4th Advent 2022, Become . . .

 4^th Advent

Luke 1:26-38 

Martin Schongauer

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 to her, "Hail, favored one! 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 give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord your God will give him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. And his kingdom will have no end."

 And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I have not 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 of God will be impossible." [For no word is spoken by God that does not have the power to become reality on earth.]

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

4^th Advent

December 18, 2022

Luke 1:26–38  

“No word is spoken in the worlds of the
spirit that does not have the power to become reality on earth.” Luke 1:37  

In the beginning, God spoke. “Let there be…” he said. And gradually, all of the created world appeared. And with it, there arose, as its centerpiece, the human being, made as a picture of God, made to be, like God, a creator. God’s word, spoken in the world of the spirit, became earthly reality. 

To Mary and Elizabeth, God spoke again and conveyed His words through His messenger Gabriel. “You will conceive and bear a son.”  And it happens—both the virginal and the barren become fruitful. Because no word is spoken in the world of the spirit that does not have the power to become reality on the earth. 

Today God speaks again to all of us. He speaks but a single word, but a word of infinite and varied possibilities: 

“Become.” 

To creation, to fruitfulness is added the impetus of becoming, of changing and evolving, of metamorphosis. Just what we are to become is left unstated, for that choice has been handed over to us. 

Oleg Shuplyak

As humanity, we are no longer virginal and simple. But we have eons of human history, human experience, and accumulated wisdom to advise us. And we are made in God’s image. We can accept the task with Mary’s humility. We can receive this seed-word into our souls. We can conceive it, in our being, in our actions, and in our understanding. 

Just after the incident described in today’s gospel, Mary rises up and sets out on a journey to join her kinswoman Elizabeth. So we, too, having heard the word, can set off along a path to join others, to do the work of becoming, of developing, of transubstantiating. Now it is not only we who are to change. Now it is our task to help metamorphose creation. We are to transubstantiate bread and wine into God’s body and blood. We are to convert earthly matter into matters of the spirit for the help and healing of all the earth.

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4th Advent 2021, Who Is To Come

1^st Advent

Luke 21:25-36 

Ninetta Sombart

And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars; and upon the earth, the nations will be constricted with anxiety and doubt with the advent of these spiritual revelations, as before a roaring sea and waves. And people will lose their inner strength of soul out of fear and foreboding of what is coming over the living earth: for the dynamic powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud, in the sphere of life, with dynamic power and great radiant glory. 

And when these things begin to happen, stand upright and lift up [or, raise] your soul to the spirit, for your deliverance draws near. 

And he gave them a comparison, saying, "Observe [or, behold] the fig tree and all the trees when they burst into leaf. Seeing this, you know yourselves that summer is near. So also, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 

"Amen, the truth I say to you: this present age of being human shall not pass away until all has happened. 

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

"Guard yourselves lest the perceptive power of your hearts be smothered by an excess of food and drink and by over-concern with the cares and worries of life, and the light of these spirit events break upon you suddenly like a snare; for it will come upon all who dwell upon the face of the whole earth. So be awake in the spirit at all times, praying, so that you may have the strength to live through all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." 

4^th Advent 2021

Luke 21:25-36 

The arrival of storms darkens the skies. But there are moments
when the ever-present sunlight breaks through. And then, if we look for it, the rainbow with its seven colors glistens against the backdrop of darkness. 

In ancient India, the god Indra used the rainbow to slay the serpent demon god. Later, in the Gilgamesh epic, the rainbow’s colors glisten in the fountain of life beside the tree of Immortality. And of course in Hebrew tradition, Yahweh places the rainbow spanning the heavens as a promise of future salvation. 

The rainbow’s placement in the sky and our delight in its ethereal colors make it seem more related to the human soul than to the earth. In the soul, there also lives a rainbow of many colors. The outermost color, red, is the color of loving warmth, of courage, and strength of will. At the other side, the innermost color is a barely visible royal purple, the color of the regal heights that the human being can and will attain in the future. It is the color of our innermost trust and faith in what is to come. 

Stephen B. Whatley

And in the center, at the heart of the rainbow, is the living green, the color of balance and of hope, the color of Christ. Our souls move through the colors. Starting with Christ’s living, balanced hope of green we can move out into the world with love and courage. And we can also move from hope’s green toward the inner depths from which our souls evolve toward the future. We will make it; we will move into the future; we will evolve. The rainbow is the seal of God’s promise. For planted in the royal purple of the soul are the seeds of our future selves. In patient trust we can know that one day these seeds of our future humanity will sprout into the living green of the tree of immortality. 

