The Beginning in the End

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adventure, evaluate, give thanks, mystery, New Year's, Prologue of St. John, reflect, review, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, the Word became flesh, time

This morning I’m trying to go back in thought to last year at this time when we were on the verge of a new year. In some ways it’s difficult to comprehend the swiftness of the year’s passing. A common lament these days is ‘Where did the time go?” I need to reflect, however, on all that has happened, all that’s been accomplished, what has been born anew – and (maybe most importantly) what I have learned since the last turning of the year.

If we come to see life as a great adventure and mystery rather than something to be feared or accomplished, there is a surrender to possibility that can cause us to live each day in wonder and trust. The gospel reading for today is the Prologue of St. John in which we read about the Word of God coming into this world. The Word became flesh, John says, and made his dwelling among us. Christians believe that God’s intention for the world, the way would know how to live, came to fruition in the incarnation of Christ. God still dwells among us. Now it is up to us, with the guidance of God’s Spirit working among us, to fulfill God’s dream for our time. Today is a day to look back through the year just past, to evaluate and give thanks, and prepare for the year ahead – for whatever it will bring to us of grace and challenge.

Ready? Whatever it holds, we go together.

Praise for the Women

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Anna, Australia, brave women, family, Luke, Messiah, old age, prophetess, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, trust, widow, willingness

Recently my sister told me that she had been in contact with our cousin Christopher who lives in Australia. We were both happy as we did not wish to lose the link to our past that our mother had kept up until the 1990’s. The connection to Australia began with our great-grandmother who had many children in the difficult years of the 1800’s in Ireland. As the story goes, a neighbor couple was moving to Australia where life promised better times. They had no children and asked our great grandmother if she would give them one of her girls to accompany them, promising that they would give her a good life. Her startling reply lives in me as a testament to selflessness and courage. She said, “No, I won’t give you one, but I’ll give you two,” assuring that they would be companions for one another in a new land. Thus, a whole new branch of our family was begun in Australia, followed soon by another of those who settled in Massachusetts, USA.

I was thinking of this and all the brave, unsung women I have known – many who have lived to a “ripe old age” and been models for me of “everyday holiness.” Today’s gospel speaks of Anna, the prophetess. Luke says she was advanced in years, having lived with her husband for seven years and then as a widow until she was 84. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. (LK 2:36-40) She is not remembered for great deeds but for her fidelity and steadfastness as she waited for the Messiah whom she recognized when Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the temple as was the custom of the day. Like Simeon, she had longed to see the “day of the Lord” and when it arrived, she felt she had fulfilled her mission. My guess is that she was never ostentatious but that people were aware of her holiness because it shone out of her from the inner light of relationship with God.

Today, then, I give thanks for brave women who live their lives quietly (or not so quietly) who have (perhaps) lived into old age doing what is before them to do, whose glory is in their willingness and their trust that God is their constant companion on this journey we call life.

Name That Tune

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carols, chanting, Christmas, epiphany, psalm 96, sing to the Lord, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

The Christmas carols have disappeared from radio stations and MUZAK locations around the country, although Church calendars tell us that we still have a long way to go in the Christmas season. On January 10th I’m doing a short presentation on the topic of chanting so I’m beginning to think about breath and tone and vibration and mode – as well as lyrics. And again we wait, in the midst of this week between December 25 and January 1, for something “new” to dawn in us, most likely some resolution that we hope will last longer than a few weeks.

Psalm 96 is a good place to pause for reflection this morning. The psalmist urges us: Sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all you lands. Sing to the Lord; bless God’s name!

If I were to create a new song to the Lord for this coming year, I wonder what title I would give it. Would it be a complex song, one that would necessitate some exercise so I’d have enough breath for each line? Would I foresee a major or minor key in its expression? And what would be its highest note? Do I have any idea of the lyrics at this time or will I have to spend some time in prayer to form my intentions for deep living out of the gift of the year to come? I’ll have about three hours of travel time in my car today – a good opportunity perhaps to tune up and begin to rehearse…

Advice for the Family and Beyond

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Colossians, compassion, feast of the holy family, forgiveness, gentleness, gratitude, humility, kindness, patience, Paul, peace of Christ, Sirach, thankful, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, wisdom

Today, as always on the Sunday after Christmas, our Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Family which is often an occasion for a pastor to urge attention to good treatment of family members. In the last years when both of my parents were alive, we listened to these sermons in Florida. We had already taken note of the lectionary reading from Sirach, ch. 3 which urged good behavior to all members within the family culminating in: “My son, take care of your father when he is old…” as we leaned forward in the pew with meaningful glances at my brother. Each of us (but mostly the men) got wordless encouragement to pay attention during the reading. It is a happy memory as we had been blessed with a very loving family and were looking askance at one another only in jest.

