pligrim |
THE REV. DOMINIQUE PERIDANS
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January 2022
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