Desire of all nations, come!

I am often asked why I became Roman Catholic. One part of my conversion was falling in love with the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. I had always loved the physicality of faith and as a Lutheran Pastor I had relished it. Light the candles, put on the alb and stole. Swing the incense and use the holy water, but not too much or too often, lest someone accuse you of being a “Papist.”

I had all of the “playschool” Catholic accoutrement. I used the outward trappings, and also prayed a daily office. Fiirst it was the Episcopalian (BCP) then Lutheran (LBW) and finally in the later years the Roman Catholic Liturgy of the Hours. But even that was never enough.

Slowly, over a period of years, I conceived an intense desire to spend time with Jesus as He was present in the Eucharist. I began to visit the local Catholic Church, being careful to park in the adjacent public library parking lot so as to not arouse parishioner suspicions. I spent some lovely afternoons praying quietly with our Lord. I pondered what to do with this underground, if not illicit, love affair.

I had more or less always conceived of myself as an Evangelical Catholic, a code name for “High Church” Lutherans. Then I did eventually become Roman Catholic in 1998. But it wasn’t until Valentine’s Day 2003 that I understood the visceral connection between the physicality of the Eucharist and my own spirituality.

I “happened to” attend a conference on “Theology of the Body” led by Christopher West. I can’t quite explain here how John Paul II’s Theology of the Body connects- it’s way too complicated. Suffice it to say that I realized that my love affair with the Eucharist is really part of a larger physical connection with Divine Self-Giving Love. A true Desire… a physical desire met by God’s physical, “real” embodied provision of the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, of His Son given for us.

This human clay aches for an affirmation of our physicality and its true goodness. The Eucharist is God’s ringing affirmation of that embodiment. So, our Advent waiting places within each of us the Desire of all. The Feast of the Nativity marks the beginning of its fulfillment. Our daily worship at God’s Altar applies that self-giving love to our hungry souls and bodies.

O King of the Gentiles and the Desired of all,
you are the cornerstone that binds two into one.
Come, and save poor humanity,
whom you fashioned out of clay.

O Rising Dawn!

Here we are in Minnesota, going to work in the dark and driving home in the dark. It was one of the most difficult things to get used to in wintertime when I moved here from Texas in 1983. I had SAD before SAD was cool.

And so we approach the shortest day of the year and continue to pray that the Light may come, both physically and metaphorically in our lives.

Isaiah had prophesied, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown.” (9:1). Yet, I feel so very weak this day, and sad..... and yet hopeful also. My two sons will not be with me this Christmas for the first time, so I have nowhere else to turn but to that other Son, praying that He might arise with love in my heart. Tears of water turn into drops of light as we turn to the face the Sun of God's love.

O Rising Dawn, Radiance of the Light Eternal and Sun of Justice;
come, and enlighten those who sit in the darkness and the shadow of death.

Oh, Key of David

Today''s "Oh" antiphon keys in on one title given to our Lord by the Beloved Disciple John in the book of Revelation , and foreshadowed in the prophet Isaiah.

Christians of the first century lived in an uneasy relationship with Judaism. Most Jewish Christians probably attended the synagogue, took part in ritual worship and used the Hebrew Scriptures as their Bible.

At the same time, the church considered itself the rightful spiritual heir of Judaism -- the new Israel (Galatians 6:16). It had accepted Jesus as its Lord, the Messiah spoken of in the Hebrew Scriptures. The church saw itself as composed of spiritual Jews who had received "circumcision" through the Holy Spirit (Romans 2:28-29). This naturally caused a rift between Christians and Jews, as they both claimed to be God's people.

That meant Jewish Christians often endured exceptional pressure and stress. They were, no doubt, called apostate Jews by their own people. Non-Christian Jews accused Christians of being usurpers. They insisted that Jews and not Christians had the open door to God's presence and the keys to the kingdom.

The Christians in the Asian city of Philadelphia were among those who took the brunt of these claims. Then, in about a.d. 96, the Elder John, in the book of Revelation, assured those in the church that they were, indeed, the heirs to salvation (Revelation 3:7-13).

