Dr. Karla J. Bellinger

Jan 08 2025

Underdogs Become Stars

In the movie Rudy, Rudy isn’t smart enough to get into Notre Dame. He’s too small to play football. Could he make a touchdown for the Fighting Irish in the final game of his senior year? There’s no way. Not a chance. In the story Hidden Figures, Katherine Johnson is a mathematical genius. She works at NASA as a “calculator.” Yet she is a black woman in the early 1960s. Could she do the mathematical calculations for John Glenn’s return from orbit? There’s no way. Not a chance.

We love these underdog stories, don’t we? The one full of grit and determination, the one who was not supposed to be there—a light shines, someone cracks open a door. The hero(ine) pushes through and comes to victory. The elation! The joy! The success!

Today’s readings give us other underdog stories. St. Paul didn’t walk with Jesus. He persecuted Christians. There’s no way. Not a chance. The magi—astrologers from the east, they were not of the Chosen People. How could they ever see the Messiah? There’s no way. Not a chance.

Yet God opens a crack in the door. Light from heaven strikes Paul to the ground. The risen Lord draws him in. In turn, Paul opens the door for those other underdogs, the Gentiles.

A star in the heavens directs the magi to the King of the Jews, and by that light they are overjoyed to see that baby. The elation! The thrill! The success! Unlikely heroes, we still sing their song, “We Three Kings.”

You and I, we are unlikely heroes, too. People of faith, in love with the Lord? No way. Not a chance. Yet a light has shone into our darkness, too—a glimmer, a taste of the Holy Spirit, and a touch of glory. Wow. Sing praise!

Consider/Discuss

What is your favorite underdog story? With whom do you identify most? Who is it that shines the light, opens the door for the hero(ine)? At the conclusion, what causes you to feel elation and joy at their success?
Sometimes we take our faith for granted. Yet glimpses of light have enlightened our darkness. God is faithful. The heavens have opened and we are allowed to enter. How has that door opened for us?

Living and Praying with the Word

Lord Jesus, you came into this world as an underdog, born in a small backwater of a vast empire. But when the magi saw you, they knew that you truly reigned over all. Thank you for opening the door for us. We are not worthy of you, but you have let us in, too. Show us the elation—the joy—the unexpected successes that you want for us in our own lives.

Jan 07 2025

The Eyes Have It

I never get quite enough Christmas. Liturgically, this week we are still singing Christmas songs. Poinsettias still decorate the altar. Yet we have already abandoned the infancy stories. In today’s reading, Joseph uproots his family to flee to Egypt to keep the holy child safe. Does the glow of “Silent Night, Holy Night” have to dissolve into the shadows quite so quickly?

Jesus was born into a messy world. In my mind, I know that. In my heart, I don’t want that.

A glimmer of insight came to me when I noticed a painting by Federico Barocci. In the Rest on the Flight to Egypt (c.1570), Mary sits in the center of the Holy Family. She looks to the left, as though to draw attention away from herself. St. Joseph hovers above her. He reaches out his fingers to place a twig into the fist of Jesus, a chubby toddler. The leading line in the painting is that connection between father and son. The dawning sun rises in the background. That light is reflected in the bearded man’s eyes as they shimmer with tenderness for the child. The eyes of the baby gleam back with love. A placid donkey looks on. Had they just barely escaped Herod’s bloodbath? Is there anxiety in Joseph’s heart? This paints a picture of calm. Jesus doesn’t look old enough to talk, but he shoots Joseph a playful grin as though to say, “Daddy, don’t worry. We are here together.”

In mutual love, there is calm amidst the messiness—holy rest, Christmas peace. It doesn’t fade away. We find it in family. We find it in friendship. We find it in the solidarity of community. We find it in Jesus’ gleam: “Don’t worry. We are in this together.”

Consider/Discuss

We yearn for peace, but life can be messy. What is in Jesus’ eyes when he looks at us? How can we be enveloped by Christmas peace through that loving gaze?
Much of togetherness is communicated with the eyes, both in family relationships and in friendship. Storytellers suggest looking at people with two seconds of loving eye contact. Try that tender attention this week and see how family and friends respond.

Living and Praying with the Word

Jesus our Savior, you lived through all of the messiness of human life. You know more of trauma than we could ever imagine. Yet you have not abandoned us. You are here. You are with us. Help us to put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, and love, especially in our families. Strengthen the bond of perfection in all of our relationships. This flight of faith is challenging. We cannot do it without you. Thank you for abiding with us and surrounding us with your gleam of love.

Jan 07 2025

The Gaze Turns to Love

It is Christmas Day! The long night of Mary’s labor is over. The holy night when the angels sang has turned to day. The sun has risen. Jesus is here! Red and wrinkled, the baby rests in Mary’s arms. Joseph gazes at the boy’s little fingernails as Mary sleeps. Even the cave where the animals are stabled begins to brighten and warm. Time stands still. The everlasting Word has become flesh and dwells among us. He is here. He is now.

What happens when a newborn arrives? The hours after birth, if not interrupted by emergencies, are a time to gaze. A first-time mother can’t quite believe that her enormous belly is now that tiny child; two eyes, that nose, and “look at his hair!” A father gets shaky inside at how protective he feels when he looks at this little one. Someone exclaims, “Oh, look, he’s got the family chin!” Words feel trivial, unable to capture the amazement. Time stands still.

