31 December 2013 - accept no substitutes
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
In these days when the light of the sun is seldom seen we realize how important to us light is even on a natural level. When our lives are shrouded in darkness as though we walk through the shadow of the valley of death where do we turn to seek light? Do we turn to the glitz and glamour of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life? Do we turn primarily to vacuous entertainments? When we feel the weight of darkness, actual, emotional, or spiritual, pressing in on our souls, do we know where the only light which cannot be overcome by darkness can be found?
The life of Jesus is the only source of that light. In order to stand in the light of which he is the only source we must accept him. We must know. We must believe in his name. If we do then he gives us the power to become the children of God. He gives us the power to continue to live as God's children.
He is the eternal word but becomes flesh so that we can see his "glory as of the Father's only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth." But he does not just come so that we can see it but so that we can receive it as well. "From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace." We can therefore share in his light, the "true light, which enlightens everyone".
Let us acknowledge him, even if it means repentance. Even when we know the truth we often need to be reminded that "every lie is alien to the truth." There are antichrists in the world which endanger not just nonbelievers. The endanger everyone who does not allow himself to be reminded constantly of who Jesus is and what that means. So let us know him, even if it means committing time to spend with him. Let us believe in his name, since we fail trying to live on our own strength. Let us believe in his name so that the names of "many antichrists" have no appeal for us. Let us believe in his name to persevere in the "anointing that comes from the Holy One".
It is still Christmas! The LORD continues coming to us to remind us who he is. He comes to us so that we might accept him as completely as Mary does. He comes to us so that we might know him and be bathed in the light as "glories stream from heaven afar." Let us rejoice in this light forever! Accept no substitutes!
The LORD comes,
he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Monday, December 30, 2013
30 December 2013 - promise not compromise
30 December 2013 - promise not compromise
Do not love the world or the things of the world.
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
But wait, didn't "God so love the world that he gave his only Son"? Indeed. The word is being used in two senses. The creation is "good" and mankind is "very good". This is the world for which the Father sends his Son. All creation waits in hope for the time when it "will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God." It is not just OK to love created things in due proportion. It is sinful not to do so since they are made by God.
What, then, is the world which we may not love? What is the love that competes with and chokes out our love for God? The world in this context is "sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life". These things are not from the Father. They are not even things, strictly speaking. They are disordered ways of relating to creation that make more out of it than it is meant to be. They are ways of seeking ultimate fulfillment in the here and now, fulfillment which can only come from God. This is the pretentious or prideful life which we imagine ourselves to rule over rather than God.
Before John even warns us about these potential pitfalls he reveals the secret whereby we can resist them. He does this by reminding us who we are. We are already forgiven and know the Father. We have already conquered the evil one. These things have already begun for us and remain true in us. We are strong in these truths because "the word of God remains" in us. Let us dwell in his word so that we do not forget who we are in him. As long as his word remains in us we remain in his victory.
The prophetess Anna in today's gospel is an example of someone who does not compromise with the love of the world. She knows who she is in God. The love of the Father is in her and so she worships "night and day". With her "fasting and prayer" she makes it clear that God is central to her life. It is for this reason that she is able to recognize Jesus when he comes into her life.
And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
God proves that he loves the world by becoming part of it for our sakes. Let us not choose the gift of creation over the giver. Let us chose the King and his kingdom first so that all else may be added unto us as well.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
Do not love the world or the things of the world.
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
But wait, didn't "God so love the world that he gave his only Son"? Indeed. The word is being used in two senses. The creation is "good" and mankind is "very good". This is the world for which the Father sends his Son. All creation waits in hope for the time when it "will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God." It is not just OK to love created things in due proportion. It is sinful not to do so since they are made by God.
What, then, is the world which we may not love? What is the love that competes with and chokes out our love for God? The world in this context is "sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life". These things are not from the Father. They are not even things, strictly speaking. They are disordered ways of relating to creation that make more out of it than it is meant to be. They are ways of seeking ultimate fulfillment in the here and now, fulfillment which can only come from God. This is the pretentious or prideful life which we imagine ourselves to rule over rather than God.
Before John even warns us about these potential pitfalls he reveals the secret whereby we can resist them. He does this by reminding us who we are. We are already forgiven and know the Father. We have already conquered the evil one. These things have already begun for us and remain true in us. We are strong in these truths because "the word of God remains" in us. Let us dwell in his word so that we do not forget who we are in him. As long as his word remains in us we remain in his victory.
The prophetess Anna in today's gospel is an example of someone who does not compromise with the love of the world. She knows who she is in God. The love of the Father is in her and so she worships "night and day". With her "fasting and prayer" she makes it clear that God is central to her life. It is for this reason that she is able to recognize Jesus when he comes into her life.
And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
God proves that he loves the world by becoming part of it for our sakes. Let us not choose the gift of creation over the giver. Let us chose the King and his kingdom first so that all else may be added unto us as well.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
29 December 2013 - familiarity can breed compassion
29 December 2013 - familiarity can breed compassion
Today is the Feast of the Holy Family. It is so important to realize that it is no accident that Jesus is born into a family. It isn't just a historical curiosity. He is omnipotent. When he is made visible it is only through a family because he wants it to be so. He is emphasizing the value of family.
Out of Egypt I called my son.
How does the Father call his Son? He uses his earthly family to do so. He does not even work through the more perfect of the two. Instead, he honors Joseph's fatherhood.
When the magi had departed, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
“Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,
and stay there until I tell you.
Earthly fatherhood is so important because it takes its identity from the Fatherhood of God. It is a necessary part of how the Fatherhood of God is revealed on earth.
For this reason I kneel before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
Before anything is made the Most Holy Trinity is already a family, existing in a perfect communion of love which is selfless and life-giving. It is for this reason that "God sets a father in honor over his children" and "a mother's authority he confirms over her sons". This structure of family is so important that even Jesus participates in it. Even he is called to obey his earthly "parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord."
Family is a school where we learn "compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience". Only by "bearing with one another and forgiving one another" can family work. Even if two of the three members of a family are perfect and the other is "a righteous man" God does not bypass the family. There is still much for Joseph to learn and even important experiences for Mary. And beyond what they themselves gain the Holy Family reveals how a quiet and holy life together as family can reveal and make God present in the world.
May our families fear the Lord and walk in his ways so that we can reveal him to the world and receive his blessings:
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
your children like olive plants
around your table.
Families like this are the building blocks of the new Jerusalem.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
Today is the Feast of the Holy Family. It is so important to realize that it is no accident that Jesus is born into a family. It isn't just a historical curiosity. He is omnipotent. When he is made visible it is only through a family because he wants it to be so. He is emphasizing the value of family.
Out of Egypt I called my son.
How does the Father call his Son? He uses his earthly family to do so. He does not even work through the more perfect of the two. Instead, he honors Joseph's fatherhood.
When the magi had departed, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
“Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,
and stay there until I tell you.
Earthly fatherhood is so important because it takes its identity from the Fatherhood of God. It is a necessary part of how the Fatherhood of God is revealed on earth.
For this reason I kneel before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
Before anything is made the Most Holy Trinity is already a family, existing in a perfect communion of love which is selfless and life-giving. It is for this reason that "God sets a father in honor over his children" and "a mother's authority he confirms over her sons". This structure of family is so important that even Jesus participates in it. Even he is called to obey his earthly "parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord."
Family is a school where we learn "compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience". Only by "bearing with one another and forgiving one another" can family work. Even if two of the three members of a family are perfect and the other is "a righteous man" God does not bypass the family. There is still much for Joseph to learn and even important experiences for Mary. And beyond what they themselves gain the Holy Family reveals how a quiet and holy life together as family can reveal and make God present in the world.
May our families fear the Lord and walk in his ways so that we can reveal him to the world and receive his blessings:
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
your children like olive plants
around your table.
Families like this are the building blocks of the new Jerusalem.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
Saturday, December 28, 2013
28 December 2013 - all the way in the light
28 December 2013 - all the way in the light
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious.
He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under,
in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.
Herod is obviously a twisted and evil person to order "the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under" but it is important to understand his motivation. He is trying to protect his throne. He knows that a challenger has appeared. If this challenger has his way Herod's rule will no longer be absolute. With Jesus on the throne Herod will no longer be the at the center of his kingdom or even his own life. He feels threatened. We shouldn't miss this because we all have this motivation within us to some degree. Hopefully we aren't killing children to keep ourselves at the center of our lives but many do. And we should understand that their motivation is no different from ours which is no different from Herod's.
We are all called by Jesus to "walk in the light as he is in the light". Yet if we say we are sinless "we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." It is true that our sins may not be as grave as those of others. Or perhaps they might be. But either way, they come from the same place of rebellion in ours hearts. We have the same need of "an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one." The specifics don't matter because we are called to fellowship with God and with one another, a fellowship we can only know when Jesus "cleanses us from all sin."
The more extreme the sin the more it precludes this fellowship. Herod is called to fellowship with God and even with the Holy Innocents whom he kills but this is prevented by his attempts at self-preservation. And all sin precludes fellowship to some degree since in God there is no darkness at all (cf. 1 Joh. 1:5). To walk fully in fellowship with him and his people we must let him "cleanse us from every wrongdoing" and from the rebellion in our hearts. We must let him bring us fully into the light.
It is essential to be humble and acknowledge our utter dependence on God. When we do reject sin and walk in the light we only do so because of his grace.
Had not the LORD been with us—
When men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive,
When their fury was inflamed against us.
Saints like the Little Flower have this humility. They explain that without God's mercy they too would be great sinners. The lesson is that no matter what we have done, where we are, and what we think our strengths to be, the grace of God is more than enough to keep us in the light and to use us to build his kingdom. Even the Holy Innocents are able to offer themselves in testimony to the true King against Herod.
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious.
He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under,
in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.
Herod is obviously a twisted and evil person to order "the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under" but it is important to understand his motivation. He is trying to protect his throne. He knows that a challenger has appeared. If this challenger has his way Herod's rule will no longer be absolute. With Jesus on the throne Herod will no longer be the at the center of his kingdom or even his own life. He feels threatened. We shouldn't miss this because we all have this motivation within us to some degree. Hopefully we aren't killing children to keep ourselves at the center of our lives but many do. And we should understand that their motivation is no different from ours which is no different from Herod's.
We are all called by Jesus to "walk in the light as he is in the light". Yet if we say we are sinless "we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." It is true that our sins may not be as grave as those of others. Or perhaps they might be. But either way, they come from the same place of rebellion in ours hearts. We have the same need of "an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one." The specifics don't matter because we are called to fellowship with God and with one another, a fellowship we can only know when Jesus "cleanses us from all sin."
The more extreme the sin the more it precludes this fellowship. Herod is called to fellowship with God and even with the Holy Innocents whom he kills but this is prevented by his attempts at self-preservation. And all sin precludes fellowship to some degree since in God there is no darkness at all (cf. 1 Joh. 1:5). To walk fully in fellowship with him and his people we must let him "cleanse us from every wrongdoing" and from the rebellion in our hearts. We must let him bring us fully into the light.
It is essential to be humble and acknowledge our utter dependence on God. When we do reject sin and walk in the light we only do so because of his grace.
Had not the LORD been with us—
When men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive,
When their fury was inflamed against us.
Saints like the Little Flower have this humility. They explain that without God's mercy they too would be great sinners. The lesson is that no matter what we have done, where we are, and what we think our strengths to be, the grace of God is more than enough to keep us in the light and to use us to build his kingdom. Even the Holy Innocents are able to offer themselves in testimony to the true King against Herod.
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
Friday, December 27, 2013
27 December 2013 - the eternal made visible
27 December 2013 - the eternal made visible
Christmas is about the eternal life present with the Father becoming visible to us.
we have seen it and testify to it
and proclaim to you the eternal life
that was with the Father and was made visible to us—
Jesus, the Word of life, who dwells with the Father from all eternity becomes something which we can see with our eyes and touch with our hands. He becomes a concrete reality. He is true God. He becomes true man.
He becomes man so that we may share the fellowship he has with the Father and then that "our joy may be complete."
Jesus is made visible first as an infant but his revelation is not complete. All peoples do not yet see his glory. John sees him transfigured on the mountain. But the nations do not yet see his glory. He stands by him at the cross with Mary, dimly perceiving his glory even there. But the nations still do not know. These experiences give John hope which propels him to the tomb. He arrives first but does not enter. He does not enter alone.
This is the fullness of the revelation that Jesus comes to bring. He rises to prove that he is who he says he is. He rises to defeat death and bring everlasting life to mankind. John only enters with Peter. In other words, he enters together with the Church. He enters now into an experience which is meant not just for a few but for the whole world.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
John enters the tomb and the Church enters with him. We enter with him. Together with him we see Jesus and believe. Indeed "all peoples see his glory" through this revelation of his resurrection. Mountains of doubt and disbelief melt like wax before the LORD.
This is all "so that our joy may be complete", so that all may share in our fellowship with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Light dawns at the Nativity of the LORD. His resurrection is the noonday sun which never sets. Let us rejoice in this light.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name.
