Living Water From an Ancient Well

Early Christian Teaching: Christus Victor (1)

2012-01-30T18:27:00.000-08:00

"The work of Christ is first and foremost a victory over the powers which hold mankind in bondage: sin, death, and the devil" (compare 1 Jn 3:8; Col 1:13; Heb 2:14)

The Early Church did not have a set doctrine of the cross and the atonement it was more of a collection of images and dramatic metaphors. The main focus theologically was on the incarnation and what they saw in the cross flowed out of their understanding of the incarnation. The Early Church saw Christ as God come among them. John writes in his Gospel,

" The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world...The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father full of grace and truth. (John 1:9,14) "

Irenaeus taught that Jesus’ redemptive work in his Incarnation, perfect life, death and resurrection was a "Victory in Christ" over all of God’s enemies. He wrote: "[Christ] fought and was victorious…for he bound the strong man, liberated the weak, and by destroying sin endowed his creation with salvation."

Juniper (died 1258

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Francis of Assisi referred to Juniper as "the renowned jester of the Lord'

more on Juniper in living water: his thumb nail bio and additional stories

Cowpers Names of God

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Jehovah-Rophi. I Am the Lord That Healeth Thee

(Exodus, xv.26)

Heal us, Emmanuel! here we are,: Waiting to feel Thy touch:
Deep-wounded souls to Thee repair: And, Saviour, we are such.
Our faith is feeble, we confess,: We faintly trust Thy word;
But wilt Thou pity us the less?: Be that far from Thee, Lord!
Remember him who once applied,: With trembling, for relief;
"Lord, I believe," with tears he cried,: "Oh, help my unbelief!"
She too, who touch'd Thee in the press,: And healing virtue stole,
Was answer'd, "Daughter, go in peace,: Thy faith hath made thee whole."
Conceal'd amid the gathering throng,: She would have shunn'd Thy view;
And if her faith was firm and strong,: Had strong misgivings too.
Like her, with hopes and fears we come,: To touch Thee, if we may;
Oh! send us not despairing home,: Send none unheal'd away!; William Cowper

Casting a caim or encircling prayer

2012-01-26T10:10:00.000-08:00

Casting a caim or encircling prayer is a technique that was used by the early Celtic Church. You can Draw an invisible circle around yourself with your right index finger by extending your arm towards the ground and turning clockwise with the sun. As you do this, become aware that you are safe and encompassed by the love of God: that you are encircled, enfolded and protected.

Circle me Lord
Keep hope within
Keep doubt without

Circle me Lord
Keep protection near
And danger afar

Circle me Lord
Keep peace within
Keep evil out

Circle me Lord
Keep light near
And darkness afar

May You be a bright flame before me
May You be a guiding star above me,
May You be a smooth path below me,
And a loving Guide behind me,
Today, tonight, and forever.

*Cross image by Cari Buziak

Brother Lawrence (1611-1691)

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The more one knows God, the greater one desires to know Him. Knowledge is commonly the measure of love. The deeper and more extensive our knowledge, the greater is our love.

We must know before we can love. In order to know God, we must often think of Him. And when we come to love Him, we shall then also think of Him often, for our heart will be with our treasure.

I see Him in such a manner as might make me say sometimes, I believe no more, but I see.

People seek methods of learning to know God. Is it not much shorter and more direct to simply do everything for the love of Him? There is no finesse about it. One only has to do it generously and simply.

It is the Creator who teaches truth, who in one moment instructs the heart of the humble and makes him understand more about the mysteries of faith and even about Himself than if he had studied them for a long term of years.

God alone is capable of making Himself known as He really is. We search in reasoning and in sciences, as in a poor copy. What we neglect to see is God's painting Himself in the depth of our soul.

I walk before God simply, in faith, with humility and with love; and I apply myself diligently to do nothing and think nothing which may displease Him ... and this without any other view than purely for the love of Him, and because He deserves infinitely more.

In continuing the practice of conversing with God throughout each day, and quickly seeking His forgiveness when I fell or strayed, His presence has become as easy and natural to me now as it once was difficult to attain.

We are made for God alone, who can only be pleased when we turn away from ourselves to devote ourselves to Him.

I know that for the right practice the heart must be empty of all other things; because God will possess the heart alone; and as He cannot possess it alone, without emptying it of all else besides, so neither can He act there and do in it what He pleases, unless it be left vacant to Him.

