January 2017 – Margery Frisch

Ordinary Time

We are back to Ordinary Time…in the Church and in our lives. Christmas and New Year’s festivities are over, decorations are packed away and those lovely extra days off are but a distant memory. But, ordinary to me means – the usual…the same old same old…and one can become complacent with the ordinary, which we should never be. Of course, that is not its meaning in the Church Calendar, for each and every Sunday we celebrate the day of the risen Lord, which is far from ordinary.

So how do we handle ordinary times in the grind of our daily lives? Our lives are a spiritual journey and we can speed along like we’re traveling the 401 on cruise control, or we can take the less traveled route and fill our hearts and minds with beauty and wonder.

I recently read the book The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything. The premise is – where what you’re good at and what you’re passionate about intersect is where you’ll find your element. (I’m hoping this will push me to write more than I do.) One of the wonderful things that happens when we pay closer attention on our journey is that we become open to the extraordinary…I came upon this prayer the other day and it, along with the book I’m reading gave me an Aha! Moment:

God our father, you have a plan for each one of us. You hold out to us a future full of hope. Give us the wisdom of your Spirit so that we can see the shape of your plan in the gifts you have given us, and in the circumstances of our daily lives.

Amen to that! Let’s pay attention on our journey, and try our hardest not to be ordinary

The Nativity

On December 23rd, I happened upon The Nativity on CBC television. Instantly, I was skeptical – another nativity production – why? Well I stuck with it and was happy I did.
I have to admit, I have always found the story of the virgin birth a difficult one to grasp. Of course our faith is built on so many truths we accept without understanding, but what I have always found difficult is how accepting Mary and Joseph were of their dreams. Can you imagine – “I had this crazy dream that I am to have a child and he will be the son of God.” “Really?!? Cool!” Would these revelations fly today? I can’t see it happening. We are so filled with mistrust and doubt.
What I loved about The Nativity; that had me spellbound within minutes, was the doubt and uncertainty of Mary and most especially Joseph, even after the angel had come and explained these things. This depiction of them helped me to relate to them better.
In this film, Mary goes to visit her pregnant cousin Elizabeth with disbelief and concern in equal measure. Elizabeth helps her to better understand the words of the archangel. When she returns home, visibly pregnant herself, the townspeople are horrified, they ridicule her. Joseph is shocked, hurt and bitter. Try explaining to a guy who is hurling furniture in anger – ‘It’s ok, this is the son of God.’ He wasn’t buying it.
In this movie, Joseph plans to leave; heading to Bethlehem for the census and Mary’s father begs him to take Mary with him, for her own protection. “She cannot stay here,” he tells Joseph, “she will be stoned to death.”
Grudgingly, Joseph takes her with him. But his anger does not even let him accept the words of the angel when he appears to sort things out for him. Finally, Jesus is born. Whose heart does not melt at the sight of a new born baby? And when the shepherd arrives, being told of this birth by…yes, an angel; and a short while later the wise men appear on the scene, Joseph is in awe of this child, and what all this attention means. He thinks back to what the angel told him…he believes.
Now, having been given the barest of facts related to Jesus’ birth, one can conjure up many interpretations of how the events unfolded. I like this particular portrayal, written by Tony Jordan for the BBC, because it portrays Mary and Joseph in ways I can truly understand – confused, frightened, questioning. Of course God chose them to be the earthly parents of Jesus because of their purity of heart, their devotion, their faith and willingness to do God’s will. But this contemporary slant on the nativity of Jesus helps me to understand how they may have reached acceptance. It does not diminish their stature in my eyes; rather their strength fills me with awe