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Poignant Grief and Unquenchable Hope

Posted in Christmas, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on December 26, 2012 | Leave a Comment »


Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Lamentations  – Poignant Grief and Unquenchable Hope

Stomer: Adoration of the Shepherds

Stomer: Adoration of the Shepherds

The seeming conflict between human weakness and divine power is one we humans constantly explore; we can never quite understand the inversion of logic that Jesus brings to the world much less put this inversion of thought into action ourselves.  When we experience dreadful times we must turn to the truth that we are made whole in our emptiness, that sorrow always carries with it joy, and that God resides with those who are broken and forgotten.  In our deepest grief transformation lies in the outrageous hope God offers us . . . in this hope beyond hope that the incredible promise of Christmas is indeed true. The Book of Lamentations may seem like as unusual point of reflection as we enter fully enter the Christmastide but we find something here today that speaks to our human circumstance.   We discover that grief is always a subtle presence at any celebration . . . and that restoration accompanies all loss when we remain in the Spirit.

The five laments found in this book of the Bible “combine confession of sin, grief over the suffering and humiliation of Zion, submission to merited chastisement, and strong faith in the constancy of Yahweh’s love and power to restore.  The union of poignant grief and unquenchable hope reflects the constant prophetic vision of the weakness of man and the strength of God’s love; it also shows how Israel’s faith in Yahweh could survive the shattering experience of national ruin”.  (Senior 1017)  The inversion the Christ Child brings to the world is the same conversion of the Old Testament Yahweh.

A few weeks ago we studied Psalm 90 and reflected on its truth.  In this sacred poem we find our human limitations compared with God’s infinite goodness; we are told that God transforms even our most crushing suffering when we hand over our pain.  It remains for us to act on this knowledge.  It is for us to see the connection between the deep heartache of human distress and the nativity of inestimable hope in the person of Jesus.  Why reflect on a centuries-old lament when we celebrate happiness?  Because Christ represents the only true passage from the inconsolable grief we experience to the indescribable joy we say we seek.

Picture1And so we might spend a bit of time today reflecting.

Do we really want to be happy or do we sabotage our chance to know true delight?  Each of us must make this journey to uncover our hidden plots against ourselves and others. 

Do we honestly want to experience true gladness or do we dwell in the lamentation of our lives refusing to step into the joy fearing that the promise of Christ is yet another disappointment?  Each of us must be willing to hand ourselves over to God and to give a full and candid accounting of our days. 

Do we truly believe in the conversion of poignant grief through the transforming power of unquenchable hope?  If so, and if we honestly wish to live in true Christmas joy promised by the Christ Child, we must plumb our own depths of lamentation and ask: What do we prefer, a life of frustration and illusion or a life filled with promise, trust, and joy?  

It is for each of us to pause today.  What is the true message of the Christ Child?

It is for each of us to decide today.  Do we believe in the message of Jesus’ Nativity?

It is for each of us to act today.   Are we prepared to carry God’s unquenchable Christmas hope into the world for the conversion of our most poignant grief?

Senior, Donald, ed. THE CATHOLIC STUDY BIBLE. New York, Oxford University Press, 1990.1017. Print.   

For a reflection on Psalm 90, go to: http://thenoontimes.com/2012/12/10/gods-eternity-our-fraility/

For more on the Book of Lamentations – Surviving Ruin go to: http://thenoontimes.com/the-book-of-our-life/the-old-testament/the-prophets/lamentations-surviving-ruin/

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Epiphany

Posted in Christmas, tagged , , , , , , , on January 6, 2012 | 4 Comments »


Friday, January 6, 2012 – Matthew 9:35-38 – Epiphany

E-piph-an-y: A Christian festival, the manifestation of a deity, a sudden intuitive perception or insight, a piece of literature presenting a revelation.  These definitions define the holiday or the emotion, the state of being surprised by something we already know but have not yet acknowledged.  This word may also define our relationship with Christ.  Today we encounter Jesus in the midst of his work and this is what we find.

Jesus teaches.  Jesus proclaims the Good News that we are free to choose life over death.  Jesus heals. Jesus is moved with compassion at the sight of the crowds.  All of this goodness is what God has in mind for us.  All of this kindness is what God has in store for us.  All of this love is what God intends for us.  And this is what the Magi come to honor and worship.

In our Western tradition we have come to know these three men as Melchior, a scholar from Babylon, the place of Israel’s exile about six centuries before Christ’s birth, Caspar, another scholar from Persia, the civilization that overran the Babylonians, and Balthazar, an Arab scholar.  These learned men bring gifts of frankincense, myrrh and gold that serve as symbols for our own worship of the Son of Man.  Frankincense, aromatic incense, is brought to purify the Lord; myrrh, perfumed oil often used in embalming, is offered to anoint the Lord; and gold, the symbol of power, is presented to honor the Lord.  Some commentary suggests that the Magi bring forward these gifts for medicinal purposes; others propose that they are meant as tribute to this new kind of high priest, savior and king.  Still others say that these gifts stand in stark contrast to the sacrificial gifts of birds, lambs and oxen that the Jewish people proffered to God.  In any interpretation the story holds importance for us for these men have spent their lifetime studying the heavens and their search leads them to a small place in a small town where this small Jewish family shelters for a time.  Who is more surprised?  The Magi themselves?  Mary and Joseph?  The shepherds who tend their flocks and follow the Magi who follow the star?  Or are we perhaps the most surprised?

