2nd Passiontide 2009, Meadows of Heaven

2^nd Passiontide 

Speyerer

John 6: 1-25

After this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee near Tiberius and a great crowd of people followed him because they had seen the signs of the spirit, which he had performed on those who were ill.

Then Jesus went up on the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near.

When Jesus raised his eyes to the world of the spirit, and beheld how crowds of people were coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that all these people may eat?”

He asked this to test his understanding and presence of mind, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “200 denarii [seven months wages] would not buy enough bread for them each to have only a little.”

Kenneth Dowdy

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up: “A boy is here with five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are these among so many?”

Jesus said, “Let the people sit down in groups.” There was plenty of green grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and gave to those who were seated, likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.

Now when they were satisfied, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the fragments, that nothing be lost.” So, they gathered them, and they filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. Seeing the sign that he had done, the people said, “Truly, this is the prophet who is to come into the world.”

When Jesus became aware that they intended to come and make him king by force, he withdrew again to the mountain alone by himself.

Woloschina

2nd Passiontide

March 22, 2009

John 6: 1 – 15

These difficult economic times are creating an odd opportunity: instead of eating out, many are finding it necessary to cook at home. The opportunity in this is the possibility of infusing the food we create with the love that we feel for ourselves and our families. And it is this element of love that is the true nourishment for body and soul.

In today’s gospel reading Christ pointedly asks, ‘Where shall we buy bread that all these people may eat?’ And Philip answers that seven months’ wages would not be enough. I think Christ was trying to point to the inadequacy of trying to nourish human bodies and souls with money alone.

To thrive, we need so much more. We need the ordering element of sitting down in groups together. We desperately need the soul mood of gratitude for that which we do have, however little it may seem. And we need to contribute to the atmosphere of generosity, of magnanimous giving, as much as people want, as much as God wants.

In the Gospel, the people are seated on a grassy meadow. It is evening. The stars come out. Longfellow said,

Alex Ruiz

Silent, one by one,

in the infinite meadows of heavens,

blossomed the lovely stars,

the forget-me-nots of angels.[1]

And Emerson said: “If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown! But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile.” [2]

Night sky as meadow and city. The twelve basketsful gathered in the gospel were the leftover abundance of the star bread from the city of the Father.

With gathering, with gratitude and with greatness of heart, we can access what truly nourishes us: the life-giving love from the stars. For God’s nature and the nature of His Son is overflowing abundance itself. But we must first take our place in the greater, healthy order of things. We must open our hearts in gratitude and generosity, toward God, toward our fellow human beings, and toward the kingdoms below us.

www.thechristiancommunity.org

---

[1] Longfellow: Evangeline

[2] Emerson, Nature, Chapter 1.

2nd Passiontide 2010, Bread of Stars

2^nd Passiontide

John 6: 1-25

Woloschina

After this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee near Tiberius and a great crowd of people followed him because they had seen the signs of the spirit, which he had performed on those who were ill.

Then Jesus went up on the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near.

When Jesus raised his eyes to the world of the spirit, and beheld how crowds of people were coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that all these people may eat?”

He asked this to test his understanding and presence of mind, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “200 denarii [seven months wages] would not buy enough bread for them each to have only a little.”

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up: “A boy is here with five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are these among so many?”

Jesus said, “Let the people sit down in groups.” There was plenty of green grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and gave to those who were seated, likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.

Now when they were satisfied, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the fragments, that nothing be lost.” So, they gathered them, and they filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. Seeing the sign that he had done, the people said, “Truly, this is the prophet who is to come into the world.”

When Jesus became aware that they intended to come and make him king by force, he withdrew again to the mountain alone by himself.

When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off over the sea for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the sea; and they were terrified. But he said to them, "I AM, have no fear" Now when they wanted to take him into the boat, immediately the boat was at the land, at the place where they wanted to go.

The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"

Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, the truth I say to you: You are seeking me not because you saw signs of spiritual power, but because you ate of the bread and were satisfied.

2^nd Passiontide

March 14, 2010

John 6:1 -25

Some movies are made that require you to put on special glasses. Then what you would ordinarily see flat, out there, pops you into another dimension that surrounds you.

Vanaesch

In today’s reading, Christ gives his followers the means to see him in another dimension. In feeding the five thousand, He gives them bread and fish imbued with the teeming invisible life of the twelve stars of heaven. This nourishment becomes a lens.

That night in the boat the disciples enter another dimension. They see Him as the Son of Man, walking on the surging realm of the sea of life that surrounds them. They are agitated and fearful. But He assures them that He is no mere apparition. He is reality—I AM. He becomes the stabilizing centering force that they take into their ship.