John wrote that Christ is the One "who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open" (verse 7). Christ had set an open door before the church that "no one can shut."

What was this key that unlocked a door that could not be shut? The answer lies in analyzing the key and door metaphor, which is found in the writings of the prophet Isaiah. He referred to an individual of his time named Shebna who had charge of the palace of the Judean king. Today, we might call him the chief of staff.

The prophet Isaiah said the Lord would replace Shebna with a man named Eliakim. The Lord would "place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open" (Isaiah 22:22). Thus, Eliakim would be a kind of gatekeeper with power to control entry into the royal kingdom. As the king's steward, he would decide who could or could not have access to the king.

In the book of Revelation, John used this Old Testament metaphor to get across a vital message to the church in Philadelphia, and thereby to all Christians. That is, Christ has the key of David. He opens the door for the church -- his royal household -- and allows it to come into the presence of God. In short, Christ has granted Christians access to God. No one can deprive them of that access, which really means God's bestowal on them of the gift of salvation.

The key in Revelation does much more than open the way to an audience with a national king. In Christ's hand, the key opens the door into the presence of God, his kingdom and eternal life.

O Key of David, and Scepter of the house of Israel,

who opens and no one shuts, who shuts and no one opens:

come, and bring forth the captive from prison,

the one who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Root of Jesse, Come.

Today's "oh!" antiphon is rooted deeply (pun intended) in the kingly tradition of the prophet Isaiah. The phrase "root of Jesse" evokes the Messianic family tree. Out of King David's father, Jesse, sprang the kingly line of Israel. Out of his kin was Messiah Jesus to come.

On top of our TV cabinet at home we proudly display pictures of our relatives... both past and present. My grandparents, uncles, aunts, and my own sons are there. The pictures remind us that we are part of something larger, something bigger than just the few people who live within these four walls which we call our home.

Similarily, the connection between Jesus and his ancestors reminds us that this Nativity involves many more folk than are visible to the naked eye. Behind Mary and Joseph stand many generations of wakeful ,hopeful Israelites and other people of good will who longed for a Prince of Peace and Justice to come and help them. We join in that waiting throng today.

The picture above is a fresco of "the Root of Jesse" from the Church of St George at Voronet Monastery in Romania, a visual representation of Jesus' "rootedness."

This rootedness of Jesus is reflected in both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures:

"There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots... And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious." (Isaiah 11:1-10)

"And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will." From this man’s seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Saviour -- Jesus." (Acts 13:22-23)

"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star." (Revelation 22:12)

And so today, we join many others, seen and unseen, living and deceased, in praying for our Lord's Advent:

Root of Jesse, you stand for an ensign of humankind;
before you kings shall keep silence,
and to you all nations shall have recourse.
Come, save us, and do not delay.

Oh Heavenly Ruler!

As I meditate on the words of today's "Oh!" antiphon, I am struck by two different facets of this prayer.

First, it is interesting to note how our faith speaks to us through events of history. Moses lived, the bush burned, Sinai happened. All of these are historical happenings in the divine Drama. However, they also provide fodder for our internal ruminations concerning who God is. What do these events reveal about the God who is? What do they tell us about the One to Whom We Are Praying?

You tell me after you pray this prayer with the Church.

Secondly, there is hierarchy here. Yes, I've addressed this "issue" before in these blogs. Once again, my theory holds that "hierarchy happens." And there is nothing basically wrong with that.

But what kind of hierarchy are we speaking of here with the words "Adonai" and "Ruler of Israel?" For my money, I look to God to provide the definition.

Yes, in the Hebrew Scriptures, as in the Church today, there are repeated demonstrations that hierarchy sometimes causes problems. Bad kings are crowned. Evil churchmen gain ecclesiastical office. The lords sometimes "lord it over" the rest of us and mess up pretty badly. Yes, it is enough sometimes to make one run screaming into the arms of a gender-neutral Diety.

