2nd Advent 2022, Expanding Upward

2^nd Advent

Mark 13:24-37

 

"In the days after those hardships,

Aivasovsky

'the sun will be darkened,

the moon will no longer give its light,

the stars will be falling from heaven,

and the powers of the heavenly spheres will be thrown off course.'

"Then, the coming of the Son of Man will be visible in the realm of the clouds, invested with power, illumined by the light of the revelation of the world of spirit. And he will send out the angels to gather in all those who feel themselves united with him, from all four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

"Learn from the parable of the fig tree: When the sap rises through its branches, and it puts forth leaves, then you see that summer is near. So also when you see these things coming about, you shall be aware that the revelation of the Son of Man is near, at the very door. Yes, I say to you: Even before the time of human beings now living shall have come to an end, all this will begin. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. No one knows anything about that day or that hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

"Be observant and be awake, for you do not know when the time will be. It is like when a man goes on a journey and leaves his house. He gives his servants authority, gives each one his task, and tells the doorkeeper to be alert. So you, too, be alert. You do not know when the master of the house will come, whether in the evening or at midnight or at cockcrow in the morning. Take care that he does not find you sleeping if he comes suddenly. And what I say to you applies to all human beings: Be alert!"

2^nd Advent
December 4, 2022
Mark 13:24-37
 
Standing is both an effort and a gift.
 
It takes effort to overcome the downward drag of gravity, to pull ourselves into the upright, and to maintain that uprightness within all the subtleties of balancing.
 
At the same time, that we can do so at all is a gift from God, a gift of grace.
Plants rise upward through the sunlight’s power. Animals have been gifted with mobility but have mostly lost their uprightness into the bargain. But human beings have been given both the gifts of mobility and uprightness. We can move and still be connected not only to the earth but also to the heavens — feet firmly planted on the earth, head toward the stars, moving forward.
 
We can lose our uprightness physically through illness or accident. But more importantly, the forces of uprightness also operate on the soul level. We lose our inner uprightness through fear — a natural reaction to threats in the present. We lose our inner uprightness through foreboding — projecting our fears into the future. 
 
When terrible things happen, it takes an effort to stand inwardly upright, to raise our soul to the spirit. But our efforts are always met by grace.
 
In dark times, as we struggle inwardly to stand before the altar, we begin to dimly sense a dawning awareness of the spirit. From the altar, a kind of subtle light shines. And in awareness of this light, we know, as surely as the plant, the fig tree knows, that the light of the Son of God is approaching. Our hearts begin to feel salvation from fear. Comfort and promise overcome foreboding. We feel, indeed we know that the Christ Sun is working here on earth. Our souls’ efforts to be present here are met with His grace. With feet firmly planted on the earth, our souls overcome the downward drag of fear and foreboding. We stand upright on the earth and expand upward toward the stars, toward the realm of the heavens.
 

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2nd Advent Sunday 2021, An Invitation

2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th Advent

Mark 13:24-37

 

"In the days after those hardships,

'the sun will be darkened,

the moon will no longer give its light,

the stars will be falling from heaven,

and the powers of the heavenly spheres will be thrown off course.'

"Then, the coming of the Son of Man will be visible in the realm of the clouds, invested with power, illumined by the light of the revelation of the world of spirit. And he will send out the angels to gather in all those who feel themselves united with him, from all four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

"Learn from the parable of the fig tree: When the sap rises through its branches, and it puts forth leaves, then you see that summer is near. So also when you see these things coming about, you shall be aware that the revelation of the Son of Man is near, at the very door. Yes, I say to you: Even before the time of human beings now living shall have come to an end, all this will begin. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. No one knows anything about that day or that hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

"Be observant and be awake, for you do not know when the time will be. It is like when a man goes on a journey and leaves his house. He gives his servants authority, gives each one his task, and tells the doorkeeper to be alert. So you, too, be alert. You do not know when the master of the house will come, whether in the evening or at midnight or at cockcrow in the morning. Take care that he does not find you sleeping if he comes suddenly. And what I say to you applies to all human beings: Be alert!" 

