Yesterday was Christmas, celebrated by Catholics as the day 2014 years ago that Jesus of Nazareth was born. The Christian Gospels say Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary and was the messiah foretold in Jewish scripture. (This video can watched in any of the romance languages by using the translucent buttons on top of the video. The pope begins speaking at about 12 minutes.) Popes traditionally use the Christmas Day Urbi et Orbi blessing [blessing to the city and the world] to send a message, and Pope Francis did that to great effect. Its worth watching the man, who has grown since taking office into a potent political and spiritual figure. His prominence in the very corporeal world of politics is incontrovertible, recent events surrounding Cuba being the most recent evidence of this. Pope Francis prayed for ethnic and religious groups facing brutal persecution in Iraq and Syria, and the millions of refugees everywhere. He prayed that assistance be provided to the displaced, and for their safe return to their homelands. He prayed for the people of Ukraine. In Nigeria, he highlighted rampant kidnapping for ransom and murder, in Congo, Libya, Sudan, the Central African Republic and Congo, he prayed for those living through violent conflict and civil war, and calls on all those in authority to work toward lasting fraternal coexistence. He spends some time on those suffering Then he prays for the vast numbers of children who are victims of violence, made objects of trade and trafficking, or are forced to become soldiers. When talks of the suffering of children everywhere and says there are so many tears this Christmas, it is quite moving indeed. Growing up in a Jewish household, I have always found Jesus to be a most fascinating figure, particularly because he was a rabbi and spent his entire life interpreting the Jewish law, yet he is the central figure in Christianity and a Muslim saint as well. (As are Moses and Abraham). Also interesting about Jesus is that history comes pretty close to confirming, based on Roman accounts and references by Jewish historian Josephus, that there was such a rabbi at the time. It also seems clear that Jesus created a significant degree of intra-Jewish turmoil by boldly challenging the interpretation of the Jewish law by the Pharisees (check the Synoptic Gospels). The Pharisees were one of the four dominant Jewish sects of that time mentioned by Josephus, and since the Pharisees where in charge of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, being a rabbi and challenging them on religious grounds was risky business, and appears to be a proximate cause for Jesus crucifixion by the Roman overlords of the time. More on that during Easter.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 07:10:09 +0000
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