I write to you not because you do not know the truth but because you do . . . Let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you . . . then you will remain in the Son and in the Father.
What we have heard we know to be true. What we have seen we know to be authentic. What we have witnessed we know to be God’s gift of light and hope and peace and joy to the world.
On this ninth day of Christmas, enter the word truth into the blog search bar and consider how the truth John writes about is essential to us as Christmas people.
She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
“A fourth and final [Lucan] theme is expressed in Simeon’s word to Mary (apparently this occurs in the outer court where women were allowed). Jesus will bring truth and light and will effect decision and judgment. However, in so doing he will face opposition and death. When Jesus comes to Jerusalem as an adult, the journey will be his ‘exodus’ (NRSV: ‘departure,’ 9:31).
“Simeon’s words are confirmed by Anna, a devout woman of advanced age . . . The two aged saints are Israel in miniature, poised in anticipation of the new. God is leading Israel to the Messiah, but the Messiah will weep over this city because it did not know the time of the messianic visitation (19:41-44)”. (Mays 932)
Scholars describe Anna as having insight that most of us lack and she appears in this story to affirm the Messiah’s identity. She is likely 105 years old, lives in or near the Temple, and dedicates her days and nights to a life of service to and in God; but she is no doddering ancient. Robin Gallaher Branch describes her saying that “her lifestyle evidently invigorates her, for she is mobile, articulate, alert, spiritually savvy and unselfish”. (Branch)
Elizabeth and Zechariah, Mary and Joseph, Anna and Simeon, servants, disciples, prophets, all announcing that openness and peace and joy have come to a people who yearn to be free, that light and courage and hope have come to a people who wait in darkness, that healing and consolation and union have come to a people who remain faithful despite their fear. As we approach the fourth Sunday of Advent, a time when we near the announcement of joy to the world because the Messiah is come, let us remember that we are Advent people. And let us, like Anna, be articulate, alert, spiritually savvy and unselfish as we declare to all that the one who saves is indeed come to live among us.
Now there were shepherds in that region, living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock.
We become so weary with the daily earning of our bread that we are too exhausted to keep the night watch. Our blessing is that the Good Shepherd never flags and he endures when we falter. And this Good Shepherd who keeps a constant watch will awaken us so that we might rise to hear the words of Good News that bring healing, peace and light to the world.
Esteban Murillo: Adoration of the Shepherds
God says: Do not stretch yourselves beyond your strength. Rely on me for power that is eternal. Do not ask too much of your mind. Ask me for wisdom that has always been and always will be. Do not tax your spirit more than it can endure. Call on my Spirit to dwell in you and to bring you peace. If you are able, keep the Night Watch with me. When darkness falls and you have lost your way, settle into the night with the sheep you are tending . . . and know that I am with you. If you are too tired to stay awake, ask for my help . . . and I will keep the Watch. And I will awaken you with the Good News that you will want to share with others.
When we spend energy that we do not have we endanger not only the body and mind but the soul as well. When we find that we falter and cannot stand, we need only call on the one who always endures.
For beautiful prayers at night that strengthen the body, mind and soul when we find ourselves wakeful and uneasy, dip into Phyllis Tickle’s NIGHT OFFICES: PRAYERS FOR THE HOURS FROM SUNSET TO SUNRISE, Oxford University Press, 2006.
The rich man had herds and flocks in great numbers. But the poor man had nothing at all except one little ewe lamb that he had bought.
This is a story with a familiar ending. Those who have much use their influence and power to take from the poor what little they have. The poor man gathers money, plans how he will finally gather around him the small beginning of self-sufficiency and the momentous ending of oppression.
He nourished her, and she grew up with him and his children. She shared the little food he had and drank from his cup and slept in his bosom. She was like a daughter to him.
The poor man empties all that he has and all that he is into this precious possession that promises not only a ladder out of misery but a new feeling of comfort, compassion and love. The little ewe sheep comes to symbolize much more than the object she is. She becomes a unique sign of peace and stability.
Now the rich man received a visitor, but he would not take from his own flocks and herds to prepare a meal for the wayfarer who had come to visit him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb . . .
The two-headed monster of envy and greed raises itself from the shadows and David’s sin is revealed.
David grew very angry . . . then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned . . .”
When we feel anger rise at the honest observation offered by a friend we must turn as David does. And so we pray . . .
Dear and gracious God, it is so difficult to hear our secrets revealed when we believe we have them well-hidden away. Help us to return to you.
Honest and kind God, we are so weak and vulnerable in the harsh light of our own judgment. Send us your persistence and power.
Good and noble God, we need your encouragement and wisdom to lead us to the light of truth. Remind us that truth always reveals itself in your time.
Mighty and compassionate God, we ask for your strength and grace to willingly reveal all that we have concealed. Recount for us all the times you have saved us.