2^nd Advent

December 5, 2021

Mark 13:24-27

 

The Advent prayers at the altar speak of the chariot of the sun.
The path of this chariot inscribes an arc in the heavens. The mention of a chariot implies a Being that travels in it. In Greek mythology He is called Helios. Daily he rises from the edge of the world, dispelling the darkness. At the end of the day he sets into the darkness, to rise again, moving time forward.

The prayers also speak of the bow of color, the rainbow, which also inscribes an arc. The interplay of light and darkness, of water and air, of Helios and Earth create a many-colored bridge, the rainbow.
The Greeks called her Iris, the winged messenger of the gods. Her message has always been filled with hope and promise; Helios and Iris, bringers of light, color and hope.

Ookami Kouu

Our deepest hope is that one day, heaven and earth will become one; that the wounds of worlds will be healed; that love and peace will reign because the sons and daughters of sun and earth will have fulfilled Iris’s promise. Her message continuously calls us, inviting us to work on the creation of the new heaven and the new earth. All of creation is waiting for us. As the poet Mary Oliver says

 

There are days

when the sun goes down

like a fist,

though of course

 

if you see anything

in the heavens this way

you had better get

 

your eyes checked

or, better still,

your diminished spirit.

The heavens

 

have no fist,

…

 

Instead: such patience!

Such willingness

 

to let us continue!

David Newbatt

To hear,

little by little,

the voices -

 

only, so far, in

pockets of the world -

suggesting the possibilities

 

of peace

 

Keep looking.

Behold, how the fist opens

with invitation.*

---

*Mary Oliver, “The Fist”, in Thirst

2nd Advent 2020, May We Be Strengthened

 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th Advent

Mark 13:24-37 (Madsen)

Collot d'Herbois

In the days after those hardships, the sun will be darkened, the moon will no longer give its light, the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers of the heavenly spheres will be thrown off course. Then the coming of the Son of Man will be visible in the realm of the clouds, invested with power, illumined by the light of the revelation of the world of spirit. And he will send out the angels to gather in all those who feel themselves united with him, from all four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

Learn from the parable of the fig tree: When the sap rises through its branches, and it puts forth leaves, then you see that summer is near. So also when you see these things coming about, you shall be aware that the revelation of the Son of Man is near, at the very door. Yes, I say to you: Even before the time of human beings now living shall have come to an end, all this will begin. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. No one knows anything about that day or that hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Be observant and be awake, for you do not know when the time will be. It is like when a man goes on a journey and leaves his house. He gives his servants authority, gives each one his task, and tells the doorkeeper to be alert. So you, too, be alert. You do not know when the master of the house will come, whether in the evening or at midnight or at cockcrow in the morning. Take care that he does not find you sleeping if he comes suddenly. And what I say to you applies to all human beings: Be alert!

2^nd Advent
December 6, 2020
Mark 13:24-37
 

Living things are always changing. The plants change form from seed to shoot to leaves, from leaves to blossom and fruit and seed. The living light of the sun is in constantly changing flux. These changes affect our experience.
 
Every year at this time, Christ slowly descends once again toward the opportunity for an intimate connection with humankind. Because He is Life itself, His approach stimulates change, change in the cosmos, change in our souls. One natural reaction to great change is anxiety.
 

The gospel encourages us to recognize in advance that our anxiety is caused in fact by the approach of Christ, the giver of Life, the refresher of our life’s true meaning. He is the giver of transformative change. We are encouraged not to just smother our unease with excess of food and drink. Rather we are encouraged to practice a state of vigilant, strengthening prayer.
 
Christ is seeking an encounter with our wakeful spirits, to take place during the days and nights of Christmas. We may pray that
 
…we be strengthened from the founts of will that bear us toward freedom;
 that we be illumined from the founts of wisdom that warm the inmost heart;
 that we feel peace from the founts of love which bless human work.*
 
*Adapted from the Intercessory Prayer in Meditative Prayers for Today, Adam Bittleston. Available here.

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2nd Advent 2019, Be Alert!