When we come to the altar, Christ gives us, too, the bread of the stars. It is the bread of life, the reality of Himself. In us it gradually forms itself into an instrument. It becomes the lens by which we can begin to see Him, and orient ourselves toward His reality. For this bread is not ordinary food; it is the nourishment for our life in the imperishable, welling life of the starry sea. It is the spirit bread of Christ Himself. Taking Him into the  little ship of  our lives, He becomes our calming, centering force. He is the steadying but motive power that we can trust on life’s stormy seas.

www.thechristiancommunity.org

2nd Passiontide 2012, Hungry

2nd Passiontide

John 6: 16 - 26

Amadee Varin

When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off over the sea for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the sea; and they were terrified. But he said to them, "I AM, have no fear" Now when they wanted to take him into the boat, immediately the boat was at the land, at the place where they wanted to go.

The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"

Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, the truth I say to you: You are seeking me not because you saw signs of spiritual power, but because you ate of the bread and were satisfied. 

2^nd Passiontide

April 3, 2011

John 6: 16-25

The created world is full of wonders. Among the greatest of these wonders is the human form, the dwelling place of our spirits. Although we think of our body as solid, it is mostly flowing liquid. We live within a surging sea.

Roland  Tiller

The disciples are in a little boat when the wind and seas rise. On this surging sea they perceive their teacher. His appearance in such a place terrifies them; it seems to defy all logic. He calms them with the mysterious words: I AM. The meaning behind these two simple words in Hebrew is expanded into its full meaning in the hymn we sing: He who was, He who is, He who is to come. Or, I AM who I will become.

His ‘I AM’ is meant to convey to us that no matter what happens to the body, no matter how threatened or threatening the body may become, He, the Being of Love, is always present. His eternal loving uprightness is always present as a source of strength and courage for us. He encourages us not to fixate too much on the transitory things, on ‘the food that spoils’[1]. Rather we are to seek and find Him as a source of nourishment that feeds our own I AM, our spirits, the eternal part of our being. ‘I AM the Bread of Life, He says. ‘He who finds his way to me will hunger no more, and he who comes to me in faith and trust will nevermore thirst’.[2]

As the poet David Whyte says:

….

This is not

the age of information.

Forget the news,

and the radio,

and the blurred screen.

This is the time

of loaves

and fishes.

People are hungry

and one good word is bread

for a thousand. [3]

www.thechristiancommunity.org

---

[1] John 6: 27

[2] John 6: 35

[3] David Whyte,  “Loaves and Fishes”

2nd Passiontide 2013, Earth is Living Flesh

2nd Passiontide

John 6: 16 - 26

When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off over the sea for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the sea; and they were terrified. But he said to them, "I AM, have no fear" Now when they wanted to take him into the boat, immediately the boat was at the land, at the place where they wanted to go.

The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"

Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, the truth I say to you: You are seeking me not because you saw signs of spiritual power, but because you ate of the bread and were satisfied.

2^nd Passiontide

March 10, 2013

John 6: 16 – 26

We can picture the disciples in the boat. It is night, and stormy. They begin to fear for their lives. Yet Christ Jesus comes to them. He shines like a lodestar. He tells them to have no fear, for He is the I AM, the guide for all mankind. They take Him on board, and are immediately at their goal.

Today humanity, and especially some of us individually, are traveling in rough seas, in darkness. And Christ the Star says to us: Have no fear. I am your guide. I will take you to your true goal. Our difficulty sometimes is in seeing Him, hearing Him. For the thunder is roaring and we feel swamped. Yet He is there, a quiet, calm. We have trouble holding on to these flashes of His presence. The poet says:

Roland Tiller

Hope is with you when you believe

The earth is not a dream but living flesh,

That sight, touch, and hearing do not lie,

That all things you have ever seen here

Are like a garden looked at from a gate.

You cannot enter. But you're sure it's there.

Some people say we should not trust our eyes,

That there is nothing, just a seeming,….

Could we but look more clearly and wisely

We might discover somewhere in the garden

A strange new flower and an unnamed star.[1]

www.thechristiancommunity.org

---

[1]“Hope”, Czeslaw Milosz, in The World

2nd Passiontide 2014, Eucharist of the Ordinary

2^nd Passiontide

John 6: 1-15

After this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee near Tiberius and a great crowd of people followed him because they had seen the signs of the spirit, which he had performed on those who were ill.

Then Jesus went up on the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near.

When Jesus raised his eyes to the world of the spirit, and beheld how crowds of people were coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that all these people may eat?”

He asked this to test his understanding and presence of mind, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “200 denarii [seven months wages] would not buy enough bread for them each to have only a little.”

Woloschina

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up: “A boy is here with five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are these among so many?”

Jesus said, “Let the people sit down in groups.” There was plenty of green grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and gave to those who were seated, likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.

Now when they were satisfied, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the fragments, that nothing be lost.” So, they gathered them, and they filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. Seeing the sign that he had done, the people said, “Truly, this is the prophet who is to come into the world.”

