CODA 2212/31/2022 The Seventh Day of Christmas
This is late in the day for my reflection. I usually am able to do this in the morning, but since this is the “Eve” of New Year’s, it made sense to me to wait until closer to evening. It’s also the Seventh Day of Christmas and each year that I have been posting these reflections I use the photo of “Seven swans-a-swimming.” I’m sure you know that “seven swans” is the gift for the seventh day in the “12 days of Christmas.” Those seven swans that I saw on the seventh day in 2018 were a “sign” of something for me. I’d like to think that they were really a gift “my true love gave to me.” I hoped that it was God’s faithful love speaking through this “sign.” As it so happens, this year, the seventh day after Christmas coincides with New Year’s eve day. As I said this morning in my short homily, the readings for today work exceptionally well with the last day of the year. John’s letter speaks of the “last hour” and there is so much focus this day on the “last hour” before the ball drops in Times Square or wherever the countdown to 2023 is happening. But the Gospel is the beginning of John’s Gospel. So, today we have endings and beginnings. Sounds good for New Year’s Eve! Speaking of signs and swans swimming, I wrote a second version of the poem CODA that I wrote last year when I went to the Y and heard a young boy of two asking his father so many “Why” questions. It was also the time when CODA the film was being screened. I will attach that poem if you are interested in reading it before the one that I just wrote. The context for the poem was going to the Y after a week or two after my friend JA had died. As absorbed in grief as I was, as I walked down the corridor toward the Y pool, I saw three little ones behind a glass door, waving at me. They were smiling and waving. Before JA died and he could barely speak, his way of communicating was a wave….. coda.docx CODA 2 I went to the Y Not to while away the hours But to whittle away the weight I carry Stepping on the treadmill I tire in no time But try to keep going until I reach my goal. And the treadmill of life? I tire all the time, with all my “whys?” Why is the world wanting In so many ways? Why words that cut with cruelty and spew hate? Why was I caught in their snare? Why their sneers and scorn? Why so much suffering? Why so much pain and loss? Why the death of a beloved friend” Why are You deaf to the cries of a wounded world? Why, Why, Why? Or is it that you are not deaf or mute but use a sign language that shows who You are And how You are? Is this how Jesus spoke to you? In sign language? I went to the Y not to while away the hours, but to whisk away the grief I carry. Stepping on the treadmill, I knew how tired I was as tears come like rolling waves, roiling my insides. Each moment a reminder of time’s fleeting, failing, falling, foiling me and all with promises of peace, joy, and love, not loss. It is the nature of Time to take. Stop the treadmill! I want to get off! I’d rather drown my sorrows in some watery pool where tears cannot be tasted and sobs are soundless. There is One at the Y that calls to me. But while I was passing by a glass door, three tiny tots stood smiling and waving. Could this be a sign like “once upon a time” when I went to the Y and heard a still small voice ask, “Why?” A lad of two was asking his dad, “Why”? There was a “why” for all his dad was doing. There were so many “whys,” I lost count. And I laughed. Was this God’s sign language for me? Was this trinity of “wavers” signing something to me? “Hello” or “Good-Bye”? “Be well” (not bewail) And in a flash, no trumpet crash, I saw my dear, departed friend who before he died spoke not above a whisper but would wave in voice’s stead. and now in this trinity of wavers, I saw his wave speak of timeless greeting. Was this grief’s waiver? Another “coda” returning me to myself knowing it take time to receive this waiver from grief, loss and mourning. It is the nature of Time to give.
