2nd Epiphany 2014, Wholeness, Integrity, Loveliness

2^nd Epiphany

Luke 2, 41-52

Dürer

Every year his [Jesus’] parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they took him with them. Now after they had gone there and fulfilled the custom during the days of the feast, they set off on their way home. But the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know this; they thought he was among the company of the travelers. After a day’s journey they missed him among their friends and relations. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.

After three days they found him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And those who heard him were amazed at his mature understanding and his answers.

Borgognone

And when they saw him, they were taken aback, and his mother said to him, “My child, why have you done this to us? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”

And he said to them, “Why did you look for me? Did you not know that I must be and live in that which is my Father’s?”

But they did not understand the meaning of the words he spoke to them. And he went down with them again to Nazareth and followed them willingly in all things.

And his mother carefully kept all these things living in her heart. And Jesus progressed in wisdom, in maturity and grace [favor] in the sight of God and man.

2^nd Epiphany

January 19, 2014

Luke 2: 41 – 52

Outer appearances can be misleading. The humble plant can be a powerful source of healing. The small dog can manifest a great heart. The naïve, simple child can harbor a great individuality.

The sweet boy Jesus underwent a radical change in His three days in the temple. He emerged as someone rapidly growing in wisdom, in maturity, in loveliness. Although this change was exceptional, he was neither awkward nor at odds with anyone.   This change was perceptible as a wholeness, an integrity, a loveliness, both in the sight of God and of his fellow human beings.

Dürer, detail

At various times in our lives we undergo changes, some of them radical. As we do so, we can strive to maintain our harmony with our fellow human beings, with ourselves, and with our God.  For we, like the twelve year old Jesus, all harbor the potential to be a powerful source of healing, a great heart, a weighty individuality. All of us can strive to ‘live and be in that which is our Father’s.’[1] For this twelve year old child grew to give us the Lord’s Prayer.  And, as we petition in that prayer, we all can aim to live in the graciousness of His name; to develop and mature His kingdom here on earth; to act in accord with His wise will. 

www.thechristiancommunity.org

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[1] Luke 2:49. 

2nd Epiphany 2013, Nodal Points

2^nd Epiphany

Luke 2, 41-52

Borgnone

Every year his [Jesus’] parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they took him with them. Now after they had gone there and fulfilled the custom during the days of the feast, they set off on their way home. But the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know this; they thought he was among the company of the travelers. After a day’s journey they missed him among their friends and relations. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.

After three days they found him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And those who heard him were amazed at his mature understanding and his answers.

And when they saw him, they were taken aback, and his mother said to him, “My child, why have you done this to us? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”

And he said to them, “Why did you look for me? Did you not know that I must be and live in that which is my Father’s?”

But they did not understand the meaning of the words he spoke to them. And he went down with them again to Nazareth and followed them willingly in all things.

And his mother carefully kept all these things living in her heart. And Jesus progressed in wisdom, in maturity and grace [favor] in the sight of God and man.

2^nd Epiphany

Pinturicchio

January 13, 2013

Luke 2: 41-52

At twelve, Jesus undergoes a great change. Overnight he is transformed from a sweet and simple child into a wise and mature young man. His parents don’t know what to make of him. They chide him; he answers innocently, yet with some surprise, that he thought it obvious where he belonged. At the same time he returns with them cheerfully and willingly.

There are nodal points in all our lives, points where something emerges, something shifts; where the old dissolves and the new consolidates. It happens to us; it happens to those we love and think we know, even to adults.

This reading gives us two lessons: the first is that no one stays the same. We all develop (or else we devolve). Therefore the second lesson is that it is helpful to approach each person we encounter with a kind of open and neutral curiosity—as if we had never met them before, even if we think we know them well. Otherwise they are trapped in a cage we have made for them, a cage of expectations, of disappointments, even of disapproval. Such an open and unprejudiced practice of heart allows the other to become what they truly are.

With open hearted curiosity, we offer them a broad but impartial mirror in which they can see the truth of themselves reflected clearly. We are offering them a form of Christ-love; for He said, ‘You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free’.[1]

www.thechristiancommunity.org

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[1] John 8:32

Note in the Pinturicchio the three children: Jesus on the upper right, and two children on the left foreground, an older one and a younger-looking one, touching each other. The older looking child holds a book, the younger a white bag in his left hand (a book?). The Jesus on the upper right seems separated from the rest of the figures by a kind of white tile 'boundary' in the floor, which is strewn with books (the Word). Only the Mother figure next to him in the background (in red, blue and purple) extends across the boundary toward Jesus.  The Borgnone above also has two children, one being led away by the Mother, the other remaining.

Epiphany 2007, Devoted Offerings

Cyprian Byzantine

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.

           

1^st Epiphany

January 6, 7, 2007

Matthew 2: 1-12

   

What gift can we bring to someone who has everything? He is the long awaited King, whose arrival is announced in the script of the stars. The shepherds had brought the joy and enthusiasm of their hearts. They carried the angels’ message of glory and peace to the child’s parents. In the Shepherd’s Play[1] they bring,  along with their enthusiasm and devotion, milk and wool, the natural products of their work.

The three Kings too are sent as messengers. But it is Herod who wants tidings of the new king’s whereabouts, so that he can kill him. Fortunately, the Magi are open to higher guidance. They meet the child and his mother and great joy awakens in them. It is the joy of recognition one might feel for a revered mentor, a joy of humble gratitude. To the One who has everything, and yet nothing, they too bring the fruits of their labor and the gifts of their hearts – the gold of wisdom gained, the frankincense of their heart’s devoted offering, the myrrh of healing. Their gifts may be more sophisticated than those of the shepherds. But they too are heart’s offerings infused with the warmth of joy.

