When I received my first communion, I was a lector. I was in second grade. The catechists in charge had decided that in order to make the liturgy more meaningful to the children, they would let us participate in a more active way than is usual. So everyone got a job. I read the first three verses from Isaiah 40. These were the first verses I memorized. I was very proud, and decided that those verses were my favorite in all of scripture.
About twenty years later, they still are. Isaiah's verses still move me.
"Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated" Isaiah 40:1-2
How beautifully and sweetly Isaiah delivers God's word to his people. At the time, they were enslaved. their suffering was real.
I don't go to confession as often as I probably should. The bare minimum required of a Catholic, I am pretty sure, is once a year. I try to go twice: during Advent and during Lent. When I go, I am often moved tears. I do not deserve this grace. Who is this God, this awesome, powerful, majesty, who cares so much for me? Who am I to merit such a personal and deep love?
I know, the verse came to my head because it is the verse which I know best. Still, the verse comforted me enormously. I know that God is speaking to me. My sins are forgiven. The first time I cried after confession, God gave me this verse, and it felt like a hug. The verse took on a different and very personal meaning. I understand that the verse says, "God will get you out of slavery, Israel." What I heard was, "Beth, I love you. Accept my gift of forgiveness."
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
St. Nicholas
Today is the feast of St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas was a Catholic bishop in the fourth century. There are so many stories about him, it is difficult to know what is and is not true. According to the stories he defended the innocent, even against the will of the emperor. He cared for the poor in many ways. He successfully convinced the emperor to reduce oppressively high taxes. He destroyed the temple to Artemis. He was a faithful, just, and compassionate defender of the faith.
Probably the best known story about St. Nicholas is one about his care for the poor. There was a man who had three daughters, and no money. Without money for a dowry, they could not marry. This was a much bigger problem than it sounds to our modern ears. The girls were likely to become prostitutes. St. Nicholas heard of this family. Late one night he slipped out and threw a bag of gold down through an open window. The gold was used as dowry. He did this twice more, years later, as each girl came old enough to marry. His gifts were intended to be anonymous, but the father caught him the third time.
This story is the basis for stories all over the world about dear St. Nicholas. Saint Nicholas, bishop of Myra (somewhere in Turkey) became Sinterklaas (Sint Nicolaas) in the Netherlands, who became Santa Clause. An early saint, he is revered by many all over the world. He is considered a saint by both the Catholics and the Orthodox, and even by some protestants.
His feast day is anticipated by children. They put out their shoes (or stockings) on the eve of his feast day, and hope that in the morning the shoes will be filled with goodies.
St. Nicholas cared for the poor in very practical ways. During seasons of penitence in the Church we are called to increase our prayer, fasting and almsgiving. How can we follow in his footsteps?
We talk about Christmas as a 'season of giving,' by which we generally mean 'a season when we give our loved ones things.' We spend so much time and money giving to people who do not need, and drop our extra pennies in the red buckets by the door. I don't want to trivialize family time and sharing; it is wonderful! It is not almsgiving. Can we reserve a night in our over-busy holiday schedules to work in a soup kitchen? Can we ask our friends and family to give us gifts that support charities? Here is my recommendation! They sell all kinds of beautiful handmade gifts! (http://www.serrv.org/default.aspx?source=F103 Can we ask them to donate to a charity, rather than give us gifts? What if instead of a gift exchange, we pool the money we would have spent and give it to a local charity? Eat in, when you were going to eat out, and give the money to someone in need. I hear that many food pantries are low this year, and the need is greater. What would St. Nicholas do?
Probably the best known story about St. Nicholas is one about his care for the poor. There was a man who had three daughters, and no money. Without money for a dowry, they could not marry. This was a much bigger problem than it sounds to our modern ears. The girls were likely to become prostitutes. St. Nicholas heard of this family. Late one night he slipped out and threw a bag of gold down through an open window. The gold was used as dowry. He did this twice more, years later, as each girl came old enough to marry. His gifts were intended to be anonymous, but the father caught him the third time.