We ought to give ourselves up to God, both in temporal and spiritual things, and seek our satisfaction only in fulfilling His will. Whether He leads us by suffering or consolation, all is the same to one truly resigned.

We only deceive ourselves by seeking or loving God for any favors which He has or may grant us. Such favors, no matter how great, can never bring us as near to God as can one simple act of faith. Let us seek Him often by faith.

Let us think often that our only business in this life is to please God.

The end we ought to propose to ourselves is to become, in this life, the most perfect worshippers of God we can possibly be, as we hope to be through all eternity.

The most excellent method of going to God is that of doing our common business without any view of pleasing people but purely for the love of God.

We ought not to grow tired of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.

The more one knows God, the greater one desires to know Him. Knowledge is commonly the measure of love. The deeper and more extensive our knowledge, the greater is our love.

We must know before we can love. In order to know God, we must often think of Him. And when we come to love Him, we shall then also think of Him often, for our heart will be with our treasure.

I see Him in such a manner as might make me say sometimes, I believe no more, but I see.

God does not ask much of us. But remembering Him, praising Him, asking for His grace, offering Him your troubles, or thanking Him for what He has given you will console you all the time ... lift up your heart ... little remembrances please Him.

We should, once and for all, heartily put our whole trust in God and make a total surrender of ourselves, secure that He will not deceive us.

There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful, than that of a continual conversation with God; those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it.

quotes from the letters of Brother Lawrence (compiled in the text of "Practicing the presence of God") 17th century

Early Christian Teaching: Free Will (1)

2012-01-21T02:22:00.000-08:00

Early Church Fathers on Free Will

"We have learned from the prophets, and we hold it to be true, that punishments, chastisements, and rewards are rendered according to the merit of each man's actions. Otherwise, if all things happen by fate, then nothing is in our own power. For if it be predestined that one man be good and another man evil, then the first is not deserving of praise or the other to be blamed. Unless humans have the power of avoiding evil and choosing good by free choice, they are not accountable for their actions-whatever they may be.... For neither would a man be worthy of reward or praise if he did not of himself choose the good, but was merely created for that end. Likewise, if a man were evil, he would not deserve punishment, since he was not evil of himself, being unable to do anything else than what he was made for."
(Justin Martyr (110-165) First Apology chap. 43)

"He makes Himself known to those who, after doing all that their powers will allow, confess that they need help from Him." (Origen (185-255 )Against Celsus bk. 7, chap. 42)

"A man by himself working and toiling at freedom from sinful desires achieves nothing. But if he plainly shows himself to be very eager and earnest about this, he attains it by the addition of the power of God. God works together with willing souls. But if the person abandons his eagerness, the spirit from God is also restrained. To save the unwilling is the act of one using compulsion; but to save the willing, that of one showing grace." (Clement of Alexandria (190) Salvation of the Rich Man chap. 21)

"Neither praise nor condemnation, neither rewards nor punishments, are right if the soul does not have the power of choice and avoidance, if evil is involuntary." (Clement of Alexandria Miscellanies bk. 1, chap. 17)

Feast of theTheophany

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Orthodox Christian Churches celebrate the Theophany of Christ, on (January 6 (Gregorian Calendar)/January 19 (Julian Calendar) it is one of the Great Feasts of the (Eastern) Orthodox Christian Church. In Orthodox Tradition, the feast commemorates the biblical event which reveals the Holy Trinity to the world. The Baptism of Christ by John the Baptist is seen as that moment. Specifically when Christ emerges from the waters of the river Jordan, The Holy Spirit of God descends upon Him as a dove and the voice of God The Father is heard, simultaneously (Mt.3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22).

Theophany, from the Greek (ἡ) Θεοφάνεια (Τheophaneia, meaning "appearance of God"),refers to the appearance of a deity to a human.

The term has been used to refer to appearances of the gods in the ancient Greek and Near Eastern religions. The Iliad is the earliest source for a description of Throphany in classical Greek literature. Probably the earliest description of a theophany is in the Epic of Gilgamesh.

The term theophany has acquired a specific usage for Christians and Jews: It refers to the manifestation of God to man; the sign or way by which the presence of God is revealed.