Christmas is about the eternal life present with the Father becoming visible to us.
we have seen it and testify to it
and proclaim to you the eternal life
that was with the Father and was made visible to us—
Jesus, the Word of life, who dwells with the Father from all eternity becomes something which we can see with our eyes and touch with our hands. He becomes a concrete reality. He is true God. He becomes true man.
He becomes man so that we may share the fellowship he has with the Father and then that "our joy may be complete."
Jesus is made visible first as an infant but his revelation is not complete. All peoples do not yet see his glory. John sees him transfigured on the mountain. But the nations do not yet see his glory. He stands by him at the cross with Mary, dimly perceiving his glory even there. But the nations still do not know. These experiences give John hope which propels him to the tomb. He arrives first but does not enter. He does not enter alone.
This is the fullness of the revelation that Jesus comes to bring. He rises to prove that he is who he says he is. He rises to defeat death and bring everlasting life to mankind. John only enters with Peter. In other words, he enters together with the Church. He enters now into an experience which is meant not just for a few but for the whole world.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
John enters the tomb and the Church enters with him. We enter with him. Together with him we see Jesus and believe. Indeed "all peoples see his glory" through this revelation of his resurrection. Mountains of doubt and disbelief melt like wax before the LORD.
This is all "so that our joy may be complete", so that all may share in our fellowship with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Light dawns at the Nativity of the LORD. His resurrection is the noonday sun which never sets. Let us rejoice in this light.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name.
Thursday, December 26, 2013
26 December 2013 - born in us
26 December 2013 - born in us
Jesus wants to be born in us. Just as on Christmas he enters the world so too does he desire to enter our hearts. But what does this look like? Stephen shows us.
Because Stephen is "filled with grace and power" and "filled with the Holy Spirit" the life is Jesus is made so present in him that he shares in the work of building the kingdom, in "working great wonders and signs" and debating anyone who will listen about the Kingdom of God and the world's need for repentance. The Spirit empowers Stephen to face false witnesses just as Jesus does. They bring accusations before him about Jesus just like the accusations Jesus himself faced. Stephen is empowered by Jesus to unabashedly proclaim the to them the truth of the good news.
The power of the Spirit at work in Stephen gives him the fidelity to keep his eyes fixed on Jesus even as the stones begin to strike his flesh. Even at this time he is a witness before those who kill him. He manifests the forgiveness of Jesus, who said, "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do." Stephen in turn says to Jesus, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."
The death of Jesus empowers Stephen's own martyrdom to the extent that some of the things Stephen says sound familiar. He is able to surrender his life to Jesus because Jesus makes present the surrender of his life to the Father in Stephen.
As they were stoning Stephen, he called out
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Just as Jesus surrenders his Spirit to the Father so in turn Stephen surrenders his Spirit to Jesus. Without the surrender of Jesus we are overwhelmed by circumstances and turn back before the end. But only "whoever endures to the end will be saved." Since we "will be hated by all" because of the name of Jesus we need to surrender our illusions about living this way on our own strength. We won't be able to witness before governors and kings by preparing really clever defenses ahead of time. We have to open ourselves to the Spirit of our Father who wants to speak through us as he does through Stephen. Only the Spirit in us will make our testimony to Jesus persuasive. It is doubtlessly the Spirit in Stephen that plans seeds in the heart of Saul as he witnesses his death.
Even as Stephen is martyred he knows that Jesus is his rock of refuge, stronger than any of the stones that strike him. With Jesus as his stronghold he is not delivered from circumstance but is instead strengthened to endure to the end. He is able to win not this temporary battle but the lasting victory, the martyr's crown. He wins this victory only because of Christmas, only because Jesus is born in him. May this life be born in us as well.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
I will rejoice and be glad because of your mercy.
Jesus wants to be born in us. Just as on Christmas he enters the world so too does he desire to enter our hearts. But what does this look like? Stephen shows us.
Because Stephen is "filled with grace and power" and "filled with the Holy Spirit" the life is Jesus is made so present in him that he shares in the work of building the kingdom, in "working great wonders and signs" and debating anyone who will listen about the Kingdom of God and the world's need for repentance. The Spirit empowers Stephen to face false witnesses just as Jesus does. They bring accusations before him about Jesus just like the accusations Jesus himself faced. Stephen is empowered by Jesus to unabashedly proclaim the to them the truth of the good news.
The power of the Spirit at work in Stephen gives him the fidelity to keep his eyes fixed on Jesus even as the stones begin to strike his flesh. Even at this time he is a witness before those who kill him. He manifests the forgiveness of Jesus, who said, "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do." Stephen in turn says to Jesus, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."
The death of Jesus empowers Stephen's own martyrdom to the extent that some of the things Stephen says sound familiar. He is able to surrender his life to Jesus because Jesus makes present the surrender of his life to the Father in Stephen.
As they were stoning Stephen, he called out
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Just as Jesus surrenders his Spirit to the Father so in turn Stephen surrenders his Spirit to Jesus. Without the surrender of Jesus we are overwhelmed by circumstances and turn back before the end. But only "whoever endures to the end will be saved." Since we "will be hated by all" because of the name of Jesus we need to surrender our illusions about living this way on our own strength. We won't be able to witness before governors and kings by preparing really clever defenses ahead of time. We have to open ourselves to the Spirit of our Father who wants to speak through us as he does through Stephen. Only the Spirit in us will make our testimony to Jesus persuasive. It is doubtlessly the Spirit in Stephen that plans seeds in the heart of Saul as he witnesses his death.
Even as Stephen is martyred he knows that Jesus is his rock of refuge, stronger than any of the stones that strike him. With Jesus as his stronghold he is not delivered from circumstance but is instead strengthened to endure to the end. He is able to win not this temporary battle but the lasting victory, the martyr's crown. He wins this victory only because of Christmas, only because Jesus is born in him. May this life be born in us as well.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
I will rejoice and be glad because of your mercy.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
25 December 2013 - word made flesh, love incarnate,
25 December 2013 - word made flesh, love incarnate,
The LORD has bared his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations;
all the ends of the earth will behold
the salvation of our God.
It is as yet a small arm that we behold on this Christmas morning. But as we look at this babe we finally "see directly," before our eyes the LORD himself restoring the world. Our world until this morning is a tired repetition of sin and sadness. Finally in this Divine Child something new comes. Finally in the birth of this new Adam all things begin to be made new.
We tend toward the sentimental when we look at the child Jesus. There is some cause for that as we consider the greatness of his love for us and the beauty and humility of his plan. But we should be exultant as well. This tiny newborn hand is the hand that wins victory. The power of sin is broken forever. This baby's arm, which we see directly before our eyes, is the holy arm of God.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
his right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
In the old order of darkness God only "spoke in partial and various ways" but now, in Jesus, he speaks to us completely, holding no secrets back.
in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son,
whom he made heir of all things
and through whom he created the universe,
who is the refulgence of his glory,
the very imprint of his being,
and who sustains all things by his mighty word.
Jesus is God revealed to us. He reveals his glory and his might, his very being. And yet we see him in a manger laid. He is an infant. He reveals tenderness and humility. He reveals unquenchable love. We hear him say, "Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me" (cf. Joh. 15:15).
We see his right hand and holy arm, now so small, that wins victory for him. And we remember that he wins this victory by stretching out that arm to be nailed to a cross. His glory and his majesty are so far removed from our stereotypes about power. He is the light of the world. We see in his light that our minds are still darkened somewhat, thinking according to the norms given by the world.
He is the light of the world. He is the source of all life and light. Purified by this light we see things as God sees them and can come to share in his own life. We receive the "power to become children of God" as we are enlightened by the light that comes from believing in his name.
This is what it means that "the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us". It means that we behold the light of his glory and have the darkness cast out from our hearts and minds. He takes flesh precisely so that we can see him and touch him. He wants to be seen by the entire world.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
Joy and peace he brings. Let us open our hearts to him
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
The LORD has bared his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations;
all the ends of the earth will behold
the salvation of our God.
It is as yet a small arm that we behold on this Christmas morning. But as we look at this babe we finally "see directly," before our eyes the LORD himself restoring the world. Our world until this morning is a tired repetition of sin and sadness. Finally in this Divine Child something new comes. Finally in the birth of this new Adam all things begin to be made new.
We tend toward the sentimental when we look at the child Jesus. There is some cause for that as we consider the greatness of his love for us and the beauty and humility of his plan. But we should be exultant as well. This tiny newborn hand is the hand that wins victory. The power of sin is broken forever. This baby's arm, which we see directly before our eyes, is the holy arm of God.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
his right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
In the old order of darkness God only "spoke in partial and various ways" but now, in Jesus, he speaks to us completely, holding no secrets back.
in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son,
whom he made heir of all things
and through whom he created the universe,
who is the refulgence of his glory,
the very imprint of his being,
and who sustains all things by his mighty word.
Jesus is God revealed to us. He reveals his glory and his might, his very being. And yet we see him in a manger laid. He is an infant. He reveals tenderness and humility. He reveals unquenchable love. We hear him say, "Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me" (cf. Joh. 15:15).
We see his right hand and holy arm, now so small, that wins victory for him. And we remember that he wins this victory by stretching out that arm to be nailed to a cross. His glory and his majesty are so far removed from our stereotypes about power. He is the light of the world. We see in his light that our minds are still darkened somewhat, thinking according to the norms given by the world.
He is the light of the world. He is the source of all life and light. Purified by this light we see things as God sees them and can come to share in his own life. We receive the "power to become children of God" as we are enlightened by the light that comes from believing in his name.
This is what it means that "the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us". It means that we behold the light of his glory and have the darkness cast out from our hearts and minds. He takes flesh precisely so that we can see him and touch him. He wants to be seen by the entire world.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
Joy and peace he brings. Let us open our hearts to him
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
24 December 2013 - love incarnate
24 December 2013 - love incarnate
No more shall people call you “Forsaken,”
or your land “Desolate,”
We all experience desolation at times. But God promises that there is an end to it. And it is significant, something which all people notice. They know that we can no longer be called forsaken and desolate.
but you shall be called “My Delight,”
and your land “Espoused.”
This isn't wishful thinking. God's love becomes visible in us such that even the people around us can tell. His blessings are so evident- can only be so evident because he himself is so close. He himself draws so near to us that his blessings cannot be hidden.
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
Indeed he crosses a threshold never previously crossed. He unites human nature to his ow divine nature irrevocably.
As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.
So although we are not worthy to unfasten his sandals yet does he come to us to wash our feet. He bridges this unbridgeable gap between divinity and humanity in his own person because he does not grasp equality with God. He truly becomes God with us by marrying humanity and divinity in one eternal man.
This is a reality which we are not meant to simply behold. We are meant to participate. He wants to dwell in our hearts so much that those around us can tell that we are his delight.
Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.
Let us welcome Jesus as he comes. He comes not only be born in Bethlehem but especially to be born into our hearts. Let us shout with joy as he unites our frail human nature with his eternal divinity. May this baptism of the Spirit be so obvious that the whole world gives thanks and sings his praise.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.
Our God desires to save us, not by restoring us to what we were, but by raising us to share in his own life. We are not simply restored to Eden. In Jesus he gates of heaven re finally open.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
Let us listen to the wisdom of St. John Chrysostom:
No more shall people call you “Forsaken,”
or your land “Desolate,”
We all experience desolation at times. But God promises that there is an end to it. And it is significant, something which all people notice. They know that we can no longer be called forsaken and desolate.
but you shall be called “My Delight,”
and your land “Espoused.”
This isn't wishful thinking. God's love becomes visible in us such that even the people around us can tell. His blessings are so evident- can only be so evident because he himself is so close. He himself draws so near to us that his blessings cannot be hidden.
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
Indeed he crosses a threshold never previously crossed. He unites human nature to his ow divine nature irrevocably.
As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.
So although we are not worthy to unfasten his sandals yet does he come to us to wash our feet. He bridges this unbridgeable gap between divinity and humanity in his own person because he does not grasp equality with God. He truly becomes God with us by marrying humanity and divinity in one eternal man.
This is a reality which we are not meant to simply behold. We are meant to participate. He wants to dwell in our hearts so much that those around us can tell that we are his delight.
Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.
Let us welcome Jesus as he comes. He comes not only be born in Bethlehem but especially to be born into our hearts. Let us shout with joy as he unites our frail human nature with his eternal divinity. May this baptism of the Spirit be so obvious that the whole world gives thanks and sings his praise.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.
Our God desires to save us, not by restoring us to what we were, but by raising us to share in his own life. We are not simply restored to Eden. In Jesus he gates of heaven re finally open.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
Let us listen to the wisdom of St. John Chrysostom:
These good tidings were of God on earth, man in Heaven; and all became mingled together, angels joined the choirs of men, men had fellowship with the angels, and with the other powers above.
And one might see the long war brought to an end, and reconciliation made between God and our nature, the devil brought to shame, demons in flight, death destroyed, Paradise opened, the curse blotted out, sin put out of the way.
Monday, December 23, 2013
23 December 2013 - god with us
23 December 2013 - god with us
Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
We long for his coming. He is the fulfillment of desires so deep we don't entirely realize what they are.