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Family Fugue12/30/2022 Feast of the Holy Family
This is one of those years when we don’t celebrate the Holy Family on a Sunday, but then again, they were often “on the move” as you will see if you read further. If you’ve ever been to Barcelona and visited the Basilica of the Holy Family (La Sagrada Familia) you may have wondered what was in the mind of the architect Gaudí when he conceived of this astounding work of art. All his work has a dreamlike, fantastical quality to it, even though his inspiration is from the world of mathematics and nature. Though his work is grounded in reality, it’s as if he was in a fugue state when he envisioned this. What an imagination! There is something so dynamic about the biblical figures. In the Nativity Facade they are not static and statuesque but look like they could move and come to life. A counterpoint to this is seen in the Passion Façade where the figures look like geometric blocks with sharp angles. If the Sagrada Familia could be transformed into a sonic, rather than a visual experience, I imagine it would sound like Bach’s Toccata and Fugue! Here is a link to the Sagrada Familia photo gallery. It will give you a better idea of the Nativity facade. https://sagradafamilia.org/en/photo-gallery Why this fugal theme on the Feast of the Holy Family? Contrary to the tranquil image of the Holy Family at the manger surrounded by shepherd and sheep, Mary, Joseph and Jesus were often in “flight” According to Matthew’s account, they are forced to flee to Egypt and after some time, return to Nazareth. How often are they “on the move?” From Nazareth to Bethlehem to Egypt and back again to Nazareth. Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, Out of Egypt I called my son. When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead." He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, He shall be called a Nazorean. There is a tendency to see the Holy Family as “perfect” and free from any of the challenges that any family faces. This idealized vision does not help us to relate to the lived experience of this one particular family. And, of course, we Catholics imagine this as a Trinity when the scriptures refer to Jesus’ brothers and sisters. It may have been quite larger than we imagine. And with that many people, there must have been family feuds. (If we pay attention to Mark’s Gospel, Jesus’ family thinks he’s crazy and want to take him out of commission.) Recently, I have been in conversation with parents whose sons or daughters have cut off all communication with them. it is heartbreaking to hear these stories of ruptures in relationships in families. On this feast of the Holy Family, it may be helpful to recognize the complexity and challenges of family life. I share with you a homily I gave on this feast in 2001. It ends abruptly so feel free to finish it for me! Feast of the Holy Family "I am out familied", a friend told me last night after crisscrossing the continent to visit family on the west coast for Christmas and be back for other family obligations here on the east coast. Family can be so demanding, she continued, exhausted by flight delays, and attempts to keep everyone happy and have a "perfect" family time together. This may seem a funny way to begin a homily on the feast of the Holy Family. Shouldn't I be speaking about how wonderful family is and hold up the Holy Family as the model of the perfect family? Yes, of course, and no. The reality is that "family" is one of those "hot button" words that evoke positive feelings in some and negative in others. Even in families that are strong and loving there is often some part of the extended family that is excluded. There are the black sheep, the relatives whom we never speak to. And then there is the complexity of the contemporary family system with multiple sets of parents. All of this is to say, that family is not always as "perfect" as we think it should be. I wonder if there is any place in life where our expectations are as high as they are for our family. We want the image of perfection, and yet, most often the reality is somewhat different. What I would like to suggest this morning on the feast of the Holy Family is that it is OK not to be perfect. What is most important within the family system is forgiveness. As St Paul says, because you are God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, …bear with one another, forgive whatever grievances you have against one another. Forgive as the Lord has forgiven you." No one is perfect. People make mistakes and do hurtful things, especially within families. The family is really the crucible where one learns to love, to forgive and to let go. Or is it? On this feast of the Holy Family, I hope that you have no “family feuds” but that you might hear the different voices of family members in a fugue that is sometimes in counterpoint and sometimes in harmony. You might want to listen to Bach’s Toccata and Fugue while you look at photos of La Sagrada Familia and have a “flight of fancy” with the architect Antoni Guadí. I am also thinking of all the migrant families who have had to flee their countries because of war, violence, economic instability. Can we pray on this feast of the Holy Family for the multitudes of families waiting at our borders after their long and dangerous journeys. Can our country find a way of having a compassionate heart to welcome these families, as we hope that Mary, Joseph, and the child Jesus were welcomed on their journeys In a "Pair" Tree12/29/2022 5th Day of the Octave of Christmas