This story is the basis for stories all over the world about dear St. Nicholas. Saint Nicholas, bishop of Myra (somewhere in Turkey) became Sinterklaas (Sint Nicolaas) in the Netherlands, who became Santa Clause. An early saint, he is revered by many all over the world. He is considered a saint by both the Catholics and the Orthodox, and even by some protestants.
His feast day is anticipated by children. They put out their shoes (or stockings) on the eve of his feast day, and hope that in the morning the shoes will be filled with goodies.
St. Nicholas cared for the poor in very practical ways. During seasons of penitence in the Church we are called to increase our prayer, fasting and almsgiving. How can we follow in his footsteps?
We talk about Christmas as a 'season of giving,' by which we generally mean 'a season when we give our loved ones things.' We spend so much time and money giving to people who do not need, and drop our extra pennies in the red buckets by the door. I don't want to trivialize family time and sharing; it is wonderful! It is not almsgiving. Can we reserve a night in our over-busy holiday schedules to work in a soup kitchen? Can we ask our friends and family to give us gifts that support charities? Here is my recommendation! They sell all kinds of beautiful handmade gifts! (http://www.serrv.org/default.aspx?source=F103 Can we ask them to donate to a charity, rather than give us gifts? What if instead of a gift exchange, we pool the money we would have spent and give it to a local charity? Eat in, when you were going to eat out, and give the money to someone in need. I hear that many food pantries are low this year, and the need is greater. What would St. Nicholas do?
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Two candles.
Two candles today!
The reading today was from Isaiah again.
"On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom." (Isaiah 11:1)Do you celebrate Advent with a Jesse tree? I am told that the history of the Jesse tree involves a rejection of the Christmas tree for reasons relating to its pagan origin. I don't know if it is true, but I like both traditions and refuse to pick.
The Jesse tree is a visual depiction of our Lord's family tree. In many homes, it is a tree hung with ornaments. Each ornament symbolically depicts someone from His lineage. David, for instance, could be represented by a ornament shaped like a sling-shot, or a harp.
I remember one year when I was a kid, we made Jesse tree cookies. We made stained glass cookies, that looked like little Church windows. We made sugar cookie dough and rolled it out. We cut out circles. In the middle of each circle we cut out the symbols. We put the shapes on the greased cookie sheet. Then we crushed up various bright colored hard candies and filled in the holes. When the cookies bake, the candy melts into a window! Since there are not mass produced 'Jesse tree' cookie cutters, we had to cut many of the symbols by hand. That in turn meant that we had to be pretty creative in choosing symbols. Anyone can make a star (David) , or a shepherd's staff (Jesse), but can you make the scales of justice (Solomon) out of cookie?
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Oh come, Oh come, Emmanuel!
You are singing now, right? Maybe not. I cannot read a line from a song without singing, which often means I cannot read scripture without singing.
This familiar carol captures the essence of Advent. It is expresses pain, longing, division and hopeful joy. Try not to sing it, and just read the words. "Oh come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here, until the son of God appears. Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, oh Israel!"
The singer addresses God first, in every verse, with supplication. Then, confident that he is heard and will be answered, he addresses the captives. Our savior is coming. This is the plight of Christians. We live in a broken world, and we are slaves to sin. Yet we know God is with us, and we know He will come again.
Emmanuel means 'God with us.' That line captures our condition rather beautifully. Oh come, God with us. We ask our ever-present and all-knowing Father to come save us. We ask for help, when we need it, though we know that He knows already. We invite Him into our lives, knowing He is already there. This changes our relationship with him. We are not his toys, created and watched. We are his children. He will love us and help us, but He will not force us to love him.
The song makes many painful petitions. Free the captives! Deliver your people from their foes! Disperse the gloomy clouds of night! Make our divisions cease! Each plea is followed with faithful confidence. He will come, rejoice! The faithful know that their pleas are heard by a loving and present God.