2^nd Advent

Mark 13: 24-37 (Madsen)

In the days after those hardships, the sun will be darkened, the moon will no longer give its light, the stars will be falling from heaven and the powers of the heavenly spheres will be thrown off course. Then the coming of the Son of Man will be visible in the realm of the clouds, invested with power, illumined by the light of revelation of the world of spirit. And he will send out the angels to gather in all those who feel themselves united with him, from all four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

Learn from the parable of the fig tree: When the sap rises through its branches and it puts forth leaves, then you see that summer is near. So also when you see these things coming about, you shall be aware that the revelation of the Son of Man is near, at the very door. Yes, I say to you: Even before the time of human beings now living shall have come to an end, all this will begin. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. No one knows anything about that day or that hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Be observant and be awake; for you do not know when the time will be. It is like when a man goes on a journey and leaves his house. He gives his servants authority, gives each one his task and tells the doorkeeper to be alert. So you too, be alert. You do not know when the master of the house will come, whether in the evening or at midnight or at cockcrow in the morning. Take care that he does not find you sleeping if he comes suddenly. And what I say to you applies to all human beings: Be alert!

2^nd Advent

Mark 13:24-27

December 8, 2019

One can watch a rose in the process of blossoming over time: what was enclosed inside the bud opens and unfurls in a profusion of petals. In the center is a crown with pollen. With pollination the crown is gradually drawn down and inward again, becoming the cluster of seeds enclosed in the fruit.

Our experience of the world at any moment is often divided into polarities like inner and outer. But if we look closely, we can see that, over time, like the rose, inner becomes outer and outer becomes inner, in a kind of breathing.

Today’s Gospel reading has something of this same quality. It starts with a profusion of outer signs, in sun, moon, and stars. The Son of Man appears ‘in great radiance and glory.’ He seems to come from outside, ‘in a cloud.’ And yet His qualities, His uprightness, His soul rising to the spirit, can also be absorbed inwardly by human beings. The outer becomes inner. He gives inner strength and uprightness and awakens prayer.

Burnand

The reading makes it clear that the quality and accuracy of our perception is of utmost importance. For perception is the doorway, the entryway into our souls. We are to keep the threshold clear and free. We are to keep a calm and open watch at the doorway of the soul and recognize the signs: just as new leaves signal summer’s return, so do dire outer signs signal the approach, the nearness of the Divine Human Being. We are to perceive His presence and open the door for Him. We are to invite Him into the soul’s house, take Him in, for He is our heart’s calm center.

The mystic Meister Eckhart wrote,

What is the prayer of a heart grown calm

in the peace of God?

From such a purity one no longer prays

as we are wont to pray.

…A heart in calm detachment asks

for nothing, nor has anything

it would wish to shed.

Its prayer is finally only for uniformity

with God. This is its entire prayer.

…With such a disposition you

can easily accept honors and ease.

Should hardships and disgrace arrive,

you will bear them also, and be

oddly pleased to bear them.

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---

Meister Eckhart, “The Prayer of a Heart Detached”, and “Unburdened”, in Love’s Immensity, Mystics on the Endless Life, Scott Cairns, p. 99.

2nd Advent 2018, Accept or Refuse

Conrad von Soest

2nd Advent

Luke 1: 26-38

During the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth to a maiden engaged to a man named Joseph of the descendants of David, and the maiden’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said her, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”

But she was confused at those words, and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call him Jesus.

He will be great, and will be called the Son of the most High,

And the Lord your God will give him the Throne of David your father.

And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever;

And his kingdom will have no end. “

And Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have never known a man?”

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; And for that reason, the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God. And behold, even your kinswoman Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For no word is spoken in the worlds of the spirit that does not have the power to become reality on earth.

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the Lord’s handmaid; may it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

2nd Advent

December 9, 2018

James Janknegt

Luke 1: 26-38

"Annunciation"

Denise Levertov

We know the scene: the room, variously furnished,

almost always a lectern, a book; always

the tall lily.

Arrived on solemn grandeur of great wings,

the angelic ambassador, standing or hovering,

whom she acknowledges, a guest.

But we are told of meek obedience. No one mentions

courage.

                  The engendering Spirit

did not enter her without consent.

                                            God waited.

She was free

to accept or to refuse, choice

integral to humanness.