The photo above is a pair of manger scenes that could not be more different! One is the traditional one with Mary, Joseph, and a super-sized baby Jesus, with animals and the magi waiting in the wings. The shepherds must have gotten lost over the years. There is, however, a koala and a surfing bear! The other manger scene is more like a Christmas pageant, with the characters from Peanuts dressed up à la Charlie Brown Christmas. Today’s Gospel of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple is one we will hear again, 40 days after Christmas on 02-02-2023. All these “twos” make me think of the pairs that appear in this Gospel. A pair of turtledoves A pair of pigeons A pair of parents (Mary and Joseph) A pair of prophets (Simeon and Anna, who appears tomorrow.) What could the significance of these pairs be in this Gospel? Could it be that a “a pair” usually means “completion” (like the number 40) One shoe, one glove, one sock isn’t enough. It takes two…. The Gospel of the Presentation has this sense of “completion.” “When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses,” In the pairing of Mary and Joseph as parents of the child, there is a sense of the completion of God’s desire for the infant Jesus to be raised in a loving home. Simeon and Anna both have a sense of completion, as they recognize the long-awaited Messiah, held in their arms. Their long lives are complete. The pairs of turtledoves or pigeons complete the obligation of the Mosaic law. It’s kind of ironic that I’m writing about “completion” when I chose manger scenes that are really “open-ended.” Anyone, angel, human or beast can show up for the showing of the child Jesus to the world, as Simeon and Anna did in the temple. In one sense, the Incarnation is a completion of God’s desire to be Emmanuel, born into this world in flesh and blood. But at the same time, the invitation is to enter into the never-ending mystery of God’s self-revelation in the person of Jesus, the child whose birth we remember in the stories that we hear this Christmas week. And how could this “Père” not share the choreography for the Twelve Days of Christmas with the “partridge in a pear tree”? https://vimeo.com/115554146 - t=750s Although I thought that I should “pare” down this reflection, I had to add something else that caught my attention. In the first reading from the Letter of John, he says: This is the way we may know that we are in union with him: whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk just as he walked. What stopped me in my tracks were the words “just as he walked.” I began to think about how Jesus walked. What was his “gait”? Yes, we speak of Jesus as the “gate” but what about his “gait”? I imagine him with a long stride, especially in Mark’s Gospel where he always seems to be in a hurry. He is so passionate about the preaching of the Kingdom that he takes great strides while taking in strides the opposition to his vision. Had Jesus lived into old age, his gait would have been more tentative, as any of us who must be so careful when we walk. I, for one, can’t imagine “striding” anywhere! So how do we walk “just as Jesus walked,” especially when we are not a thirty-year-old! And does our passion for the preaching the Good News die down as our gait becomes more of a shuffle than a stride? All the Rage!12/28/2022 Feast of the Holy Innocents Today strikes another “minor” chord in this Christmas week which we expect to be filled with “comfort and joy” as we hear the story of the Holy Innocents. Speaking of “minor chords,” I’ve been listening to the Coventry Carol this morning. It’s one of the saddest, most melancholic of Christmas carols. It was originally part of the Mystery Play Cycle in Medieval times. The line from the song that is “jingling” in my mind this morning is “Herod the king in his raging…” In the Matthean narrative, it’s Herod’s rage, fury, madness that is the cause of such unspeakable cruelty. What a contrast with the Lucan narrative of Angels song to the shepherds, “Glory to God in the Highest and Peace to God’s people on earth!” As you may know, Matthew is intent on having his community see Jesus as the “new” Moses. He uses the story of Pharaoh in his rage and fury ordering the Jewish mid-wives to kill the new-born boys. Moses is saved from the slaughter as is