Emmanuel
"Sloughing Towards Bethlehem!"
"Christian/Catholic Workers Gone Bad!"
Emmanuel
December 18, 2024
The Birth of Jesus Christ--Matthew 1:18-25
Net Version.
18?Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together,[a] she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19?Because Joseph, her husband to be,[b] was a righteous man, and because he did not want to disgrace her, he intended to divorce her[c] privately. 20?When he had contemplated this, an[d] angel of the Lord[e] appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21?She will give birth to a son and you will name him[f] Jesus,[g] because he will save his people from their sins.” 22?This all happened so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: 23?“Look! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will name him[h] Emmanuel,”[i] which means[j] “God with us.”[k] 24?When Joseph awoke from sleep he did what the angel of the Lord[l] told him. He took his wife, 25?but did not have marital relations[m] with her until she gave birth to a son, whom he named[n] Jesus.
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Matthew 25:31-46
New English Translation
The Judgment
31?“When[a] the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32?All[b] the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33?He[c] will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34?Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 being // Then the righteous will answer him,[d] ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38?When[e] did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? 39?When[f] did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40?And the king will answer them,[g] ‘I tell you the truth,[h] just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters[i] of mine, you did it for me.’
41?“Then he will say[j] to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! 42?For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. 43?I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44?Then they too will answer,[k] ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’ 45?Then he will answer them,[l] ‘I tell you the truth,[m] just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ 46?And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”[n]
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????One week before Christmas, we are given the story of the birth of Jesus from the book of ?? Matthew which alone calls Jesus "Emmanuel," meaning "God with us," and with this theme carried all through the Matthew narrative, we end with our reading where Jesus tells his followers have his spark, his presence, within them to continue his love of our brothers and sisters . . . . .For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36?I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37
How we treat the poor determines our salvation. We are tied to one another in love.
??? As I listen to the news of Syria, and Gaza, and see the very destitute--no housing, living in rubble, no food or medical care I think of the ones on our streets, without housing, care, food, living in the ruins as well. I see the divide between the haves and the have-nots!
??? I spend time sitting in an alley with Dorothy who is struggling with cancer, and finding it more and more difficult, knowing she will die on the streets; Tony is weak from an overdose of drugs. Brooke calls me from home very lonely.
??? I am a Story-catcher,? catching their stories, holding their pain within myself.
??? And so this week before Christmas I find Emmanuel, God with us, reminding me, to keep the faith, to let go of my doubts and fears, and to follow his lead: For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36?I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37!
Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!
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Temenos Catholic Worker
P.O. Box 642656
San Francisco, CA 94164
Dr. River Damien Carlos Sims, D.Min, D.S.T.
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“People ask me why do you write about food,
and eating and drinking. Why don’t you write
about the struggle for power and security, and
about love, the way others do? The easiest answer
is to say that, like most other humans I am hungry (M.F. Fisher!”
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"Christians/Catholic Workers Gone Bad!"
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