Sweet and loving God, speak to us in parables that enlighten us when we cannot bear the burden of the truth. Help us to understand that secrets only fester in the darkness of guilt.
Forgiving and understanding God, speak to us plainly in words that call us to you. Bring us the simplicity of your peace and love.
You have been born anew, not from perishable but imperishable seed, through the living and abiding word of God . . .
We yearn for immortality and yet we are immortal. We want to leave a mark that generations to follow recognize and yet we are part of a chain that has no end and no beginning. We amass material goods thinking to make ourselves secure and yet we receive the gift of eternal guidance and care from the moment of our inception. We ask God for endless gifts that in the end will gain us nothing and yet we ignore the gift of God’s presence that brings us surety, eternity and serenity. We plant perishable seed and leave the imperishable seed to languish.
God says: Comfort, peace, stability. These are the imperishable gifts that many of you struggle to gather about you and to pass on to loved ones. Fame, fortune, power. These are the perishable seed that others of you covet, gather, sow and reap. What you do not see is something that Nature is constantly teaching. What you sow, you will also reap. When you control loved ones they pull away from you leaving you alone. So who is left to you? When you amass wealth you leave little for others. So who abides with you? When you cause chaos and fear you sow distrust and anxiety. So who remains with you? And what is your legacy? You have within you my comfort, peace and stability. If it is fame you seek above well-being you will be disappointed. If it is power you seek before stability you will be disillusioned. If it is fortune you want rather than peace you will be frustrated. You need not amass anything. You already have and already are what you seek.
We have surety in that God never waivers from the lesson of love. We have eternity in our union with God. We have serenity in our relationship with God. These gifts are indescribable. They are given to us freely. All we need do is follow, love one another, and trust in God.
When we reflect on Scripture we find stories and themes of irony. The last shall be first while the first are last. The chosen people squander their advantage. The son who cheats his brother becomes founder of a nation. The faithless wife has a faithful husband. The one who denies knowing the Messiah becomes the Rock on which a religion stands. The chief persecutor of the fledgling Jesus community becomes a source of strength. We must die in order to live.Examples seem endless. Every chapter brings us a new example of how our human existence pulls us in opposite directions. We may consider this as confusing, or we may use this fog of contradiction to teach us. As always with Scripture and in life, our stumbling blocks become our lesson plans, our hurdles become our stepping stones when we open our hearts, minds, ears and eyes to the wisdom that suffering and chaos offer. Today we reflect on the inheritance we already hold and yet seek. Perhaps the richness of this inheritance is too much for us to take in.
Among all these I sought a resting place; in whose inheritance should I abide? In Genesis we see the devil tempt Adam and Eve with the promise of something they already hold. You can become like gods,Satan tells us just as he told the couple living in the perfection of Eden; yet clearly, they already have this inheritance. What was it they sought? And what do we seek?
Among all these I sought a resting place; in whose inheritance should I abide? Satan tempts Jesus at the beginning of his ministry, again offering him gifts he already holds: the awesome and infinite powers of God. As sisters and brothers of Christ, we too share this same inheritance. Are we able to put aside the false siren song of power and fame to take up our inheritance of humility, patience, perseverance, and love of our enemies? It is difficult to follow Jesus’ example, yet we know that The Way he shows us is the way of our inheritance of peace.
In Jacob make your dwelling, in Israel your inheritance. What is the dwelling of Jacob? What is this inheritance of Israel? The story of Jacob is one of deceit and redemption. This is a tent that shelters our own story. The Twelve Tribes of Israel show us the diversity of God’s family. This is a family in which we can find membership. The gifts we seek we already possess. The promise we pursue we already own. When we give ourselves over to the Creator, we hold the same promise given to Abraham of security and protection. We hold the same miracle of impossibility given to Sarah. When we become one with Jesus to best of our talents, we enjoy the peace of this union that only Christ can give. When we live in the Spirit that binds each of us to all, we rejoice in the inheritance we seek. The inheritance that is already given. Let us celebrate this inheritance today and all days by living the gift of immortal life we already have, that despite our infidelity and deceit, we find a home in salvation. Amid the chaos and fear, we find peace and salvation.
He called the people and his disciples to him and said, “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. What gain, then, is it for anyone to win the whole world and forfeit his life? And indeed what can a man offer for his life? For if anyone in this adulterous and sinful generation is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels”.
Discipleship, inversion, angels, and trust in God: these are the themes we have visited this week. Today Mark reminds us that in order to follow Christ we must look for goodness in reversals; we must welcome God’s message and the messengers themselves for they bring us God’s presence. And we must rely on God for all that we are and all that we have, for God accompanies us always and everywhere.