What gift can we bring to the One who has everything? The fruits of our labors, the gift of our hearts. We bring him the wisdom of our life experience, our thoughts, offered with the glowing frankincense of our love, all brought in hope of healing.

www.thechristiancommunity.org

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[1] The Oberufer Christmas Plays, collected by Carl Julius Schroer 

Epiphany 2008, Heartlight Guides

1^st Epiphany

Matthew 2: 1-12

He Qi

  

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.

Rembrandt

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.

1^st Epiphany Sunday

January 6, 2008

Matthew 2:1-12

Mankind has always perceived the stars as grouped together in constellations. In olden times especially, mighty pictures arose in souls when people gazed into the night sky. For every child, there is a star in the heavens. It is the place from whence he comes, a place that safeguards the soul’s true name. The child brings it to earth, a shining thing in the treasure box of the heart. Sometimes parents catch a glimpse of this true name, even before the child is born.

In the gospel reading, a Child is born; a great star appears in the heavens. Upon this star are written His names: Wonderful, Counselor, Almighty Father, the everlasting Lord, the Prince of Peace. In legend traveling day and night for thirteen days, the three Magi constellate themselves like slow moving planets around the Child and His Mother. They cross paths with Herod’s death star. But in constant devotion the One whose name is also Truth, they themselves, along with the child, are safe.

We too, led by our hearts, have chosen to gather ourselves around the Christ star. 

St. John of the Cross writes:

Star in the East, Brian Jekel

Of a dark night, kindled in love…

I went out without being observed….

In darkness and confident, I laid hold

of the hidden ladder…..

I moved sightless without light or guide,

save that which burned in my heart.

Heartlight guided me more surely

than the light of glaring day to the place

where He—yes, I knew— was awaiting me.[1]

Each human heart moves toward Christ. We have come together on earth, guided by heartlight, to form his community. Together we are an earthly reflection of His constellation in the heavens. For our true names, carried in our hearts, are connected with Christ, the star of love.

www.thechristiancommunity.org 

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[1] St. John of the Cross, “Dark Night”, in Love’s Immensity, Mystics on the Endless Life, Scott Cairns, p. 128.

            

Epiphany 2009, Heart Gifts

David Newbatt

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, 2009

Matthew 2: 1 -12

Constellation Virgo

The priest kings searched the realm of the stars for guidance. They knew that events on earth were reflections of events in the starry realms. They saw that in the star beings of Virgo, the Virgin, a change had taken place: for the Virgin, she who once held the sheaf of grain, now held a child. And so they followed that star image as it descended to the earth and merged with the Mother and Child they found.

With this event, a monumentally important change takes place in human evolution: for what once dwelt in the heavens now descends and takes root in the earth. This Child would literally embody what would from then on bring human evolution on earth forward. No longer would events on earth be mere reflections of events among beings in the starry realms. Now earth and heaven would begin to converse, to interact.

So the kings respond to this great turning point by bringing their heart offerings. In great and joyous devotion, they bring to Him their symbolic gifts. They bring gold as a symbol of the wise divine guidance that had till then resided in the stars; for now the Child has brought it down to be embedded in human history, to dwell forever on earth. They bring frankincense as an emblem of that highest human virtue, sacrificial love, which will be embodied and enacted by this Child. And they bring myrrh as the symbol of the eternal in the human being, brought down from the world of the stars, and now residing in Him who brings a new direction and impulse to earth, He who now carries our immortality.  

Adoration of the Magi, Blake

By bringing their heart gifts they strengthen the Child’s future life. They affirm that what once resided in the stars as guidance, virtue and immortality, would now, through this Child, be embedded on earth, within human historical and social evolution.

So we too, in this act of offering, bring our heart gifts: we bring Him our purest, noblest and most enlivened thoughts; we bring Him our feeling of being united with Him; we bring Him the devotion and strength and motivation of our will. We offer Him our souls, our thinking, our feeling, our willing, so that He may permeate them and work in them.

Now, here on earth, guidance, virtue and eternal life are activated through Him who is still united with earth, through Him who says, “Lo, I am in your midst always, even to the end of earthly time.” Matthew 28:20

            

Epiphany 2010, Star Path

1^st Epiphany

He Qi

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, 2010

Matthew 2: 1-12

The three wise priest-kings walked a star path. This path drew them to the right place, at the right time. They brought their treasures to the Christ Child—the gold of their wisdom, the frankincense of their devotion, the myrrh of their capacity to heal. As in the fairy tales, these beneficent beings bestow these heart qualities upon the Child, enlarging His wisdom, adding to His powers of devotion and healing. Strange to think that the Christ Child needed something from human beings.

We too are on our journeys, guided by our life’s star. We may wonder where we are being drawn. We can wonder if the Christ, nascent in humanity, needs anything from us.

He needs the devoted openness of our wonder; the wise compassion of our hearts; our dedication to actions that in some measure bring healing to the world. Through our openness, compassion and deeds of conscience, we offer gifts of great value to Christ. We strengthen His work on and for the earth.

So in the words of John O’ Donohue,

When you travel,

A new silence

Goes with you,

And if you listen,

You will hear

What your heart would

Love to say….

A journey can become a sacred thing:

Make sure, …

To free your heart of ballast

So that the compass of your soul

Might direct you toward

The territories of spirit….

May you travel in an awakened way,

Gathered wisely into your inner ground;

That you may not waste the invitations

Which wait along the way to transform you.[1]

www.thechristiancommunity.org

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[1] John O'Donohue,  “For the Traveler”  (in To Bless the Space Between Us, p.53)

          

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.