Still, I have hard time throwing out the divine image baby with the human circumstance bathwater. I learn what the true Lord (Adonai) and the real Ruler are through looking at the Incarnate Son. His palace is a stable, his court a rag tag assembly of peasants. His throne is a Cross. He rules by serving. That is the Lord of my Church, the one whose loving, self giving service informs every ideal of leadership.

and so today we pray....

O Adonai and Ruler of the house of Israel,
you appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush,
and on Mount Sinai gave him your law.
Come, and with an outstretched arm redeem us.

Oh!

Beginning today, the Daily Office includes distinct prayers for each day leading up to Christmas. These are called the "O" Antiphons, because they all begin with the exclamation "Oh!"

The exclamation is followed by a title of addess for Christ and then a description of Him. The antiphon concludes with a request that he come. By the way, the language of these antiphons forms the basis for that most famous of Advent hymns, "Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel."

Several years ago at St John's Abbey I was part of an Advent Day of Recollection wherein we examined the various "Oh!" antiphons and then composed our own antiphons. It was an interesting and revealing exercise. You might try it.

Here is today's "Oh!" antiphon:

O Wisdom,
you came forth from the mouth of the Most High,
and reaching from the beginning to end,
you ordered all things mightily and sweetly.
Come and teach us the way of prudence.

Wisdom's Quiet Children

Matthew 11:19... "Wisdom is justified by all her works."

There is an interesting ambiguity in the textual tradition of Matthew's gospel. A large group of ancient Greek manuscripts carry the phrase "by all her children" rather than "by all her works."

This is not the place to go into the background of Sophia or wisdom. Suffice it to say, she has a long and distinguished pre-history of her own, culminating for Christians in the first chapter of John's gospel. Between the Wisdom of Solomon and the Johannine gospel there is a theological equivalent of a sex-change. The Logos, s/he who participated in creating the world, descends from the heavenlies to redeem it. The reference here in Matthew may indeed be to Christ, however veiled it may sound to modern ears.

However, what is important to note is how quietly wisdom is vindicated by her own. All around the faithful in this passage there are criticisms hurled with labels and epithets attached. "You did this; you didn't do that, you ___________!" The wise children, however, say nothing in response. Markedly absent in this passage is any of the defensive posturing and verbal jousting which one would ordinarily expect from those who are wise.

Wisdom is at wisdom's best when her children go about their lives in a spirit of quietness and calm. Note to self: we do not need to respond to every situation or answer every challenge thrown down by the world. Wisdom's vindication in Matthew consists in the fact that the fruit of Her work is quiet. Indeed her goal is consistent and persistent virtues, faith hope and love, lived in the face of a world sorely in need of all three.

Grant this, Lord, unto us all.

The only verbal connection here with our blessed Mother is her famous title "Seat of Wisdom." Here is a small meditation with that connection:

MARY, you are the Seat of Wisdom because the Son of God, the eternal Wisdom, assumed flesh from you, dwelt in your virginal womb, and as an Infant rested in your arms. As the Son of God, Jesus is called Wisdom. The Father thinks of Himself from eternity. This thought of the Father is a distinct person—the Word, the Wisdom of God.

But the Son of God is also called Wisdom because in the work of redemption divine wisdom shows itself in the highest degree. After becoming Man, Jesus taught us wisdom. He taught us that temporal goods are vain and possess true value only in so far as they are means for obtaining our final destiny. He has reminded us to be most earnest about saving our souls.

Seat of Wisdom, you bore in your womb Him who is the personal and eternal Wisdom of God, and whose words and teaching give evidence of wisdom in the highest degree. Obtain for me the grace to embrace wisdom with my whole soul as I see it in the doctrine of your divine Son.

And finally, what sparked this post is a passage from Swiss Catholic Theologian Father Hans Urs von Balthasar:

The Virgin, harboring a mystery under her heart, remains in profound solitude. In a silence that almost causes the preplexed Joseph to despair. Incarnation of God means condescension, abasement, and because we are sinners, humiliation.