As we come to understand more and more these days our need for connection with our “brothers and sisters” around the world, the words of Paul’s letter to the Colossians (3:12-17) from today’s lectionary become a worthy template for our consideration. It is one of my favorite passages from the Bible so I quote it here in its entirety as a prayer for all of us and for our world today.

Brothers and sisters, put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another. Forgive as the Lord has forgiven you. And over all these virtues put on love which binds the rest together. And let the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, since as members of Christ’s body you have been called to that peace. Always be thankful. Let the word of Christ, rich as it is, dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish each other, singing psalms and hymns and inspired songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Schooled in Love

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beloved, God is love, John the Evangelist, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

When I was in 8th grade many Roman Catholic parishes had their own schools, some of which went all the way through grade 12. I was in a small school whose classes ended after eighth grade. In order to continue to receive a Catholic education I and my classmates were required to take an entrance examination and indicate at the conclusion of the test our first three choices of the high schools we desired to attend in order of preference. There was no preparation for the test and I remember nothing about it except the venue. It was on a Saturday morning in the winter. Anxious 13-14 year-olds were admitted to a large basement cafeteria through a chain-link fence in what I remember as orderly silence. We had spent many conversations in the previous weeks discussing the relative merits of possible choices of schools. Should we go for those that had the best reputations or settle for the ones closest to our homes or those to which we could be more certain of gaining admittance? I have a feeling parents were more involved in the choice than I recall, but my choice between the two top schools on my list came down to the uniform. St. John the Baptist girls were wearing rather unflattering maroon jumpers with long-sleeved tan blouses while St. John the Evangelist had navy blue blazers, white blouses and red & blue plaid skirts. Who wouldn’t have chosen to be an Evangelist girl? The joke was on me as the Baptist uniforms were changed the next year to be exactly like the one I was wearing – except that the plaid skirts were maroon and white! Regardless of the reason, I was lucky enough to be accepted for my first choice and loved everything about my high school days.

Today the feast of St. John the Evangelist is celebrated in my Church. Scripture scholarship now dates the Gospel of John as having been written at the beginning of the second century in the Christian era, thus making it virtually impossible for the disciple “whom Jesus loved” to be the author of the text. it is clear, however, that the themes of the gospel, three letters and the Book of Revelation (those books attributed to him) were carried forward until written down by John’s disciples. One commentary touched a chord in me as my own “golden rule” – a theme which undoubtedly permeated my high school days as well as my adulthood and was more important to my inner life than what I wore to school. The website http://www.americancatholic.org says:

A persistent story has it that John’s “parishioners” grew tired of his one sermon, which relentlessly emphasized “Love one another.” Whether the story is true or not it has basis in John’s writing: “We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in them.” (1 John 4:16)

Back to Business

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Acts of the Apostles, Christ, Luke, martyr, spirit, St. Stephen, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Since Christmas occurred on Friday this year, many people who work Monday-Friday have another day off, but the majority of laborers are back at their posts today (in addition to those who did not have a holiday yesterday). The lectionary readings don’t give us such relaxation, however, as they take us immediately from rejoicing to a consideration of what it means to be a disciple in a rather stark way. Today we celebrate the feast of St. Stephen, known as one of the first seven deacons to serve the needs of the growing Christian community (Acts 6). He is also the first martyr spoken of to die as a witness to faith in Christ. The lesson for me in this rather sobering feast is about consistency in reflection and practice as it leads to witness of faith. The Acts of the Apostles speaks of Stephen as a young man filled with the Spirit who “was working great wonders and signs among the people.” His detractors “could not withstand the wisdom and spirit with which he spoke” so they became enraged and ended by stoning him to death. Stephen is compared to Christ as an innocent who was put to death for speaking the truth. That courage does not come at a moment’s notice but must be developed from a deep inner knowing. I have often wondered if I would have the stability to witness even unto death were I to be challenged in such a radical way. I am lucky to live in a land and an era where freedom of religion is a right of all inhabitants so such courage would most likely not be demanded of me. If it were to happen, however, I hope that I could count on the words of Luke’s gospel this morning for my strength. Do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking within you.