And suddenly there will come to the temple
the LORD whom you seek,
And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.
And yet, there is an element of danger to his coming.
Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
But who will endure the day of his coming?
And who can stand when he appears?
There is a quote from Narnia which comes to mind
Zechariah experiences that interactions with this King are very much like playing with fire when he loses his voice as doubts the angels message. But he finds that the fire "is like the refiner’s fire". It plants obedience to the angel's command in his heart.
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”
and all were amazed.
And now that he is willing to acquiesce to God's will his tongue is loosed. Yes, there is danger. There is even hardship. But it leads greater goods. It is not safe, but this allows Zechariah to embrace God's will for his son which means that their hearts can be turned toward each other.
To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,
and the hearts of the children to their fathers,
It causes the whole hill country to recognize that God is moving. It causes them to lift their eyes up from circumstances to see God at work in their midst.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
“What, then, will this child be?
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.”
Our King is coming and while he is by no means safe he is very very good indeed.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
Emmanuel is God with us. This is the coming King. We can't expect safety, so let us embrace danger on his terms.
Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
We long for his coming. He is the fulfillment of desires so deep we don't entirely realize what they are.
And suddenly there will come to the temple
the LORD whom you seek,
And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.
And yet, there is an element of danger to his coming.
Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
But who will endure the day of his coming?
And who can stand when he appears?
There is a quote from Narnia which comes to mind
“Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion." "Ooh" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion"..."Safe?" said Mr Beaver ..."Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.”The King who comes wants to make our life something which "will please the LORD as in the days of old, as in years gone by." This business is too important to let concerns about "safety" and "comfort" detract from it.
Zechariah experiences that interactions with this King are very much like playing with fire when he loses his voice as doubts the angels message. But he finds that the fire "is like the refiner’s fire". It plants obedience to the angel's command in his heart.
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”
and all were amazed.
And now that he is willing to acquiesce to God's will his tongue is loosed. Yes, there is danger. There is even hardship. But it leads greater goods. It is not safe, but this allows Zechariah to embrace God's will for his son which means that their hearts can be turned toward each other.
To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,
and the hearts of the children to their fathers,
It causes the whole hill country to recognize that God is moving. It causes them to lift their eyes up from circumstances to see God at work in their midst.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
“What, then, will this child be?
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.”
Our King is coming and while he is by no means safe he is very very good indeed.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
Emmanuel is God with us. This is the coming King. We can't expect safety, so let us embrace danger on his terms.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
22 December 2013 - king of nations, child of mary
22 December 2013 - king of nations, child of mary
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
“I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Is our hope wearing thin? Can we not muster the hope to ask God for a sign, even when he tells us he wants to give us one? If our eyes have been on the world and not on heaven this is a risk we face. We see suffering and pain as business as usual. It seems constant, why should it change now? We come to misidentify hope with naive wishful thinking since this is the only meaning for it which the world can understand. And understanding that meaning of course it ridicules it.
Let us lift up our eyes and fix them on heaven. Let our ideas about what is normal come from his word. Let our hope be based on him saying, "Nothing will be impossible for God."
When we are too tired and beaten down to look up we can take comfort that God does not abandon us to our weakness. He gives the sign anyway.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.
And if we misunderstand the first sign he won't stop even then.
Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
He wants to open our hearts to welcome this King. He comes, not for his own sake, but to give life in abundance to those who dwell in darkness. It isn't a test, although there is a choice to be made. It is an invitation of love.
Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory
May he teach us to see his glory in the face of the Divine Child. It looks like just another birth. But may the word of the angel teach us to hope (and not to wish) that salvation is at hand. We need clean hearts to see him. We need to not got lost in the vain desires that the secular variant of this holy season readily suggests. But he himself longs to empower us to recognize him when he comes.
but established as Son of God in power
according to the Spirit of holiness
through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
He wants to establish this truth in our hearts. The Spirit is a witness to who Jesus is. He witnesses as he lays in the manger. He witnesses even before, for example to Elizabeth and her yet unborn child. He witnesses to us as well. He is simultaneously the purification and the revelation that we need to behold our coming king. He overshadows Mary at the birth of Jesus and he overshadows the Church at its birth. We need him in us if we wish for Jesus to be born anew in our hearts.
you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
May we learn to call him Jesus in all that entails. May we truly rely on him as our savior. When the world encroaches with it's pain and empty meaningless seeking let us listen attentively to the angel and refuse to fear.
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
Trusting Mary is synergistic with trusting the Holy Spirit.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
There is a sense which Mary is "like" an incarnation of the Holy Spirit as St. Maximillian Kolbe teaches. And it is here that we can truly understand this without blasphemy. She reveals what his presence in a human looks like in fullness. Indeed, she reveals how he desires to be present in us. But Mary and the Holy Spirit have a union so complete that even as the Spirit unites us to her she in turn unites us to him as we rely on her and trust in her. Does this sound extreme? Maybe it should, somewhat. But we in turn, when others trust us to teach them about God, if we are humble and honest, entrust them completely to the Holy Spirit as well. Mary simply does this completely, unhindered by sin, completely in accord with the will of Jesus and the Father.
Mary, let us be close to you so that the Holy Spirit may cover us with his shadow as well. Let your yes become ours as the Holy Spirit speaks it. Let your child be born in our hearts as well. And may the light not stop within our hearts. May he shine for the world to see.
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
“I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Is our hope wearing thin? Can we not muster the hope to ask God for a sign, even when he tells us he wants to give us one? If our eyes have been on the world and not on heaven this is a risk we face. We see suffering and pain as business as usual. It seems constant, why should it change now? We come to misidentify hope with naive wishful thinking since this is the only meaning for it which the world can understand. And understanding that meaning of course it ridicules it.
Let us lift up our eyes and fix them on heaven. Let our ideas about what is normal come from his word. Let our hope be based on him saying, "Nothing will be impossible for God."
When we are too tired and beaten down to look up we can take comfort that God does not abandon us to our weakness. He gives the sign anyway.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.
And if we misunderstand the first sign he won't stop even then.
Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
He wants to open our hearts to welcome this King. He comes, not for his own sake, but to give life in abundance to those who dwell in darkness. It isn't a test, although there is a choice to be made. It is an invitation of love.
Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory
May he teach us to see his glory in the face of the Divine Child. It looks like just another birth. But may the word of the angel teach us to hope (and not to wish) that salvation is at hand. We need clean hearts to see him. We need to not got lost in the vain desires that the secular variant of this holy season readily suggests. But he himself longs to empower us to recognize him when he comes.
but established as Son of God in power
according to the Spirit of holiness
through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
He wants to establish this truth in our hearts. The Spirit is a witness to who Jesus is. He witnesses as he lays in the manger. He witnesses even before, for example to Elizabeth and her yet unborn child. He witnesses to us as well. He is simultaneously the purification and the revelation that we need to behold our coming king. He overshadows Mary at the birth of Jesus and he overshadows the Church at its birth. We need him in us if we wish for Jesus to be born anew in our hearts.
you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
May we learn to call him Jesus in all that entails. May we truly rely on him as our savior. When the world encroaches with it's pain and empty meaningless seeking let us listen attentively to the angel and refuse to fear.
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
Trusting Mary is synergistic with trusting the Holy Spirit.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
There is a sense which Mary is "like" an incarnation of the Holy Spirit as St. Maximillian Kolbe teaches. And it is here that we can truly understand this without blasphemy. She reveals what his presence in a human looks like in fullness. Indeed, she reveals how he desires to be present in us. But Mary and the Holy Spirit have a union so complete that even as the Spirit unites us to her she in turn unites us to him as we rely on her and trust in her. Does this sound extreme? Maybe it should, somewhat. But we in turn, when others trust us to teach them about God, if we are humble and honest, entrust them completely to the Holy Spirit as well. Mary simply does this completely, unhindered by sin, completely in accord with the will of Jesus and the Father.
Mary, let us be close to you so that the Holy Spirit may cover us with his shadow as well. Let your yes become ours as the Holy Spirit speaks it. Let your child be born in our hearts as well. And may the light not stop within our hearts. May he shine for the world to see.
Saturday, December 21, 2013
21 December 2013 - no ordinary dayspring
21 December 2013 - no ordinary dayspring
He is close at hand now, the coming king. When he comes let us welcome him with songs of joy.
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
This is no ordinary child. Somehow this baby being born means that
The LORD has removed the judgment against you,
he has turned away your enemies;
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On the one hand we behold a baby being born in poverty amidst harsh conditions. But if our eyes don't stay earthbound we recognize the angels singing over the birth of this child. If we are patient we see the wise men worshiping. We realize that this is no ordinary baby boy.
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
He is a baby and yet he is mighty savior.
Jesus comes to give us joy. He comes that our joy may be full (cf. Joh 15:11). In order to receive the joy that God has in store for us this season we must be as open to the Holy Spirit as is Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice
We too need to be sensitive to Mary's greeting. She speaks to us as well, as she brings her son to us. And the Spirit moves with such great joy that even the child within Elizabeth leaps in celebration. Mary and Elizabeth are both models for us of being attentive to the coming king. Mary's spirit rejoices in God her savior. Elizabeth cries out filled with the Holy Spirit.
Since this is the joy that Jesus has for us let us be attentive. In many ways the world will continue on as it always does. Many things will appear unchanged. But we must see and realize that everything is changed. Nothing is as it was because the LORD our God is with us.
Let us rejoice.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.
Even as we sing over this infant we marvel that he is merely trying to give us the joy in him which he has in us. He is merely helping us to reciprocate his timeless love for us.
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
He will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals.
He is the Dayspring the bright Morning Star who comes to bring light to our darkness. "I say again, rejoice!" (cf. Phi. 4:4).
He is close at hand now, the coming king. When he comes let us welcome him with songs of joy.
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
This is no ordinary child. Somehow this baby being born means that
The LORD has removed the judgment against you,
he has turned away your enemies;
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On the one hand we behold a baby being born in poverty amidst harsh conditions. But if our eyes don't stay earthbound we recognize the angels singing over the birth of this child. If we are patient we see the wise men worshiping. We realize that this is no ordinary baby boy.
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
He is a baby and yet he is mighty savior.
Jesus comes to give us joy. He comes that our joy may be full (cf. Joh 15:11). In order to receive the joy that God has in store for us this season we must be as open to the Holy Spirit as is Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice
We too need to be sensitive to Mary's greeting. She speaks to us as well, as she brings her son to us. And the Spirit moves with such great joy that even the child within Elizabeth leaps in celebration. Mary and Elizabeth are both models for us of being attentive to the coming king. Mary's spirit rejoices in God her savior. Elizabeth cries out filled with the Holy Spirit.
Since this is the joy that Jesus has for us let us be attentive. In many ways the world will continue on as it always does. Many things will appear unchanged. But we must see and realize that everything is changed. Nothing is as it was because the LORD our God is with us.
Let us rejoice.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.
Even as we sing over this infant we marvel that he is merely trying to give us the joy in him which he has in us. He is merely helping us to reciprocate his timeless love for us.
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
He will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals.
He is the Dayspring the bright Morning Star who comes to bring light to our darkness. "I say again, rejoice!" (cf. Phi. 4:4).
Friday, December 20, 2013
20 December 2013 - key point
20 December 2013 - key point
The king is coming. He draws near. Let us open our hearts to him.
Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.
Although he is king, although the earth and its fullness are his, his coming to us is marked with the most profound humility.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.
Emmanuel is God with us and yet he is first with us as an embryo in the womb of the blessed Virgin. We first behold him as a newborn. He has no strength to be seen. He cannot speak his ageless wisdom through these lips. To express the needs of this new body of his he can only cry out. In this way he does not deem equality with God something to be grasped (cf. Phi. 2). His hands can indeed grasp but they can not yet pick things up securely. All this although he is the word which holds the universe in being.
Yet for so humble a beginning there is none greater than he as all will eventually behold.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
The first one to open her heart to the coming king is the Blessed Virgin. In order to welcome an act of humility as great as the incarnation she must humble herself in turn. Mary does not merely humble herself before power, which is not so unusual, but before the greatest humility. When we are humble in the face of power we may still imagine ourselves to be something relatively important. But in the face of this humility all must be surrendered.
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
God prepares her heart for this by filling her with grace from her birth and accompanying her until this pivotal moment. Only a heart free in this way is able to accept and welcome God's will so completely. The LORD is with her already so that the word she speaks is able empowered to bring forth the Word of God into the world. It is for this, to welcome this king, that she finds favor with God.
Clearly then, Mary has much to teach. She shows us how to welcome Jesus into our hearts and into the world. She reveals that God's grace precedes and makes possible any efforts we make. She shows us that when we respond to God with humility nothing is impossible for him. He is the key of David that can open the gate of salvation which is heretofore sealed to us. We do not need to be afraid any longer. He wants to fill us with his Holy Spirit just as he fills Mary. He wants to be born in our hearts just as he is born in her womb. He won't enter hearts by force. But he won't let any barrier keep him from those who eagerly long for his coming. God allows us to join our own assent, which is always partial, to Mary's which is free and without reserve:
May it be done to me according to your word.”