All of this is tradition as we have said earlier but we hold and cherish this belief in the story of the Magi for a purpose.  We love to hear the names read out rhythmically.  We want to listen to the details of this story again.  We want the mystery and surprise of this holy night to roll over us and wrap us in the warm and holy mystery of the Christ.  We want to be children for a little time again. 

When I was small my Eastern European grandmother made doughnuts and inside them she had hidden shiny, bright coins.  Who would find the pennies, the dimes?  Who would be lucky enough to encounter the rare quarter?  Children understand how important it was to nibble the edges of the pastry carefully.  Children know the importance of joyful anticipation.  Children understand wonder and surprise. As adults we want the confirmation from these intelligent students of the heavens and stars.  As adults we want to be affirmed that the Good News we have heard is true.  As adults we want someone to stun us with a vivid and beautiful truth.  We want the verification that wonderful surprises lie ahead of us.  We want to see and hear and touch the reality of the Christ Child.

Velázquez: The Adoration of the Magi

On this Epiphany let us resolve to believe more and doubt less.  Let us decide to act on our beliefs and turn away from a cynical view of the world.  Let us announce to the world that we will love our enemies into goodness.  Let us bow in homage to the Christ child.  Let us lay at his feet the incense of our own suffering and the joy of our hearts.  Let us come and worship the Lord.  And let us allow ourselves to experience the surprise and enchantment of the Epiphany . . . just as God has intended.

For another reflection on the Epiphany, go to the post for January 2, 2012: Reminders. 

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Unmarked Graves

Posted in Christmas, Prayer, tagged , , , , , , on January 4, 2012 | Leave a Comment »


Wednesday, January 4, 2012 – Luke 11:37-54 – Unmarked Graves

The Pharisees Question Jesus

Jesus warns his listeners, Woe to you!  – and he also warns us – that we might fulfill the letter of the law and completely miss its spirit.  Jesus describes for the Pharisees and others – and he describes for us – what it means to be his true disciples.  Jesus tells the dinner guests – and he tells us – how to avoid becoming unmarked graves that people walk over without even realizing.

Jesus also speaks to those who know the law inside and out; he challenges the lawyers and scribes and points out how they block entrance to the kingdom by their obtuseness and their stubborn inflexibility.  He also warns all that we are judged by what we do and what we do not do.

Commentary tells us that here Jesus delineates six woes and we might take the opportunity to examine ourselves today.

Do we worry about our outward appearance and cleanliness and neglect our true selves, our souls?

Do we speak with piety and yet rebuke the marginalized and broken?

Do we make a show of our tithing and do nothing for the poor?

Do we seek honor and fame while we isolate and segregate those we see as unworthy?

Do we overly obfuscate and complicate the simple law of love that Jesus gives us and steer others away from the true Way?

Do we attempt to supersede the Holy Spirit by encouraging others to worship us rather than God?

With Jesus’ words we see the easy pitfalls that line the pathway of our journey.  We will want to look for the small and subtle ways in which we complicate the simple instruction to love one another.  We will want to gather around ourselves like pilgrims who openly share the difficulties of the road; and we will want to move away from those who lie in wait to catch others in something they might say.

The Scribes and Pharisees Hear Jesus

Today’s picture is one we will want to keep with us for a while before we leave the Christmas season because it gives us insight into how to best deal with the kind of envy and greed that both lures and surprises us.  In the Christ Child, we have just been given the dual gifts of hope and light; we have received these as tools we might use to conquer the narrowness we see today in the scribes, the Pharisees and even ourselves.  These are the instruments we will use to avoid embroiled arguments, byzantine squabbles and superficial bickering.  The presence of the Christ in each moment of our lives is all that saves each of us from becoming the unmarked grave of a life lived . . . and lost.

And so let us pray as St. Paul prayed with the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 1:12): Our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience that we have conducted ourselves in the world . . . with the simplicity and sincerity of God, [and] not by human wisdom but by the grace of God.  Amen. 

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Confession

Posted in Christmas, tagged , , , , , , , on December 30, 2011 | Leave a Comment »


Friday, December 30, 2011 – Nehemiah 9 – Confession

Carpaccio: The Flight to Egypt

This is the perfect time of year to think about our relationship with God – this God who comes into our lives as one of us in such a humble way that his family must beg for shelter, and within days of the child’s delivery they must flee into exile.  The Messiah’s family life is one of constant dichotomy and this is fitting for it reflects our own lives of surprises, disappointments, and promises both fulfilled and unfulfilled.  Our days are a series of hills and valleys, of ups and downs that make us anxious and fearful – we wish everything to be settled and determined.  These highs and lows show us our mortality and make us uncomfortable – we prefer a life in which we control all. 