the newborn child, Jesus. (I chose the photo of the sky ablaze with red and purple since they are the colors associated with "fury" and "rage." I confess that as I reread the story of Herod and his rage, I was thinking of Vladimir Putin who, although he projects calm and calculation in his war against the Ukrainian people, "rage and fury" must be the feelings within this cruel human being. Pharoah, Herod, Hitler, Putin, the list of cruel, merciless men, ensnared by their lust for power, is encyclopedic. Then, thinking of the innocent children waiting at our borders who are “ensnared” by violence and cruelty in their home countries as well as our own immigration policies, I can’t help but turn to God with some questions? “Why can’t You put an end to this suffering? Where are you these days when our world is ensnared by “foul-ers” like Putin and so many other leaders whose rage and fury destroy innocent lives? What good is your promise of peace and joy when there is so much rage within and without? I turned to today’s psalm for some comfort, not joy, but comfort….. (7) Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare. Had not the LORD been with us-- When men rose up against us, then would they have swallowed us alive, When their fury was inflamed against us. R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare. Then would the waters have overwhelmed us; The torrent would have swept over us; over us then would have swept the raging waters. R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare. Broken was the snare, and we were freed. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth. R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare. Joy did come, however, when I thought about how the Coventry Carol was part of a Medieval Mystery play. It reminded me of the second act of A Dancer’s Christmas which always took place in Medieval/Renaissance times. The link here shows a Bishop and his cronies who disapprove of dancing caught in the “snares” of the innocent people of the town, especially the children! https://vimeo.com/61032238 - t=2280s Grief's Engraving12/27/2022 Feast of St John, Evangelist and Apostle
For the past three years on the feast of St John, I’ve shared with you a poem that I wrote about John that is sung to the song Jingle Bells. I’ll attach it again at the end of the reflection if you are in a joyful, celebratory mood. I’d be dishonest if I said that I were these days. I’m trying my best to be in the spirit of Christmas but I’ve been so weighed down with grief that it is not easy to enter into the joy of the season. For a few weeks now, I’ve been working on a poem entitled “Grief’s Engraving.” I had written the first few lines but it wasn’t going anyplace. Until this morning. The Gospel today recounts the story of the Peter and the Beloved Disciple going to the grave and the latter “peering” in and seeing the “wrappings” the burial cloths. If you read on you’ll see where I was led. Since today is the feast of St John and my good friend’s name is John, I think he may have had a hand in this! The wood carving above is Jesus with the Beloved Disciple. It's "beloved" by so many retreatants at Eastern Point. Grief’s Engraving “Weigh your words,” they say When the time comes to speak of weighty matters, weigh your words. What do words weigh, anyway? Can you put words on a scale and weigh them? If there were a weight with words, what would “grief” weigh? At least a ton, the way that grief crushes the joy, the juice of life’s love squeezed out and all that is left is the pulp, a mass of the trappings and trimmings of memory, still lives when there is no life still. With grief, one can barely breathe Still, wait! Grief should be weighed in pounds. Who has not grieved and felt the pounding heart within, the pounding head without relief, the hands wanting to pound walls and smash, crash, crush whatever is in the way, wringing sobs and sorrows from one who knows no calm, no balm to assuage the searing pain. Still wait! Grief should be weighed in stones. Fourteen pounds in a “stone” A stone’s throw away? Not in grief’s engraving a name on a tombstone, a daily reminder of who has been taken and who has been left behind. And who will roll the stone away? John, the evangelist had a way with words, or more to the point, a way with the Word made flesh with all its trappings and trimmings, the “stuff” of living, loving and dying Rights of passage for the Word weighed down with the world’s woes. The “beloved” must have known the weight of grief. One cannot love and lose the “other” without bone-crushing, breath-taking, heart-smashing, head pounding, grief engraved as it is. Here’s no heart of stone, Here’s a hearth where love’s flame still is a-flicker. The beloved “peered in” and saw wrappings, trappings, trimmings and he would wait for the beloved to appear I realized after I wrote this that my friend, JA, loved to engrave his initials JAL on whatever he could. I have