Epiphany 2011, Birth or Death?

1^st Epiphany

Matthew 2: 1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea—during the time of King Herod—behold: wise priest-kings from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,

           

“Where is the one born here King of the Jews? We have seen his star rise in the east and have come to worship him.”

           

When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. And he assembled all the high priests and scribes of the people and inquired of them in what place the Christ was to be born.

And they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it was written by the prophet:

And you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

Are by no means the least among the rulers of Judah;

For out of you shall come forth the ruler

Who will be shepherd over my people, the true Israel.”

Then Herod, secretly calling the Magi together again, inquired from them the exact time when the star had appeared. He directed them to Bethlehem and said, “Go there and search carefully for the child, and when you find him, report to me, that I too may go and bow down before him.”

After they had heard the King, they went on their way, and behold, the star that they had seen rising went before them, and led them in its course over the cities until it stood over the place where the child was.

Seeing the star, they were filled with [there awakened in them] an exceedingly great and holy joy.

Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; they fell down before him and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and offered him their gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their country by another way.

  

Epiphany

January 6 and 9, 2011

Matthew 2: 1 – 12

The wise priest kings from the east, as they come closer to the child, stop in the royal city of Jerusalem, asking to see the newborn king. Why were they not led directly to the child? Why were they allowed to alert the Child’s enemies of His presence?

It would seem that this child is, from the beginning, connected with death. A poem by T.S. Eliot hints at this; in it one of the wise men says,

Carravagio, Flight to Egypt.
Note that Joseph holds sheet music for the angel.

…were we led all that way for

Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,

We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,

But had thought they were different…[1]

The arrival of the Life that is the Light calls forth the shadowy oppositional forces of death. Herod is threatened by the real heir to the throne that he occupies. He is even willing to kill innocent children to keep possession of it. Yet the destructive power of evil also activates the angels. They will come to Joseph in a dream. They will urge him to take the Child to the city of the sun in Egypt until it is safe to return. They will also offer the Magi the advice to alter their route, leaving Herod uninformed while the child slips away.

Evil finds its match. And the death force that rises up at the Child’s birth will finally be overcome, even in its ‘proper place’ at the end of His life. For in Him, death itself will become the birth of something new, a new human form.

…were we led all that way for

Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,

We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,

But had thought they were different…[2]

www.thechristiancommunity.org

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[1] T. S. Eliot, ”Journey of the Magi”

[2] Ibid.

         

Epiphany 2012, Innocence Grown

1^st Epiphany

Matthew 2: 1-12

Burne-Jones tapestry

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea—during the time of King Herod—behold: wise priest-kings from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,

           

“Where is the one born here King of the Jews? We have seen his star rise in the east and have come to worship him.”

           

When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. And he assembled all the high priests and scribes of the people and inquired of them in what place the Christ was to be born.

And they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it was written by the prophet:

And you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

Are by no means the least among the rulers of Judah;

For out of you shall come forth the ruler

Who will be shepherd over my people, the true Israel.”

Then Herod, secretly calling the Magi together again, inquired from them the exact time when the star had appeared. He directed them to Bethlehem and said, “Go there and search carefully for the child, and when you find him, report to me, that I too may go and bow down before him.”

After they had heard the King, they went on their way, and behold, the star that they had seen rising went before them, and led them in its course over the cities until it stood over the place where the child was.

Seeing the star, they were filled with [there awakened in them] an exceedingly great and holy joy.

Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; they fell down before him and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and offered him their gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their country by another way.

            

Epiphany

January 6 and 8, 2012

Matthew 2: 1-12

Nikolay Koshelev

There is an archetypal polarity in the world: whenever innocence, goodness, beauty or purity appear, there, immediately, is the predator. The one attracts the other. It is as though innocence and destruction are paired, as though they are destined to wed.

So it is no wonder that the innocent child Jesus attracts the attention of Herod. The child will escape death this time. It is protected by the angels, for its time has not yet come. But Innocence Grown will be murdered by the same predatory pride and fear that expressed itself in Herod.

Yet that won’t be the end of the story. It will be just the beginning. For Innocence will not be utterly destroyed. Innocence  Grown will wed itself to the destroyer Death. It will take the predator by the hand and lead it through hell into the light of love. It will die, but it will rise again as New Life.

When Herod says, “…search carefully for the child, and when you find him, report to me, that I too may go and bow down before him,’ we hear the lie, the irony in his words. Yet Herod was speaking an unconscious truth. For what the destroyer really wants is redemption. And it will happen, because Innocence Grown loves all—Herod, the Pharisees, all human souls.