The king is coming. He draws near. Let us open our hearts to him.
Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.
Although he is king, although the earth and its fullness are his, his coming to us is marked with the most profound humility.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.
Emmanuel is God with us and yet he is first with us as an embryo in the womb of the blessed Virgin. We first behold him as a newborn. He has no strength to be seen. He cannot speak his ageless wisdom through these lips. To express the needs of this new body of his he can only cry out. In this way he does not deem equality with God something to be grasped (cf. Phi. 2). His hands can indeed grasp but they can not yet pick things up securely. All this although he is the word which holds the universe in being.
Yet for so humble a beginning there is none greater than he as all will eventually behold.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
The first one to open her heart to the coming king is the Blessed Virgin. In order to welcome an act of humility as great as the incarnation she must humble herself in turn. Mary does not merely humble herself before power, which is not so unusual, but before the greatest humility. When we are humble in the face of power we may still imagine ourselves to be something relatively important. But in the face of this humility all must be surrendered.
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
God prepares her heart for this by filling her with grace from her birth and accompanying her until this pivotal moment. Only a heart free in this way is able to accept and welcome God's will so completely. The LORD is with her already so that the word she speaks is able empowered to bring forth the Word of God into the world. It is for this, to welcome this king, that she finds favor with God.
Clearly then, Mary has much to teach. She shows us how to welcome Jesus into our hearts and into the world. She reveals that God's grace precedes and makes possible any efforts we make. She shows us that when we respond to God with humility nothing is impossible for him. He is the key of David that can open the gate of salvation which is heretofore sealed to us. We do not need to be afraid any longer. He wants to fill us with his Holy Spirit just as he fills Mary. He wants to be born in our hearts just as he is born in her womb. He won't enter hearts by force. But he won't let any barrier keep him from those who eagerly long for his coming. God allows us to join our own assent, which is always partial, to Mary's which is free and without reserve:
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Thursday, December 19, 2013
19 December 2013 - root access
19 December 2013 - root access
For you are my hope, O LORD;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength.
The LORD's plans for us begin before we even know him. The only thing that comes close to this love is the love of our parents which precedes us and brings us into being. But God's love for us precedes all of creation and brings all things into being for us. We depend on him from birth, but before we are even formed in the womb he knows us (cf. Jer. 1:5).
We should be eager, therefore, to discover his will for us. In some cases we will be called, like Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist to be set apart for God. The angel says about some of us, "this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb."
What if we feel like we can't find his will? What if we can't discover the fruit he wants to bear in us? We feel like Elizabeth, like the mother of Samson, and indeed many Biblical figures like Sarah who all experience being barren. They perceive that they can fulfill God's purpose by bearing children and yet this seems denied them. If we are similarly frustrated we should take heart. Just as Mary hears, nothing is impossible for God. He will enable us to bear all of and exactly the fruit which he desires from us. We hear from the angel, "yet you will conceive and bear a son." Are the years we wait wasted? No. Everything happens according to the timing of God. Jesus is only born in the fulness of time (cf. Gal 4:4). God first builds our hope of redemption. He first brings awareness that we need salvation. Only after does Jesus come. Yet not a moment of history is wasted in God's plan. Vatican II's Lumen Gentium explains:
Then after their fall His promise of redemption aroused in them the hope of being saved
Let us show due reverence to the messengers of God that reveal his plan. We can't try to get such a handle on the message that we own and control it. We need only realize who is speaking and trust him. Otherwise, like Zechariah, our words may be taken away to teach us to listen to and trust the words from God. He is so conditioned by his circumstances that he finds himself unable to muster the hope necessary to trust in God. Samuel's mother knows better. She does not ask the angel "where he came from". She trusts his plan. This is the easier option, so let's choose it. Let us embrace God's plan for us and rejoice in it.
I will treat of the mighty works of the LORD;
O God, I will tell of your singular justice.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
Jesus is the Root of Jesse. All true authority and power is from him. He is worthy of our trust and of our praise.
My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
For you are my hope, O LORD;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength.
The LORD's plans for us begin before we even know him. The only thing that comes close to this love is the love of our parents which precedes us and brings us into being. But God's love for us precedes all of creation and brings all things into being for us. We depend on him from birth, but before we are even formed in the womb he knows us (cf. Jer. 1:5).
We should be eager, therefore, to discover his will for us. In some cases we will be called, like Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist to be set apart for God. The angel says about some of us, "this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb."
What if we feel like we can't find his will? What if we can't discover the fruit he wants to bear in us? We feel like Elizabeth, like the mother of Samson, and indeed many Biblical figures like Sarah who all experience being barren. They perceive that they can fulfill God's purpose by bearing children and yet this seems denied them. If we are similarly frustrated we should take heart. Just as Mary hears, nothing is impossible for God. He will enable us to bear all of and exactly the fruit which he desires from us. We hear from the angel, "yet you will conceive and bear a son." Are the years we wait wasted? No. Everything happens according to the timing of God. Jesus is only born in the fulness of time (cf. Gal 4:4). God first builds our hope of redemption. He first brings awareness that we need salvation. Only after does Jesus come. Yet not a moment of history is wasted in God's plan. Vatican II's Lumen Gentium explains:
Then after their fall His promise of redemption aroused in them the hope of being saved
Let us show due reverence to the messengers of God that reveal his plan. We can't try to get such a handle on the message that we own and control it. We need only realize who is speaking and trust him. Otherwise, like Zechariah, our words may be taken away to teach us to listen to and trust the words from God. He is so conditioned by his circumstances that he finds himself unable to muster the hope necessary to trust in God. Samuel's mother knows better. She does not ask the angel "where he came from". She trusts his plan. This is the easier option, so let's choose it. Let us embrace God's plan for us and rejoice in it.
I will treat of the mighty works of the LORD;
O God, I will tell of your singular justice.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
Jesus is the Root of Jesse. All true authority and power is from him. He is worthy of our trust and of our praise.
My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
18 December 2013 - hope of ages
18 December 2013 - hope of ages
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
Joseph has a heart that listens and obeys. It is amazing how open his heart is to something coming from so far beyond the realm of his usual experiences. He does experience that normal human reaction to the pregnancy of Mary. He "decided to divorce her quietly". But when an angel appears to him in a dream he is willing to set aside all of his normal preconceptions. He is willing to take God at his word. What a dream it must be to stand out enough from normal dreams that he knows that he can trust it as revelation.
There is something about what the angel tells him that just can't be denied.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
He hears the name Jesus. He hears of salvation for his people. And he remembers:
Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;
As king he shall reign and govern wisely,
he shall do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah shall be saved,
Israel shall dwell in security.
It isn't just a dream. This is too important. The necessity of this hope is too real. And it is not, in the end, entirely out of nowhere.
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
It is part of a hope which God has been building in the hearts of his people since the beginning. It is a hope which is very specific: to have him with us. As he tells us, "My dwelling place shell be with them" (cf. Eze. 37:27).
It is the power of genuine supernatural hope to allow Joseph to set aside his preconceptions to see the plan of God in action. Hope is like this is so different from worldly wishful thinking. It "does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit" (cf. Rom. 5:5).
We often complain of difficulty in perceiving God's plan. Do we lack the hope to make it evident in the face of the mundane and the mediocre? Do we really long to see Jesus face to face? To we really desire heaven for ourselves and our loved ones? This hope can be a blazing light to guide us on our way.
Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
Joseph has a heart that listens and obeys. It is amazing how open his heart is to something coming from so far beyond the realm of his usual experiences. He does experience that normal human reaction to the pregnancy of Mary. He "decided to divorce her quietly". But when an angel appears to him in a dream he is willing to set aside all of his normal preconceptions. He is willing to take God at his word. What a dream it must be to stand out enough from normal dreams that he knows that he can trust it as revelation.
There is something about what the angel tells him that just can't be denied.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
He hears the name Jesus. He hears of salvation for his people. And he remembers:
Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;
As king he shall reign and govern wisely,
he shall do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah shall be saved,
Israel shall dwell in security.
It isn't just a dream. This is too important. The necessity of this hope is too real. And it is not, in the end, entirely out of nowhere.
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
It is part of a hope which God has been building in the hearts of his people since the beginning. It is a hope which is very specific: to have him with us. As he tells us, "My dwelling place shell be with them" (cf. Eze. 37:27).
It is the power of genuine supernatural hope to allow Joseph to set aside his preconceptions to see the plan of God in action. Hope is like this is so different from worldly wishful thinking. It "does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit" (cf. Rom. 5:5).
We often complain of difficulty in perceiving God's plan. Do we lack the hope to make it evident in the face of the mundane and the mediocre? Do we really long to see Jesus face to face? To we really desire heaven for ourselves and our loved ones? This hope can be a blazing light to guide us on our way.
Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
17 december 2013 - o wisdom
17 december 2013 - o wisdom
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Jesus doesn't just step onto the scene out of nowhere. There is context to the coming of the Messiah. God prepares humanity for this from the very beginning. He promises, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel" (cf. Gen. 3:15). He promises, "I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And din your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed" (cf. Gen. 26:4). He promises, "I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever" (2 Sam. 7:12-13).
From the beginning God has been laying the foundations of his kingdom. He is preparing the world for the king whose "scepter shall never depart from Judah, or the mace from between his legs". What does it mean for us that Jesus does not come out of nowhere? It means we can take great comfort in the depth of God's plan. It isn't some impulsive last minute decision. This plan exists from before the foundation of the world when "he chose us in him ... to be holy and blameless in his sight." And since this plan is sound it is worthy of all of our trust.
We note that it is a plan not just for any one individual. It is a plan for the entire family of God. It is a plan to reestablish the unity of the humanity family that is lost at the fall, emphasized especially at the Tower of Babel. It is a plan that is all about love, a love which cannot be lived in isolation. The enemy's plan for us is to make us isolated, lonely, and ineffective. God's plan is to unite us in love, empowering us to share each others strengths and to face any challenge from the world.
We are meant to be one people in the kingdom built by God the Father. But we can only be one people if we are willing to follow one king. If we as individual people are each our own nation-state negotiating treaties with everyone else in an attempt to balance our wants and theirs we will never escape our selfishness to achieve the mutual benefit of all. We will never achieve peace if we insist on what we imagine to be our rights. Our sense of justice is tinged with selfishness and not sufficiently tempered by mercy. Our mercy is lax and has no regard for the demands of justice. Instead, let us listen to the just one, the one who is mercy itself, the king whom God sends to us.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
In the O Antiphon today we address Jesus as the Wisdom of God. We recognize this wisdom in his plans which last from age to age. Let us place all our trust in him.
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Jesus doesn't just step onto the scene out of nowhere. There is context to the coming of the Messiah. God prepares humanity for this from the very beginning. He promises, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel" (cf. Gen. 3:15). He promises, "I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And din your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed" (cf. Gen. 26:4). He promises, "I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever" (2 Sam. 7:12-13).
From the beginning God has been laying the foundations of his kingdom. He is preparing the world for the king whose "scepter shall never depart from Judah, or the mace from between his legs". What does it mean for us that Jesus does not come out of nowhere? It means we can take great comfort in the depth of God's plan. It isn't some impulsive last minute decision. This plan exists from before the foundation of the world when "he chose us in him ... to be holy and blameless in his sight." And since this plan is sound it is worthy of all of our trust.
We note that it is a plan not just for any one individual. It is a plan for the entire family of God. It is a plan to reestablish the unity of the humanity family that is lost at the fall, emphasized especially at the Tower of Babel. It is a plan that is all about love, a love which cannot be lived in isolation. The enemy's plan for us is to make us isolated, lonely, and ineffective. God's plan is to unite us in love, empowering us to share each others strengths and to face any challenge from the world.
We are meant to be one people in the kingdom built by God the Father. But we can only be one people if we are willing to follow one king. If we as individual people are each our own nation-state negotiating treaties with everyone else in an attempt to balance our wants and theirs we will never escape our selfishness to achieve the mutual benefit of all. We will never achieve peace if we insist on what we imagine to be our rights. Our sense of justice is tinged with selfishness and not sufficiently tempered by mercy. Our mercy is lax and has no regard for the demands of justice. Instead, let us listen to the just one, the one who is mercy itself, the king whom God sends to us.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
In the O Antiphon today we address Jesus as the Wisdom of God. We recognize this wisdom in his plans which last from age to age. Let us place all our trust in him.
Monday, December 16, 2013
16 December 2013 - the baptist's cry
16 December 2013 - the baptist's cry
Where was John’s baptism from?
Was it of heavenly or of human origin?”
John's baptism is indeed of heavenly origin. But if we admit to this we have to admit that his cry to repent is legitimate. We admit that we need to change. No matter how nice and OK we think ourselves to be, if we acknowledge that the Baptist is sent by God we acknowledge that we are still works in progress. Acknowledging John the Baptist is possibly only by simultaneously laying down our pride. If even John himself must decrease so that the Messiah can increase than we must decrease all the more.