From the very beginning of Jesus’ story we see his family’s split reality; they are welcomed and gifted by both shepherds and magi . . . and they are hunted by Herod’s soldiers.  (Matthew 2:1-18)  In today’s Noontime we go back to the time when the people of Israel have come home to Jerusalem after exile.  They too, live lives of dichotomy, lives full of fear and hope for they know that the nation’s disobedience and errant ways have separated them from God; yet they hope for a return to their special status before God. 

The Israelites gather to pray in unison with their priest Ezra, and as they begin their confession they recognize the great dichotomy that is their life: It is you, O Lord, you are the one; you made the heavens, the highest heavens and all their host, the earth and all that is upon it, the seas and all that is in them.  To all of them you give life, and the heavenly hosts bow down before you . . . These promises of yours you fulfilled for you are just . . . But they, our fathers, proved to be insolent; they held their necks stiff and would not obey your commandments.  They . . . no longer remembered the miracles you had worked for them.  They stiffened their necks and turned their heads . . . but you are a God of pardons, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in mercy; you do not forsake them. 

These people whose fathers and mothers were deported to foreign lands and ruled by pagan rulers comprehend that their cold hearts and stiff necks took them into darkness.  They also understand that their God is so loving and compassionate that despite their own shallowness and fickle ways, they may confess and ask for forgiveness. We might wonder how many of us would forgive such a people.  As soon as they had relief, they would go back to doing evil in your sight . . . they were insolent and would not obey your commandments . . . they turned stubborn backs, stiffened their necks, and would not obey.  You were patient with them for many years . . . you did not forsake them, for you are a kind and merciful God. 

Murillo: The Holy Family with a Little Bird

The Israelites have suffered to the point of exhaustion and in their extremity they recognize that they have no place to turn but to God.  They recognize the dichotomy of the goodness and weakness in their lives; and they also recognize God’s immense generosity in welcoming them home.   We see this same dichotomy of extremes in the Christmas story.  When God comes to us as a babe born in a stable to a family that must move into exile, it is easier for us to confess as the Israelites do.  When God comes to us a child welcomed by shepherds and wise men but also hunted by kings, it is easier for us to believe that God understands the dichotomy in our own lives. 

It may seem a great irony that we seek protection and sustenance from our God who comes to us as a vulnerable child needing shelter and care; yet how well this reflects the divergence we experience in our own lives.  How odd this seems at the outset and yet after reflection . . . how fitting.

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Jesus’ Entry into Our Lives

Posted in Christmas, Prayer, tagged , , , on December 27, 2011 | Leave a Comment »


Tuesday, December 27, 2011 – Mark 11:1-11 – Jesus’ Entry into Our Lives

Zurbarán: Adoration of the Shepherds

In yesterday’s Noontime we considered how much we rush toward Christmas only to miss its deep promise and sure gift – the gift of Christ himself.  Today we continue our reflection . . .

The Noontime reading takes us to Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem; the natural culmination of the Savior’s life lived in humble obedience to God, although we might not see it at first.  We know that Jesus will be crucified and we shrink from that knowing, wondering how much or how little we have to do with Christ’s suffering.  The people in today’s story follow Jesus into the town; Jesus goes to the Temple, enters and looks around.  The gift has been given and now the promise is to be fulfilled.  The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light . . .

See, the Lord proclaims to the ends of the earth: say to daughter Zion, your savior comes!  Here is his reward with him.  They shall be called the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord, and you shall be called “Frequented,” a city that is not forsaken.  (Isaiah 62:11-12)  The prophet Isaiah proclaims with joy the arrival of the remnant’s reward.  We look for the meaning in this Feast of the Nativity; we look for solutions to big and little problems.  Suddenly, the event is over . . . or is it?

The mystery of Christ’s entry into our world and into Jerusalem is too much to take in.  Why does our God love us this way?  The beauty of Jesus’ coming into the world and into our lives is too much to believe.  Why does our God abide with us always?  How can we abide with this gift and promise . . . now that God has made this entry into our lives?

And so we pray . . .

Good and constant God, You have proclaimed to the ends of the earth that our Savior comes . . . and still we complain.  You have announced glad tidings, peace, good news and salvation . . . and still we forget.  You have told us that we who have who walked in darkness have seen a great light . . . and still we doubt.  You have loves us and brought us abundant joy and cause for great rejoicing . . . and still we rush on. 

Good and persistent God, Hold us closely, remind us of you strength often, speak to us always of your compassion, tell us again that we have not been abandoned, remind us that we are not forsaken, ask us to linger with you . . . hold us from rushing on.

Good and loving God, You have entered the world as a babe.  You redeem the world as a savior.  You love each of us more than we can understand.  Continue to bring us the mystery of your story.  Continue to enter into our lives each day.  Catch us and hold us always in your arms so that we might not move past you.  Enter fully into all we say and do . . . so that we do not rush on.  Amen. 

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