Year B. 2023
Who made you Church?
Where is God?
Gospel: Luke 2:1-14
“Glory to God in the Highest. Peace to all people of Good will”
The Gloria that we proclaim was written around the year 360 AD.
For more than one thousand six-hundred- and sixty-three-years Christians have sung this song.
It is proclaimed in Greek, in Coptic, in Latin, in Arabic. It is part of the Ukrainian rite. The Alexandrian Rite, the Zarian Rite.
“Glory to God in the Highest, on earth peace to all people of good will.”
Greek text.
Glory to you who have shown us the light. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will to all people.
Coptic text.
Let us praise with the angels saying, “Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, and goodwill toward men.” We praise You. We bless You. We serve You. We worship You. We confess to You. We proclaim Your glory. We thank You for Your great glory.
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In the Gloria we sing: “Peace on earth to people of good will.”
Jesus told the young man that only God is Good, (Mark 10:18). To be people of ‘good will’ means we are a people of God’s will. As people of God’s will we experience the peace of God which the World System of Domination cannot understand.
God’s peace! God’s glory!
Gathered here today, we are people of every race, various languages, opposing political parties, and different ways of life, but we are now one baptism, one faith, one body and one spirit linked to the glory of God through Maria’s baby boy.
Let Heaven and earth meet!
Let Justice and peace kiss!
Let Mercy and grace embrace!
Peace on earth to all people of God’s will!
St. Irenaeus wrote:
“For the glory of God is the living man, and the life of man is the vision of God” (baby Jesus), (Irenaeus, Adv. Haer. 4.20.7, trans. Robert M. Grant, Irenaeus of Lyons).
In this human baby is revealed the vision of God.
From today through January 8th, the Catholic Church celebrates and teaches, breaking news: Glory to God and peace to all people of God’s will. The Catholic Church testifies that the human being living the will of God, from the womb and through to the tomb is the Glory of God.
So sings Maria, singing: “My soul proclaims the greatness of God, my existence rejoices in God my savior.” Baby John danced with joy so near was the glory of God.
Glorification is the final (eschatological) stage of salvation. It refers to what we will be like as people of good will after death and judgement,.[1] The teaching on glorification describes how people of God’s will, will be given new bodies that in mystery are connected with their mortal selves.[1]
In the Gospel of St. Jn. 20: 19-20, we read, After the resurrection “Jesus showed them his hands and his side” vs. 27. He told them, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Jesus had a glorified body! This is our destiny in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 8:5 “Crowned him with glory.”
Gen. 1:26 humans made in the image and likeness, i.e. glory of God. Our beginning.
1 Jn. 3:2 “We shall be like Christ, i.e. glorified.
In the Holy Mass: “May we come to share the divinity/glory of Christ who humbled himself to share our humanity.”
4. Therefore how should we live?
1 Cor.6: 20: “Glorify God in your body, which is a temple of the Holy Spirit.”
But we fall down. We fall short. We miss the mark of glory.
Rms. 3:22-23, all have fallen short of the Glory of God; no distinction.
For this reason, the Church gives us the sacrament of forgiveness which restores us to the glory of God.
And so Mary sings: “ My spirit rejoices in God my Savior” i.e. glorification.
God who saves us from dis-grace and malicious connections.
It is for this reason that the Devil hates the human person body and soul, mind and spirit.
It is for this reason that by every means of the Lie, bullying, malicious gossip, and distraction, the Satanic Prosecutor accuses the Church and the children of God, online and off line.
It is because of our glory, that the World System of Domination seeks the disgrace of the people of God’s will.
Against this nightmare of the “world rulers of this present darkness”, God gives us a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars, full of the Life of life, (Rev. 12:1).
A woman in the end, whose spiked heels shall crush the head of that dragon.
By her yes to God, she is glorified.
By her yes to God, her children are glorified. By Your yes to God, creation is redeemed from the Pawnbrokers of lies and violations.
At every celebration of the sacraments and even now at this holy mass, we enter into and catch a glimpse of our glory because the woman Mary had a baby, and they named him Jesus.
Who made you church?
And where is God?
Glory to God in the Highest and peace to God’s people of good will.