And he already draws his Mother into these humilations. Where did she get this child? People must have talked at the time, and they probably never stopped. It must have been a sorry state of affairs if Joseph could find no better way out than to divorce his bride quietly.

God's humanism at once begins drastically. Those whose lives God enters, those who enter into his, are not protected. They have to go along into a suspicion and ambiguity they cannot talk their way out of. And the ambiguity will only get worse, until, at the cross, the Mother will get to see what her Yes has caused and will have ot hear the vitirolic ridicule to which the Son is forced to listen.

"The Office"... Hymns, that is.

One of the joys of my retreat this past weekend was my rediscovery of the Latin Office hymns for Advent. They sound REALLY COOL in Latin. But, since I am neither proficient in Latin like my friend Antony H., nor good at music as well as posting music on a blog, I'll have to settle for sharing the words alone, in translation.

Creator of the stars of night,

Your people's everlasting light,

O Christ, Redeemer of us all,

We pray you hear us when we call.

In sorrow that the ancient curse

Should doom to death a universe,

You came, O Savior, to set free

Your own in glorious liberty.

When this old world drew on toward night,

You came; but not in splendor bright,

Not as a monarch, but the child

Of Mary, blameless mother mild.

At your great Name, O Jesus, now

All knees must bend, all hearts must bow;

All things on earth with one accord,

Like those in heaven, shall call you Lord.

Come in your holy might, we pray,

Redeem us for eternal day;

Defend us while we dwell below

From all assaults of our dread foe.

To God the Father, God the Son,

And God the Spirit, Three in One,

Praise, honor, might, and glory be

From age to age eternally.

We don't travel alone

Also from today's Mass, a reading from the gospel of Luke where some men bring a paralytic on a stretcher to Jesus and are forced by the crowds to lower him into the house where Jesus is preaching from the roof (Luke 5:17-26).

One phrase struck me, "When Jesus saw THEIR faith, he said, 'As for you, (the paralytic) your sins are forgiven'." None of us travels this Advent roadway alone, and many times it is others who have faith on our behalf, even when we have no ability or insight to seek God's healing for ourselves.

Who is helping you to be healed right now on your Advent journey? Perhaps someone of whom you are not even aware.

On the Way in Advent

Today's First Reading from Isaiah 35:1-10 is one of several passages which highlights the Royal Road across which the exiles were to travel on their return to God and to God's land following the Babylonian Capivity. This road blossoms with new life in the midst of the desert. It is laid out "for those with a journey to make, and on it the redeemed will walk."

How like our Advent journey. There is a purpose in it,.... to return to God. There is a direction to it,.... away from captivity to our sin and to old ways of being, and going back to God our Source. And there is time and a tempo in it. This pilgrimage doesn't happen overnight. Good travels take time, and we keep on journeying back to God from our baptism to our deathbed and long after. So we are asked not to get too impatient if it seems like we aren't making much progress right now, or that we can't see far ahead along the way. Finally, as we go this Advent there is a sense of openness to new adventures, things which we can't even see and imagine right now.

It reminds me of the words to a song from the great epic fantasy trilogy, Lord of the Rings, "The Road Goes on Forever." Yes, I know there's a country-western song by that name too, but it's just not as apt or romantic as J.R.R. Tolkien's words:

“The Road goes ever on and on
down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
and I must follow,
if I can, pursuing it with eager feet,
until it joins some larger way
where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.”

Advent II... Back from Retreat, I Begin Again

I'm back from my Advent Retreat at Our Lady of Spring Bank Abbey (Cistercian) near Sparta, WI. It's too soon to blog about content and results, although suffice it to say now that it was a very blessed time.

However, God has a great sense of humor. This commentary on Sunday's Gospel reading from a Cistercian came my way via e mail while I was gone. And to add even more fun, Blessed Guerric's memorial was celebrated while I was the Abbey.

I really like Guerric's emphasis on beginning again each day. Can we do that this Advent season?

