I learned a good new word in Spanish: "gente," or more specifically, "mi gente;" "my people." Maybe a better word is folk. It comes from Latin, "gens," meaning "kind, type, or sort." Generic, genus, gentile come from this word. The reason I like the word is because the context I learned it in indicated it meant a close relationship, something more than just "people." Not quite immediate family.
Everybody needs a gente. What would Melissa and I do without a gente? On the one hand, we have family that sticks by us, helps out in unbelievable ways. I think that's the direction Church needs to go, to be a gente for people with no gente. To be a gente to people who already have one, so we can see what gente is really all about.
Advent is a time to welcome Nazareth into our hearts and homes. What would it mean for our hearts and homes to be "Little Nazareths," a place where Jesus is welcomed and nurtured, where St. Joseph is what it means to be a real man and St. Mary what it means to be a real woman.
What a gente God has for us if we can adopt it!
p/g
1 comment:
I think that he goes even farther than gente...he goes straight to mi familia!
It is so deep when Christ is confronted by his mother and bothers kocking at the door requesting to see him...and knowing their motives...in one sentence redefines family...these are my mothers and bothers. Wow... Thanks man love you!
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