In Celtic Christianity in a general sense all of creation can be seen as a theophany, a vehicle by which God is revealed.

see more on theophany and epiphany

Desert Wisdom (9)

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There were two old men who dwelt together for many years and who never quarreled. Then one said to the other: "Let us pick a quarrel with each other like other men do. "I do not know how quarrels arise," answered his companion. So the other said to him: "Look, I will put a brick down here between us and I will say "This is mine." Then you can say "No it is not, it is mine." Then we will be able to have a quarrel." So they placed the brick between them and the first one said: "This is mine." His companion answered him: "This is not so, for it is mine." To this, the first one said: "If it is so and the brick is yours, then take it and go your way." And so they were not able to have a quarrel.

Anthony of Egypt (251–356)

2012-01-17T01:11:00.000-08:00

The Death of Anthony of Egypt

When Saint Anthony felt that the day of his departure had approached, he commanded his disciples to give his staff to Marcus, and to give one sheep skin cloak to Athanasius and the other sheepskin cloak to Serapion, his disciple. He further instructed his disciples to bury his body in an unmarked grave. He died in 356 on Mount Kolzin by the Red Sea, 105 years old..

He probably spoke only his native language, Coptic, but his sayings were spread in a Greek translation. He himself left no writings. His biography was written by St.Athanasius and titled Life of Saint Anthony the Great. Many stories are also told about him in various collections of sayings of the Desert Fathers.

Though Anthony himself did not organize or create a monastery, a community grew around him based on his example of living an ascetic and isolated life. Athanasius' biography helped propagate Anthony's ideals. Athanasius writes, "For monks, the life of Anthony is a sufficient example of Asceticism.

The Vision of St Ita

2012-01-16T02:34:00.000-08:00

The Vision of Ita

(Saint Ita sees Christ come to her in a vision as a baby to be nursed)

It is Jesu
who is nursed by me in my little hermitage:
though it be a cleric with treasures,
all is a lie save Jesu.

The nursing I do in my house
is not the nursing of a base clown:
Jesus with the men of Heaven
under my heart every single night.

Young Jesu, my eternal good!
to heed him is a cause of forgiveness,
the king who controls all things,
not to beseech Him will cause repentance.

It is Jesus, noble, angelic,
not an unlearned cleric,
who is fostered by me in my little hermitage,
Jesus the son of the Hebrew woman.

Sons of princes, sons of kings,
though they should come into my country,
I should not expect profit from them;
more likely, I think, from Jesu.

Sing ye a chorus, O maidens,
to Him who has a right to your little tribute,
who sits in his place above,
though Jesu is at my breast.

A lullaby attributed to St Ita later put to music as one of Samuel Barbers Hermit Songs

SOURCE:
The Martyrology of Oengus. translated by Whitley Stokes. London, 1905.

Ita (475; d. 15 January, 570)

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St. Ita is known as the "Foster Mother of the Saints of Ireland" because she was a soul friend and spiritual mother to several of Ireland's early saints among them Brendan, Cummain and St. Mochoemoc, whom because of his beauty she called 'Pulcherius'. The wisdom with which she managed her charges and taught her "children" was cultivated through the quiet of solitary prayer and meditation.

Her gentle ministry to children is reflected in the lullaby for the infant Jesus that is attributed to her. Such is Ita's love for God that she prays for the gift of nursing the infant Jesus, a privilege granted to her in a vision. Along with Brigid, she becomes known as 'the wet-nurse of Christ'.

Ammon Ashford Hennacy (July 24, 1893 – January 14, 1970)

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Hennacy was born in Negly Ohio to Quaker parents, Benjamin Frankin Hennacy and Eliza Eunice Fitz Randolph, and grew up as a Baptist On hearing Billy Sunday preach in 1909 he became an atheist and shortly afterward became a socialist.

At the outbreak of WWI Hennacy was imprisoned for two years in Atlanta for resisting conscription. While in prison the only book he was allowed was the Bible. This inspired him to radically depart from his earlier beliefs; he became a Christian pacifist and a self-proclaimed "Christian anarchist". He led a hunger strike and was punished with eight months in solitary confinement. Hennacy believed that adherence to Christianity required being a pacifist and, because governments constantly threaten or use force to resolve conflicts, this meant being an anarchist.

