Weekly HOMILY for December 20, 2009: The Bethlehem's of Our Lives

4th Sunday of Advent, Cycle C
Our Lady of Grace
December 20, 2009

The Bethlehem’s of Our Lives
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato


The Lowly Yew Tree

Up until 30 years ago, foresters and loggers considered the Pacific Yew tree as completely worthless.

They saw it as an ugly giant weed and would routinely chop down and burn acres of Yews in order to harvest tress with more commercial value.

But in 1979, researchers discovered a drug named Taxol that had remarkable properties to prevent cancer cells from dividing.

Taxol targets rapidly growing cancer cells, sticks to them while they are trying to divide, and prevents them from completing the division process. Since the cancer cells cannot divide into new cells, the cancer can’t grow and metastasize.

Taxol is now being use for early stage breast cancer and is also used to shrink a tumor before surgery. In addition to breast cancer, Taxol is used to treat ovarian cancer, lung cancer, head and neck cancer, bladder cancer, and AIDS.

And what is the world’s only natural source of Taxol? You have it, the bark of the Pacific Yew tree!

Strange as it may sound, the Yet tree, once scorned by most people as worthless, is now the source, the healing and the hope for millions of people suffering from cancer.

This common very ordinary tree has become an uncommon extraordinary source of healing and hope.


The Lowly Town of Bethlehem

The discovery of the value of the Pacific Yew tree helps us appreciate the exaltation of Bethlehem even though it was an insignificant, very ordinary place to live.

Bethlehem was like a modern-day Frederick truck stop along an interstate I-70. Caravans of camels and camel drivers would come to Bethlehem to conduct business, to change camels, and maybe to spend a night.

As a result, the little town of Bethlehem had few full-time residents; nobody wanted to live there. It was looked upon very much as the Pacific Yew tree had been looked upon.

And like the Yew tree, it was precisely from this very ordinary place that something extraordinary would come.


Micah on Bethlehem

In today’s first reading, the Prophet Micah says, “You, Bethlehem, too small to be among the clans of Judah…”

Judah was one of the 12 tribes of Ancient Israel, and the prophet is saying that Bethlehem is too small and too insignificant even to be counted as one of the large families or clans that make up the Tribe of Judah.

The Prophet Micah goes on: “…and from you Bethlehem, shall come forth one who is to be ruler in Israel; whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. His greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.”

In other words, just like the drug Taxol coming from the Pacific Yew tree, a great leader, who will be a source of healing and hope and peace, will come forth from Bethlehem.

Yes, an extraordinary person will come from this very ordinary caravan stop of Ancient Israel.


Our “Bethlehems”

The Yew tree, and the idea of Jesus’ birth from the very ordinary place of Bethlehem, has something to teach us about overlooked places in our own lives.

Many of us believe that God comes to us and touches our lives in only extraordinary ways.

I say this because our newspaper and TV news tend to focus our attention only on two extremes – the extremely bad, like the recent Fort Hood Massacre – and the extremely good, like Doctors without Borders where physicians donate their time to serve in poor countries.

Seldom do we hear about the ordinary – it just doesn’t sell newspapers.

I’d like to ask in these final days before Christmas, “What ordinary occasions or things are you missing, things or occasions that can make Christ present as a healer in your life?”

Let me give you three: (1) What not let go of the perspective of, “Who’s right and who’s wrong” in a conflict you are in with someone right at this moment. Try eating a bit of humble pie by at least regretting your part in the rift in order to bring peace to the relationship?

(2) Or try taking the time to make a hand-made card or a gift for someone who is very near and dear to you to better express your love for him or her.

(3) Finally, try just for once making a decision to create a positive atmosphere for others in spite of how awful you feel or what little appreciation you think they have shown you.

Your life is full of Yew trees and you don’t even know the treasure that is there at your right hand.


Conclusion

Today, I’d like to be the Prophet Micah: “Wake up Parkton, Wake up Maryland Line, New Freedom, Shrewsbury, Whitehall, Monkton, Upperco, Sparks, and Glencoe!

Wake up to the fact that this Savior you long for, this completion you crave is already in your midst.

He is to be found in the ordinary corners of your life and frankly all the corners of your life seem to do these days is collect dust.

“Wake up, Father Nicholas!”