Holy Nights January 3, 2020 God Pours Light

 

Holy Nights

Luke 2:25–35, 39–40

And see, there was in Jerusalem a man named Simeon. He was devout, entirely dedicated to the 

Good, and lived in expectation of him who was to bring the consolation of the Spirit to the people of God. The Holy Spirit was upon him, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, it had been revealed to him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Inspired by the Spirit, he went into the Temple court, just as the parents brought in the child to fulfill for him the custom of the Law. And Simeon took the child in his arms, praising the divine Ground of the World, 

and said:

de Gelder

Now you dismiss your servant in peace, O Master, according to your word.

For my eyes have seen your healing deed,

which you have prepared before all peoples:

A light that leads the peoples of the world to revelation and makes your own people shine in the Spirit.

And his father and mother were amazed that such words were spoken about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother:

See, he will cause the fall of many among his people,

But he will also let them rise again.

He is a being who will call up dissent.

A sword will pierce your soul, too.

Through him, the thoughts and ponderings of many hearts will be revealed.

. . . .

And when they had completed everything that the Law of the Lord demands, they returned home to Galilee, to their own town Nazareth. And the child grew strong, wise in his spirit-filled soul; divine grace was upon him.

Holy Nights

January 3, 2021

Luke 2:25–35, 39–40

A small light can light up a small space; a large light, such as the sun, can illuminate the world. And the light of the sun not only illuminates; it creates and sustains life.

Simeon is in the presence of the Child who will grow to call himself the Light of the World. And the intense light of this Child illuminates not only space but also time—the past and the future. In this light, Simeon recognizes the fulfillment of a long-waited and long-prepared promise made to the folk Israel.

And to the Mary soul, he reveals the future—a dynamic falling and rising of individuals, hints of future suffering, but also resurrection. And he intimates that the inner workings of souls will one day become transparent.

As sweet and innocent and paradisally glorious as this Child is, his destiny nonetheless will arouse dissent. He will embrace all pain and suffering and will transform them into resurrection and ascension. He will wrestle with death, illuminate it and infuse it with Life so that souls in all the world and in times to come may live in his Life after their own deaths. Through his Light and Life, humankind's future will open, blossom, and bear fruit beyond death. For, as the poet Hafiz says,

God

pours light

into every cup,

quenching darkness.*

*Hafiz, Interpretive version of Ghazal 11 by Jose Orez

www.thechristiancommunity.org 

Whitsun (Pentecost) 2018, Vessel for Flame

Pentecost
John 14: 23-31

Jesus replied, “He who truly loves me reveals my Spirit, and my Father will love him and we will come to him and prepare with him a dwelling in the everlasting [an eternal dwelling]. He who does not love me cannot reveal my Spirit. And the spirit power of the word that you hear is not from me; it is the speaking of the Father who sent me.

I have said this to you while I am still with you. But he who is called down, the health-bringing Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you everything and will awaken within you all that I have said to you.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. [have no fear.]

You have heard how I said to you, ‘I am going away, and yet I am coming to you’. If you loved me you would rejoice because I am going to the Father[ly Ground of the World], for the Father is mightier than I am.
I have told you now before it happens, so that when it happens you may find trust. I no longer have much to say to you, for soon the prince of this world is coming. Yet over me, he has no power.

But the world shall see in this how I love the Father [Ground of the World] and how I act in accordance with the Father’s purpose, as it was entrusted to me. Arise, let us go on from here. [let us be on our way.]

 “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

 “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Whitsun I
May 20, 2018
John 14: 23-31

Continuously the sun streams its warmth and light onto the earth. It stimulates and supports the life of the plants. It warms and sustains both our bodies and our souls. For the warmth of the sunlight is the vehicle for the light of God’s life-giving love.

On the first Pentecost, or

St. Albans

Whitsun, the disciples are sitting together, mourning the loss of their Beloved at his Ascension ten days earlier. In his expansion into the earth and air, He was lost to their view. At Pentecost, at first, they experience a movement of air, the sound of a mighty wind. And then a fire, the warmth of the sun, descends and divides itself into single flames. A single flame comes to rest on each one of them. And they are filled with God’s Spirit of understanding and connecting love.

There are times in our lives, too, when we have our Whitsun moments. A flame of warmth descends; we sense it, we open to it—the fire of a creative love. We become vessels for God’s love, His light, His purpose for the earth. For a moment we become shining suns on earth.