In 1919 Hennacy married his first wife, Selma Melms, under common law; two years later they hiked around the US passing through all 48 states. He settled down in 1925, buying a farm and raising his two children. In 1931, he began social work in Milwakee and organized one of the first social worker unions. He refused to use force or self-defence when threatened , preferring instead to use non-resistance. During the 2nd WW, he refused to sign up for the draft and declared that he would not pay taxes. He also reduced his tax burden by embracing a lifestyle of simple living. Between 1942 and 1953, Hennacy worked as a migrant farm laborer in the southwest United States.

In 1952, he was baptised as a Roman Catholic by an anarchist priest, with Dorthy Day as his godmother. Hennacy moved to NY in 1953, and became the associate editor of the Catholic Worker. Hennacy engaged in many protests while in New York particularly against the Atomic Energy Commission. In 1958, He fasted for 40 days in protest of nuclear weapons testing.

Hennacy fasted and picketed in protest of the death penalty and the use of taxes in war. Following a divorce from Selma in 1964, Hennacy married his second wife, Joan Thomas, in 1965. In the same year he left the Roman Catholic Church, though he continued to call himself a "non-church Church". He wrote about his reasons for leaving and his thoughts on Catholicism, which included his belief that "Paul spoiled the message of Christ" This essay and others were published as The Book of Ammon in 1965, which has been praised for its "diamonds of insight and wisdom" but criticised for its rambling style.

His second and last book, The One-Man Revolution, was published in 1970 and consists of seventeen chapters with each one devoted to an American radical. These included Thomas Pain, William Loyd Garrison John Woolman, Dorthy Day, Eugene Debs, Malcom X, Mother Jones, Clarence Darrow and Albert Parsons.

Ammon Hennacy died from a heart attack on January 14, 1970. In accordance with his wishes, his body was cremated and the ashes scattered over the graves of the Haymarket Anarchists in Wieldehiem cemetery in Chicago.

Cartoon by Art young, first published in the Masses in 1917 and later reprinted in Ammon Hennacy's The Book of Ammon. I had this version as a poster on my wall as a young man.

adapted from Wikipiedia

Celtic House Blessings

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May God give blessing to the house that is here; May Jesus give blessing to the house that is here; May Spirit give blessing to the house that is here; May Three give blessing to the house that is here;	May Brigit give blessing to the house that is here; May Michael give blessing to the house that is here; May Mary give blessing to the house that is here; May Columba give blessing to the house that is here;



May the King of the elements be its help, The King of Glory have charge of it; Christ the beloved, Son of Mary Virgin, and the gentle Spirit be pouring therein; Michael, bright warrior, King of the Angels, Watch and ward it with the Power of his sword; Mary the fair and tender, be nigh the hearth, And Columba kindly giving benediction; In fulfilment of each promise On those within, On those within!

Epiphany (5)

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Epiphany is the climax of the Advent/Christmas Season and the Twelve days of Christmas, which are usually counted from the evening of December 25th until the morning of January 6th, which is the Twelfth Day.

The term epiphany means "to show" or "to make known", "to reveal." In Western churches, it commemorates the coming of the wise men bringing gifts to visit the Christ child, who by so doing "reveal" Jesus to the world as Lord and King.

In western Christian tradition, January 6 is celebrated as Epiphany.

Because of differences in church calendars, mainly between the Eastern Orthodox and the western Catholic and Protestant traditions, both Christmas and Epiphany have been observed at different times in the past. Today, most of the Eastern Orthodox traditions follow the western church calendar. The exceptions are some Greek Orthodox Churches and related traditions (for example, Russian and Serbian Orthodox) that still follow the older calendar and celebrate Epiphany as the Theophany on January 19th.

                                               What star is this, with beams so bright,
                                           More lovely than the noonday light?
                                         ’Tis sent to announce a newborn King,
                                                    Glad tidings of our God to bring.

graphic: Epiphany Times Three by Kathrin Burleson Watercolor, 2007,

see more

A CELTIC BLESSING for the NEW YEAR

2012-01-01T10:43:00.000-08:00

Beannacht ar chách

(Blessing on everyone)

Nara tiugha féar ag fás

(Not more generous the growing blades of grass)

Ná gaineamh ar thrá

(Nor the grains of sand on the shore)

Ná drúcht ar bhán

(Nor the dewdrops on the pasture)

Ná na beannachtaí ó Rí na ngrás

(be the blessings of the Kind of grace)

Ar gach anam a bhí, a bheidh ná atá.