Come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that morns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Thou Wisdom, from on high,
and order all things far and nigh;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, o come, Thou Lord of might,
who to thy tribes on Sinai's height
in ancient times did give the law,
in cloud, and majesty, and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse's stem,
form ev'ry foe deliver them
that trust Thy mighty power to save,
and give them vict'ry o'er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
and open wide our heav'nly home,
make safe the way that leads on high,
that we no more have cause to sigh.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,
and cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night
and death's dark shadow put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Desire of the nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind;
bid every strife and quarrel cease
and fill the world with heaven's peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
This familiar carol captures the essence of Advent. It is expresses pain, longing, division and hopeful joy. Try not to sing it, and just read the words. "Oh come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here, until the son of God appears. Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, oh Israel!"
The singer addresses God first, in every verse, with supplication. Then, confident that he is heard and will be answered, he addresses the captives. Our savior is coming. This is the plight of Christians. We live in a broken world, and we are slaves to sin. Yet we know God is with us, and we know He will come again.
Emmanuel means 'God with us.' That line captures our condition rather beautifully. Oh come, God with us. We ask our ever-present and all-knowing Father to come save us. We ask for help, when we need it, though we know that He knows already. We invite Him into our lives, knowing He is already there. This changes our relationship with him. We are not his toys, created and watched. We are his children. He will love us and help us, but He will not force us to love him.
The song makes many painful petitions. Free the captives! Deliver your people from their foes! Disperse the gloomy clouds of night! Make our divisions cease! Each plea is followed with faithful confidence. He will come, rejoice! The faithful know that their pleas are heard by a loving and present God.
Come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that morns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Thou Wisdom, from on high,
and order all things far and nigh;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, o come, Thou Lord of might,
who to thy tribes on Sinai's height
in ancient times did give the law,
in cloud, and majesty, and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse's stem,
form ev'ry foe deliver them
that trust Thy mighty power to save,
and give them vict'ry o'er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
and open wide our heav'nly home,
make safe the way that leads on high,
that we no more have cause to sigh.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,
and cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night
and death's dark shadow put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Desire of the nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind;
bid every strife and quarrel cease
and fill the world with heaven's peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
Friday, December 3, 2010
Little Lent
Advent is sometimes called little Lent. Surprised? I was.
Lent is long and hard. Advent usually flies by before I have time to address Christmas cards. Lent is for fasting! Everyone knows about the Lenten fast, whether or not we practice effectively. During Lent we self inflict some trivial form of suffering (What? No Chocolate?) which helps us focus on the season. Lent is hard! Advent is a countdown.
Except it isn't. Advent is a time set aside for preparing for Christ to come. Like Lent, it is a time when we should taking a hard look at our lives, and fixing things. Like Lent, it is a time when we are preparing for a Holy day. That means we are decorating and house cleaning, but we should also be preparing our hearts. If you had to pick between having your home ready or your heart ready for Christ to come, which do you suppose He would want you to pick?
Last Sunday my pastor talked a bit about fasting. He explained that fasting is an exercise of will. Think of your will as a muscle. A strong will is necessary as we are faced daily with a sinful world. When we fast we exercise, and strengthen our will. (Spiritual crunches?)
I had always considered fasting as a help in focusing my mind. Daily life happens, even during Lent. Gearing up for the greatest holiday in the year, I am easily distracted. Each time I encounter whatever I have given up, I am reminded that I am fasting. How many prayers would you say every day if every time it you wanted to eat chocolate you said a prayer instead?
Scripture call us to "pray constantly." (Thessalonians 5:17) This does not mean that all day and all night we are repeating words. It means that in everything we do, we offer ourselves to God. I'll be the first to own up, I am not very good at this. Fasting helps. If nothing else, it reminds me that I am supposed to be praying.