The Destroyer lives inside each of us. It is the necessary partner to our innocent untouchable spiritual core. It challenges us to find the pathway to Innocence Grown, to the one who shines in the darkness as our own New Life. 

www.thechristiancommunity.org

Epiphany 2014, Harbingers of Light

1^st Epiphany

Matthew 2: 1-12

Albani Psalter

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea—during the time of King Herod—behold: wise priest-kings from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,

           

“Where is the one born here King of the Jews? We have seen his star rise in the east and have come to worship him.”

           

When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. And he assembled all the high priests and scribes of the people and inquired of them in what place the Christ was to be born.

And they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it was written by the prophet:

And you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

Are by no means the least among the rulers of Judah;

For out of you shall come forth the ruler

Who will be shepherd over my people, the true Israel.”

Then Herod, secretly calling the Magi together again, inquired from them the exact time when the star had appeared. He directed them to Bethlehem and said, “Go there and search carefully for the child, and when you find him, report to me, that I too may go and bow down before him.”

After they had heard the King, they went on their way, and behold, the star that they had seen rising went before them, and led them in its course over the cities until it stood over the place where the child was.

Seeing the star, they were filled with [there awakened in them] an exceedingly great and holy joy.

Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; they fell down before him and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and offered him their gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their country by another way.

           

Epiphany

January 6, 2014

Matthew 2:1-12

The arrival of the New can be disturbing; for sameness lulls us to sleep—the shock of awakening gives us a start. If, however, we expect something new to arrive, we anticipate it, watch and wait for it, greet it with joy.

For Herod and those in power, the arrival of the One born in Bethlehem is disturbing. But for those wise priest kings who had waited and watched for him, his arrival causes an exceedingly great and holy joy. Guided by the heavens, they avoid the peril of playing into Herod’s destructive evil. Guided by the heavens, they follow the path that takes them to Him, bringing their devoted offerings.

Even in the midst of today’s evil, we ourselves are, as the poet says:

…the guardians of His Beauty.

               

We are the protectors

Of the Sun.

There is only one reason

We have followed God into this world:

To encourage laughter, freedom, dance

And love.

 ….

We are the companions of His Beauty

We are the guardians

Of Truth.

Every man, plant and creature in Existence,

Every woman, child, vein and note

Is a servant of our Beloved -

A harbinger of joy,

The harbinger of

Light.[1]

www.thechristiancommunity.org

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[1] Hafiz, in The Subject Tonight is Love by Daniel Ladinsky

1st Epiphany 2013, Stimulate Conscience

1^st Epiphany

Matthew 2: 1-12

Egbert Codex

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea—during the time of King Herod—behold: wise priest-kings from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,

           

“Where is the one born here King of the Jews? We have seen his star rise in the east and have come to worship him.”

           

When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. And he assembled all the high priests and scribes of the people and inquired of them in what place the Christ was to be born.

And they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it was written by the prophet:

And you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

Are by no means the least among the rulers of Judah;

For out of you shall come forth the ruler

Who will be shepherd over my people, the true Israel.”

Then Herod, secretly calling the Magi together again, inquired from them the exact time when the star had appeared. He directed them to Bethlehem and said, “Go there and search carefully for the child, and when you find him, report to me, that I too may go and bow down before him.”

After they had heard the King, they went on their way, and behold, the star that they had seen rising went before them, and led them in its course over the cities until it stood over the place where the child was.

Seeing the star, they were filled with [there awakened in them] an exceedingly great and holy joy.

Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; they fell down before him and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and offered him their gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their country by another way.

Epiphany

January 6, 2013

Matthew 2:1-12

Triumph of the Innocents, Holman Hunt

Evil seeks to destroy. Herod tries to destroy the Child, and cuts a wide swath. Although the innocent bodies of the children had died, their souls and spirits form a living crown of supportive life. They form a living sacrificial crown around this one Child who will one day sacrifice himself in service.

Today Christ wants to be born and operate within every human being. He wants to be seen working in the world. And today, evil seeks to destroy the innocent. Recent deaths are a prompt to us. They prompt us to fulfill the conditions within ourselves that allow Christ’s work to be seen and experienced in the world.

The innocent want to encourage our open reverence before the mysteries of the world.

They want to encourage our empathy and compassion for all who suffer, including those caught up in evil through illness.

They want to stimulate our conscience, that is, our knowing and acting on our part to play in the remedying of the world’s ills, starting with ourselves.

The world cries out for redemption. It needs men and women of selfless selfhood, men and women of good will, so that Christ can work His salvation through them. Only thus can His Being of Love operate on the earth.

