Fr Rod Quainton

Dear Friends in Christ,

It seems strange to be writing this from Chicago in the mood of the Carol “In the Bleak Midwinter” 

“In the bleak midwinter
frosty wind made moan:
earth stood hard as iron,
water like a stone…

when he comes to reign:
in the bleak mid winter
a stable place sufficed 
The lord God almighty—
Jesus Christ”

and then realize you will be reading it in sunshine and hopefully some warmth after Christmas.

A lot will happen between this writing and December 30. Jesus will have come and hope will be restored once again to a world aching for the good news of Emmanuel, God with us. The Lectionary editors have chosen that the very next day the church will remember St Stephen’s Day singing “Good King Wenceslas looked upon the feast of Stephen …bring me bread and bring me wine.” A wonderful image of how the Eucharist can overcome the cold of a Bleak midwinter and offer hope in a broken world. Remember Stephen was martyred. Following the feast of Stephen, the church remembers the Holy Innocents. Signaling that our savior has been born into a violent and scary world where the innocent will perish and many will flee. This is the glory of a liturgical calendar which gives us the full picture of our saviors birth. 

Todays scripture readings from Matthew 25:35 point the way  in how to respond to our Saviors birth: “For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me, and again in Psalm 146: 7-9 “Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God …who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry, sets the prisoners free and watches over the strangers”.

All of which is summed up in the poem by Howard Thurman: “The Work of Christmas.”

When the song of the angels is stilled.
When the star in the sky is gone.
When the Kings and princes are home.
When the shepherds are back with their flock..
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry.
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among others, 
To make music in the heart.

Say no more !

—Fr Rod+