God says: I know that I am most visible to you when you are ill, frightened or broken-hearted. I understand this for I created you and I created the world, and I understand the hold that the world can have on you. I know that you welcome me when I come to you in a version of myself that matches your expectation and that I startle you when I arrive in a way that makes you uncomfortable. I understand your reluctance to open your arms to me for I created you and I created the world. I understand that you rely more on your senses than you do on me. Yet still I ask that follow me for I created you and I created the world. I rejoice each morning with you when you turn to me in prayer. I sing with you at noon when you remember me and call my name. I celebrate with you each evening when you return to me in thanksgiving . . . for I created you and I created the world. And I ask that you forfeit all for me so that you might know my peace . . . the peace that the world cannot give.
Discipleship is hard-earned and well-worn. Inversion can be anticipated and yet still surprising. God’s angels are constantly with us yet they frequently go unseen. Trust in God brings a new way of life and a guarantee of eternal peace. Let us thank God for the grace and blessings bestowed on us this day and all days.
You would be in the right, O Lord, if I should dispute with you; even so, I must discuss the case with you. Why does the way of the godless prosper, why live all the treacherous in contentment? You planted them; they have taken root, they keep on growing and bearing fruit. You are upon their lips, but far from their inmost thoughts.
Like most of God’s prophets, Jeremiah asks the Lord direct questions. He brings his confusion, heartache and pain to the Creator who knows and sees all. Like Jeremiah, we must bring all of our big and petty woes to God. For with God is the answer we seek.
God says:I am not bothered by the billions of questions that fly to me each day and night. I am not angered. I am not threatened. There is nothing you can ask that will turn me away from you. So ask. How else will you find peace? I will always answer . . . even though you may not be prepared to hear the reply. Even then I will guide you to understanding. All you need do is remain open and ready for dialog. I long to listen and speak to you. Be not afraid to ask the questions that are in your heart. Persist and be open, and we will speak with one another.
“How is it that evil prospers?” “Why do the wicked enjoy life while the faithful suffer?” “When will God’s justice divide the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the chaff?” “Where is God when so much envy and hate destroy all that is good?” “What is the point of seeing the weeds pollute the harvest?”
These are questions the faithful feel rise from within when they see injustice in the world. These are the questions the faithful must bring to God . . . for with God lie the consolation and the replies.
Tomorrow, Job, another faithful servant, hears The Lord’s Speech . . .
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5:16)
Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. (John 6:15)
And after leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. (Mark 6:46)
The Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. (Matthew 12:14-15)
Jesus withdrew to a region near the desert, to a village named Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. (John 11:54)
When Jesus heard what had happened [to John the Baptist], he withdrew privately by boat to a solitary place. (Matthew 14:13)
Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. (Mark 3:7)
James Tissot: Jesus Commands his Disciples to Rest
Recently in our Noontimejourney we have examined how to best survive the ups and downs of a life lived in discipleship. We have reflected on how to best withstand the plots and schemes devised by the discontented. We have focused on how to best respond to God’s call. And through all of this we may find ourselves exhausted. If this is so, we must do as Jesus and his companions did . . . we must go apart for a time.
If you are able, make the intentional effort of leaving one day a week to re-connect with the treasure of yourself. If you have spent much time with chores and tasks, put them aside and go out into the world to experience the gift of connecting with others. If you need time on your own, set yourself apart for a time either alone or with someone with whom you need to re-connect. Put away anything that takes you away from restoring your soul and re-filling your well. Our world draws us into or out of ourselves in such alluring ways that before we notice, we have either detached ourselves from human community or we have thrown ourselves entirely into it without listening to our hearts. What we seek today is a bit of balance for with balance comes wisdom and peace.
To help us reflect, let us look at some of the images created by James Tissot, and let us remind ourselves that we are in each of these scenes. Let us thank Christ for walking with us each day even when we forget his presence. And let us carry Christ to others as we have been asked to do.
James Tissot: Jesus Teaching by the Seashore
If you have a favorite citation from scripture in which Jesus withdraws for a time either alone or with his disciples, insert it in the comment box below. If you are more visual, search the net for another of Tissot’s scenes from The Life of Christ and share that link in the comment box.
May each of us come away with Christ for a time, may each of us restore the soul and settle the heart, and may each of us enjoy a day of peace and balance.
James Tissot (1833-1902) was “a nineteenth-century French painter who for the first part of his career had a reputation as a ‘French society painter [whose subjects were] the costumes and manners, occupations and pleasures of the French capital’s elegantes.’ This all changed in the early 1890s when Tissot renewed his ties to the Catholicism of his youth after experiencing a vision during a Mass when the priest raised the host. For the rest of his life, he devoted himself to the series of religious paintings numbering in the hundreds given here. Tissot’s lasting reputation rests on this series The Life of Christ on all periods of Jesus Christ’s life from the Annunciation to the Resurrection”. (Berry)
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