Henry Ossawa Tanner

Mary is the archetype of the human soul. And annunciations come to all of us. Even in barrenness, our own souls, too, can conceive. We can absorb accurate conceptions of Christ. We can open ourselves to how He wants to be conceived in us. We can make our souls virginal, incapable of harm and receptive for God's healing Spirit so that we can bear Him within. And we can say yes or no to whatever God sends as personal destiny, as community destiny, as world destiny. We can agree to serve His purposes in humility. Or not.

Christ wants to be born in us. His angels draw near, whispering words of great moment and encouragement. And as angels always say when they approach, 'Do not be afraid. The Lord is with you.'

God is waiting. We are free to accept or refuse.

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2nd Advent Sunday 2017, My Spirit Rejoices

2^nd Advent
December 10, 2017

Bruchsal 

Luke 1: 26-56

During the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth to a maiden engaged to a man named Joseph of the descendants of David, and the maiden’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said her, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”

But she was confused at those words, and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call him Jesus.
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High,
And the Lord your God will give him the Throne of David your father.
And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever;
And his kingdom will have no end. “

And Mary said to the angel, “How can this be since I have never known a man?”

And the angel answered and said to her,

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;

Visitation, St. James Altarpiece

And for that reason, the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God. And behold, even your kinswoman Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For no word is spoken in the worlds of the spirit that does not have the power to become reality on earth.”

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the Lord’s handmaid; may it be to me according to your word.“

And the angel departed from her.

2^nd Advent
December 10, 2017
Luke 1: 26-56

We are approaching the sunset of the year. As the days grow shorter, we may find ourselves becoming more contemplative. But at the same time our souls are drawn outward. At sunset, the angels of color weave in grandeur, and we are elevated by the slowly changing interplay of color. Our souls can expand in gratitude for what we are allowed to experience.

SB Whatley

In intimate but mighty pictures, the Gospel reading describes a cosmic sunset—the descent of the Sun-God into humanity. The soul of the young Mary soul opens in question and assents in humility. Afterward, she does not remain in her chamber but will rise up to go out and visit her aged cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth, although old, is also experiencing a descent in her expectancy of John, the one who will himself be a kind of angelic messenger, the baptizer of Christ Jesus. Angels interweave. Mary brings with her the nearness of the Lord to quicken John. Elizabeth feels joy and gratitude. Both souls, young and old, expand in praise. The Lord’s nearness inspires Mary’s great hymn of praise, the Magnificat:

My soul grows great in praising you, O Lord of Life.
My spirit rejoices before you, O bringer of Healing. 

Mary represents what humankind can feel now: His approach, His nearness. We anticipate in praise. For every sunset implies a coming sunrise. At Christmas, at midnight, the light of the Sun-God will shine again in the darkness. We can already sense the coming Light. Our souls grow great in praising Him because His approaching power of Light creates lightness in us.

2nd Advent 2016, Beautiful to Hear

2nd Advent

Philippians 4:1, 4:4-9

Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown of glory, stand firm in the power of the Lord.

Rejoice in the nearness of the Lord at all times! And I say it again: Rejoice!

Let a gentle kindliness be evident toward all human beings you encounter. The Lord is near! Let not worry have power over you; let your concerns in all things be known to God by sending your supplication and prayer upward in thankful thoughts. And the peace of God, which transcends anything that the intellect can grasp, will keep your hearts and thoughts safe in the Being of Christ….

And lastly dear brothers I say to you:

all that is true,

all that is worthy of reverence,

all that is good and holy,

all that is lovely to look at and beautiful to hear,

all that has virtue and deserves praise:

let these be the content of your conversations and thoughts. All that you have had handed on to you, what you have heard from me and seen in me—put all this into practice; then the God of Peace will be with you!

Holman Hunt

2nd Advent

December 3, 2016

Philippians 4:1, 4:4-9

Most of us have had the experience: whenever we pay particular attention to a theme or quality or thing, we begin to see it everywhere. Our heightened attention allows it to reveal itself in multiple ways and in unexpected places.