found them engraved on pens, lighters, diaries. It's always a surprise to find these engravings! And speaking of "all the trimmings" Wreathing Round12/26/2022 Feast of St Stephen, the first Martyr When I first thought about writing a reflection for this feast of St Stephen, I wondered how I would transition from the peace, joy and light of Christmas day. Then I read in the Office of Readings a sermon by Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe. (I had never heard of him. He was a Bishop in Northern Africa and a friend of St Augustine.) He sees Stephen’s martyrdom as an expression of his selfless love for God and his persecutors, most of all Saul, who was complicit in his death. I quote the final paragraphs of the sermon. "Love, indeed, is the source of all good things; it is an impregnable defence,-- and the way that leads to heaven. Whoever walk in love can neither go astray nor be afraid: love guides them, protects them, and brings them to their journey's end. "My friends, Christ made love the stairway that would enable all Christians to climb to heaven. Hold fast to it, therefore, in all sincerity, give one another practical proof of it, and by your progress in it, make your ascent together." Later this morning, I read what I had written two years ago and I was delighted to be reminded that the name Stephen means “wreath or crown of glory.” On the Feast of Stephen (sung to the tune of Good King Wenceslas) Just this morning I went out On the feast of Stephen When some snow lay on the ground Since it is the season. What I noticed while I walked Wreaths adorning doorways Did you know that “Stephen” means wreath or crown of glory? When I first read the scriptures for the Feast of St Stephen, I inwardly groaned, wondering how I could continue to write about Christmas joy and peace when there is such hate and violence in the readings of the day. Yes, Stephen was stoned for his profession of faith and is the first martyr but the day after Christmas? Then, I read that Stephen’s name in Greek means “Wreathe or Crown.” Wreathes play a lovely role in Advent and Christmas. As you can see from the photos and the song above, the feast of St Stephen invited me to reflect on wreathes and Christ “wreathing round.” This brought to mind a simple but lovely Advent hymn composed by Dan Schutte. Christ circle round us Christ, may your light surround us. Shine in our living Fill our hearts with great thanksgiving. As this difficult year for me comes to an end, I’m thinking of the people that I hope will be wreathed around with Christ’s love and light and who have wreathed me around with their love. I’d invite you to do the same, on the feast of Stephen. Riffraff12/25/2022 Christmas Day 2022
The Christmas Tree in the Photo above is in the rotunda of Campion Center. It's simply lovely! The title of today's reflection "riffraff" is a strange one for Christmas! It comes from the "riff" on the Incarnation that I have shared with you before. And it acknowledges that God in Jesus becomes one of us, part of the "riffraff" of humankind. here's the homily I will give to this morning. If you ever worked in a parish and was asked to celebrate the Christmas day Mass, you may have encountered some disappointed congregants. Yes, the carols were the same as the vigil Mass, the Midnight Mass, the Mass at dawn, but the scriptures? People had come to hear the story of the baby being born in a manger with shepherds and angels. Why were they listening to the beginning of John’s gospel about the Word made flesh. Not a very interesting story for Christmas. At least those folks who went to the Vigil Mass heard about Joseph’s dilemma. Not nearly as pretty as Luke’s version, but still “down to earth.” The reading from John sounds so “up in the air.” As you well know, nothing could be farther from the truth. John’s Gospel is very much “down to earth.” He speaks of the Eternal Word, coming down and “pitching his tent” with us. Not up in the air at all. You all know Ignatius’s contemplation on the Incarnation from the 2nd week of the Exercises. Ignatius imagines the Trinity up in heaven somewhere and looking down on the earth and seeing what a mess it is. So God decides to “clean up the mess” and send Jesus to do the “dirty work.” i.e, to engage in the nitty-gritty of being human, being born, loving, laboring, suffering dying, even on a Cross. I think it's fair to say that Ignatius inherited Anselm’s Atonement theory. The Incarnation is a “pay back” to God for the sinfulness of humankind. I wonder if Ignatius had heard of Franciscan theologian, Duns Scotus’interpretation of the Incarnation. ( From Seamus Mullholland OFM) In Scotus, the Incarnation is not a contingency plan when the original creative process of God goes awry because of sin. Scotus rejects this notion as too central an emphasis on Man to the extent that the freedom of God to act in love is determined by an external necessity i.e. the redemption from sin. Scotus