Consider an Advent fast. It doesn't have to be anything difficult or visible, just something which will remind you of the season. Think yummy Starbucks drinks. You will be out shopping, there is a Starbucks on every corner and they have these delicious, limited-time, holiday drinks. Give them up and I can almost guarantee that you will think about your mini-fast pretty often. Best of all, no one else has to know. Even if you go out to coffee with your buddies, you can just order a plain coffee or a plain tea. It is just a thought.
Some context on that Thessalonians verse, by the way. "Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." (Thessalonians 5:16-18)
This constant prayer goes right along with constant rejoicing. Happy Advent!
Lent is long and hard. Advent usually flies by before I have time to address Christmas cards. Lent is for fasting! Everyone knows about the Lenten fast, whether or not we practice effectively. During Lent we self inflict some trivial form of suffering (What? No Chocolate?) which helps us focus on the season. Lent is hard! Advent is a countdown.
Except it isn't. Advent is a time set aside for preparing for Christ to come. Like Lent, it is a time when we should taking a hard look at our lives, and fixing things. Like Lent, it is a time when we are preparing for a Holy day. That means we are decorating and house cleaning, but we should also be preparing our hearts. If you had to pick between having your home ready or your heart ready for Christ to come, which do you suppose He would want you to pick?
Last Sunday my pastor talked a bit about fasting. He explained that fasting is an exercise of will. Think of your will as a muscle. A strong will is necessary as we are faced daily with a sinful world. When we fast we exercise, and strengthen our will. (Spiritual crunches?)
I had always considered fasting as a help in focusing my mind. Daily life happens, even during Lent. Gearing up for the greatest holiday in the year, I am easily distracted. Each time I encounter whatever I have given up, I am reminded that I am fasting. How many prayers would you say every day if every time it you wanted to eat chocolate you said a prayer instead?
Scripture call us to "pray constantly." (Thessalonians 5:17) This does not mean that all day and all night we are repeating words. It means that in everything we do, we offer ourselves to God. I'll be the first to own up, I am not very good at this. Fasting helps. If nothing else, it reminds me that I am supposed to be praying.
Consider an Advent fast. It doesn't have to be anything difficult or visible, just something which will remind you of the season. Think yummy Starbucks drinks. You will be out shopping, there is a Starbucks on every corner and they have these delicious, limited-time, holiday drinks. Give them up and I can almost guarantee that you will think about your mini-fast pretty often. Best of all, no one else has to know. Even if you go out to coffee with your buddies, you can just order a plain coffee or a plain tea. It is just a thought.
Some context on that Thessalonians verse, by the way. "Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." (Thessalonians 5:16-18)
This constant prayer goes right along with constant rejoicing. Happy Advent!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Happy Holidays from Christmasland!
I went shopping today.
I ventured out into Christmasland to find some things I needed. It was fun! People were friendly, and the stores are all decorated. Most people went with the politically correct, "Happy Holidays," but I'll take it. I like greetings. Christmasland (everywhere, not a real place) is bedecked with miles and miles of lights. Stores have laid out their best greens and reds. There are angels and glitter and stars and nativities. This is Christmasland- and it is not in its full decorated glory yet!
I was looking at Christmas cards and contemplating actually sending out Christmas cards this year. I found a beautiful red card with an embossed gold angel playing a trumpet. It was lovely, and tempting. I opened it and found that the inside read, "Happy holidays!" Really? The angel was celebrating some unspecified holiday on a red card in December.
This is one of those inane directives from the consumer. Not wanting to offend anyone, but trying to capitalize on Christmas, businesses market 'Happy Holidays' merchandise. I'll be honest, it does not bother me. As I said, when it comes to well wishes, I'll take what is given. Still, it seems odd and even disingenuous. The angel card was clearly a Christmas card. There are symbols everywhere. Stores have decorated Christmas trees. Every inch of adornable space is adorned in green and red. The card with intricately dressed men pointing to a star in the sky? Well, I suppose they could be anyone, but odds are most people see a chapter of our beloved nativity tale. The holly? The Poinsettias? The doves carrying peace banners? Yet calligraphied across each and every symbol it the well meaning, meaningless wish, "Happy holidays!" No one is fooled. It is Christmasland.