Blessed Guerric of Igny (around 1080 – 1157), Cistercian abbot Sermon 5 for Advent


“Make straight the Lord’s path”
“Prepare the way of the Lord.”

Brothers, even if you have advanced greatly on this way, you still have to
prepare it, so that from the point where you have already arrived, you might
always go forward, always stretched out towards what is beyond. Thus, since the
way has been prepared for his coming, with every step that you take, the Lord
will come to meet you, always new, always greater. So the righteous person is
right to pray thus: “Instruct me, O Lord, in the way of your statutes, that I
may exactly observe them.” (Ps 119:33) And this way is called “the path of
eternity” (Ps 139:24) … because the goodness of him towards whom we are
advancing is unlimited.

That is why the wise and determined traveler, even though
he has arrived at the goal, will think of beginning.

“Giving no thought to what lies behind,” (Phil 3:13), he will tell himself every day: “Now I begin (Ps 76:11 Vulgata) …

May it please heaven that we who talk about advancing on this
path might at least have set out! To my understanding, whoever has set out is
already on the good way. However, we must really begin, find “the way to an
inhabited city” (Ps 107:4). For Truth says: “How few there are who find it!” (Mt
7:14) And many are those “who go astray in the desert.” (Ps 107:4) …And you,
Lord, have prepared a path for us, if we only agree to go on it… Through your
Law, you have taught us the path of your will by saying: “This is the way; walk
in it, when you would turn to the right or to the left.” (Isa 30:21) It is the
path that the prophet had promised: “A highway will be there… No fools go astray
on it.” (Isa 35:8)… I have never seen a fool going astray when following your
path, Lord… But woe to you who are wise in your own sight (Isa 5:21). Your
wisdom has taken you away from the path of salvation and has not allowed you to
follow the Savior’s folly… A desirable folly, which at the time of God’s
judgment will be called wisdom and which does not let us go astray, away from
his path.

Amen, Come Lord Jesus, and help us begin again today.

Abba, the God of the Little Beginning

Yesterday's Daily Mass readings remind me that God is Abba, Father.

"Daddy".... Jesus' preferred Aramaic term for God the Father shines through the child-guide to peace (Isaiah 11:1-10) and also Jesus' thanksgiving to God for the true disciples' child-like trust (Luke 10:21-24).

Abba is the God of Advent, God of the little beginning.

God who anoints a ruddy shepherd boy king of Israel and Judah.

God who causes the mustard seed to grow into a mighty Tree of Life.

God who enthrones a young, pregnant unmarried Jewish teenager as Queen of Heaven.

God who nominates a prayer-whispering Jewish Rabbi as the Judge of All who is to come.

I have a lot of little daily things in my life right now that are whispering Abba's name to me... while I do the Advent waiting game:

• thanksgiving for useful work


• concerns for those around me suffering illness


• quiet spaces for Advent preparation


• consolation in loneliness

Where else is Abba whispering today?

"I will come and cure him"

Today's gospel (Matthew 8:5-11) reveals a three fold context for the prayer of humble access which we pray before receiving Christ at each Mass. 'Lord, I am not worthy to receive you."


The centurion wants his servant to be healed, and approaches Jesus. Jesus replies, "I will come and cure him." The Centurion demurs, saying that he is not worthy that the Lord should visit his home. Truly, this was the case because in Palestinian society the Roman centurion would never expect a pious Jewish teacher to risk defilement by visiting his residence. The Centurion approachs Christ with humility. He humbly recognizies his shortcomings and confesses them publicly, an unheard-of act for a Roman centurion in the midst of a conquered people.


However, the Centurion goes a step further, recognizing the power and authority of God present in Jesus. "You have the authority, the blessing of God," he proclaims, "to do this merciful act. It's all about You, Jesus." The Centurion is a man who approaches God with faith. The Centurion recognizes that God does what He wills, and His will is that people be whole and complete. What a great way to wait for Jesus.... humbly, but with confidence in God's great ability to bring good out of ill.

