Happy 2010!

Happy REAL New Year! The holidays were absolutely fantastic and relaxing. It involved relaxing on campus, visiting Saramen more frequently, and spending New Years Eve with my host family (which included embarrassing myself playing volleyball). New Years is celebrated from New Years Eve through Jan 2/3 (people are still saying Happy New Year!), by banging pots and pans to drive out evil spirits. Meg and Steph had family members visit, and Sam (indy volunteer) had one of his friends over as well. School’s started up and it’s looking good so far. It’s started off well so far, and I hope to update a bit more than I have in the past.

Last month we all enjoyed Xavier Day. It was filled with some awesome games, some dancing at the end of the night, and the eating of our pig, Isabella (we fed her leftover or half-eaten foods that we can’t use as left-overs, we now have another pig we’re getting ready for graduation). I got to take part in a few events, the most memorable being the “dizzy race” and an eating contest (I ate a bowl of whipped cream with an alum). This semester, we have cultural day to look forward to (it only happens every other year), and the students are already preparing dances and finishing up their huts for it. We also have track and field day, Catholic schools week, and probably some other things I’m not aware of.




Following: a reflection (optional reading!):


Although the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord just happened, marking the end of the Christmas Season, I figured this would still be a worthwhile reflection, something I’ve been thinking about for some time. NB: for the sake of this focusing on Jesus (a historical man who Christians believe to also be God), I’ll be primarily using the masculine pronoun in reference to God.

This reflection is based on the song “One of Us” by Joan Osborne…Not the most Christmas-y, but it drives a good point home.

The lyrics (I think, didn’t try to copy and paste):

"If God had a name, what would it be and would you call it to his face if you were faced with him in all his glory, what would you ask if you had just one question. And yeah, yeah, God is great, yeah, yeah, God is good. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, what if God was one of us? Just a slob like one of us? Just a stranger on the bus, trying to make his way home? If God had a face, what would it look like and would you want to see, if seeing meant that you would have to believe in things like heaven and in Jesus and the saints and all the prophets? [Chorus] Back up to heaven all alone, nobody calling on the phone, except for the pope, maybe, in Rome."

This song offers a few thoughts for reflection. What was the point of the Incarnation, the Word becoming flesh in the person of Jesus? It was to become one of us. God humbled Himself in order to allow us to know how much He cares for us, all of us. Jesus experienced life as a refugee in Egypt, as a learner, as a young boy (or man) who experienced the death of his earthly father, a teacher, healer, prisoner, and convicted criminal (and others…). God showed His love for us by becoming human and living a human life, showing us that all aspects of humanity are able to be holy, that God desires to be part of our daily lives – not just on Sundays or when we really need our Creator.

Another thought that this song reminds me of is the parable of the last judgment in Matthew 25. For those unfamiliar, this is the parable when Jesus declares that what we do for the least of others (the poor, homeless, hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, imprisoned, etc), we do to Him. Do I see Jesus in the people around me, even those I don’t know, or perhaps wouldn’t want to associate myself with? Do I see Jesus in those I live with or those I regularly serve? Do I see Jesus in my students and those in my local community? Do I serve all those with love regardless of how I feel about them personally?
Happy New Year!