IT WAS WORTH MENTIONING
Years ago, I was on an Amtrak train en route to upstate New York for Christmas. Having started my morning in D.C. with a philosophy final, I was exhausted. When the conductor came through to check tickets, she told us that because it was late, she would shut off the lights so we could sleep. “I’ll wake you up for your stop!”
It was a simple moment of profound generosity. I scribbled a note on the back of my ticket to thank her.
Today’s Gospel is a great way to tell if your Deacon practiced before Mass. Also a great list of potential names for your next dog. But ALSO, the names of those who connect Adam and Eve to Jesus. For some reason, each person in Jesus’ genealogy was worth mentioning. It wasn’t enough to just say, “there were fourteen generations…”
God doesn’t ignore the details.
The thing is, I never gave that note to the conductor. She did something worth mentioning and I didn’t mention it. And for me, today’s Gospel is a reminder that sometimes things that are seemingly insignificant are worth mentioning. Details make a difference in the larger story. What if I did less of the, “my friends and family and train conductors know I love them” (ie. only saying, “there were fourteen generations…”) and more of the acknowledgement of details (list the names!). I am invited to text a friend on the anniversary of the death of a relative, even though it’s been five years. To send a postcard to my nephew even though he can’t read. To ask about how the fertility journey or the chemo or the strained marriage are going. To say, “thank you.”
Maybe God is inviting us this Advent to pay attention to the details of the people in our lives. To stop making excuses of busyness and fear of being too much. Boaz and Uzziah and Jacob and Joseph all mattered in the story of salvation. As does our presence in the lives of those we love.
Spend a moment considering the details of the life of a family member or friend. Whether it be a consideration of gratitude or care for their concerns or difficulties, how might you be invited to acknowledge those details? How can you participate in their story this Advent?
Teresa Nygard
Photo Credit: Alexander Fastovets (Unsplash)