The last ingredient is also important. The Centurion recognizes the importance of community in the healing process. Without another to plead for him, to love him, to bring him to Jesus, the Centurion's servant would be lost. The Centurion's public appeal reflects an implicit recognition of the important role community plays in the healing process. The Centruion could have gone to Jesus privately, or sent someone else to ask for help for his servant. But, noooooo. The centurion came himself, and he came in the presence of others on behalf of another. And Jesus rewarded that brave commitment. If we are going to be healed.,we are to be healed with others.

This Advent we come to God in three ways:
1. humbly confessing our sins with humility,
2. acknowledging God's power with faith and
3. knowing that we are part of a larger faith community with one another.


There, as my friend Will likes to say, "none of us will be saved without the others."


Lord, let us see your kindness,
and grant us your salvation.

Come, Lord Jesus!

Happy New Year! Today is the first day of the new Church Year in western Christendom and also the First Sunday in Advent. During this four week period we prepare ourselves to more properly celebrate the Feast of the Nativity, AKA Christmas.

Just as importantly, we prepare our hearts for Christ's presence in the here and now, at the time of our death and when he comes at the end of time to renew the entire creation as he has renewed individual souls.

So, what do we do with this, especially if, as we all are, we find ourselves busy preparing our families, homes and lives for the celebration of Christmas? If we are to be truly ready for Christ we should be preparing ourselves inwardly on a daily basis to receive Him, establishing quiet places in busy moments where we can listen for His voice.

My own practice includes making an Advent retreat.... I'll be heading to Sparta Wisconsin on Thursday to spend four days in prayer/ relection and to celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary with my Cistercian brothers at Our Lady of Spring Bank Abbey. I want to be more like our Blessed Mother, more transparent, more attentive to God's will, more purely in love with God.

What will you do to prepare your heart this Advent? Maybe you can't get away for multiple days of prayer. But we can all do the small things that add up to the one thing necessary.

• Get up a little earlier and greet God's dawn in prayer.
• Stop by a church for a few minutes and light a candle in honor of our Lady and Her Son.
• Be kind to others who have no idea why we are called to love one another because they don't yet know the One we love.

I enjoy hearing the words of St John Chrysostom about the different advents of Christ:

"At his first coming, God came without any brilliance, unknown by most,
prolonging the mystery of his hidden life by many years. When he came down
fromthe mountain of the Transfiguration, Jesus asked his disciples not to
tell anyone that he was the Christ. Then he came like a shepherd to look for
his lost sheep, and in order to get hold of the unruly animal, he had to
remain hidden. Like a doctor who is careful not to frighten his patient
right from the start,in the same way, the Lord avoids making himself known
right from the beginning of his mission: he only does so imperceptibly and
little by little.

The prophet announced this event without
brilliance with these words: “He
shall be like rain coming down on the
meadow, like showers watering the earth.”
(Ps 72:6) He did not tear open the
heavens so as to come on the clouds, but
rather, he came in silence into the
womb of a virgin and was carried by her for
nine months. He was born in a
manger as the son of a humble craftsman… He went
here and there like an
ordinary man; his clothing was simple, his table even
more frugal. He walked
without resting to the point of being tired
out.


But his second
coming will not be like that. He will come with such
brilliance that it
won’t be necessary to announce his coming: “As the lightning
from the east
flashes to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Mt
24:27) It
will be the time of judgment and of sentencing. And the Lord will not
appear
as a doctor, but as a judge. The prophet Daniel saw his throne, the river
flowing at the base of the tribunal, and that device made entirely of fire,
the chariot and the wheels (7:9-10)… David, the prophet-king, spoke only
of splendor, of brilliance, of fire flaming on all sides: “Before him is a
devouring fire; around him is a raging storm.” (Ps 50:3) All these
comparisons aim at making us understand God’s sovereignty, the brilliant
light that surrounds him, and his inaccessible nature."

Come, Lord Jesus!