Jesus is one who teaches with authority and not as the scribes (cf. Mat. 7:29). The baptism of John and the authority of Jesus are both part of the Father's plan. If we get one wrong we will miss the other in turn. We can't pick and choose. If we try to only accept the comforting from God we will find ourselves rejecting him. The cross is not an immediately comforting sight. Yet the centurion standing before the cross recognizes God's plan in action when he says, "Truly Man this was the Son of God."
If we are primarily concerned with our own authority we find ourselves in the situation of the chief priests and the elders. They approach Jesus because they are concerned about what the crowds think. They worry that he is becoming more popular than them and that the crowds regard him as having more authority than they do. From this competitive mindset we are unable to perceive the truth about the identity of Jesus. "No one ever spoke the way this man does," others say, but we are unable to hear it. We question Jesus like Pilate to see if he is indeed a king. But hearing his answer endangers our kingdoms and projects in this world. Jesus asks us, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?" Jesus wants us to ask who he is of our own accord. To do so we need to lay down our willful insistence on our own supposed rights. We need to come before him with open hearts.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
He guides the humble to justice and teaches them his ways because only they are open to it. Only those who humble themselves can truly perceive that the authority Jesus manifests means he must indeed be the Son of God. It is the humility of Balaam that allows him to hear what God says and to know "what the Most High knows". He "sees what the Almighty sees, enraptured, and with eyes unveiled" because, as Jesus tells us, the pure of heart see God. He is therefore blessed with a vision tinged with messianic expectation.
I see him, though not now;
I behold him, though not near:
A star shall advance from Jacob,
and a staff shall rise from Israel.
His vision sounds lofty. But God's plan for all of us is to see him enraptured and with eyes unveiled. As John tells us about our ultimate place in God's plan, "what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (cf. 1 Joh. 3:2). Only with pure hearts will we be able to see God enraptured and with eyes unveiled. Only this vision is enough to change us from one degree of glory to another (cf. 2. Cor 3:18) so that we can be like him as he truly is.
Let us clear our eyes so that we can see the staff of Jesus, the good shepherd, rise from Israel. Let us purify our hearts so that we may see his star advance from Jacob, just as the Magi see it. We recognize that we cannot do this on our own. Only the Spirit can produce humility within us. So we are brought full circle to the cry of the Baptist: "Repent!" We must repent of our attempts to do this on our own. May this Christmas be a time when we more fully realize the identity and authority of our heavenly king.
His king shall rise higher,
and his royalty shall be exalted.
Where was John’s baptism from?
Was it of heavenly or of human origin?”
John's baptism is indeed of heavenly origin. But if we admit to this we have to admit that his cry to repent is legitimate. We admit that we need to change. No matter how nice and OK we think ourselves to be, if we acknowledge that the Baptist is sent by God we acknowledge that we are still works in progress. Acknowledging John the Baptist is possibly only by simultaneously laying down our pride. If even John himself must decrease so that the Messiah can increase than we must decrease all the more.
Jesus is one who teaches with authority and not as the scribes (cf. Mat. 7:29). The baptism of John and the authority of Jesus are both part of the Father's plan. If we get one wrong we will miss the other in turn. We can't pick and choose. If we try to only accept the comforting from God we will find ourselves rejecting him. The cross is not an immediately comforting sight. Yet the centurion standing before the cross recognizes God's plan in action when he says, "Truly Man this was the Son of God."
If we are primarily concerned with our own authority we find ourselves in the situation of the chief priests and the elders. They approach Jesus because they are concerned about what the crowds think. They worry that he is becoming more popular than them and that the crowds regard him as having more authority than they do. From this competitive mindset we are unable to perceive the truth about the identity of Jesus. "No one ever spoke the way this man does," others say, but we are unable to hear it. We question Jesus like Pilate to see if he is indeed a king. But hearing his answer endangers our kingdoms and projects in this world. Jesus asks us, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?" Jesus wants us to ask who he is of our own accord. To do so we need to lay down our willful insistence on our own supposed rights. We need to come before him with open hearts.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
He guides the humble to justice and teaches them his ways because only they are open to it. Only those who humble themselves can truly perceive that the authority Jesus manifests means he must indeed be the Son of God. It is the humility of Balaam that allows him to hear what God says and to know "what the Most High knows". He "sees what the Almighty sees, enraptured, and with eyes unveiled" because, as Jesus tells us, the pure of heart see God. He is therefore blessed with a vision tinged with messianic expectation.
I see him, though not now;
I behold him, though not near:
A star shall advance from Jacob,
and a staff shall rise from Israel.
His vision sounds lofty. But God's plan for all of us is to see him enraptured and with eyes unveiled. As John tells us about our ultimate place in God's plan, "what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (cf. 1 Joh. 3:2). Only with pure hearts will we be able to see God enraptured and with eyes unveiled. Only this vision is enough to change us from one degree of glory to another (cf. 2. Cor 3:18) so that we can be like him as he truly is.
Let us clear our eyes so that we can see the staff of Jesus, the good shepherd, rise from Israel. Let us purify our hearts so that we may see his star advance from Jacob, just as the Magi see it. We recognize that we cannot do this on our own. Only the Spirit can produce humility within us. So we are brought full circle to the cry of the Baptist: "Repent!" We must repent of our attempts to do this on our own. May this Christmas be a time when we more fully realize the identity and authority of our heavenly king.
His king shall rise higher,
and his royalty shall be exalted.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
15 December 2013 - the early rains
15 December 2013 - the early rains
See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth,
being patient with it
until it receives the early and the late rains.
We are called to be patient waiting for the LORD. We find ourselves in the desert waiting for the rains. Some of the rains come later than we would like. But some come early. They turn the desert even now to a place that can sustain life.
The desert and the parched land will exult;
the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers,
and rejoice with joyful song.
This is why the Church commands us to rejoice even in this season of preparation and watchfulness. Even in the desert there are the early rains of the kingdom in our midst.
“Go and tell John what you hear and see:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”
Jesus makes it clear to John the Baptist and his followers that these are the signs Isaiah tells us to watch for. Therefore, to the question of where Jesus is the one to come can be answered by Isaiah as well.
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Hearts in that age and ours have good reason to be frightened. But let us look to the signs of the Kingdom. Let us see our God coming to save us that we may not be conquered by fear. The God who comes to us is the one who makes flowers bloom in the desert of this world. Indeed worldly insufficiency only serves to emphasis the supernatural abundance that follows in his wake. The joy we feel to see these flowers bloom is just a prelude to the joy in which we hope to partake one day.
Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlasting joy;
they will meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning will flee.
The kingdom of heaven changes everything. Nothing that comes before it can compare. John cries out in the desert but in the kingdom the desert gives way to green pastures and still waters. It is not only the world around us, the circumstances, which change. It is not even mainly these. The king of this kingdom can even change the deserts of our hearts into places of rejoicing. He comes to save us.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations.
See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth,
being patient with it
until it receives the early and the late rains.
We are called to be patient waiting for the LORD. We find ourselves in the desert waiting for the rains. Some of the rains come later than we would like. But some come early. They turn the desert even now to a place that can sustain life.
The desert and the parched land will exult;
the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers,
and rejoice with joyful song.
This is why the Church commands us to rejoice even in this season of preparation and watchfulness. Even in the desert there are the early rains of the kingdom in our midst.
“Go and tell John what you hear and see:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”
Jesus makes it clear to John the Baptist and his followers that these are the signs Isaiah tells us to watch for. Therefore, to the question of where Jesus is the one to come can be answered by Isaiah as well.
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Hearts in that age and ours have good reason to be frightened. But let us look to the signs of the Kingdom. Let us see our God coming to save us that we may not be conquered by fear. The God who comes to us is the one who makes flowers bloom in the desert of this world. Indeed worldly insufficiency only serves to emphasis the supernatural abundance that follows in his wake. The joy we feel to see these flowers bloom is just a prelude to the joy in which we hope to partake one day.
Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlasting joy;
they will meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning will flee.
The kingdom of heaven changes everything. Nothing that comes before it can compare. John cries out in the desert but in the kingdom the desert gives way to green pastures and still waters. It is not only the world around us, the circumstances, which change. It is not even mainly these. The king of this kingdom can even change the deserts of our hearts into places of rejoicing. He comes to save us.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
14 December 2013 - living flame of love
14 December 2013 - living flame of love
You were destined, it is written, in time to come
to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD,
To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons,
and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob.
John the Baptist is the one who comes in the spirit and power of Elijah. He reestablishes the tribes of Jacob by preaching repentance and alms giving. It is our sin and selfishness which allows us to be scattered and ruined. We can only be truly secure built upon the word of LORD because only this truly abides. But John can be hard to hear without hardening our hearts. He won't hesitate to call us a brood of vipers if our motives are vain. Hearing this we are angered and won't come to his baptism of repentance. It is like how Elijah shuts up the sky. In both cases we are allowed to thirst so that the true depth of our need is made manifest. And John and Elijah both point to the true God amidst the idols and worldliness all around. Elijah calls down fire vindicating his sacrifice. When John baptized Jesus the fire of the Holy Spirit descends. This reveals the one true sacrifice with whom God is pleased. All others foreshadowed this.
but I tell you that Elijah has already come,
and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased.
May we have eyes to see God's self-revelation. He is doing much into is season of advent to prepare us for his coming. If he has to speak a harsh word to us let us take it to heart and repent sincerely. May we find the places where the fire of his Spirit falls so that we may be renewed and inflamed with his love. We see the one with whom the Father is well pleased revealed to us. Let us build our lives not he rock of his words.
Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
We tend to think that we can fix things by turning to the LORD but this is only half of it. He must make us turn to him or we will find ourselves immobile. May our ardent desire be to seek his face. We cannot see it without dying unless he enables us to do so with his grace.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
May we become like St. John of the Cross and refuse to find true consolation in anything but God himself. When we love God in this way and are called according to his purpose all things work together for our good. Even in suffering we taste the joys of heaven.
O sweet cautery,
O delightful wound!
O gentle hand! O delicate touch
That tastes of eternal life
And pays every debt!
In killing you changed death to life.
You were destined, it is written, in time to come
to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD,
To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons,
and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob.
John the Baptist is the one who comes in the spirit and power of Elijah. He reestablishes the tribes of Jacob by preaching repentance and alms giving. It is our sin and selfishness which allows us to be scattered and ruined. We can only be truly secure built upon the word of LORD because only this truly abides. But John can be hard to hear without hardening our hearts. He won't hesitate to call us a brood of vipers if our motives are vain. Hearing this we are angered and won't come to his baptism of repentance. It is like how Elijah shuts up the sky. In both cases we are allowed to thirst so that the true depth of our need is made manifest. And John and Elijah both point to the true God amidst the idols and worldliness all around. Elijah calls down fire vindicating his sacrifice. When John baptized Jesus the fire of the Holy Spirit descends. This reveals the one true sacrifice with whom God is pleased. All others foreshadowed this.
but I tell you that Elijah has already come,
and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased.
May we have eyes to see God's self-revelation. He is doing much into is season of advent to prepare us for his coming. If he has to speak a harsh word to us let us take it to heart and repent sincerely. May we find the places where the fire of his Spirit falls so that we may be renewed and inflamed with his love. We see the one with whom the Father is well pleased revealed to us. Let us build our lives not he rock of his words.
Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
We tend to think that we can fix things by turning to the LORD but this is only half of it. He must make us turn to him or we will find ourselves immobile. May our ardent desire be to seek his face. We cannot see it without dying unless he enables us to do so with his grace.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
May we become like St. John of the Cross and refuse to find true consolation in anything but God himself. When we love God in this way and are called according to his purpose all things work together for our good. Even in suffering we taste the joys of heaven.
O sweet cautery,
O delightful wound!
O gentle hand! O delicate touch
That tastes of eternal life
And pays every debt!
In killing you changed death to life.
Friday, December 13, 2013
13 December 2013 - docile hearts
13 December 2013 - docile hearts
Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
We follow the LORD when we delight in his law and meditate on it day and night. We listen to him when he teaches us what is for our good.
When his law is written on our hearts we are docile to respond to God's call. When he calls for joy and dancing we are able to dance. When he sings a dirge we are able to mourn. The way of the LORD is not static. It is not something which we can learn once intellectually and then follow without turning back to God. We must constantly seek his guidance. He leads us on the way we should go. If we look away we find ourselves in darkness. We stumble and fall. We must walk while we have the light (cf. Joh 12:35). There are times when joy is called for and times when we should mourn. We are slow to understand this. The joy we often want is not his joy and the sorrow we indulge is not his sorrow.
We tend to mourn things which are all but irrelevant in the eyes of eternity and to be indifferent to the things that move the heart of God. We are not called to be impassive or indifferent, either. It is appropriate to feel sorrow for things that are truly sorrowful. This can be a fuel for prayer and repentance. The Church gives us times and seasons both for mourning and for joy to guide us in this practice. She gives us seasons of fasting to combine our mourning with prayer and fasting in order to seek God's face. Those periods are forty days and give way to feasts which are fifty days of joy and celebration. The periods of fasting are not joyless and the periods of feasting are not without mourning. But they should set the emphasis. They teach us to approach the sorrowful things of this passing world honestly by relying on God. They teach us to hope for the time when they give way to the joy and feasting which never ends in Heaven.