understands the Incarnation as always being in the mind of God even before the historical and existential physicality of creation itself and the fact of sin. The Incarnation is the model for creation: there is a creation only because of the Incarnation. In this schema, the universe is for Christ and not Christ for the universe. Scotus finds it inconceivable that the ‘greatest good in the universe’ i.e. the Incarnation, can be determined by some lesser good i.e. Man’s redemption. This is because such a sin-centered view of the Incarnation suggests that the primary role of Christ is as an assuager of the universe’s guilt. In the Absolute Primacy, Christ is the beginning, middle and end of creation. He stands at the center of the universe as the reason for its existence. In this sense the universe has realized its creational potential more than Man, since it is created with the potential to bear the God-Man and the Incarnation has taken place historically and existentially. Man, as yet, has failed to reach his potential to ‘love one another as I have loved you’. The Incarnation is the effect of God freely choosing to end his self-isolation and show who and what He is to that creation. The Incarnation, therefore, in Franciscan spirituality is centered on Love and not sin. I think I am a Scotian by heart. I’ve always loved the Christmas carol, Tomorrow Will be my dancing day. Tomorrow shall be my dancing day; I would my true love did so chance To see the legend of my play, To call my true love to my dance; Chorus (sung after each verse) Sing, oh! my love, oh! my love, my love, my love, This have I done for my true love. Then was I born of a virgin pure, Of her I took fleshly substance Thus was I knit to man's nature To call my true love to my dance. The Vereeckian interpretation of the Incarnation goes something like this: Once Upon No Time God was looking at the creation God had made and thought, “How I love to behold my creation. I love to see the stars shining brightly giving light to the earth. I love to see peace upon the earth I have created and how I love to see my children dancing! Oh! that I could join in the dance! There is a dance within me. They call it a dance of three, a Trinity. But how can I dance without arms and legs and hands and feet? And heads and toes. They have legs to walk and arms to swing and heads to roll and hands to join with one another. If I give myself in love, if I am born in their flesh and blood. Then I will always dance with my love. Ah Yes, Tomorrow will be my dancing day!” I said before that Ignatius was more Anselmian than Scotian in his understanding of the Incarnation. And yet, when you think of his Contemplation on Attaining Divine Love, he may be a Franciscan at heart. Here is a link to a “Dance of Creation” Very Franciscan! https://vimeo.com/309917966#t=3505s Say "Aah!"12/23/2022 Friday of the 4th Week of Advent
Come, Emmanuel, come to save us! Did you know that the name “Malachi” means “Messenger?” The reading today from Malachi is filled with “messengers.” Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; And suddenly there will come to the temple the LORD whom you seek, And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. And, of course, the Greek word for “messenger” is “angelos” or Angel. The Angel/ messenger Gabriel is the one chosen to speak to Zechariah and Mary of God’s marvels in their lives. Zechariah, as you know, was more questioning and Mary, just more curious. She was able to trust that God could do something “inconceivable” in her. “and the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and call him Emmanuel, God with us.” And Joseph was able to trust the revelation that Gabriel shared with him in his dream. (Photo above from the most recent NY performance of A Dancer's Christmas. The Gospel today relates a powerful moment of “unsealing” the lips of Zechariah. His lips have been sealed since he doubted the word of the messenger, Gabriel. Unable to speak, he would have used gestures or the written word to communicate. In this moment, he uses a tablet to assent to the name that will be given his son. And after months of silence, he speaks some of the most beautiful words in the scriptures. Tomorrow morning’s gospel is the Benedictus. Question for reflection: Are there ways in which you are an “angelos” or messenger to others? How has Advent been a season of “light” for you, illuminating the lives of others? How has God reached out to you with “tender compassion?” What would a colloquy with Zechariah be like? How would he encourage you to trust God, knowing that there will be times when you are left speechless? This morning I was left “speechless” as I opened a drawer and found a birthday card that my friend JA sent me a number of years ago. (His given name was John) If you have lost a beloved friend, relative or life partner, you may know the experience of praying that you hear their voice again. You long for your loved one to speak again, like Zechariah in the Gospel whose lips are unsealed as he goes from “mute” to “unmuted.” When I read the message on the card, it was as if he was speaking to me from “out of time and space.” And I was left almost speechless. All I could say was "Aah!" Magn-anim-o-us12/22/2022 Thursday of the 4th Week of Advent