Christmas Blessings

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Alleluia, blessings, Christ Child, Christmas, harmony, justice, light, love, Peace, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

From all that has been read and will be said in churches everywhere as people come to celebrate the coming of the Christ child into the world, I choose to focus this morning on the Alleluia verse for the Mass during the day of Christmas.

A holy day has dawned upon us. Come, you nations, and adore the Lord. For today a great light has come upon the earth! Alleluia!

May this light be evident in our living, not only today but as we go forward into a new year. May this light be the light of peace and harmony, restoring a broken world and showing us how to better treat one another and ourselves in love and justice.

Blessings of Christmas to all!

Almost Here

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cosmos, dawn, Emmanuel, goodness of the Lord, Luke, Peace, praise God, psalm 89, shine, sing, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton, Zachariah

I woke early this morning. It seems as if God were taking my determination for today seriously (see yesterday’s post). I’m still not quite “on tiptoe” as I need my second cup of coffee for that but today’s Scripture texts and Thomas Merton have started the process. From Thomas Merton’s A Book of Hours by Kathleen Deignan, I read:

Sunrise is an event that calls forth solemn music in the very depths of man’s nature, as if one’s whole being had to attune itself to the cosmos and praise God for the new day, praise Him in the name of all the creatures that ever were or ever will be.

That’s a perfect accompaniment, I think, to Psalm 89 whose refrain for the day is: Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord! There is a melody for that in my head which perhaps will last the day. The gospel that ends the long first chapter of Luke is another song, the Canticle of Zachariah, which is a beautiful expression of what today’s waiting is about. May the last verse be our companion through this, our vigil, to the brilliance of the coming of Emmanuel.

In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!

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Advent, Book of Malachi, dawn, Emmanuel, expectation, fulfillment, lift up your heads, midnight, O Antiphons, Paul, Romans, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, waiting

Today ends the season of waiting for the advent of Christ. We have been singing, “O come, O come, Emmanuel!” for nearly a month now and the seven titles from the O Antiphons culminate in this calling forth of the One whom they/we recognize as “God with us.” All of the readings today strain forward to his coming. Malachi (3:1-4) foretells that suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek and the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. The psalm refrain tells us to lift up your heads and see! as the psalmist pleads: Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me! Finally we hear the gospel story of the birth of John the Baptist who runs before Jesus, preparing the way for him.

I say it’s over when today is only the 23rd. We celebrate Christmas on the 25th. One could characterize this waiting period as having two parts: remote and proximate preparation. All through Advent we have been calling on God to open our hearts to the reality of Christ’s presence in our midst (remote preparation). Tomorrow we spend the day, as Paul says in his letter to the Romans, “on tiptoe” (proximate preparation) – in conscious attention for the fulfillment of the covenant promise. I have always loved the verse from the Book of Wisdom that says, “When all things were silent and night was in the midst of her course, your all-powerful Word, O God, leapt from heaven…” There is a silence at midnight that is unparalleled and conducive of great wonders, usually experienced by our inner selves. That is why our religious tradition gathers us at midnight, or thereabouts, to welcome Emmanuel in a ritual that speaks of light in the darkness and peace for all on earth.

So my goal is to begin to feel, by dawn tomorrow, the shift from conscious waiting to ardent expectation, and to spend tomorrow – no matter what activities claim me – readying myself for that moment when Christ leaps into my heart in a new and fuller way, perhaps in the night. Hyperbole? Maybe…but who of us knows what gifts have been prepared for us and when they will be given? I think it’s worth the wager to be there when it happens.

O Desired of Nations…Come!

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Advent, cornerstone, humankind, joy, kestone, king, O Antiphons, O Come O Come Emanuel, Prince of Peace, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I have failed to mention during this journey through the O Antiphons that some of us are quite familiar with them, perhaps without knowing it. The song that is sung most often during the entire Advent season in many Christian churches is O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Some of us don’t realize that there are seven verses to this hymn because they are rarely all sung and frequently it is the first two or three that we hear. Thus, we are not exposed to all the antiphons on which the verses are based. I was reminded of this fact this morning as I looked at different translations of today’s antiphon. Below is a translation of the actual antiphon and then the verse of the song. Although the message is similar, often certain words call to us in different ways. See which you prefer as a theme for reflection today.

ANTIPHON: O, King of all the Nations, the only joy of every human heart, O Keystone of the mighty arch of humanity, the Cornerstone that binds two into one, come and save the creatures that you have fashioned from the dust!

SONG VERSE: O, come, Desired of Nations, bind in one the hearts of all humankind. Bid us our sad divisions cease and be for us our Prince of Peace.