If someone suggests fasting we are quick to resposne, "He is possed by a demon." We feel like such mourning will overwhelm us and wear us out. But we will end up mourning something. Our expectations about how it can wear us out comes from mourning the wrong things. True mourning brings us closer to God and therefore builds our strength and endurance. In the same way, we need to let God teach us to take our deepest joy in him. If we rejoice too much in the things of earth our hearts do grow weary in spite of the stimulation.
When we let God direct our hearts in this way we will see that "wisdom is vindicated by her works." We find ourselves sustained and strong, able to weather any storm.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
These ideas are inspired by a talk I heard by Father James Mangan.
Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
We follow the LORD when we delight in his law and meditate on it day and night. We listen to him when he teaches us what is for our good.
When his law is written on our hearts we are docile to respond to God's call. When he calls for joy and dancing we are able to dance. When he sings a dirge we are able to mourn. The way of the LORD is not static. It is not something which we can learn once intellectually and then follow without turning back to God. We must constantly seek his guidance. He leads us on the way we should go. If we look away we find ourselves in darkness. We stumble and fall. We must walk while we have the light (cf. Joh 12:35). There are times when joy is called for and times when we should mourn. We are slow to understand this. The joy we often want is not his joy and the sorrow we indulge is not his sorrow.
We tend to mourn things which are all but irrelevant in the eyes of eternity and to be indifferent to the things that move the heart of God. We are not called to be impassive or indifferent, either. It is appropriate to feel sorrow for things that are truly sorrowful. This can be a fuel for prayer and repentance. The Church gives us times and seasons both for mourning and for joy to guide us in this practice. She gives us seasons of fasting to combine our mourning with prayer and fasting in order to seek God's face. Those periods are forty days and give way to feasts which are fifty days of joy and celebration. The periods of fasting are not joyless and the periods of feasting are not without mourning. But they should set the emphasis. They teach us to approach the sorrowful things of this passing world honestly by relying on God. They teach us to hope for the time when they give way to the joy and feasting which never ends in Heaven.
If someone suggests fasting we are quick to resposne, "He is possed by a demon." We feel like such mourning will overwhelm us and wear us out. But we will end up mourning something. Our expectations about how it can wear us out comes from mourning the wrong things. True mourning brings us closer to God and therefore builds our strength and endurance. In the same way, we need to let God teach us to take our deepest joy in him. If we rejoice too much in the things of earth our hearts do grow weary in spite of the stimulation.
When we let God direct our hearts in this way we will see that "wisdom is vindicated by her works." We find ourselves sustained and strong, able to weather any storm.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
These ideas are inspired by a talk I heard by Father James Mangan.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
12 December 2013 - bright as the sun
12 December 2013 - bright as the sun
“Juanito, the humblest of my children, know and understand that I am the ever virgin Mary, Mother of the true God through whom all things live."
Juanito has a heart that is like Mary's. They both have hearts full of humility. They are the type of heart that God delights to lift up. They are hearts like his own heart which "emptied itself, taking the form of a slave." Jesus himself, though God enfleshed, "humbled himself, becoming obedient to death". Mary rejoices that God looks with favor on her lowliness. And she in turn looks with favor on Juan. His humility makes him a true child of his Heavenly Father, a true brother of Jesus, and true son of his Queen Mother.
Because he is humble Mary is able to use Juan to make known the blessings she wants to pour out upon the world. She calls upon him "so that in it I can show and bestow my love, compassion, help, and protection to all who inhabit this land and to those others who love me, that they might call upon and confide in me." The human response in the face of such a call is often fear or reluctance. But humility opens us to the comfort that comes from being protected by God.
The angel Gabriel comforts Mary when he announces the plan God has for her. He tells her to not be afraid and assures her that God is with her. In turn, Mary comforts Juan when she tells him how she desires to use him to build the kingdom.
Do not let your heart be troubled, and let nothing upset you. Is it not I, your Mother, who is here? Are you not under my protection?
Mary and Juan both open themselves in turn to God's plan for them. Both responses unlock countless blessings which the LORD desires for his people. The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is given as a sign of God's desire to bless the humble with his love.
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
It is precisely because Mary is the most humble of creatures that she is also exulted as "the highest honor of our race." She invites her children to embrace her humility and to so be united in God's family by that bond. If we do embrace it we will also share her glory with all the saints in heaven.
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.”
“Juanito, the humblest of my children, know and understand that I am the ever virgin Mary, Mother of the true God through whom all things live."
Juanito has a heart that is like Mary's. They both have hearts full of humility. They are the type of heart that God delights to lift up. They are hearts like his own heart which "emptied itself, taking the form of a slave." Jesus himself, though God enfleshed, "humbled himself, becoming obedient to death". Mary rejoices that God looks with favor on her lowliness. And she in turn looks with favor on Juan. His humility makes him a true child of his Heavenly Father, a true brother of Jesus, and true son of his Queen Mother.
Because he is humble Mary is able to use Juan to make known the blessings she wants to pour out upon the world. She calls upon him "so that in it I can show and bestow my love, compassion, help, and protection to all who inhabit this land and to those others who love me, that they might call upon and confide in me." The human response in the face of such a call is often fear or reluctance. But humility opens us to the comfort that comes from being protected by God.
The angel Gabriel comforts Mary when he announces the plan God has for her. He tells her to not be afraid and assures her that God is with her. In turn, Mary comforts Juan when she tells him how she desires to use him to build the kingdom.
Do not let your heart be troubled, and let nothing upset you. Is it not I, your Mother, who is here? Are you not under my protection?
Mary and Juan both open themselves in turn to God's plan for them. Both responses unlock countless blessings which the LORD desires for his people. The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is given as a sign of God's desire to bless the humble with his love.
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
It is precisely because Mary is the most humble of creatures that she is also exulted as "the highest honor of our race." She invites her children to embrace her humility and to so be united in God's family by that bond. If we do embrace it we will also share her glory with all the saints in heaven.
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.”
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
11 December 2013 - all the rest
11 December 2013 - all the rest
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
We certainly qualify for this rest. We all labor and are burdened in our own ways. But what is this rest all about? From the beginning God invites us into his rest. He does not rest on the sabbath for himself. After all, God "does not faint nor grow weay". Yet we often thwart his plan and challenge him like the peoples at Meribah and Massah. We force him to say, "They shall not enter into my rest." We need to listen to the voice of the LORD and not harden our hearts because "a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God", a rest of which all that went before was just a sign.
The sabbath is a pattern which teaches us to anticipate the greater rest that is still to come when "whoever enters into God's rest, rests from his own works as God did from his." We learn to lay down our attempts to be justified by "works of the law", indeed by anything we can do apart from grace. We learn to rely on Jesus for everything. After all, what do we have that we did not receive (cf. 1 Cor. 4:7)? The stubbornness and pride that places ourselves first and will not rely on God keeps us from experiencing his rest. Let us lay our cares at the feet of him who cares for us (cf. 1 Pet. 5:7). In this we imitate the meekness and humility of Jesus. When we do this we experience that the yoke of Jesus is easy and his burden is light.
When we rest in this way we do not become lethargic or inactive. Instead we experience the strength which comes from God.
They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar as with eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.
We all fail to listen to the voice of the LORD at times. We all harden our hearts in spite of our best intentions. Fortunately, he is merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
If we just turn to him and choose to rely on him rather than ourselves we experiencing the redemption he longs to give us.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
Let us join with the psalmist, therefore:
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
We certainly qualify for this rest. We all labor and are burdened in our own ways. But what is this rest all about? From the beginning God invites us into his rest. He does not rest on the sabbath for himself. After all, God "does not faint nor grow weay". Yet we often thwart his plan and challenge him like the peoples at Meribah and Massah. We force him to say, "They shall not enter into my rest." We need to listen to the voice of the LORD and not harden our hearts because "a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God", a rest of which all that went before was just a sign.
The sabbath is a pattern which teaches us to anticipate the greater rest that is still to come when "whoever enters into God's rest, rests from his own works as God did from his." We learn to lay down our attempts to be justified by "works of the law", indeed by anything we can do apart from grace. We learn to rely on Jesus for everything. After all, what do we have that we did not receive (cf. 1 Cor. 4:7)? The stubbornness and pride that places ourselves first and will not rely on God keeps us from experiencing his rest. Let us lay our cares at the feet of him who cares for us (cf. 1 Pet. 5:7). In this we imitate the meekness and humility of Jesus. When we do this we experience that the yoke of Jesus is easy and his burden is light.
When we rest in this way we do not become lethargic or inactive. Instead we experience the strength which comes from God.
They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar as with eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.
We all fail to listen to the voice of the LORD at times. We all harden our hearts in spite of our best intentions. Fortunately, he is merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
If we just turn to him and choose to rely on him rather than ourselves we experiencing the redemption he longs to give us.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
Let us join with the psalmist, therefore:
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
10 December 2013 - sing over your children
10 December 2013 - sing over your children
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
This is who our God is. He doesn't seek out the lost begrudgingly. He seeks us desperately. He doesn't take us back angrily. He rejoices to take us back! We have such twisted images of our God if we listen to the stereotypes society has. Let us find in Scripture who he truly is and not impose worldly models of power and authority on him.
We are the lost he finds. Isaiah reminds us, "We all, like sheep have gone astray". Sometimes we are the ninety-nine, left safe and secure in the hills. But no one, save Our Lady, lives his whole life without straying somewhat. The upside to this is we get to enjoy the special attention and joy that God has when he brings us back. In the sense it is indeed a happy fault. We are "the little ones" whom he does not will to be lost. When we hear the words of absolution, "I absolve you", we should hear the Father's joy. We should hear him singing over his children.
And this king is the one who is coming. Anxious anticipation is the only response to truly realizing this. Wandering on our own we have every reason to be fearful. There are many wolves prowling this world. But listen:
Go up onto a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
Cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
Our joy should be so strong to hear this good news that we can't help but take up the cry ourselves. All of creation and indeed heaven itself can't help but rejoice before the LORD who comes to seek and save the lost.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice.
They shall exult before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
In order not to be swamped by worldly concerns we need to have the appropriate context here. Our problems seem huge, insurmountable, but God is bigger still.
So then, the people is the grass.
Though the grass withers and the flower wilts,
the word of our God stands forever.”
If we entrust ourselves to him, if we let ourselves be found by him, he brings us back with unspeakable tenderness.
Here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
Carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
This is who our God is. He doesn't seek out the lost begrudgingly. He seeks us desperately. He doesn't take us back angrily. He rejoices to take us back! We have such twisted images of our God if we listen to the stereotypes society has. Let us find in Scripture who he truly is and not impose worldly models of power and authority on him.
We are the lost he finds. Isaiah reminds us, "We all, like sheep have gone astray". Sometimes we are the ninety-nine, left safe and secure in the hills. But no one, save Our Lady, lives his whole life without straying somewhat. The upside to this is we get to enjoy the special attention and joy that God has when he brings us back. In the sense it is indeed a happy fault. We are "the little ones" whom he does not will to be lost. When we hear the words of absolution, "I absolve you", we should hear the Father's joy. We should hear him singing over his children.
And this king is the one who is coming. Anxious anticipation is the only response to truly realizing this. Wandering on our own we have every reason to be fearful. There are many wolves prowling this world. But listen:
Go up onto a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
Cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
Our joy should be so strong to hear this good news that we can't help but take up the cry ourselves. All of creation and indeed heaven itself can't help but rejoice before the LORD who comes to seek and save the lost.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice.
They shall exult before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
In order not to be swamped by worldly concerns we need to have the appropriate context here. Our problems seem huge, insurmountable, but God is bigger still.
So then, the people is the grass.
Though the grass withers and the flower wilts,
the word of our God stands forever.”
If we entrust ourselves to him, if we let ourselves be found by him, he brings us back with unspeakable tenderness.
Here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
Carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.
Monday, December 9, 2013
9 December 2013 - before the foundation of the world
9 December 2013 - before the foundation of the world
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
We see that Our Lady is uniquely blessed. But why? And how can anyone be filled with grace before the death and resurrection of Jesus on the cross?
We hear the angel say:
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Favor? Is that fair? Our hearts begin to soar because we sense that our redemption is at hand. But can we allow ourselves to feel this? Doesn't favoring of one come at the expense of another? With God it is the opposite. Individual blessings make us in turn blessings to others. This has always been the whole purpose of Israel to whom God promises that "through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." Let us allow our hearts to exult in the blessings given to Our Lady. She is "blessed among women" but this so that she can be a blessing for all women and for all mankind. She is the highest honor of our race not simply to elevate her above us but that we may have recourse to her.
She receives these blessings in anticipation of the Cross and Resurrection. But is this even possible? Absolutely, because God is not bound to any one point in time. Therefore he chooses Mary not just before the Cross but indeed "before the foundaiton of the world to be holy and without blemish before him." It is through her that we are blessed "in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens".
This plan of God is first seen in Genesis. Eve is meant to be the mother of all the living but falls short. Yet here already we see that the plan of redemption is in God's heart.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.”