There are words to a hymn that express this wish of ours, to be a vessel:

Come Down, O Love Divine
Seek thou this soul of mine
And visit it with thine own ardor glowing
O Comforter draw near
Within my heart appear
And kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.

…For none can guess its grace
Till he becomes the place
Wherein the Holy Spirit makes his dwelling.*

* “Come Down, O Love Divine”, words by Bianco da Siena, translated by R. F. Littledale, set to music by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

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6th Easter 2018, We the Possible

6th EasterJohn 14: 1-31

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Trust in the power that leads you to the Fatherly Ground of the World and to me. In my Father’s house, there are many rooms. If it were not so, how could I have said to you, ‘I go there to prepare a place for you’? And when I have gone and prepared a place for you, I will come again and take you up into the realm of my being and working so that where I work, you also may work. And you know the way where I am going.”Then Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”Jesus answered, “I myself am the Way—the Truth— and the Life. No one finds his way to the Father but through me. If you had really known my Being, you would have recognized my Father as well. From now on you do know him and have seen Him.”Then Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father; that would satisfy our deepest yearning.”Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long and yet you do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Does your heart’s voice not tell you that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. But the Father, who lives eternally in me, continues to do his works in them. Build your faith on the power of my Being that lets you know: I in the Father, the Father in me. Or at least learn to trust through looking at the works themselves that have arisen.Truly, truly I say to you, whoever trusts in my Being will also do the works that I do --and greater deeds will he do because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask for in unity with me, I will do it, so that the deeds of the Father may be revealed in the working of the Son. When you turn to me in prayer in the power of my name, I will be the Creating One in all your works. If you truly love me, you will share in my spiritual goals. And I will ask the Father and He will send to you another Counselor, who will stand by you forever, even the Spirit of Truth. The earthly world cannot receive this Counselor, for it cannot perceive his working and does not recognize him. But you know him, for he will live with you and will work in you.I will not leave you desolate—I

will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also. On that day, you will truly know what it means that I am in the Father, and you in me, and I in you.Whoever bears my spiritual goals within himself, and brings them to revelation in his working, is one who truly loves me. And whoever truly loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him.”Then Judas, (not the Iscariot) said, “But Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the people who are in the world?Jesus replied, “Whoever truly loves me reveals my Spirit, and my Father will love him and we will come to him and prepare with him a dwelling in the everlasting [an eternal dwelling]. Whoever does not love me cannot reveal my Spirit. And the spirit power of the word that you hear is not from me; it is the speaking of the Father who sent me.These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the health-bringing Spirit, the Counselor whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you everything and will bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled nor let them be afraid.You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and yet I am coming to you’. If you loved me you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I am.I have told you now before it happens, so that when it happens you may find trust. I no longer have much to say to you, for soon the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me.But I act in accordance with the Father’s purpose, as it was entrusted to me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Do the same. Arise, let us be on our way.

Raffael, Disputa, detail

6th EasterMay 6, 2018John 14: 1-31
Long ago the Father poured out His being in love. This outpouring of His being created the Living Universe. We could perhaps say that the earth is the Father’s body. As in all bodies, the old breaks down, so that the new can arise. On earth, however, the new is not merely a copy of the old. It is an ongoing creation of the truly new, the never-before. This evolving pathway of the earth, the Way, is maintained by the Son God, the Christ. Without His ongoing love and sacrifice, the earth and humankind would long ago have died out.There is a plan, unimaginably complex yet accessible, for the continuing of the creation of the new. There is a goal. This goal is harbored by the Spirit God, the Spirit of Truth. He counsels us secretly in the ways of the living future. He is our Light on the Way. He inspires us to develop ourselves and the earth into what we are meant to become. He helps us to manifest the goal, the goal of the Father’s life, the Son’s love, the Healing Spirit’s wisdom. For we are the point of departure for the new creation.


As Maya Angelou says:We, this people, on this small and drifting planetWhose hands can strike with such abandonThat in a twinkling, life is sapped from the livingYet those same hands can touch with such healing, irresistible tenderness


….When we come to itWe, this people, on this wayward, floating bodyCreated on this earth, of this earthHave the power to fashion for this earthA climate where every man and every womanCan live freely without sanctimonious pietyWithout crippling fear


When we come to itWe must confess that we are the possibleWe are the miraculous, the true wonder of this worldThat is when, and only whenWe come to it.*

*Maya Angelou, “A Brave and Startling Truth”

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Whitsun (Pentecost) 2017,Effective on Earth

Pentecost

Wikimedia

John 14: 23-31

Jesus replied, “He who truly loves me reveals my Spirit, and my Father will love him and we will come to him and prepare with him a dwelling in the everlasting [an eternal dwelling]. He who does not love me cannot reveal my Spirit. And the spirit power of the word that you hear is not from me; it is the speaking of the Father who sent me.