God placed the rainbow in the sky to remind all of humankind to abide in hope, especially in dark stormy times. The rainbow of the soul conquers the dragon of fear. And sometimes, up in the sky, we can all catch a glimpse of the colored halo of Him who was, who is, and who is to come.

 www.thechristiancommunity.org

4th Advent Homily 2020, It is Good

 2^nd, 3^rd or 4^th 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 to her, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”

Fra Angelico

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.

4^th Advent Sunday
December 20, 2020

Aivasovsky

Luke 1:26-38
 
"In the beginning, when God/Elohim began to create the heavens and the earth, the earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And Elohim's Spirit Breath fluttered over the face of the waters. And God said, 'Let there be light.' And there was light. And God saw that the light was good." Genesis 1:1-3
 
This beginning of creation describes how the empty, watery darkness is warmed and moved by God's creative spirit-breath. Something similar is announced to Mary by the angel Gabriel: "The breath of the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and (like a cloud) the dynamic power of the Most High will overshadow you. Because of this, the offspring born of you will be called Son of God." Luke 1:35
 

The same Spirit-Breath,

Henry Ossawa Tanner

the Word of God that brought the world into existence, now brings forth, within His Creation, from His creature—himself, the Light of the world. An astonishing inversion!
 
Mary's response is threefold: At first, she is greatly troubled. It is perhaps not so strange that the soul begins to ripple and shudder as the Spirit-Breath begins to breathe over its depths. And then, almost equally amazingly, she begins to question. She ponders the 'how.' The underlying tentative soul gesture here seems to be: can I move with this? Go along with it? This is the soul beginning to open.
 
The third part of her response is assent. She humbly aligns her will with the greatness of God's purpose and intention. It is a great purpose, for this is nothing less than the beginning of a new creation. For with Christ Jesus, humankind would be given a new ancestor. Just as Adam was the mortal body's forefather, so is Christ, the new Adam, the Adam of the immortal human soul and spirit.
 
The first creation came into being

Iris Sullivan

simply because God said so: "Let there be"…and it was so. But the second creation requires human cooperation and participation. Mary is the archetype of the human soul willing to do its part to make the world new. But hers is likewise a soul that asks for the light of understanding, for she questions, wondering where and how she fits in. The explanation that God wants to create His Son through her opens her soul.
 
Awed fear that stimulates questioning and finally assent—this is the path of the soul as it joins in God's plans. In this second creation, God's Spirit-Breath says, "Let my Son, the Light of the World, be born through you." And there is light because the human soul is willing to seek it, generate it, give birth to it. And God sees that the Light is good.

www.thechristiancommunity.org

4th Advent 2019, The Angel in You

4^th Advent

Luke 1: 26-38

Martin Schongauer

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 to 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,

Fra Angelico

 “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.

4^th Advent

December 22, 2019

Luke 1:26-38

Sulamith Wulfing

Besides our earthly mother and father, we each have another set of parents. Our other mother is the earth. From her substance, we have built the house of our body. And we have a ‘sky father’ who has sent our spirits down to be housed in the body. And to accompany us, the Father has sent with us a constant companion. This companion, who is ever with us, who is ever awake, ever inspiring us, suggesting, whispering to us, is our own angel.

This angelic companion has been with us forever. It carries the book of our life, with the arc of the storyline we were asked to write, its chapters our many lifetimes, both past and future. Our angel is our guide and companion; it has joined its own destiny inextricably to ours.

Not all of us have as dramatic an angelic encounter as Mary does in the gospel reading. Nevertheless, Gabriel’s words are echoed by our own angel, who whispers to us: ‘The Lord is with you! The Holy Spirit will come upon you.’ Luke 1:28 and 35

Our community also has its own angel. It, too, announces to us that the healing spirit will come upon us. It is up to us, like  the Mary-Soul, to create the inner quiet, the moments of openness. It is up to us to awaken, to listen, to notice, so that it can indeed happen. ‘For, as Luke says, ‘no word is spoken in the world of the spirit that does not have the power to become reality on earth.’ Luke 1:37 

Tissot

And the poet Rose Auslander says:

The angel in you

Rejoices over

Your light

Weeps over your darkness

Out of his wings whisper

Words of love

Poems, tender affection

He watches over

your path

Direct your step

Angelwards.*

---

*Rose Auslander. “The Angel in You”

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4th Advent 2018, Human Form Divine

4th Advent
Matthew 25, 31-46 (Madsen)

When the Son of Man comes, illumined by the light of revelation, surrounded by all angels then he will ascend the throne of the kingdom of his revelation. He will gather before his countenance all the peoples of the world and he will cause a division among them, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, the sheep on his right, and the goats on his left. Then, as king, he will say to those on his right, “Come here, you who are blessed by my Father, you shall receive as your own the kingdom which has been intended for you from the creation of the world. I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; I was naked, and you clothed me; I was ill, and you looked after me; I was in prison and you came to me.”

