I have song for it. It’s in Latin. The translation is “Merciful Jesus, who takes away the sins of the world. Give them rest.”
Pie Jesu, Qui tollis peccata mundi, Dona eis requiem.
Those are lines from the Requiem Mass, or Mass for the Dead, set to music by Andrew Lloyd Weber. As odd as this may sound, a Requiem Mass is very appropriate today. For not only do some of you feel the pain of a loved one who is not with us this Christmas, but many of us can think of someone who has died, even years ago, that we miss dearly. . . especially at Christmas time.
But this has become a year of grieving for ALL of us in many ways. That is, grieving not being with family or friends, for all the holiday celebrations. Grieving the inconvenience of schools going to on-line learning, restaurants closed, sports cancelled, gyms closed, not celebrating in lavish style: weddings, birthdays . . . or even funerals.
The next verse translates to “Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. Give them rest.”
Agnus Dei, Qui tollis peccata mundi, Dona eis requiem.
We pray that the dead have rest: Dona eis requim. Which should not be such a huge leap of faith or . . . . Jesus being born into our midst doesn’t make any sense. For God became human to break open the chains of death. For the story of what happened in Bethlehem is only the beginning of the story.
Because the life, and teachings and healings of Jesus confront all the pain we have, or have ever had. What we celebrate today, is the same thing that we celebrate at a funeral . . . HOPE.
And I am sorry for those of you who have lost a loved one recently. I am sorry for those of you who have lost a job or a purpose. I am sorry for those of you, who are suffering with COVID or those experiencing COVID weariness. I am sorry for those of you who are alone this day or feel lonely this day.
But I base my life, and my 37 years as a priest on the belief that to be a Christian is to be hopeful. Hope is different than optimism. Optimism is to look world and to sense that it is getting better. Hope is to look at the world and believe that God is making the world better, even in the midst of hardship or loss.
To celebrate Christ’s birth is also to acknowledge his resurrection . . . that death will never separate us from those we care about. That God’s love (for us, with us, in us) which has been there since the beginning of time . . . will always be stronger than whatever darkness we are experiencing. And that the merciful Jesus, who takes away the sins of the world will give our loved ones who have died, and us: peace, calmness and rest. Everlasting rest: Semptiernam Requim.
Pie Jesu, Qui tollis peccata mundi, Dona eis requiem. Sempiternam Requiem.