In this reading, Paul urges us to focus our attention on what is true, on what is beautiful, on what is good. We are to think about them, converse on them. We can focus our attention on truth in science, both natural and spiritual. We can find beauty in art and in nature. We can generate goodness in religious practice, in compassion, and through our own conscience. Immersion in truth, beauty and goodness will nourish and strengthen our souls.

By focusing our attention on truth, on beauty and goodness, we weave a mantle of protection around our souls. Worry is transformed into prayer steeped in gratitude. Peace descends as we realize that no matter what happens, we are safe in the Being of Christ. For He is Truth itself, beauty itself, goodness itself. 

In the words of Hafiz:

This is the time

For you to compute the impossibility

That there is anything

But Grace.

Now is the season to know

That everything you do

Is sacred.*

*"Now is the Time" in The Gift - versions of Hafiz, by Daniel Ladinsky

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2nd Advent 2015, Gentle Kindliness

2nd Advent

Philippians 4:1, 4:4-9

Therefore my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown of glory, stand firm in the power of the Lord.

Rejoice in the nearness of the Lord at all times! And I say it again: Rejoice!

Let a gentle kindliness be evident toward all human beings you encounter. The Lord is near! Let not worry have power over you; let your concerns in all things be known to God by sending your supplication and prayer upward in thankful thoughts. And the peace of God, which transcends anything that the intellect can grasp, will keep your hearts and thoughts safe in the Being of Christ….

And lastly dear brothers I say to you:

all that is true,

all that is worthy of reverence,

all that is good and holy,

all that is lovely to look at and beautiful to hear,

all that has virtue and deserves praise:

let these be the content of your conversations and thoughts. All that you have had handed on to you, what you have heard from me and seen in me—put all this into practice; then the God of Peace will be with you!

2nd Advent

December 6, 2015

Philippians 4:1, 4:4-9

There is an old fable about a contest between the sun and the wind, over which of them could take off the cloak of a traveler on the road.  The wind blew, and blew harder, but the man just pulled his cloak tighter. When it was the sun’s turn, he shone warmer and warmer, until the man took off the cloak himself.

A steady warmth and gentleness often achieve more than forceful bluster. Gentleness lowers defenses. It leaves others free.

We are in the time when Christ is approaching human souls. He is like the sun – gentle and warm, encouraging. We can lower the cloak of our defenses and take in his light and warmth. And we can in turn kindly radiate them out to others. He is the source; we are the means, the channels. So in the words of Paul:

Let a gentle kindliness be evident toward all human beings you encounter. The Lord is near!

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2nd Advent 2014, Barren Souls Impregnated

2^nd, 3^rd or 4th Advent

Luke 1: 26-38

Fra Angelico

During the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth to a maiden engaged to a man named Joseph of the descendants of David, and the maiden’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said her, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”

But she was confused at those words, and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call him Jesus.

He will be great, and will be called the Son of the most High,

And the Lord your God will give him the Throne of David your father.

And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever;

And his kingdom will have no end. “

And Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have never known a man?”

And the angel answered and said to her,

 “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,

and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;

And for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God. And behold, even your kinswoman Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.  For no word is spoken in the worlds of the spirit that does not have the power to become reality on earth.”

 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the Lord’s handmaid; may it be to me according to your word. “

And the angel departed from her.

2nd Advent

December 7, 2014

The Awakening, Thomas Gotch

Luke 1: 26-38

Today we hear the story of the pure soul of humanity. The angel announces that she will be over-lighted by the power of the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Love. This warm light, shining into her soul, will define what will be born of her. What issues forth from her will be the Son of God. This will come about because God’s Word, which is also God’s Son, has the power to create earthly realities.

The virginal soul has its legitimate earthly questions: how shall this come about? But the angel makes clear that there is a higher order and purpose at work in this event. Even barren souls can become fruitful. And so she submits herself to a higher ideal. And she humbly says yes to the working of the Word of God within her.

Once again, at this time of the year, the angel approaches our barren souls. For each of us has, deep in our hearts, a pure and innocent core. Once again the angel speaks to all of us God’s words of His approach, of His wish to enter us. Individually and collectively we are called upon to be impregnated by God’s Spirit of Love. In hope the angel awaits our response: May it be unto me according to Your Word.

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