Preferring Nothing to Christ

Judges 13:2-7. 24-25
Luke 1:5-25

During this week the Liturgy of the Word lays before us the stories in our history that tell of the promise of a child to childless couples. We know this motif so well. A God-fearing couple long for a child, they pray and what had seemed impossible, is now possible.

Elizabeth and Zechariah appear on our Advent journey as the archetypal God-fearing couple. Zechariah’s name means ‘God remembers’ and as the story unfolds we will see that God has indeed remembered his faithful servants. Elizabeth’s name probably comes from the Hebrew ‘Eli’ meaning God and ‘sheva’ meaning oath. Her name reminds us that God keeps promises.

‘Both were worthy in the sight of God, and scrupulously observed all the commandments and observances of the Lord.’

Both Elizabeth and Zechariah are from priestly families. The faithful keeping of the Torah is a way of life for them. Prayer and worship are woven through their lives. New Testament scholar Amy J Levine invites us to savour the scene as Zechariah performs his duties:

‘The Jewish tradition has always been one of sensory delights: sights and sounds, scents and tastes, attention to the body. Worship not only is spiritually uplifting and beneficial for us but should also be aesthetically pleasing: it gives us, when it can, the gift of beauty, something often needed in a world marked by bullets, poverty and disease.’

Up until now I have rather skated over the details of this story. I have imagined that Zechariah has offered incense many times before. However, scholars suggest that this was a once in a lifetime event. Lots were cast and once you had been chosen, you wouldn’t be included in further lots. The incense offering takes place in the sanctuary. The priest goes there alone. It is one of the most sacred tasks that a priest can perform. Zechariah performs this sacred duty on behalf of the whole Jewish people. But today the revelation he receives is personal. All his hopes and longings as a faithful follower of Torah will now be honoured with the birth of a child. While carrying out the most sacred of duties his prayer is answered. God has remembered Zechariah and Elizabeth.

From the sacred duties in the Temple Zechariah now moves to the sacred duty of preparing for the birth of a child. I’d like to think that his years of dutiful service in the Temple will have equipped him for the life-changing event of the birth of a child.

How can you serve God in your everyday life?

Jeremiah 23:5-8
Matthew 1:18-24

O Lord of ancient Israel,
who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush,
who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain;
come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.

O Adonai

Unsayable, you chose to speak one tongue,
Unseeable, you gave yourself away,
The Adonai, the Tetragramaton
Grew by a wayside in the light of day.
O you who dared to be a tribal God,
To own a language, people and a place,
Who chose to be exploited and betrayed,
If so you might be met with face to face,
Come to us here, who would not find you there,
Who chose to know the skin and not the pith,
Who heard no more than thunder in the air,
Who marked the mere events and not the myth.
Touch the bare branches of our unbelief
And blaze again like fire in every leaf.

Malcolm Guite

Listen to Malcolm Guite read his sonnet:

How has God shown himself to you this Advent?

Which areas of your life do you most need God to set free?

Jeremiah 23:5-8
Matthew 1:18-24

The theme of kingship looms large in the story of our salvation. The transition from the people of Israel living as 12 tribes to their anointing of a king involved twists and turns. They were influenced by what they saw around them and began to long for a king:

‘We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.’1 Sam 8

The King had a huge responsibility in terms of faithfulness to the Torah and the well-being of his people. The writers of the history of Israel would evaluate each king and many were found wanting. Our first reading from Jeremiah today speaks from the perspective of the Exile where the harsh reality of the failure of many kings must be faced. Into this deep despair Jeremiah speaks a word of hope as he promises a new king:

See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks –
when I will raise a virtuous Branch for David,
who will reign as true king and be wise,
practising honesty and integrity in the land.
In his days Judah will be saved
and Israel dwell in confidence.
And this is the name he will be called:
The-Lord-our-integrity.

This new king will embody the love and faithfulness of God and ensure the well-being of his subjects. I am always struck by the name ‘The-Lord-our-integrity’. So many of our day to day experiences can lead to a sense of fragmentation. I believe that the human heart is always searching for wholeness and integrity. We were made for this.

The Gospel account of the angel appearing to Joseph links in several ways with the text from Jeremiah. The angel gives Joseph a message of hope and by quoting Isaiah reminds us of the whole theology of promise and blessing. Joseph stands here as a man of integrity. He is a loving and faithful keeper of Torah. It’s through Joseph’s everyday observance that Jesus will be shaped and nurtured too.

We may not always stop to think about our day to day responsibilities and how they shape those around us. We are perhaps more likely to notice how others fulfill their roles.

Take some time today to pray for someone whose leadership role has shaped and nurtured you.

17th December
O Sapientia

Gen 49:2, 8-10
Mat 1:1-17

O Wisdom, O holy Word of God,
you govern all creation
with your strong yet tender care.
Come and show your people
the way to salvation.