           

Holy Nights 2013-14, Inner Sunlight

Holy Nights

John 15: 9-17

[Jesus said:]

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you – abide in my love. If you take my aims into your will, then you will abide in my love, just as I have taken the aims of my Father into my will and abide in His love. These words I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

This is the task I put before you, that you love one another as I have loved you. No man can have greater love than this, that he offer up his life for his friends. You are my friends if you follow the task that I give to you. No longer can I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I call you friends because I have made known to you all that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me, but I have chosen you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should live on after you, so that what you ask the Father in my name He should give it to you. This I say to you out of the fullness of my power – love one another.

Holy Nights

January 5, 2014

John 15: 9-17

We are fortunate here in this part of the world to have a strong winter sun. Even when the air is cold, we can get warm by stepping out of the shade.

The heavenly Father continuously showers His love upon us. Outer sunlight is a physical manifestation of the light of His love. Jesus asks us to stand and stay with Him within the spiritual sunlight of His own and Our Father’s love. For He want to warm us and bring us joy.

The sunlight is also a manifestation of the Father’s Life; for with the sunlight, rays of life pour down and cause all things to live.

And He sets us a task—that we transmit that inner sunlight to others; that we be warm and objectively loving; that we give of our life forces. Standing in the light of the Son’s love, we will never run out of life to give; for we will have connected ourselves to the Source of Life, the Source of Love Himself.

Fra Giovanni said in 1513:  Life is so generous a giver, but we, judging its gifts by their covering, cast them away as ugly or heavy or hard. Remove the covering, and you will find beneath it a living splendour, woven of love, by wisdom, with power. Welcome it, grasp it, and you touch the Angel’s hand that brings it to you. Everything we call a trial, a sorrow, or a duty: believe me, that angel’s hand is there; the gift is there, and the wonder of an overshadowing Presence. Our joys, too: be not content with them as joys, they too conceal diviner gifts.

  Life is so full of meaning and of purpose, so full of beauty—beneath its covering—that you will find that earth but cloaks your heaven. Courage, then to claim it: that is all! But courage you have; and the knowledge that we are pilgrims together, wending through unknown country, home.

  And so, at this Christmas time, I greet you; not quite as the world sends greetings, but with profound esteem, and with the prayer that for you, now and forever, the day breaks and the shadows flee away.[1]


www.thechristiancommunity.org

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[1] FRA GIOVANNI, A Letter to the Most Illustrious the Contessina Allagia Dela Aldobrandeschi, Written Christmas Eve Anno Domini 1513 

Holy Nights 2009, Give Light

Holy Nights

1 Corinthians 12:31- 13:13

Strive to make the best out of the gifts of grace working together.

Yet I will show the way that is higher than all others.

If I speak out of the Spirit with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, then my speaking remains as sounding brass or tinkling cymbal. And if I had the gift of prophecy and could speak of all the mysteries and could impart all knowledge and, further, had the power of faith that removes mountains, yet am without love, then I am nothing. And if I were to give away everything that is mine, and lastly were to give away even my body for burning, yet am without love, then all is in vain.

Love makes the soul great;

Sanz-Cardona

Love fills the soul with healing goodness;

Love does not know envy;

It knows no boasting;

It does not allow falseness;

Love does not harm that which is decent.

It drives out self-seeking.

Love does not allow inner balance to be lost.

It does not bear a grudge.

It does not rejoice over injustice.

It rejoices only in the truth.

Love bears all things,

Is always prepared to have faithful trust.

It may hope for everything and is all-patient.

If love is truly present, it cannot be lost. The gift of prophecy will one day be extinguished, the wonder of languages cease, clairvoyant insight come to an end. Our insight is incomplete, incomplete is our prophecy.

But one day the perfect must come, the complete consecration – aim; then the time of the incomplete is over.

When I was still a child, I spoke as a child, and I felt and thought as a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

Now we still see things in dark outlines, as in a mirror. Some day we will see everything face to face. Now my insight is incomplete, but then I shall stand in the stream of true insight, in which recognizing and being recognized are one.

We find permanence that bears all future within it in the exalted triad:

In faith

In hope,

And in love.

But the greatest of these is love. 

Holy Nights

January 4, 2009

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

In this part of the world we have the beautiful vista of the sunrise over the mountains. At first the light silhouettes their dark massiveness. But as it climbs higher, the light begins to illuminate them. When it reaches its zenith, all is flooded with light and warmth.

Sanz-Cardona

The human being is like a morning landscape. The solidity of the body is a silhouette against the light of the spirit. But from a deep memory of the body’s origins in realms of warmth and light, we can experience the body’s hope of its future transformation, its future flooding with light.

