Weekly Reflection – 12/18/24

St. Mary’s Reflection: Sandy Stadtfeld, Vestry Member Mensch

Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ,
Daß du Mensch geboren bist
Von einer Jungfrau, das ist wahr;
Des freuet sich der Engel Schar.
Kyrieleis!
 
Praised be you, Jesus Christ
that you have been born as a man
from a virgin – this is true-
at which the host of angels rejoices.
Lord have mercy!
 
 Many of us find this time of year unsettling. The festivities, decorations and excitement assail us suddenly, and it can be hard to unabashedly join the celebration. I therefore appreciate our clear differentiation between the seasons of Advent and Christmas, acknowledging the listening and thought that prepares us for the arrival of a savior.

The 16^th Century hymn “Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ” states succinctly what I increasingly feel is the message of Christmas. “Gelobet seist du” is a staple of Lutheran and Moravian Christmas observances, with a simple melody and straightforward language. The hymn has been the subject of many adaptations, its highest musical expression as the theme of J. S. Bach’s Christmas Cantata (BWV91). The original German text, written in 1524 by Martin Luther, states that Christ is to be revered not because of his divinity, wisdom or power, but because he enters the world as a human being, just as we all do. Emphasizing Jesus’ humble birth by St. Mary the Virgin, Luther reminds us that we all have the same human capacities of compassion, reconciliation, and love that we attribute to Jesus.

The sentence “Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ, daß du Mensch geboren bist” has become a kind of mantra of the season for me. It is satisfying to say and to contemplate, giving hope of the coming of Christ, and of the Christ-like attributes that are vital to our own humanity. Like Jesus, we are all Mensch geboren!

Fröhliche Weihnachten, und Alles Gute zum neuen Jahr!

Sandy Stadtfeld, 
Vestry Member