O SAPIENTIA

I cannot think unless I have been thought,
Nor can I speak unless I have been spoken.
I cannot teach except as I am taught,
Or break the bread except as I am broken.
O Mind behind the mind through which I seek,
O Light within the light by which I see,
O Word beneath the words with which I speak,
O founding, unfound Wisdom, finding me,
O sounding Song whose depth is sounding me,
O Memory of time, reminding me,
My Ground of Being, always grounding me,
My Maker’s Bounding Line, defining me,
Come, hidden Wisdom, come with all you bring,
Come to me now, disguised as everything.

Listen to Malcolm Guite read his sonnet:

https://malcolmguite.wordpress.com/tag/o-sapientia/

Genesis 49:2,8-10
Matthew 1:1-17

O SAPIENTIA

The Church now silently selects its top liturgical gear as we move towards Christmas Eve. At Vespers we will sing the first of the Great O Antiphons, O Sapientia. At Mass the prayers and readings are tightly focused.

Today our text is from Genesis 49. Jacob in his old age asks his twelve sons to gather and gives each a blessing. Blessing and lineage are key intertwined themes in Genesis. In today’s reading we hear the blessing on Judah. It’s likely that the text was part of an oral tradition where the tribes would characterize each other by short sayings, often linked to the tribal name. Judah is given a lavish blessing. Using the imagery of a lion cub and a lioness Judah’s supremacy is promised. Judah will enjoy a period of prominence over the other tribes. Even the surrounding nations will be in Judah’s jurisdiction.

Nowadays it’s relatively easy for us to do research on our family trees. Deep in the human heart is the desire to know where we came from and how we connect to the world. Connection is why we are here. The Biblical writers set great store by being able to trace lineage. The biblical lineage is our lineage too. There is a sense in which we share spiritual DNA with all of the biblical characters.

As we move to the Gospel reading the focus is again on lineage. Matthew’s Gospel begins in a way which most modern writers would counsel against: a long list of names, some complex and some unfamiliar. Matthew has a particular purpose. In his genealogy we see clearly the ability of God to ‘write straight with crooked lines’. God has used the twists and turns of each person’s story to fulfil his plan.

Spend some time today thinking about the people who have played a role in your faith journey. Thank God for these people.

Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13

The third week of Advent continues to offer us texts that can challenge us. Today we hear from the prophet Zephaniah. Zephaniah is called, as all prophets are, to see the world as God sees it. There is a crisis looming for the people in Jerusalem as Babylon gains power and threatens to destroy all that is held sacred. God takes Jerusalem to task for her lack of faithfulness.

Trouble is coming to the rebellious,
the defiled, the tyrannical city!
She would never listen to the call,
would never learn the lesson;
she has never trusted in the Lord,
never drawn near to her God.

I am put in mind of my school days when some incident had occurred, the teacher got angry and then the whole class was punished. It was a heavy feeling that certainly coloured the rest of the day and possibly the rest of the week too. There was no such thing as negotiating with the trouble makers and letting them know that they had spoilt things for everyone. You just had to hope that they didn’t do it again.

Zephaniah offers and image of hope:

‘In your midst I will leave
a humble and lowly people,
and those who are left in Israel
will seek refuge in the Lord.’

So God knows that at least a few have lived in faithfulness. This is a theme taken up by several of the prophets: God sees and honours the faithful remnant. Perhaps we would all hope to be considered part of that remnant? There is a similar theme at work in the New Testament where the lowly find a special place in the heart and mind of God.

Holding on to what we know to be true and right isn’t always easy. Our desire to follow the right path can be strengthened each day by our small choices. Choices that may seem too tiny to matter can build a solid foundation for that day when God asks us to make a leap of faith and say ‘Yes’.

How can you be faithful this Advent?

Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17
Matthew 21:23-27

Today’s first reading is a rather unfamiliar text from the Book of Numbers. We hear one of the oracles of the prophet Balaam.

How fair are your tents, O Jacob!
How fair your dwelling, Israel!
Like valleys that stretch afar,
like gardens by the banks of a river,
like aloes planted by the Lord,
like cedars beside the waters.

The poetic language has resonances with the Psalms. It’s likely that the Book of Numbers was edited during the period of exile in Babylon. Balaam’s oracle reassures Israel that deliverance is at hand:

‘A hero rises from their stock, he reigns over countless peoples.‘

This text finds a place in our Advent liturgy as Christian writers interpret this as a reference to Christ. This idea is further reinforced a few verses later:

I see him-but not in the present,
I behold him- but not close at hand:
a star from Jacob takes the leadership,
a sceptre arises from Israel.

What’s special about Balaam is that he is a Gentile. He is held up for us here as an example of one who interprets the signs and acknowledges the coming of the Messiah.

You might be starting to feel a sense of urgency with your Christmas preparations. I always imagine that I have slightly more time than I actually do. The challenge each year is to be open to those glimpses of the Messiah in the ordinariness of our lives.

Where can you see God’s love made incarnate?

