Titus 2:11-14
11For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, 12training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, 13while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 14He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.
The grace of God has appeared
La gracia de Dios ya está aquí
The Bible proclaims this mystery
El niño en Belén va a nacer.
But then we get thrown a curveball,
Algo que nos esperamos sucede,
The passage speaks about waiting,
Y ¿qué es lo que hay que esperar?
Don’t we get to celebrate? To sing joy to the world
¿Cantando noche de paz?
But the passage continues its ditty,
While we wait for the blessed hope
And manifestations of glory
Of our Savior, the Son, Jesus Christ.
Mientras seguimos esperando,
The Son is not here yet.
Mientras seguimos esperando,
For the one that gave himself.
Mientras seguimos esperando
For the one that redeems iniquity
Mientras seguimos esperando,
Por aquel que nos purifica.
And we might get lost in the wait.
Y nos impacientamos en la espera.
And we might lose heart in the wait.
Y se nos oscurece la espera.
And we might lose joy in the wait.
Y se nos pierde la risa en la espera.
Because we want to sing "Oh Holy Night!"
Porque queremos cantar “Que bueno llegó la navidad”
Because we want it to be here!
Porque lo queremos ahora.
Because we want hope now!
Queremos la gracia ahora.
We want to celebrate salvation
Queremos celebrar la sanidad.
We want to be healthy now.
We want bad things to be over.
¡Queremos celebrar ya!
But maybe Christmas makes us forget
Se nos olvida en la espera,
That we live in a waiting faith
Una fe que vive en espera
And that in Spanish the word for wait
Is “espera” and “espera” is part of the word “esperanza”
Hope!
That we share in the hope of Titus,
Compartimos en la espera de Pablo
That we will see the child in the stable,
Once again in our midst.
Y que mirar el pesebre…
The manger we look at every year
Is the click that makes us remember
Es la memoria del pasado y del presente,
Of things that happen and will come to pass,
Que permitirán que sigamos,
That will allow us to keep building… star after star
Esperanza tras esperanza,
Hope after hope.
Because we are not alone,
Porque no estamos solos ni solas,
The blessed hope of the music,
La bendita esperanza de la familia,
The blessed hope of the baby,
La bendita esperanza de José y María,
The blessed hope of the shepherds
La bendita esperanza de ángeles cantando “Gloria a Dios en las alturas”
Will be with us wherever we go
Will be with us wherever we are.
Estará en las vidas de nuestras familias
Wherever they are, connected through our hearts.
This blessed hope, we celebrate tonight
Y cada día de nuestras vidas,
Will be with us each day and night
Estará presente cada noche y cada día,
And as Howard Thurman invited us to do…
We will light candles to celebrate hope
Encenderemos velas para celebrar la bendita esperanza
Because Christ is born, and we remember…
That we wait in esperanza…
Que esperamos in hope.
"I will light candles this Christmas
Encenderé velas en esta noche
Candles of joy despite all the sadness
Velas de gozo a pesar de la tristeza
Candles of hope where despair keeps watch
Velas de esperanza en donde la desesperanza sigue en vela
Candles of courage for fears ever present
Velas de valentía en medio de miedos siempre presentes
Candles of peace for tempest-tossed days
Velas de paz en medio de las olas de la tormenta
Candles of grace to ease heavy burdens
Velas de gracia para facilitar las cargas pesadas
Candles of love to inspire all my living
Velas de amor para inspirarme a vivir,
Candles that will burn all year long.
Velas que estarán prendidas todo el año."
(Howard Thurman, Meditations of the Heart. Translation: MGV)
While we wait for the blessed hope.
Mientras esperamos la bendita esperanza.
