This post is somewhat of a continuation on a post I wrote back in February, you can read it here.
We too often lose sight of the mysteries of our faith. We reduce the presence of God in the world to simple wrote prayers, written doctrines and staunchly enforced rules. We gaze at the Most Beautiful Source of Life and force ourselves to suppress our wonder... lest It change us.
Chesterton wrote about this suppression beautifully,
“`Long years and centuries ago our fathers or the founders of our people drank, as they dreamed, of the blood of God. Long years and centuries have passed since the strength of that giant vintage has been anything but a legend of the age of giants.... Long since that bitter drink has been itself diluted; rinsed out and washed away by the waters of oblivion and the wave of the world. Never did we think to taste again even that bitter tang of sincerity and the spirit, still less the richer and the sweeter strength of the purple vineyards in our dreams of the age of gold. Day by day and year by year we have lowered our hopes and lessened our convictions; we have grown more and more used to seeing those vats and vineyards overwhelmed in the water-floods and the last savour and suggestion of that special element fading like a stain of purple upon a sea of grey. We have grown used to dilution, to dissolution, to a watering down and went on forever. But Thou hast kept the good wine until now.'"
I love this quote, especially for the note on which it ends. ‘Thou hast kept the good wine until now.’ This is an allusion to John 2:10, the comment of the head waiter at the Wedding of Cana after tasting Jesus’ miraculous wine. Jesus has taken ordinary water (arguably the most watered down form of wine that can exist) and has transformed the dilution into something magnificent.
This gives me hope for us. Although we may water down the mysteries of our faith and lose all sense of wonder and awe, God retains the power to reveal; to reawaken; to dazzle.
As beautiful as these mysteries may be... it takes incredible courage to ask God to dazzle us again... to allow ourselves to be swept up into God’s permeating presence, the Beautiful Source of Life. I have been praying that God will awaken me to the Spirit’s glorious and mysterious presence around me.
Dear Lord... dazzle us once again!
Peace turtles!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Assumption
Tomorrow we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption, a remembrance of the Virgin Mary's entrance into Heaven. I always remember this feast day because it corresponds with the birthday of my younger sister Megan (Happy Birthday Megan!!!).
The Gospel reading for the feast day is the Magnificat. A poem/prayer proclaimed by Mary when she was greeted by her cousin Elizabeth (John the Baptist's mom). This is a rare time in the Gospels where a conversation, especially of a theological nature, between two women is remembered. It is a song of reversal, saying that the proud, the confident, and the powerful will be humbled and the lowly raised up. Reid (1996) writes, "Mary's song ends on the confident note that God has promised mercy not only to our ancestors, but to all of their descendants, women and men of faith (p. 77)."
Some scholars believe that the text of this song/prayer may come from a lullaby sung by Israeli mothers to their children. Not in the sense of social justice brainwashing... but that this song encapsulates a great deal of what the community of lower-class Jews believed about the faithfulness and mercy of their God. It makes sense that God the Father would choose to have his Son born into this community. Thus, it's no secret why Jesus was so radically committed to social justice, his mother had taught him solid values!
Here is the text of the prayer:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
Now imagine that you were a powerful and misguided (perhaps flat out corrupt) ruler who had abandoned your commitment to God. Imagine how terrifying it would be to know that the women of your territory had begun to sing this song to their children. You might as well start packing your bags.
This Gospel begs us to ask ourselves some tough questions. Have we forgotten the faithfulness and mercy of God? Are we the voice proclaiming God's goodness to the world? Are we committed to teaching our children sound values?
Happy Assumption! Peace turtles!
The Gospel reading for the feast day is the Magnificat. A poem/prayer proclaimed by Mary when she was greeted by her cousin Elizabeth (John the Baptist's mom). This is a rare time in the Gospels where a conversation, especially of a theological nature, between two women is remembered. It is a song of reversal, saying that the proud, the confident, and the powerful will be humbled and the lowly raised up. Reid (1996) writes, "Mary's song ends on the confident note that God has promised mercy not only to our ancestors, but to all of their descendants, women and men of faith (p. 77)."
Some scholars believe that the text of this song/prayer may come from a lullaby sung by Israeli mothers to their children. Not in the sense of social justice brainwashing... but that this song encapsulates a great deal of what the community of lower-class Jews believed about the faithfulness and mercy of their God. It makes sense that God the Father would choose to have his Son born into this community. Thus, it's no secret why Jesus was so radically committed to social justice, his mother had taught him solid values!
Here is the text of the prayer:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
Now imagine that you were a powerful and misguided (perhaps flat out corrupt) ruler who had abandoned your commitment to God. Imagine how terrifying it would be to know that the women of your territory had begun to sing this song to their children. You might as well start packing your bags.
This Gospel begs us to ask ourselves some tough questions. Have we forgotten the faithfulness and mercy of God? Are we the voice proclaiming God's goodness to the world? Are we committed to teaching our children sound values?
Happy Assumption! Peace turtles!
Reid, B. E. (1996). Choosing the Better Part?: Women in the Gospel of Luke. Collegeville, MN:Michael Glazier Liturgical Press.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Santuario de Chimayo
My favorite place that I visited while in New Mexico was the Santuario de Chimayo, a sacred shrine just north of Santa Fe. The story goes that about 200 years ago the sanctuary cross from a nearby church began disappearing every night and miraculously appearing in a small family chapel in town. As this started to happen, many people were healed and experienced an awakening of their faith.
Today, the small family chapel has been made a shrine and is maintained by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Thousands of pilgrims travel to the shrine each year! The dirt of Chimayo is said to be sacred and visitors are encouraged to take some of it as a remembrance of God's faithfulness.
The area is very conducive for prayer. Multiple statues have been erected on prayer walks throughout the tiny campus and a catechetical chapel in honor of Santo Nino de Atocha has been built as well. The chapel is brightly colored to appeal to children and houses a statue of Santo Nino. Surrounding the statue and chapel are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pairs of baby shoes representing infants and children being lifted up in prayer. The sight of this devotion is overwhelming!
I have attached a picture of the Santo Nino statue and some of the shoes. Anyone interested in learning more about Chimayo should start here: http://chimayo.us/.
Peace turtles!
Today, the small family chapel has been made a shrine and is maintained by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Thousands of pilgrims travel to the shrine each year! The dirt of Chimayo is said to be sacred and visitors are encouraged to take some of it as a remembrance of God's faithfulness.
The area is very conducive for prayer. Multiple statues have been erected on prayer walks throughout the tiny campus and a catechetical chapel in honor of Santo Nino de Atocha has been built as well. The chapel is brightly colored to appeal to children and houses a statue of Santo Nino. Surrounding the statue and chapel are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pairs of baby shoes representing infants and children being lifted up in prayer. The sight of this devotion is overwhelming!
I have attached a picture of the Santo Nino statue and some of the shoes. Anyone interested in learning more about Chimayo should start here: http://chimayo.us/.
Peace turtles!
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