Isaiah 35:1-6, 10
Matthew 11:2-11

Today Isaiah offers us poetic vision of all that God promises for the people of Judah: everybody and everything will be restored in a land governed by God. Judah has experienced a period of barrenness and dryness in her relationship with God. All of this God will turn into fertile land where everything can flourish. It is a very exuberant text. The glory of God is seen in a land where everything is restored and blossoms. What was once arid will now become fertile. The power of God to heal and save will be felt by everyone:

‘Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, the ears of the death unsealed, then the lame will leap like a deer and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy for those the Lord has ransomed shall return.‘

In the Gospel text from Matthew, John the Baptist sends a disciple to ask Jesus if he is ‘the One’. John the Baptist was expecting a particular type of Messiah. His reading of the Scriptures led him to believe the Messiah would be cutting down rotten trees and using a winnowing fan. Instead, in his reply, Jesus is saying that the Kingdom has begun. In his very being the reign of God is inaugurated:

‘Go back and tell John what you hear and see; the blind see again, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised to life and the Good News is proclaimed to the poor; and happy is the man who does not lose faith in me.’

In the Rule of St Benedict the Kingdom breaks through in more subtle ways. Philip Sheldrake in his book, Spaces for the Sacred, sees a kingdom dimension in monastic living:

‘Monastic spirituality invites us to live as if the inner harmony, the interpersonal reconciliation, the social conversion of the Kingdom of God were actually the case. It is anticipatory, but in the sense that practising the ‘as if’ is, in God’s providence, an irreducible aspect of the Kingdom coming to be.’

The practice of hospitality is one dimension of monastic living which makes the Kingdom tangible. Everything is to be done as if you were welcoming Christ himself. Every tiny detail of setting a table, cooking a meal or answering correspondence honours Christ and builds for the Kingdom. Once the guest arrives St Benedict is very clear that prayer is to form part of the welcome.

Many guests comment on experience of being welcomed to the Liturgy in a our monastery. It is truly humbling to hear this.

How can you build for the Kingdom during Advent?
How can you welcome Christ?

Isaiah 48:17-19
Matthew 11:16-19

Our reading from Isaiah is short today. It’s just three verses. But those verses contain so much. Here God speaks with a tone that is tender and deliberate:

‘This says the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is good for you. I lead you in the way you must go.’

There are resonances of the Exodus and the wandering in the wilderness. In those wilderness years the Israelites needed to rely wholeheartedly on being led by God. Every step they took was a step towards freedom. In the next few lines God’s tone becomes wistful:

‘If only you had been alert to my commandments, your happiness would have been like a river, your integrity like the waves of the sea.’

Israel now lives in exile in Babylon and can’t avoid looking back and taking stock of the missed opportunities and times when they fell short of the demands of the covenant. But help is at hand because God has promised to redeem them. They’ll leave Babylon with the promise of restoration and new life. Regret at how things may have turned out in our lives is a real burden of our human condition. There’s a kind of dull ache when you realise that you missed an opportunity that may have changed some aspect of your life.

In the Gospel today there’s a similar theme of not listening and missing an opportunity. This time it’s about failure to recognize the Kingdom. This text pulls me up short. It’s so easy to see only the difficulties and hurdles that need to be navigated in any given day and to miss the small moments of love and grace. Advent gives me the opportunity to step back and to notice.

How can you be open to God’s Kingdom today?

Isaiah 41:13-20
Matthew 11:11-15

‘For I the Lord, your God,
am holding you by the right hand;
I tell you, ‘Do not be afraid,
I will help you.’

From the very beginning of the history of salvation we see the part that fear can play in how we relate to God and each other. The primitive ‘fight or flight’ response is hard-wired in our nervous system. Fear is natural and our ability to overcome it will vary according to many more factors than we realise.

Israel’s experience of exile meant that they lived with a heightened sense of alert. If you have witnessed the devastation of your homeland and the destruction of the one building that guaranteed God’s presence, the Temple, then fear is the natural response to anything that might threaten your fragile sense of self and community. This fragile sense of self is voiced by Isaiah as he refers to Jacob as ‘poor worm’ and Israel as ‘puny mite’. Isaiah uses more reversal imagery to assure the people that God can take their weakness and make them strong.

See, I turn you into a threshing sled,
new, with doubled teeth;
you shall thresh and crush the mountains,
and turn the hills to chaff.’

The newly empowered Israel will be able to make her way to freedom. And water, the thing that is most essential in the desert, will be provided in abundance. Not only that, but terrain that once yielded nothing will be planted with cedar, acacias, myrtle, olives, juniper, plane and cypress.

In a world that prioritises strength and makes fun of weakness it’s not always easy to acknowledge our weaknesses, let alone see how God could use them. When a situation seems hopeless it can be impossible to see how new life might come.  In Advent we await Christ’s coming in weakness to meet us in our own weakness.

Are there situations in your own life where God is inviting you not to be afraid? When God tells you that he will hold you by your right hand, what is your response?