I have said this to you while I am still with you. But he who is called down, the health-bringing Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you everything and will awaken within you all that I have said to you.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid [have no fear].

You have heard how I said to you, ‘I am going away, and yet I am coming to you’. If you loved me you would rejoice because I am going to the Father[ly Ground of the World], for the Father is mightier than I am.

I have told you now before it happens, so that when it happens you may find trust. I no longer have much to say to you, for soon the prince of this world is coming. Yet over me, he has no power.

But the world shall see in this how I love the Father [Ground of the World] and how I act in accordance with the Father’s purpose, as it was entrusted to me. Arise, let us go on from here [let us be on our way."]

Pentecost

June 4, 2017

John 14: 23-31

When we look out at the world with our ordinary eyes, we see shapes and colors, things, animals and people. We need other eyes to see what is really there. For behind what our earthly senses can perceive, the atmosphere of the world is filled with a flowing, life-giving love. Our heavenly Father has suffused the universe with His love, and with the highest possible sense of rightness for all.

He has sent us to fields of earth. At the core of each individual soul, He has placed a drop of his divine love. He hopes that we will learn to develop and grow that core of love within us; that we will teach ourselves to choose to love.

Operating out of this core of divine love brings peace into our souls. This love fuels our ability to feel our way into others, to accurately imagine in empathy their situation and inner state. This love allows us to recognize what we can do for them. This is the love that allows peace to spread into the world.

The Father's healing Spirit of love is the measure by which we recognize whether we have lived up to our Father's will. For the Father's will to love is what reigns in the heavens. It is up to us to make it effective on the earth.

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Whitsun 2016, Eye of the Beholder

Pentecost

John 14: 23-31

Jesus replied, “He who truly loves me reveals my Spirit, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and prepare with him a dwelling in the everlasting [an eternal dwelling]. He who does not love me cannot reveal my Spirit. And the spirit power of the word that you hear is not from me; it is the speaking of the Father who sent me.

I have said this to you while I am still with you. But he who is called down, the health-bringing Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you everything and will awaken within you all that I have said to you.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid [have no fear].

You have heard how I said to you, ‘I am going away, and yet I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice because I am going to the Father[ly Ground of the World], for the Father is mightier than I am.

I have told you now before it happens, so that when it happens you may find trust. I no longer have much to say to you, for soon the prince of this world is coming. Yet over me, he has no power.

But the world shall see in this how I love the Father [Ground of the World] and how I act by the Father’s purpose, as it was entrusted to me. Arise, let us go on from here. [let us be on our way.]

Pentecost (Whitsun)

May 15, 2016

John 14: 23-31

The manner and mood in which we look at the world determine to a great extent what we will see. And our attitude also influences how the world responds to us.

R. Acosta

Even our idioms reflect this. We speak of a bird’s eye view – seeing the panorama – or a worm’s eye view – the details at ground level. We speak of turning a blind eye, seeing with a jaundiced eye, of giving the stink eye or the evil eye.

We can also see with stars in our eyes. We remind ourselves that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

In today’s reading, Christ speaks of love as a kind of eye. To know Christ, to see him best, we must look for him with the eyes of love. And whoever loves Christ also looks at the world with such eyes. And furthermore, anyone beholding this love shining forth is seeing something of Christ’s spirit. “He who loves me reveals my spirit.

The Father gives the world its being and substance, its existence. God, the Son, brings everything alive, gives the world and  us the power of creative becoming, the power to change and evolve. Seeing with the eyes of Christ means being able to see beyond what is, to what is evolving, to what will be.

The Spirit of the Father and the Son is

the spirit of healing. What is broken can be mended; what is ill can become healthy. Those who love Christ reveal his health-bringing spirit because they gaze upon the world with love and understanding. They see clearly both from the worm’s eye and the eagle eye view. And they see with the starry eyes of one who knows where all comes from, and where all is intending. They see the beauty of what is evolving. And patiently they tend it. 

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