The soul itself, too, dimly knows its own origins to be from other realms. On earth it must experience the daily round of darkness and sleep again and again. Yet because of the steadfastness of the sun’s daily rising and setting, and rising again, the soul can have a deep trust and faith in its own return to the light realms of its origins.

And buried deep between our souls and our bodies lies that mysterious realm we call our life force. Of all our make-up, this part of us is most directly connected to the sunlight itself. And like the sun, it is radiant with light, a light that is warm and life-giving, a light that will ultimately transform the whole landscape of our human constitution. For here, where life illuminates soul, is where love dwells. Here, in the realm of the life force, lies the possibility of developing a love that lives like the sun, which shines on all alike; a love that, like the sun, radiates in steady balance; a love that does not exist in order to illuminate itself.

Hope in the future and faith in the progress of humanity are two supports for the soul. But on top of these two supports is the living altar of love. It is love that enlarges and enlightens our soul. It is love that fills the soul with the light and warmth of healing goodness. It is love that is our gift of offering to our fellow human beings, our gift of offering to God.

The poet says:

It happens all the time in heaven,

And some day

It will begin to happen

Again on earth—

That men and women…

Who give each other

Light, …

Will sincerely speak, saying:

“My dear,

How can I be more loving to you’

How can I be more

Kind?”[1]

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[1] Hafiz, “It Happens All the Time in Heaven”, in Tonight the Subject is Love, Daniel Ladinsky, p. 45.

Holy Nights 2010, Chalice of Healing

Holy Nights

1 Corinthians 12:31- 13:13

Strive to make the best out of the gifts of grace working together.

Yet I will show the way that is higher than all others.

If I speak out of the Spirit with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, then my speaking remains as sounding brass or tinkling cymbal. And if I had the gift of prophecy and could speak of all the mysteries and could impart all knowledge and, further, had the power of faith that removes mountains, yet am without love, then I am nothing. And if I were to give away everything that is mine, and lastly were to give away even my body for burning, yet am without love, then all is in vain.

Love makes the soul great;

Love fills the soul with healing goodness;

Love does not know envy;

It knows no boasting;

It does not allow falseness;

Love does not harm that which is decent.

It drives out self-seeking.

Love does not allow inner balance to be lost.

It does not bear a grudge.

It does not rejoice over injustice.

It rejoices only in the truth.

Love bears all things,

Is always prepared to have faithful trust.

It may hope for everything and is all-patient.

If love is truly present, it cannot be lost. The gift of prophecy will one day be extinguished, the wonder of languages cease, clairvoyant insight come to an end. Our insight is incomplete, incomplete is our prophecy.

But one day the perfect must come, the complete consecration – aim; then the time of the incomplete is over.

When I was still a child, I spoke as a child, and I felt and thought as a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

Now we still see things in dark outlines, as in a mirror. Some day we will see everything face to face. Now my insight is incomplete, but then I shall stand in the stream of true insight, in which recognizing and being recognized are one.

We find permanence that bears all future within it in the exalted triad:

In faith

In hope,

And in love.

But the greatest of these is love. 

Holy Nights

January 3, 2010

1 Corinthians 12:31 - 13:13

Paul describes love as a soul’s way of being and acting. He describes love as verb.

He speaks of the loving soul’s open spaciousness, a soul aligned with truth, balanced and patient. A loving soul foregoes meanness and selflessly supports decency. In other words, a soul filled with love is full of good will.  Love’s antitheses—spiteful envy, arrogance and selfishness—bespeak a soul whose will is ill, a soul in need of healing.

Love works as a healing force, both the love we receive, but more importantly, the love we generate and give.

The mystery of the Act of Consecration of Man, the communion service, is that demonstrates the process of learning how to love. First we receive God’s love by hearing, receiving a portion of the life of Christ in the Gospel. Then we undertake to make a real offering. We gather our purest thoughts, our most Christened feelings, and our most energetic will, and we pour them into the chalice along with wine and water, offering them all to the Father as a chalice of healing. Our modest, meager act of love toward Him is made strong and potent by Christ’s love joining ours. In Communion, the love we offered to the Father returns to us multiplied, as the gracious, peaceful love that Christ embodies in the bread and wine that enters us. We receive the healing medicine for our will’s illness.

This is an enactment, a kind of foreshadowing of what will one day be achieved. Right now we can only enact love partially, in outline, as in a mirror. But one day we too will, in good will, work face to face with the Master of Love, in Whom recognizing and being recognized are one. 

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