Sometimes symbols carry more weight than words.
Bearing that in mind, what are you doing for Advent? (You knew I'd com back to Advent.) Celebrating Christmas before it happens deemphasizes it in the same way that mislabeling all the merchandise does. It cannot actually undermine the holiday, but it cheapens our experience. It dulls poignancy with irrelevancies. Christmas is not about the parties or well wishes or magic. It is a celebration of God's revelation of love, and his invitation to us to share in it. Enjoy the parties, wish everyone well, and hope for magic. But don't miss the Holy day for a holiday.
"Wait for the Lord, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the Lord!" Psalm 27:14
He is coming!
I ventured out into Christmasland to find some things I needed. It was fun! People were friendly, and the stores are all decorated. Most people went with the politically correct, "Happy Holidays," but I'll take it. I like greetings. Christmasland (everywhere, not a real place) is bedecked with miles and miles of lights. Stores have laid out their best greens and reds. There are angels and glitter and stars and nativities. This is Christmasland- and it is not in its full decorated glory yet!
I was looking at Christmas cards and contemplating actually sending out Christmas cards this year. I found a beautiful red card with an embossed gold angel playing a trumpet. It was lovely, and tempting. I opened it and found that the inside read, "Happy holidays!" Really? The angel was celebrating some unspecified holiday on a red card in December.
This is one of those inane directives from the consumer. Not wanting to offend anyone, but trying to capitalize on Christmas, businesses market 'Happy Holidays' merchandise. I'll be honest, it does not bother me. As I said, when it comes to well wishes, I'll take what is given. Still, it seems odd and even disingenuous. The angel card was clearly a Christmas card. There are symbols everywhere. Stores have decorated Christmas trees. Every inch of adornable space is adorned in green and red. The card with intricately dressed men pointing to a star in the sky? Well, I suppose they could be anyone, but odds are most people see a chapter of our beloved nativity tale. The holly? The Poinsettias? The doves carrying peace banners? Yet calligraphied across each and every symbol it the well meaning, meaningless wish, "Happy holidays!" No one is fooled. It is Christmasland.
Sometimes symbols carry more weight than words.
Bearing that in mind, what are you doing for Advent? (You knew I'd com back to Advent.) Celebrating Christmas before it happens deemphasizes it in the same way that mislabeling all the merchandise does. It cannot actually undermine the holiday, but it cheapens our experience. It dulls poignancy with irrelevancies. Christmas is not about the parties or well wishes or magic. It is a celebration of God's revelation of love, and his invitation to us to share in it. Enjoy the parties, wish everyone well, and hope for magic. But don't miss the Holy day for a holiday.
"Wait for the Lord, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the Lord!" Psalm 27:14
He is coming!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
The wreath
The wreath is the most common devotion during the season of Advent. Dinner tables are centered with a ring of evergreen and lit with four candles, three purple and one pink.
Evergreen is traditionally used to celebrate Christmas because it is associated with eternal life. The circle, similarly, is associated with eternity, because it has not beginning or ending. It kind of seems like a strange symbol, actually, to associate with the birth of our our Lord. That is a beginning, isn't it? God has no beginning and no ending. Jesus was born and he died. He rose from the dead, conquering the death. Using wreath to commemorate his birth reiterates the truth that He is God. Even as we celebrate His humanity, we cannot forget His divinity.
The colored candles are a visual progression. Each week we light another candle. Lighting each candle we contemplate the time passing and the time passed; a beautiful juxtaposition with the wreath. Time progresses even as we contemplate eternity. Jesus was born and lived among us in our temporal world, though He is our eternal God.
The purple candles recall the penitential nature of the season. It is a time for penance and preparation. The preparations are for one of our most blessed holidays. It is therefore also a season of joy. The third candle is pink, to remind us to be joyful!
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