When Jesus became aware that they intended to come and make him king by force, he withdrew again to the mountain alone by himself.

2^nd Passiontide

March 30, 2014

John 6: 1-15

The Jewish Passover Feast celebrates the Hebrew peoples’ escape from the tenth plague—the death of their first-born. The blood of a lamb was smeared on the doorpost as a sign to the angel of death to pass over their house.  As a result of this plague, they were released from their bondage in Egypt.

In today’s gospel reading, the approaching Passover feast of the year 33 will be different. The lamb will be Christ Himself, whose innocent and selfless blood will be poured into the earth to keep her alive, and to free human beings from the death of matter. But meanwhile Jesus raises his eyes in spirit vision and sees all of those human beings of future ages who will need strengthening nourishment to help keep their souls alive.

Woloschina

In the reading, it is evening. One by one the stars come out. The people sit near the Sea of Galilee, on the lush spring grass. Christ draws down the formative, healing and enlivening power of the stars. These living forces he draws into bread and fish, down into a form that can be taken in by human beings. The life in them is so potent that it takes very little to satisfy their hunger.

At His last supper, on Holy Thursday, He will pour that same power into Bread and Wine, and make them bearers of His body and His enlivening blood. Along with the stars and his own living forces He will pour into them His soul’s deep and selfless love.

In fact He is still drawing down living forces from the stars. He is still pouring His love into bread and wine. He wants to release us from the bondage of the mundane, the bondage of the ordinary. In the words of John O’Donohue:

We seldom notice how each day is a holy place

Where the eucharist of the ordinary happens,

Transforming our broken fragments

Into an eternal continuity that keeps us.[1]


www.thechristiancommunity.org

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[1] John O’Donohue, “ The Inner History of a Day” in To Bless the Space Between Us

1st Passiontide 2007, See Clearly

First Passiontide

Luke 11: 14-35

Jesus was driving out a demon from a man who was mute. And it came to pass that as the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. However, some of them said, “He drives out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons.” Others sought to test him by asking for a sign from heaven as proof of his spiritual power.

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself will be desolated, and house will fall against house. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? And you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub? Now if I were to drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers do it? Therefore, they shall be your judges.

           

But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, it follows that the kingdom of God has already come to you.

           

When a strong man in full armor guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, the victor takes away the armor in which the man had trusted, and divides it up as spoils.

He who does not unite with my being is against me; and he who does not gather in inner composure with me [work for inner composure with me] scatters.

When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it wanders through waterless places seeking a place to rest; and if it cannot find it, it says, ‘I will return to the dwelling out of which I have come.” When it returns to this dwelling it finds it cleaned and adorned. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself and enters and dwells in that man. And his final state is worse than the first.”

As he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, “Blessed is the mother who bore you and nursed you.”

But he said, “Truly blessed are those who hear the divine word in their hearts and tend it there.”

And as the crowds increased, Jesus began to speak. “The men of this generation are strangers to their true being. They look for signs and outer proofs of the spirit, but none other will be given to them but the sign of Jonah. For just as once Jonah shared the experience of the spirit with the inhabitants of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man share the experience of the spirit with this present generation. The Queen of the South will rise in the time of great crisis and decision against the men of this present generation and judge them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But know this: here is more than Solomon.

The inhabitants of Nineveh will rise up in the days of crisis and decision against the men of this present generation and will pronounce judgment over them. For they changed their ways after the proclamation of Jonah. But know this; here is more than Jonah.

No one lights a light and then puts it in a hidden place or under a vessel, but rather sets it on a lamp stand, so that all may see the light shining.

The light of your body is your eye. When your eye looks at the world clearly and impartially, the processes of your whole body will be inwardly filled with light. If however the eye’s desire sees the world separated from the spirit, darkness will pour itself into you.

Protect yourself that the light does not become darkness in you.

If your body is now filled with light, so that it no longer takes part in darkness, everything will be completely illuminated, so that, with lightning brightness, the light irradiates you completely from within.

March 11, 2007

Luke 11: 14-35

Today we see the vestment and altar in black. They are the picture for our soul spiritual state this time of the year. Black is a color that seems to absorb all the light. Therein lies its fearsome power, but also its redemption. If enough light is absorbed, black begins to shine.

A few weeks ago we heard the story of Christ’s temptation by the adversary. At the very beginning of his ministry, through His connection with His Father’s light, life and love, He drove the forces of darkness out of Jesus’ soul and body. After that, the Jesus’ transfiguration could occur. He shone like the sun, suffused with the light of eternal life.

