The Original Jewish mother and hunky Jesus

       At the start of that classic movie, The Quiet Man, the narrator starts the movie by saying  "I'll begin at the begin'n".  Each of the 4 Gospels has a different beginning. Each written with a specific audience in mind and its own rich point of view.  This is good because none of us see things the same way and we need different views and messages at different points in our lives.

     Mark starts his Gospel well past any childhood stories or youthful offenses that could have occurred. No early stories of Jesus here. No genealogy. I could suggest looking at other non-canonical Gospels for stories about Jesus' youth or for some entertainment, read Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal.  But that is a pleasant digression. Or is it?

       As a prelude to Christmas in these last days of Advent, it is not enough in my mind to start with the ministry of John the baptizer.  The beginning starts with the tiniest of babies in that humbling and vulnerable manger. This is how God chose to enter into our humanity and it bears noting in the strongest ways.  Diaper changes  ( of whatever variety they had then ), baby poo and goo, real life. This can't be minimized. Nor can we minimize the childhood of Jesus who experienced all the stuff we experienced including skinned knees, playing and being gently ( firmly?) redirected in his actions by his fine and quintessentially Jewish mother, Mary. This is why I love Biff. It speaks to a side of Jesus' humanity that we do not often speak of or understand. As adults we confront the pain and separation that Jesus suffered when he died.  The pain resonates with us because we experience it in our own lives so we can feel Jesus' pain. But do we acknowledge or fully embrace the fact that Jesus was a baby, a kid, an adolescent, a young man and then a real man.  Some try to grasp this, however irreverently with the hunky Jesus contests but really, Jesus was a fine Jewish man. How could I of all people have not fallen in love with a fine Jewish man of my own being the good catholic boy that I am?

       In these last days of Advent, I think a nice opportunity for meditation and appreciation of this season lies in the actual young life of our Christ. How did Jesus live, grow up and mature? What did he know and if so, when did he know it?  As a human, was he subject to the same growth and aha moments we are? Did he struggle with his sexuality, straight or gay? After all, a thirty-three year old single Jewish man? Really? Sounds suspicious. Perhaps even more so back in the day. Lets take time to think about the whole life of Jesus and note he shared in our humanity to the full.

         And never forget to love and give thanks.

Mark 1:1-8

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

 As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
   who will prepare your way; 
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
   “Prepare the way of the Lord,
   make his paths straight” ’, 
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’