Then those who are devoted to God will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you starving and we fed you, or saw you thirsty and gave you to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and take you in, or see you naked and clothe you? When did we visit you when you were you ailing or in prison?

And the king will say to them, “Yes, I say to you, what you did for the least of my brothers and sisters, that you did it for me.”

S. Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna

Then he will say to those standing on his left, “You will not remain near me. You are subject to the burning fire in which the aeon is consumed, and in which dwells the Adversary and his messengers! I was hungry, and you did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me to drink; I was a stranger and you did not take me in; I was naked, and you did not clothe me; I was ill and in prison and you did not visit me.”

Then they will also answer, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and did not give you to eat, or thirsty and did not give you to drink, or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison and did not help you?”

Then he will answer, “Yes, I say to you, what you neglected to do for the least of my brethren, you failed to do for me.” And thy will become subject to the aeon of anguish, while those devoted to God shall find the aeon of life. 

4^th Advent

December 23, 2018

Matthew 25:31- 46 (Madsen)

By their nature, goats are curious and adventuresome. They are lusty and will eat anything. They are often used to symbolize our lower nature and even the adversary forces that work in us. Sheep, on the other hand, are by their nature mild. They give freely of their coats of wool. And they allow themselves to be led to the slaughter without resistance. John the Baptist referred to Christ Jesus as the Lamb of God. This Lamb represents the highest forces in us – the offering of self for the good of the other.

We human beings are of dual nature. We each have a goat and a lamb within us. In the end, whether our soul stands on the right or the left of the Lamb’s Throne will depend on which side of our nature we breed and cultivate: Whether we cultivate our own self-enjoyment or the Lamb within the soul.

In the parable, Christ makes it clear that our curiosity and adventuring, our relationship to food and drink and love are to become Lamb-like. They are to be placed in the service of others. We are to feed others; place the courage of our adventurousness at the service of the approaching stranger, the ill, the imprisoned. Like the Lamb, we are to clothe others out of our own substance. For it is clear that Christ dwells in other human beings.

Interestingly, it is not necessary to be able to recognize Christ in other human

Homeless Man

beings before being inspired to give of oneself. Those on the right were just as surprised and unaware of Christ in the other as those on the left. But nonetheless, they had acted in right relationship, in self-forgetfulness. And in the end, it was revealed to them what their deeds amounted to. The preponderance of their mercy toward others compensated for the times when their otherwise natural self-centeredness held sway.

The poet Willam Blake* sums up our complicated nature:

To Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love

All pray in their distress;

And to these virtues of delight

Return their thankfulness.

For Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love

Christ as Good Samaritan, Codex Rossanensis

Is God, our father dear,

And Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love

Is Man, his child and care.

For Mercy has a human heart,

Pity a human face,

And Love, the human form divine,

And Peace, the human dress.

Then every man, of every clime,

That prays in his distress,

Prays to the human form divine,

Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace.

And all must love the human form,

In heathen, Turk, or Jew;

Where Mercy, Love, and Pity dwell

There God is dwelling too.

* William Blake. “The Divine Image” 

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4th Advent 2017, Often, Often, Often

Ravenna

Matthew 25, 31-45

When the Son of Man comes, illumined by the light of revelation, surrounded by all angels, then he will ascend the throne of the kingdom of his revelation. He will gather before his countenance all the peoples of the world and he will cause a division among them, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, the sheep on his right, and the goats on his left. Then, as king, he will say to those on his right, “Come here, you who are blessed by my Father, you shall receive as your own the kingdom which has been intended for you from the creation of the world. I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; I was naked, and you clothed me; I was ill, and you looked after me; I was in prison and you came to me.”

Then those who are devoted to God will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you starving and we fed you, or saw you thirsty and gave you to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and take you in, or see you naked and clothe you? When did we visit you when you were you ailing or in prison?

And the king will say to them, “Yes, I say to you, what you did for the least of my brothers and sisters, that you did for me.”

Christ of the Breadline, Fritz Eichenberg

Then he will say to those standing on his left, “You will not remain near me. You are subject to the burning fire in which the aeon is consumed, and in which dwells the Adversary and his messengers! I was hungry, and you did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me to drink; I was a stranger and you did not take me in; I was naked, and you did not clothe me; I was ill and in prison and you did not visit me.”