Today, in our time, this Christ-process of cleansing and enlightenment would continue working, now, in us. How would this happen? With our active participation. Christ says, “When your eye looks at the world clearly and impartially, the processes of your whole body will be inwardly filled with light. If however the eye’s desire sees the world separated from the spirit, darkness will pour itself into you.” Luke 11: 34

Training ourselves to see the world clearly and impartially, without our own wishes, desires and needs bending or clouding our perceptions, is a first step. Seeing clearly helps us to conquer the temptations of the adversary within our soul. This soul cleansing must be done repeatedly, for the tempter will always try to return. But to the extent that we can do this, the Light of the World can enter into us, right down into our physical nature. Eventually, though it may take a lifetime, we will become completely illuminated, completely irradiated with His light from within. Then will we be prepared for the path of Jonah: after the blackness of a time of suffering, our will aligns itself in love with the will of the spirit whose very Being is Love. The black turns into the red and green of Resurrection.

1st Passiontide 2008, Compassion of the Creator

First Passiontide

Luke 11: 14-35

Jesus was driving out a demon from a man who was mute. And it came to pass that as the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. However, some of them said, “He drives out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons.” Others sought to test him by asking for a sign from heaven as proof of his spiritual power.

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself will be desolated, and house will fall against house. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? And you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub? Now if I were to drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers do it? Therefore, they shall be your judges.

           

But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, it follows that the kingdom of God has already come to you.

           

When a strong man in full armor guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, the victor takes away the armor in which the man had trusted, and divides it up as spoils.

He who does not unite with my being is against me; and he who does not gather in inner composure with me [work for inner composure with me] scatters.

When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it wanders through waterless places seeking a place to rest; and if it cannot find it, it says, ‘I will return to the dwelling out of which I have come.” When it returns to this dwelling it finds it cleaned and adorned. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself and enters and dwells in that man. And his final state is worse than the first.”

As he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, “Blessed is the mother who bore you and nursed you.”

But he said, “Truly blessed are those who hear the divine word in their hearts and tend it there.”

And as the crowds increased, Jesus began to speak. “The men of this generation

Nikolaus Knupfer

are strangers to their true being. They look for signs and outer proofs of the spirit, but none other will be given to them but the sign of Jonah. For just as once Jonah shared the experience of the spirit with the inhabitants of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man share the experience of the spirit with this present generation. The Queen of the South will rise in the time of great crisis and decision against the men of this present generation and judge them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But know this: here is more than Solomon.

The inhabitants of Nineveh will rise up in the days of crisis and decision against the men of this present generation and will pronounce judgment over them. For they changed their ways after the proclamation of Jonah. But know this; here is more than Jonah.

No one lights a light and then puts it in a hidden place or under a vessel, but rather sets it on a lamp stand, so that all may see the light shining.

The light of your body is your eye. When your eye looks at the world clearly and impartially, the processes of your whole body will be inwardly filled with light. If however the eye’s desire sees the world separated from the spirit, darkness will pour itself into you.

Protect yourself that the light does not become darkness in you.

If your body is now filled with light, so that it no longer takes part in darkness, everything will be completely illuminated, so that, with lightning brightness, the light irradiates you completely from within.

1^st Passiontide Sunday

February 24, 2008

Luke 11: 14-25

On a cloudy day, the shadows things cast are barely noticeable. But when the sun shines brightly, ironically the shadows gain more substance, and deepen toward black.

Although days are lengthening, and the welcome outer light is growing, inwardly we may be feeling more than usually tired and at the same time, restless. It is as though an exhausting battle is going on just below the level of our consciousness.

As today’s gospel reading indicates, there is indeed a battle going on, a battle for the possession of the human body and soul. The gospel speaks of demons who throttle the human creative capacity of speech; of demons who, when ousted, are apt to return with reinforcements.

The adversarial forces are busy, particularly at this time of the year,

Blake

trying to set up their own kingdom, independent of the kingdom of the heavens. And if they can gain possession of the magnificent and strategic castle of the human body, they acquire the potential to perform enormous evil.

Christ Himself warns us of the battle going on behind our conscious awareness. He warns us to maintain self-possession of body and soul, to remain at home within, centered in body and soul, so that the light of our spirit illuminates the whole. The great danger is that we let down our guard, through distraction or unconsciousness.

No wonder we are tired and restless. And as we enter Passiontide, we feel weak as well. For there is only so much we can do by ourselves. We need to invite Another into our abode, the One who will stand by us and fight alongside us, adding His strength to ours. When called upon, He will come.

As Isaac of Nineveh said,

Just as the strength of a flowing spring

is not hindered by a handful of earth,

so the compassion of the Creator is not daunted

by the wickedness of His creatures.[1]

www.thechristiancommunity.org

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[1] St. Isaac of Nineveh, († 700 A.D.) “The Measure of His Mercy,” in Love’s Immensity: Mystics on the Endless Life, Scott Cairns, p. 75.