After finishing this reflection, the word "magnanimous" came to mind. I think it describes how God desires to be with us as we see in the life of Mary of Nazareth. Perhaps you can figure out why I separated the word into four sections? Magnificat Anima Mea Dominum! My soul magnifies the Lord! The scriptures today sing with the voices of Hannah and Mary as each proclaims the greatness of God in their lives. To “magnify” of course means to enlarge, as when you look through a magnifying glass. Everything looks so much larger. All that seems to be magnified these days is the number of people suffering. How do you sing God’s praises and “magnify” the Lord when there is so much personal loss and pain? Just as yesterday the invitation was to reach deep down and find “joy” within, today’s invitation is to ask God to “magnify” our hearts and minds so that we might be in solidarity with those who are suffering. That is what Hannah and Mary’s Magnificat is really about. God is turning the tables on the proud and mighty and lifting up the humble and lowly. What would your “magnifying glass” be these days? What are the small things that need some magnification so you can see and know that God is with you? Colloquy: Speak to God as one friend speaks to another. Ask for the grace to see with a “wide-angle” lens so that your spirit may magnify the good in your life during these challenging days. O King of the nations, come and bring us peace! (Today's O Antiphon) Last night I watched Ukrainian President Zelensky address the US Congress. There was something about his speech, his demeanor, his love for the Ukrainian people that “magnified” this man’s spirit as he commits himself and his nation to turning the tables on the proud and mighty. I found my heart and soul “enlarging” as I listened to him speak. I’d like to believe that God continues to “cast the mighty from their thrones and raises up the lowly. The “O” antiphon for today seems appropriate as we all pray for peace in the Ukraine. This morning I was watching choreography I had done in 2015 for Christmas Reflections. As I “reflected” on the movement that I created to the Wexford Carol for the “Irish” section of the performance, my spirit “magnified” the Lord in gratitude for the beautiful dance, the dancers and the story of the Incarnation which reminds us of how God is enfleshed in each of our lives. Here's the link: https://vimeo.com/149612973 - t=2220s Leap of Faith12/21/2022 December 21st Wednesday of the 4th Week of Advent O dayspring from on high, come shine on those in the shadow of death! Hark! my lover–here he comes springing across the mountains, leaping across the hills. Now that’s a leap! Today’s scriptures are filled with dancing images, especially leaping, which in dance terminology is a combination of the highest and greatest extension that an individual is capable of doing with his/her body. To leap is to defy gravity. Our scripture today invites us to “defy gravity” and let our hearts leap with joy at the promise of Emmanuel, God with us. Gravity is what defines the world these days. It is so much easier to be pulled down and “let down” then leap for joy. Is the challenge finding the joy deep within as you gaze on the image of Mary and Elizabeth below? When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. As you pray with the Visitation text, can you share the joy of Mary and Elizabeth? Can you speak with them in your prayer and let their voices evoke a joyful response in you? One of the great blessings of the NY performance of A Dancer's Christmas this year was the participation of Violet Lawson-Ball, the daughter of Jessica Lawson-Ball and granddaughter of Wendy Lawson who began dancing with my company in 1985. Three generations of dancers in ADC! Wendy's signature role was Elizabeth. She told me that the first time she danced Elizabeth she was pregnant with Jessica! How's that for perfect casting! Here' a link to Wendy dancing Elizabeth in 1991 years after when Jess, herself, was dancing in A Dancer's Christmas. (This is the second version of the choreography I did. It parallels the events of the birth of Jesus with his ministry. I had the wedding feast of Cana seen simultaneously with the Visitation.
vimeo.com/342148032#t=1170s AuthorAs an ordained Catholic priest for 45 years and a member of the Jesuits for 57 years, I've had a great deal of "spiritual" experience! This is a place where I can continue to share my thoughts about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and what it means to live the "mystery of God." Categories |
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