Christmas I, Midnight, December 25, 2022, Heaven's Voices

Christmas I, Midnight

Matthew 1:18–25 

[Now is proclaimed the beginning of the entire Gospel, according to Matthew in the first chapter.] 

The birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way: Mary, his mother, was betrothed to Joseph. But before they were aware of having come together, she conceived a child by the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, however, her husband, who was an upright man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, was considering whether he should quietly set her free [or, decided to consider all this a mystery.] As he was pondering this, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared before him in a dream and said to him, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife because that which is to be born of her is conceived out of the power of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall give him the name Jesus, that is, the Bringer of Healing, for he it will be who will heal his own of their error and guilt." 

All this took place so that the word of the Lord, spoken by the mouth of the prophet, might be fulfilled: 

"A virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and they will call his name Immanuel, that is, God in our midst."               

Now when Joseph rose from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord directed him, and he took Mary to himself as his wife, and he knew her not until she bore her son, and he gave him the name Jesus. 

Christmas I

Midnight, December 25, 2022

Matthew 1:17-25 

A diamond in its natural state is dark and stained; it gives little clue of what lies in its depths. Not until it is cleaned, cut, and polished can the light within it begin to shine forth.  

Jesus’ conception was shrouded in darkness, awkwardness, and mystery. Like a diamond in its natural state, the conception of the Christ Child causes consternation. Joseph is not sure what this unaccountable conception means. Has Mary’s jewel of innocence been stained? Or is there a greater mystery at work here, something precious that requires her to be handed back to the temple authorities for safekeeping? 

Joseph ponders the awkwardness. 

And in answer, the heavens open. Tones sound forth. A bright angel speaks to him, saying in effect: ‘Do not be afraid of this situation. All the darkness of this diamond mystery will be chipped away. All the awkwardness will ultimately be set to rights. Remember the paradox of the prophecy? A virgin brings God into our midst.” * 

In night’s darkness, the star radiance of an angel pierces Joseph’s gloom. Joseph hears and listens. From night’s darkness, he rises up in understanding, ready to guard and protect the light-filled but as yet unmanifested jewel entrusted into his hands. 

Adam Bittleston captures the angelic voice that speaks to us today from the Gospel, the good news from the realm of the angels:

Jan de Kok

Darkness of night

Stars fill.

Silence of night

Music breaks.

 

Midnight words

Promise the coming

Humble, hopeful

Of man’s true healer.

 

Hear well, O Man

Lift up your heart

In deep darkness

To heaven’s voices.*

 

Hearing, we rise; our understanding opens into the starlight, as into the night of the sense’s darkness there streams here, now, tonight, the healing light of the Spirit’s Grace. For Christ is conceived every year anew. He is conceived as the God in our midst. He shines in us like the starlight in the diamond. 

*Isaiah 7:14

** “Advent,” by Adam Bittleston, in A Window Into Worlds 

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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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3rd Advent 2022, Get to Work

3rd Advent

Matthew 25:1-13

Burnand

The kingdom in the heavens will be like ten maidens who took their oil lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. But
five of them were dull of soul, and five were alert and prudent. The foolish took their lamps without taking any oil with them. The wise ones took flasks of oil for their lamps. Now, because the bridegroom was a long time coming, they all became drowsy and were sleeping. But in the middle of the night, the call went up, "Behold, the bridegroom! Go forth to meet him!"
Then all the maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out."

Burnand

But the wise ones said, "No, the oil would not be enough for us and you as well. Rather go to the dealers and buy oil for yourselves." And while they were away buying, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready to receive him went with him into the wedding feast, and the doors were shut.

Afterward, the other maidens came also and said, "Lord, Lord, open to us!"
But he replied, "Truly, I say to you, I do not know you."

So be alert of soul, since you do not know the day or the hour.

3^rd Advent
December 11, 2022
Matthew 25:1–13

In Jesus' time, it was the custom that a procession of bridesmaids accompanied the groom to the bride's house to meet his bride. The procession lit his way. In the story, half of them have stocked extra oil, and half have not.

Thomas Cooper Gotch

One might be inclined to fault the prudent ones for not sharing. Are they being selfish? No, in this instance, they are providing not just oil but foresight. They know that by dividing the oil, no one's light would last for the whole journey. And then everyone would be in the dark, unable to continue, and the marriage could not take place. This is not the moment for charity. It is the moment to be fully and wisely prepared to contribute to a strong collective effort in meeting the Bridegroom.

This story is a metaphor for the Divine Marriage of the Son of God and the collective soul of humanity. Nevertheless, the oil of prayer and spiritual light can only be acquired individually. One can only prepare one's own capacities for the Divine Marriage. One cannot do so for others. What is required in this case is not charity but foresight, spiritual preparation, and readiness. Last-minute preparations will not suffice.

We are resting, waiting in the darkness, not knowing when the wedding will take place. But come it will. And so we must prepare ahead of time to be ready.

In the words of Epictetus:*

It is time to really live; to fully inhabit the situation you happen to be in now.
You are not some disinterested bystander.
Exert yourself.
 
Respect your partnership with providence.
Ask yourself often, How may I perform this particular deed
such that it would be consistent with and acceptable to the divine will?
Heed the answer and get to work.
 
"Caretake This Moment," in Epictetus: The Art of Living a New Interpretation by Sharon Lebell.