And then something happens. Time begins anew. Inside of each of these “watchers,” a miracle rises up. Little by little, those who look upon the helpless creature are changed by their gazing. They begin to fall in love. Warmth spreads in the chest. Tears of joy run down the cheeks. Wonder overwhelms the mind. This child is here. This child is now. Can you feel it?

Christmas Day is a moment for gazing. Christmas Day is a time to look at Baby Jesus, the Word who became flesh and who dwells among us. In the manger, in the Eucharist, in moments of prayer, in the bond of family and friends, in service to the community: Look! Jesus is here! Let the tears of joy run down your cheeks. Jesus is here!

Consider/Discuss

The experience of today’s Christmas may be joyous. Or it may be difficult. How is God with you on this day? How is the Word taking flesh and dwelling with you today?
Think back to your most tender, most loving Christmas. What comes to mind? What was it that warmed your heart? How can that memory transform your experience today?

Living and Praying with the Word

Emmanuel, God who is with us, sometimes there is nothing to say. Today is your Christmas. Allow me to have some quiet time just to gaze at you, the newborn in the manger, the Word become flesh. Holy Spirit, come and fill the quiet of my gaze with the strength of your love. You may warm my heart. You may overwhelm my brain. You may send tears of joy down my cheeks. Give me the grace just to sit here and gaze at you with love.

Jan 07 2025

God Takes Us In; We Belong to God

We humans hunger to belong. As a result, tracing one’s genealogy has become very popular. Ancestry.com has three million members. People upload family histories and search for connections. Studies of

young people reveal that they are more passionate about where they belong than about what they believe.

Belonging was important for Jesus as well. The angel said to Joseph, “Do not be afraid to take Mary into your home.” Joseph could have quietly thrown her out. Instead, the just man from Nazareth took her in. He offered the young pregnant Mary a roof over her head and a family lineage. He provided her a place and a people. Thus Jesus, adopted as his son under the Law of Israel, became a descendant of Joseph’s “house of David.”

Having a land and a people was important to the Hebrews. These things are important to us as well. Yet many people in this world are uprooted. Refugees and immigrants have no country, no place of belonging. Children who are passed from foster home to foster home do not know that security of belonging. They live on the edge of place.

We belong in this world, but at the same time, we don’t belong. As an Advent people, we acknowledge that we are pilgrims on this earth. We too live on the edge of place. St. Paul says that we are called to belong to Jesus Christ. We don’t abandon our family and our heritage, but we acknowledge that all that is, is God’s. God is our home. God is our Source and our Goal. The Lord does not throw us out, but has taken us in and fully adopted us. God has given us a place to belong.

Consider/Discuss

We wonder, “Where do I belong?” and “To whom do I belong?” As we come close to Christmas, think about the joys that God has given you in belonging, especially those you may take for granted. Think about the ache of not belonging as well. What can we do today to strengthen those bonds?
On this Sunday, three days before Christmas, how we spend our money, our time, and our energy reveals much about to what we belong. Where and how are we invested?

Living and Praying with the Word

O come, Emmanuel, God-with-us; come into our hearts, hear the sound of our cry. The tensions of Christmas are intensifying. We need to rest in you. We need a place to belong. Like Joseph, take us into your home. We are searching not for a God of distance but the God of presence. When we need it most, hold us in your loving arms.

Jan 07 2025

Darkness Is Not the Final Answer

John the Baptist sits in prison. He waits for the one who is to come. No angel bursts his bonds. No heavenly blast levels the stones to release him. The holy prophet expects death, for he had dared to speak out, challenging those in power. There is anticipation outside the walls, but the excitement passes him by. He waits in darkness.

The hubbub that surrounds Christmas may pass some of us by as well. We may be praying for healing. We may ache for reconciliation. We may dwell in deep grief or loneliness or heartache. Christmas can be a particularly painful time for some of us. Like John the Baptist, we may feel the darkness.

But John the Baptist was not just a reed swaying in the wind. Jesus says of him that there has been none greater. From his Jewish roots, he knew to hold fast to the Lord who loves the just, to the Most High who sets captives free, to the One who causes the desert to bloom again. And Jesus showed him an answer to fuel his faith: Look, the lame walk! Lepers are cleansed! The dead are raised! The darkness was not the final answer.

Advent is a contemplative time, a season for quiet hopefulness. Isaiah says, “Be strong! Fear not!” We too are waiting for the one who is to come. We know the conclusion to the story of Advent: Baby Jesus was born. Yet we are still waiting for the final dawning, to see the glory of God. Jesus shows us answers today as well, revealing himself sometimes in very small ways—in the sparkle of snow, in the tiny toenails of a newborn child, and in the smile of a loved one. The darkness is not our final answer either.

Consider/Discuss

We have been looking at the edginess of Advent. We are looking for light. Yet sometimes the darkness of the winter and the challenges of life can make us feel as if we are sitting with John the Baptist as he waits for one to come. Where in our lives could we use more of the Lord’s light? In what situations could we use courage?
What “small ways” have we seen that give us hope?

Living and Praying with the Word

Lord, as the winter season grows darker, sometimes we feel as though we are trying to manufacture light. All of the Christmas hubbub does not always feel real. Give us grace to sit quietly in your blessed darkness. We appreciate that you are our only Light, our only Savior. Stir our will to surrender all of our Christmas preparations to you. Let us do only what is for your glory and let the rest go, and rest in your peace.