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Advent programs promote reflection and prayer
By LINDA M. LINONIS
canfield
Movies, books, cartoons and stand-up comics use dysfunctional families as fodder for Christmas-themed material. Many people can relate.
Sister Lisa Marie Belz, an Ursuline Sister of Cleveland, also included the dysfunctional family angle when she spoke on “The Joys, Surprises and Challenges of Matthew’s Good News.”
Her presentation Dec. 4 at the Ursuline Center is one of four Advent programs. “The Prolog of John’s Gospel” will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 18; cost is $15. Register by calling 330-799-4941.
The Advent programs are meant to be reflective and anticipate the birth of Jesus.
Matthew’s Gospel highlights genealogy. Sister Lisa said this traces “who is in Jesus’ family.”
“There are skeletons in the family tree, and not all are honorable people,” she said.
The genealogy, Sister Lisa said, provides background on the ancestors of Jesus. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is described as the son of God while in Matthew, Jesus is the son of David.
Differences in the Gospels could be attributed to their sources.
Sister Lisa said the Gospels developed from stories; the historical Jesus; oral traditions based on Jesus’ disciples, His teachings and followers; the “chreia” of Jesus, that is, collection of His sayings and the “kerygma,” that is, the preaching and messages of Jesus’ ministry.
A collection of sayings of Jesus from his parables and stories of miracles evolved, along with a written Passion narrative.
Mark’s Gospel combines all this and puts it into a narrative form.
Sister Lisa said clues in Mark’s Gospel show he used earlier sources; he takes those elements and turns them into an extended narrative.
“Mark was not good at Greek but he was a brilliant theologian by the way he arranges the material,” Sister Lisa said.
She noted that the Greek “bios,” or life, was the story of one’s life history combined with interpretation.
“History combines with the theological interpretation of Jesus’ life,” she said. “Gospel writers are creating a work of art.”
Sister Lisa noted that about 89 percent of Mark is in Luke; Matthew and Luke add new material. “In Matthew, Jesus is the ‘new Moses,’” she said.
Matthew offers parallels with Moses.
“Moses survived the killing of babies and Jesus also was spared,” Sister Lisa said. “In Matthew, it’s Jesus as the Messiah.”
Matthew, Sister Lisa said, alludes to Old Testament passages.
“He paints a picture with word to teach about Jesus,” she said.
Matthew 1:1-17 addresses the messianic genealogy. The Matthew and Luke genealogy are not the same.
“It’s not literal but symbolic,” she said.
Sister Lisa said that in the Matthew Gospel, “Jesus is the fulfillment of messianic expectations ... the fulfillment of Israel’s history.”
Sister Lisa continued that Matthew “has reasons” to include women as part of the family clan; “that was unusual,” she said, adding the lineage was traced through the paternal side.
“It was thought the husband gave the baby soul and the wife, the physical,” she said.
Naomi and Ruth are mentioned as part of the messianic family.
“Christ’s family includes the imperfect and those on the margins,” Sister Lisa said.
Matthew 1:18-25 reveals a “God of surprises,” Sister Lisa said.
Being pregnant out of wedlock was not acceptable then, she said, “It was a shameful thing.”
But, Sister Lisa said, Joseph did not want to put Mary to shame.
The Scripture passage notes that the “angel of the Lord” came to Joseph and told him Mary had conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit and he should not fear taking her as his wife.
Jesus, which means Emmanuel, interpreted as God with us, “is the new Moses” and will “fulfill the prophecy,” Sister Lisa said.
“By Joseph naming Jesus, he took on legal paternity,” Sister Lisa said. “Through Joseph, Jesus becomes the son of David.”
The Advent programs are meant to provoke thought, reflection and prayer about Scripture.
The examples of Mary and Joseph and the demostration of their faith in God show us that “we need to grow in trust in God.”