Mary's offspring are, explicitly, "those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus" (cf. Rev. 12:17). It is these that are truly "the living". Mary is the one through whom the blessings of life eternal are offered to the world. In her yes, her fiat, enabled by the Holy Spirit, is the necessary response to God's initiative. God gives her the freedom to make this response where all before her can only respond in part. It is only possible for us to respond to God's call together with her. The response that welcomes Jesus into the world is the one which she makes. But we are allowed to share it with her. We confirm her choice with all of the little yeses we say to God. Her yes ensures salvation is available to all the world because we are allowed to share it. This is the victory of God. Let us praise him for it.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
We see that Our Lady is uniquely blessed. But why? And how can anyone be filled with grace before the death and resurrection of Jesus on the cross?
We hear the angel say:
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Favor? Is that fair? Our hearts begin to soar because we sense that our redemption is at hand. But can we allow ourselves to feel this? Doesn't favoring of one come at the expense of another? With God it is the opposite. Individual blessings make us in turn blessings to others. This has always been the whole purpose of Israel to whom God promises that "through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." Let us allow our hearts to exult in the blessings given to Our Lady. She is "blessed among women" but this so that she can be a blessing for all women and for all mankind. She is the highest honor of our race not simply to elevate her above us but that we may have recourse to her.
She receives these blessings in anticipation of the Cross and Resurrection. But is this even possible? Absolutely, because God is not bound to any one point in time. Therefore he chooses Mary not just before the Cross but indeed "before the foundaiton of the world to be holy and without blemish before him." It is through her that we are blessed "in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens".
This plan of God is first seen in Genesis. Eve is meant to be the mother of all the living but falls short. Yet here already we see that the plan of redemption is in God's heart.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.”
Mary's offspring are, explicitly, "those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus" (cf. Rev. 12:17). It is these that are truly "the living". Mary is the one through whom the blessings of life eternal are offered to the world. In her yes, her fiat, enabled by the Holy Spirit, is the necessary response to God's initiative. God gives her the freedom to make this response where all before her can only respond in part. It is only possible for us to respond to God's call together with her. The response that welcomes Jesus into the world is the one which she makes. But we are allowed to share it with her. We confirm her choice with all of the little yeses we say to God. Her yes ensures salvation is available to all the world because we are allowed to share it. This is the victory of God. Let us praise him for it.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
Sunday, December 8, 2013
8 November 2013 - the holy spirit and fire
8 November 2013 - the holy spirit and fire
John the Baptist cries out to prepare, "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths." There is an urgency to his plea. He wants to shake up the comfortable and the complacent before the day when the wheat and the chaff are separated. It isn't enough to that we are "told to flee from the coming wrath". We need to be changed. The path of least resistance is the path of the chaff. It isn't enough to come and see a prophet because the message is trendy. He offers "water, for repentance", and there is plenty of which we need to repent. But this feeling of conviction is a mere feeling unless it gives way to true conversion. More than the baptism of water he offers, John the Baptist points to the baptism in the Holy Spirit. This is the baptism which genuinely transforms us.
Jesus is the one on whom the "spirit of the LORD shall rest". It is he one who pours out this same Spirit on us. This Spirit is:
a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
a spirit of counsel and of strength,
a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
This is the Spirit which teaches us right judgment so that was are just and do not decide by appearance or hearsay. To the degree that we make room for him we will see justice "flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever."
It is this peace that makes God's dwelling so glorious that the Gentiles can't help but seek it out. We long for the king of peace to establish his "rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the end of the earth." This is the world in which there is "no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain".
The Spirit changes everything. It is the "knowledge of the LORD" which he imparts that brings true peace.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
It is the Spirit that enables us "with one accord" to "glorify the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ." Paul, too, acknowledges that this "harmony with one another" which is the source of peace in the world comes only from the "God of endurance and encouragement".
The Holy Spirit is the source, not only of our strength for endurance, but of our encouragement as well. Let us ask him to unleash these gifts in us more and more. We have received them in baptism in none of us are they fully realized. Scripture too contains the endurance and encouragement of God. If we need to unlock our baptism this is a good place to establish our expectations for what is possible so that "we might have hope."
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
John the Baptist cries out to prepare, "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths." There is an urgency to his plea. He wants to shake up the comfortable and the complacent before the day when the wheat and the chaff are separated. It isn't enough to that we are "told to flee from the coming wrath". We need to be changed. The path of least resistance is the path of the chaff. It isn't enough to come and see a prophet because the message is trendy. He offers "water, for repentance", and there is plenty of which we need to repent. But this feeling of conviction is a mere feeling unless it gives way to true conversion. More than the baptism of water he offers, John the Baptist points to the baptism in the Holy Spirit. This is the baptism which genuinely transforms us.
Jesus is the one on whom the "spirit of the LORD shall rest". It is he one who pours out this same Spirit on us. This Spirit is:
a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
a spirit of counsel and of strength,
a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
This is the Spirit which teaches us right judgment so that was are just and do not decide by appearance or hearsay. To the degree that we make room for him we will see justice "flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever."
It is this peace that makes God's dwelling so glorious that the Gentiles can't help but seek it out. We long for the king of peace to establish his "rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the end of the earth." This is the world in which there is "no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain".
The Spirit changes everything. It is the "knowledge of the LORD" which he imparts that brings true peace.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
It is the Spirit that enables us "with one accord" to "glorify the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ." Paul, too, acknowledges that this "harmony with one another" which is the source of peace in the world comes only from the "God of endurance and encouragement".
The Holy Spirit is the source, not only of our strength for endurance, but of our encouragement as well. Let us ask him to unleash these gifts in us more and more. We have received them in baptism in none of us are they fully realized. Scripture too contains the endurance and encouragement of God. If we need to unlock our baptism this is a good place to establish our expectations for what is possible so that "we might have hope."
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
7 December 2013 - walk in this way
7 December 2013 - walk in this way
his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
In our suffering we tend to feel alone. If we are inclined to loneliness anyway this can progress to a level which is devastating. We aren't meant to be alone. We aren't meant for isolation. This isn't an introvert versus extrovert thing. Introverts may not have energy to socialize at times but they still need the support that family and friends can provide. Hermits don't leave everything to be alone. They leave everything to be even more present to God. Extroverts can be surrounded by people and filled with the energy that gives them and yet be distant from them all and still lonely at their core.
At the sight of this crowd of all of us the heart of Jesus is moved with pity. He knows that we are troubled and that we feel abandoned. As sheep we need our shepherd desperately. Even if we are surrounded with other sheep we feel isolated and abandoned without a shepherd. Without a shepherd the other sheep are mixed with wolves. No one can open himself to fully trust. Only the shepherd provides the order and constancy that allows the sheep to truly grow close.
He overcomes this isolation and sense of abandonment by showing us how profoundly and deeply he knows who we are. He bridges the gap between us and other that we cannot overcome.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He tells the number of the stars;
he calls each by name.
He calls each of us by name as well. We mean more to him than the whole sky of stars. If we listen so as to hear his call he is no longer hidden. He is so very close that his voice seems to come from within:
No longer will your Teacher hide himself,
but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,
While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears:
“This is the way; walk in it,”
when you would turn to the right or to the left.
This is the blessing that we receive if we wait for the Lord. He rebuilds all the cities which fall due to our sinfulness. He gathers all who are dispersed because they forget to listen for the voice of the shepherd. He comes with healing for all of us.
He will be gracious to you when you cry out,
as soon as he hears he will answer you.
It is from the same desire to be near to us and unite us that he sends the twelve apostles. He sends them to find "lost sheep of the house of Israel." He uses the apostle to proclaim that "The Kingdom of heaven is at hand." And therefore also at hand is the king who comes to us. Healing follows in his wake. Let us praise the LORD for his goodness.
Great is our LORD and mighty in power:
to his wisdom there is no limit.
his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
In our suffering we tend to feel alone. If we are inclined to loneliness anyway this can progress to a level which is devastating. We aren't meant to be alone. We aren't meant for isolation. This isn't an introvert versus extrovert thing. Introverts may not have energy to socialize at times but they still need the support that family and friends can provide. Hermits don't leave everything to be alone. They leave everything to be even more present to God. Extroverts can be surrounded by people and filled with the energy that gives them and yet be distant from them all and still lonely at their core.
At the sight of this crowd of all of us the heart of Jesus is moved with pity. He knows that we are troubled and that we feel abandoned. As sheep we need our shepherd desperately. Even if we are surrounded with other sheep we feel isolated and abandoned without a shepherd. Without a shepherd the other sheep are mixed with wolves. No one can open himself to fully trust. Only the shepherd provides the order and constancy that allows the sheep to truly grow close.
He overcomes this isolation and sense of abandonment by showing us how profoundly and deeply he knows who we are. He bridges the gap between us and other that we cannot overcome.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He tells the number of the stars;
he calls each by name.
He calls each of us by name as well. We mean more to him than the whole sky of stars. If we listen so as to hear his call he is no longer hidden. He is so very close that his voice seems to come from within:
No longer will your Teacher hide himself,
but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,
While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears:
“This is the way; walk in it,”
when you would turn to the right or to the left.
This is the blessing that we receive if we wait for the Lord. He rebuilds all the cities which fall due to our sinfulness. He gathers all who are dispersed because they forget to listen for the voice of the shepherd. He comes with healing for all of us.
He will be gracious to you when you cry out,
as soon as he hears he will answer you.
It is from the same desire to be near to us and unite us that he sends the twelve apostles. He sends them to find "lost sheep of the house of Israel." He uses the apostle to proclaim that "The Kingdom of heaven is at hand." And therefore also at hand is the king who comes to us. Healing follows in his wake. Let us praise the LORD for his goodness.
Great is our LORD and mighty in power:
to his wisdom there is no limit.
Friday, December 6, 2013
6 December 2013 - lighten up
6 December 2013 - lighten up
And out of gloom and darkness,
the eyes of the blind shall see.
We, it turns out, are the blind who are healed. Without the light of the LORD Jesus we stumble in darkness. "The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going" (cf. Joh. 12:35). "If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."
Let us say, "The Lord is my light and my salvation." Let us walk while we have this light so that we do not stumble.
Sadly we are often oblivious to the true light that enlightens mankind (cf. Joh 1:9). He comes to us, but even though we are his own we do not receive him and his truth. How are false perceptions of reality more compelling to us? The light of Jesus reveals the truth at the core of things. That means that without it we are accepting lies instead of truth at least in part. We are willfully blind and yet cannot even find the light on our own. It must be revealed to us. Our eyes must be opened.
“Do you believe that I can do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they said to him.
Then he touched their eyes and said,
“Let it be done for you according to your faith.”
And their eyes were opened.
The light of our faith is the prerequisite upon which all wisdom and knowledge depends. Without faith our knowledge is partial and distorted because we distort it to serve our selfish and sinful ends. Faith surrenders our right to be ultimate arbiter of truth to the LORD who cannot lie (cf. Tit 1:2).
Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding,
and those who find fault shall receive instruction.
In the light of his truth we realize that there is nothing in this world that can harm us. All things work together for the good of those who love him (cf. Rom 8:28). Fear is a sign to us that we are trusting in ourselves and need to come to Jesus and place all of our trust in him.
Ultimately, the light he shines on us opens our eyes to see the one sight which truly matters.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
In this light we shall see Lebanon "changed into an orchard." In spite of our deafness we will hear "the words of a book" if we just listen to Jesus. We will hear the words of life from this book. Herein we "find joy in the LORD" and "rejoice in the Holy One of Israel."
Even as we read his words at this moment let us cry, "Son of David, have pity on us!" Surely he will open our eyes.
And out of gloom and darkness,
the eyes of the blind shall see.
We, it turns out, are the blind who are healed. Without the light of the LORD Jesus we stumble in darkness. "The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going" (cf. Joh. 12:35). "If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."
Let us say, "The Lord is my light and my salvation." Let us walk while we have this light so that we do not stumble.
Sadly we are often oblivious to the true light that enlightens mankind (cf. Joh 1:9). He comes to us, but even though we are his own we do not receive him and his truth. How are false perceptions of reality more compelling to us? The light of Jesus reveals the truth at the core of things. That means that without it we are accepting lies instead of truth at least in part. We are willfully blind and yet cannot even find the light on our own. It must be revealed to us. Our eyes must be opened.
“Do you believe that I can do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they said to him.
Then he touched their eyes and said,
“Let it be done for you according to your faith.”
And their eyes were opened.
The light of our faith is the prerequisite upon which all wisdom and knowledge depends. Without faith our knowledge is partial and distorted because we distort it to serve our selfish and sinful ends. Faith surrenders our right to be ultimate arbiter of truth to the LORD who cannot lie (cf. Tit 1:2).
Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding,
and those who find fault shall receive instruction.
In the light of his truth we realize that there is nothing in this world that can harm us. All things work together for the good of those who love him (cf. Rom 8:28). Fear is a sign to us that we are trusting in ourselves and need to come to Jesus and place all of our trust in him.