Then they will also answer, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and did not give you to eat, or thirsty and did not give you to drink, or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison and did not help you?”

Then he will answer, “Yes, I say to you, what you neglected to do for the least of my brethren, you failed to do for me.” And thy will become subject to the aeon of anguish, while those devoted to God shall find the aeon of life.

4^th Advent

December 24, 2017

Matthew 25, 31-45

This is the time of the year when we are inspired to be charitable. A mood of generosity descends on most of us. Yet it can be short-lived. We often lack the inner and outer resources to continue in this way all year.

It may be worth noting that today’s reading is addressed to groups of people, to the collective, not to individuals. These groups will arise naturally, out of themselves, at the end of the aeon. On the one side are those in whom good will dwells. This good will toward everyone arises out of the ability to put aside self-centeredness and fear.  It arises out a habit of generosity and great-heartedness. On the other side are those who are perhaps themselves locked down, ill in spirit, trying to satisfy their own hungers and thirsts.  

As individuals, we may be able to help a few. It is not possible for one individual to care for all in need. Our strength is in numbers; it takes a group, many people dedicating themselves to helping those in need. Our strength is in making generosity a cultural habit, year in and year out.

Interestingly, the king does not chide either group for not recognizing the

William Holman Hunt

connection between himself and those in need. Recognizing Christ behind everyone in need would be too easy. In our blindness lies our freedom of choice and the test of our character. Apparently, in the end, the quality of good will is more important here than a capacity for conscious knowledge. It is the quality of our will, our good deeds, our love, which will be revealed at the end of the aeon, not only individually, but collectively.

At the same time, the question arises: in what way is Christ is connected with those in need? The reading suggests that he is identical with them. In descending from the heavens, Christ has taken on all of humankind, and all of its weaknesses and sufferings, in all humility. Amazing to think that He needs something from us. He needs us to be his hands, his feet, to help all in need, to nourish and comfort them. An old Celtic rune sums it up:

I saw a stranger yesterday

I put food in the eating place

Drink in the drinking place

Music in the listening place

And in the blessed name of the Triune

He blessed myself and my house

My cattle and my dear ones.

And the lark said in her song

”Often, often, often,

Goes the Christ in the stranger’s guise.”

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4th Advent 2016, Have No Fear

2^nd 3^rd or 4^th Advent

Annunciation, Rogier van der Weyden, WikiCommons

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?”

Visitation, van der Weyden

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.

4nd Advent

December 18, 2016

Luke 1: 26-38

An angel of the Lord comes to Mary. He tells her not to be afraid. She will conceive. She will bear the Lord's Son. This will happen through the creative, engendering power of God's healing Spirit. Mary's response is to humbly declare herself to be God's servant. She assents to the will of the spiritual world.

Annunciation, James Janknegt

Mary is the archetype of the soul of humanity. Our souls, must not be afraid. Our souls, too, can conceive. We can take in accurate conceptions of Christ, and how he wants to be conceived in us.  We can make our souls, virginal. incapable of harm and receptive for God's healing spirit. We can bear Him within. And we can say yes to whatever God sends as personal destiny, as world destiny, and agree to serve His purposes in humility.

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.'

4th Advent 2015, Mortal Good

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.

4th Advent

Luke 1: 26-38

As the great day approaches, we remember back to how it all came about: the angel announces to Mary that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and the power of the Most High God will overshadow her like a cloud. And thus she will give birth to the holy.

Mary represents the soul of each of us. Ever and again there come to us moments when the holy, healing spirit of the Father’s love comes over us. His power surrounds us, overlights us in a bright cloud; and we are enabled to bring forth something, perhaps a kind, encouraging word, a rescuing deed, a creative solution, something holy and healing.

Descent of Holy Spirit

This comes about more easily through our contemplative openness of soul and our willingness to serve. This is how the Son of the Most High is born through us; how His kingdom is extended in and through our lives; how His glory and power work in us. In the words of Wendell Berry:

A child unborn, the coming year
Grows big within us, dangerous,
And yet we hunger as we fear
For its increase: the blunted bud

To free the leaf to have its day,
The unborn to be born. The ones
Who are to come are on the way,
and though we stand in mortal good

Among our dead, we turn in doom
In joy to welcome them, stirred by
That ghost who stirs in seed and tomb,
Who brings the stones to parenthood.[1]

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---

[1] Wendell Berry, A Child Unborn, the coming year; To Mary