Ultimately, the light he shines on us opens our eyes to see the one sight which truly matters.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
In this light we shall see Lebanon "changed into an orchard." In spite of our deafness we will hear "the words of a book" if we just listen to Jesus. We will hear the words of life from this book. Herein we "find joy in the LORD" and "rejoice in the Holy One of Israel."
Even as we read his words at this moment let us cry, "Son of David, have pity on us!" Surely he will open our eyes.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
5 December 2013 - solid foundations - nation of the found
5 December 2013 - solid foundations - nation of the found
We need a "strong city" built on "an eternal Rock." We need it badly. Nothing else endures except the city God builds. If we are proud and try to build lofty cities in high places on our own we are building a "house on sand." It cannot endure the rain, the floods, and the winds.
"Open up the gates", LORD. Let us in to the strong city built upon you, our Rock. LORD, open "the gates of justice" so that we can "enter them and give thanks to" you. We want to build our homes within these gates. We want to build our homes on the solid rock found only here. On the eternal Rock we can endure the rain, the floods, and the wind and not collapse. We are "set solidly on rock."
Outside these gates of the LORD cities are brought down, tumbled to the ground and leveled. Those in high places are humbled. The very "footsteps of the poor" trample it all down. Simply walking where the poor have a right to walk together with the hand of the LORD upon them bring down all of these structures of inequality that exist beyond his walls.
We build our houses on this rock by doing the will of the Father. We listen to the words of Jesus and act on them. This is how we become "a nation that is just, one that keeps faith." This must be our "firm purpose" so that the LORD may keep us in peace.
"Open up the gates" O LORD. They only open to the just and the only just nation is the nation God makes just. Jesus, help us to listen to your words and act upon them that we may be this nation. Help us to listen to your words and act upon them that we may enter your gates.
This gate is the LORD’s;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
Entering these gates in the name of the LORD we are blessed indeed. We have salvation and true prosperity.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
4 December 2013 - well fed
4 December 2013 - well fed
During the season of Advent Jesus is willing to spend time with us "up on the mountain". He wants to make his healing power manifest. Let us take advantage of his presence and come to him on the mountain. As we see him work in us and our friends and family let us be amazed together with the crowds.
The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking,
the deformed made whole,
the lame walking,
and the blind able to see,
We need his healing touch, no matter how healthy we think we are. We need to have our tongues loosed to proclaim the name of Jesus. We are fragmented and partial, chasing after a thousand things. We need to be made whole. We need our legs strengthened to be able to walk in the ways of God. We need our eyes enlightened that we might see him with those who are pure of heart so that we may be transformed into his likeness. Jesus spends time with us on the mountain to cure us of these ailments so let us glorify the God of Israel.
However after he finishes with cures there is still more to be done.
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
for they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
I do not want to send them away hungry,
for fear they may collapse on the way.”
Is it possible to spend time with Jesus and yet be hungry? We experience him curing us and those around us but forget that the source of these cures is the blood of the cross. We experience the new life he brings and allow ourselves to forget the cost at which it is purchased. Yet in these three days, while physical healings are abundant, they are outward signs of something deeper happening within us. In three days our sin and selfishness is put to death. Jesus knows that we can't survive these three days without the food that only he can supply. Food gives strength within. It sustains life. It is more fundamental than speaking, walking, or seeing. Even as our bodies are healed and our lives show the signs of his grace in the victories we experience over sin we do not have the endurance in our hearts to survive this process without continual reliance on him. We collapse on the way.
Fortunately, even though we forget about this need to be fed, he does not forget to feed us.
On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
This is the table is spreads before us in the sight of our foes. It is more than anything we can ask or imagine. He anoints us with his Holy Spirit and fills our cup to overflowing with his Precious Blood. It is more than mere food. This is the feast by which God transforms a dying world.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
The web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
Because he feeds us with his own body and blood we can have great confidence that "goodness and kindness follow" us throughout our lives and that his grace will bring us to "dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come" and, indeed, for eternity.
During the season of Advent Jesus is willing to spend time with us "up on the mountain". He wants to make his healing power manifest. Let us take advantage of his presence and come to him on the mountain. As we see him work in us and our friends and family let us be amazed together with the crowds.
The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking,
the deformed made whole,
the lame walking,
and the blind able to see,
We need his healing touch, no matter how healthy we think we are. We need to have our tongues loosed to proclaim the name of Jesus. We are fragmented and partial, chasing after a thousand things. We need to be made whole. We need our legs strengthened to be able to walk in the ways of God. We need our eyes enlightened that we might see him with those who are pure of heart so that we may be transformed into his likeness. Jesus spends time with us on the mountain to cure us of these ailments so let us glorify the God of Israel.
However after he finishes with cures there is still more to be done.
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
for they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
I do not want to send them away hungry,
for fear they may collapse on the way.”
Is it possible to spend time with Jesus and yet be hungry? We experience him curing us and those around us but forget that the source of these cures is the blood of the cross. We experience the new life he brings and allow ourselves to forget the cost at which it is purchased. Yet in these three days, while physical healings are abundant, they are outward signs of something deeper happening within us. In three days our sin and selfishness is put to death. Jesus knows that we can't survive these three days without the food that only he can supply. Food gives strength within. It sustains life. It is more fundamental than speaking, walking, or seeing. Even as our bodies are healed and our lives show the signs of his grace in the victories we experience over sin we do not have the endurance in our hearts to survive this process without continual reliance on him. We collapse on the way.
Fortunately, even though we forget about this need to be fed, he does not forget to feed us.
On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
This is the table is spreads before us in the sight of our foes. It is more than anything we can ask or imagine. He anoints us with his Holy Spirit and fills our cup to overflowing with his Precious Blood. It is more than mere food. This is the feast by which God transforms a dying world.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
The web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
Because he feeds us with his own body and blood we can have great confidence that "goodness and kindness follow" us throughout our lives and that his grace will bring us to "dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come" and, indeed, for eternity.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
3 December 2013 - a little child to guide us
3 December 2013 - a little child to guide us
with a little child to guide them.
Jesus comes to us as a child. He flies under the radar of our pride. Too much glory and our defenses are up. 'Who is trying to displace us from our throne?' we think. Jesus allows us to see his humility and love before he shows us his glory and might. Maybe the "rod of his mouth" that strikes the ruthless are his delicate cries for his mother. Maybe the "breath of his lips" that will "slay the wicked" is his baby breath. Maybe his humility can destroy the ruthlessness and wickedness in our hearts.
By coming to us in this way he reveals something about the Father who hides "these things from the wise and learned" and yet reveals them to those of us who are childlike. He does not ask anything which he does not first demonstrate to us in his incarnation.
"Blessed are the eyes" that see him come as a child. He is the bud which blossoms from a lifeless stump. He has the fullness of the LORD's Spirit more than anyone else in history.
He comes as a little child to guide us, not just to be observed by us. We long to see justice flourish and "fullness of peace for ever." He does not come to do this apart from us. He comes to show us the way in which "all the tribes of the earth" are blessed. He himself is that way.
Only the humility of God can bring the world true peace. Only this will create a world where:
Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
The calf and the young lion shall browse together,
Many have "desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it." Therefore let us listen attentively, fully engaged. Let us allow the Christ child to reveal the Father to us.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
Monday, December 2, 2013
2 December 2013 - his house, our roof
2 December 2013 - his house, our roof
The centurion said in reply,
“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
The centurion sees a figure that looks like any other and yet perceives a presence which is utterly unique.
A smoking cloud by day
and a light of flaming fire by night.
For over all, the LORD’s glory will be shelter and protection:
shade from the parching heat of day,
refuge and cover from storm and rain.
This is why we should rejoice to hear that we "will go up to the house of the LORD." The presence of God is at the very center of this house. It is a glorious presence, even if it is concealed in a human body. It is glorious concealed in the Eucharist. It should be an awe-inspiring presence. It is a presence that is the fulfillment of every desire. It is "shade" and "refuge".
Yet change is necessary to recline "at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven."
He who remains in Zion
and he who is left in Jerusalem
Will be called holy:
every one marked down for life in Jerusalem.
All who are left we be called holy. The centurion recognizes that he is not yet purified in this way. That is why he speaks words of humility which we commemorate and in every mass. He knows that he himself is not worthy. We speak these words together with him. We speak them together with popes and saints. No one is worthy of this presence. The centurion sees what appears to be an insurmountable gap between himself and Jesus. Yet the centurion does understand something about authority. He is able to trust that if he cannot bridge the gap between himself and the holiness of Jesus it will not prevent Jesus from doing so.
When the LORD washes away
the filth of the daughters of Zion,
And purges Jerusalem’s blood from her midst
with a blast of searing judgment,
It is hard to hear that we have filth that needs to be washed away. But in spite of our imperfections Jesus still says to us, “I will come and cure him.” May we imitate the faith of the centurion who does not project his own limitations onto Jesus. Jesus is the one to whom "all authority in heaven and on earth has been given" (cf. Mat. 28:18). Let us pray for peace within his walls and prosperity in his buildings. May he give us the faith to long for the day when:
The branch of the LORD will be luster and glory,
and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor
for the survivors of Israel.
The centurion said in reply,
“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
The centurion sees a figure that looks like any other and yet perceives a presence which is utterly unique.
A smoking cloud by day
and a light of flaming fire by night.
For over all, the LORD’s glory will be shelter and protection:
shade from the parching heat of day,
refuge and cover from storm and rain.
This is why we should rejoice to hear that we "will go up to the house of the LORD." The presence of God is at the very center of this house. It is a glorious presence, even if it is concealed in a human body. It is glorious concealed in the Eucharist. It should be an awe-inspiring presence. It is a presence that is the fulfillment of every desire. It is "shade" and "refuge".
Yet change is necessary to recline "at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven."
He who remains in Zion
and he who is left in Jerusalem
Will be called holy:
every one marked down for life in Jerusalem.
All who are left we be called holy. The centurion recognizes that he is not yet purified in this way. That is why he speaks words of humility which we commemorate and in every mass. He knows that he himself is not worthy. We speak these words together with him. We speak them together with popes and saints. No one is worthy of this presence. The centurion sees what appears to be an insurmountable gap between himself and Jesus. Yet the centurion does understand something about authority. He is able to trust that if he cannot bridge the gap between himself and the holiness of Jesus it will not prevent Jesus from doing so.
When the LORD washes away
the filth of the daughters of Zion,
And purges Jerusalem’s blood from her midst
with a blast of searing judgment,
It is hard to hear that we have filth that needs to be washed away. But in spite of our imperfections Jesus still says to us, “I will come and cure him.” May we imitate the faith of the centurion who does not project his own limitations onto Jesus. Jesus is the one to whom "all authority in heaven and on earth has been given" (cf. Mat. 28:18). Let us pray for peace within his walls and prosperity in his buildings. May he give us the faith to long for the day when:
The branch of the LORD will be luster and glory,
and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor
for the survivors of Israel.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
1 December 2013 - advent, your time
1 December 2013 - advent, your time
Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
This is the call. We must be awake, alert, and attentive. It is possible to miss the blessings of his coming if we're so caught up in normal affairs of "eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage" that we miss what the LORD is telling us. We need to get in the ark before the flood comes. After is too late. He provides the means of salvation but leaves it to us whether we will be taken by him or whether we will be left on our own to face the flood waters of circumstances.
This is why Paul calls us to "awake from sleep." If we sleep we miss the fact that our salvation is at hand, "nearer now than when we first believed." Yet attentiveness isn't simply passive. Our whole being must reflect this attitude. It is not just the day around us that should be filled with light. We ourselves must reflect this by throwing "off the works of darkness" and putting "on the armor of light".
It isn't as though the LORD is hiding. It isn't as though he is purposefully playing hard to get. In fact "the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills." This house, the Church, is the new ark that saves us from the flood waters of sin and death. It is not hard to see if we look. But we are all too ready to distract ourselves. We need to be instructed in his ways and to walk in his paths. This is the only way to the world for which we hope where "one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall the train for war again."
Since this is our desire let us seek him. "Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord." With the instruction from his word "let us walk in the light of the Lord!"
Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
This is the call. We must be awake, alert, and attentive. It is possible to miss the blessings of his coming if we're so caught up in normal affairs of "eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage" that we miss what the LORD is telling us. We need to get in the ark before the flood comes. After is too late. He provides the means of salvation but leaves it to us whether we will be taken by him or whether we will be left on our own to face the flood waters of circumstances.
This is why Paul calls us to "awake from sleep." If we sleep we miss the fact that our salvation is at hand, "nearer now than when we first believed." Yet attentiveness isn't simply passive. Our whole being must reflect this attitude. It is not just the day around us that should be filled with light. We ourselves must reflect this by throwing "off the works of darkness" and putting "on the armor of light".
It isn't as though the LORD is hiding. It isn't as though he is purposefully playing hard to get. In fact "the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills." This house, the Church, is the new ark that saves us from the flood waters of sin and death. It is not hard to see if we look. But we are all too ready to distract ourselves. We need to be instructed in his ways and to walk in his paths. This is the only way to the world for which we hope where "one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall the train for war again."
Since this is our desire let us seek him. "Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord." With the instruction from his word "let us walk in the light of the Lord!"
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