(on every soul that was, that will be or that is.)

From The Glenstal Book of Prayer

Christmas day (4)

2011-12-25T14:20:00.000-08:00

EARTH TODAY REJOICES

Earth today rejoices,
Alleluya, Alleluya, Alleluya,
Death can hurt no more;
And celestial voices,
Alleluya, Alleluya, Alleluya,
Tell that sin is o'er.
David's sling destroys the foe:
Samson lays the temple low:
War and strife are done,
God and man are one.

Reconciliation,
Alleluya, Alleluya, Alleluya,
Peace that lasts for aye.
Gladness and salvation,
Alleluya, Alleluya, Alleluya,
Came on Christmas Day.
Gideon's Fleece is wet with dew,
Solomon is crown'd anew:
War and strife are done.
God and man are one.

Though the cold grows stronger,
Alleluya, Alleluya, Alleluya,
Though the world loves night,
Yet the days grow longer,
Alleluya, Alleluya, Alleluya,
Chris is born our Light.
Now the Dial's type is learnt,
Burns the Bush that is not burnt:
War and strife are done;
God and man are one.

The words and lyrics of the old Christmas carol 'Earth Today Rejoices' were written by John Mason Neale (1830-1894)'.John Mason Neale was born in London, the son of a Minister and was educated at Cambridge and he was ordained in May 1842. He was famous for writing the words of Good King Wenceslas. The music is from the Piae Cantiones. The Piae Cantiones is a collection of medieval Latin songs which originate from Finland. The first collection of these songs were published in the 1600's by Theodoricus Petri Rutha. The first English edition was published in 1910 by G.R. Woodward.

Christmas Eve (4)

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Nativity Prayer from The Orthodox Liturgy

Your nativity, O Christ our God,

has shed the light of knowledge upon the world.

Through it,

those who had been star-worshipers

learned through a star to worship you,

O Sun of Justice,

and to recognize in you the one who rises

and who comes from on high.

O Lord, glory to you!

Feast of the Nativity Liturgy

the Lords Prayer Old English

2011-12-23T22:00:00.000-08:00

The Lord's Prayer

(Old English - Anglo-Saxon)

Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum;

Si þin nama gehalgod

to becume þin rice

gewurþe ðin willa

on eorðan swa swa on heofonum.

urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us todæg

and forgyf us ure gyltas

swa swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum

and ne gelæd þu us on costnunge

ac alys us of yfele soþlice

Translation of Old English Text
Father our thou that art in heavens
be thy name hallowed
come thy kingdom
be-done thy will
on earth as in heavens
our daily bread give us today
and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those-who-have-sinned-against-us
and not lead thou us into temptation
but deliver us from evil. truly

The O Antiphions

2011-12-16T11:25:00.000-08:00

THE seven "O Antiphons" (also called the "Greater Antiphons" or "Major Antiphons") are prayers that come from the Breviary's Vespers during the Octave before Christmas Eve, a time which is called the "Golden Nights." The week leading up to Christmas EVE.

Each Antiphon begins with "O" and addresses Jesus with a unique title which comes from the prophecies of Isaias and Micheas (Micah), and whose initials, when read backwards, form an acrostic for the Latin "Ero Cras" which means "Tomorrow I come." Those titles for Christ are:

Sapientia

Adonai

Radix Jesse

Clavis David

Oriens

Rex Gentium

Emmanuel

These titles in more detail:

Dec. 17th Sapientia

Wisdom

Isaias 11:2-3
And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: the spirit of wisdom, and of understanding, the spirit of counsel, and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge, and of godliness. And he shall be filled with the spirit of the fear of the Lord, He shall not judge according to the sight of the eyes, nor reprove according to the hearing of the ears.

Isaias 28:29
This also is come forth from the Lord God of hosts, to make his counsel wonderful, and magnify justice.

Dec. 18th
Adonai

Lord of Israel

Isaias 11:4-5
But he shall judge the poor with justice, and shall reprove with equity the meek of the earth: and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. And justice shall be the girdle of his loins: and faith the girdle of his reins.

Isaias 33:22
For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king: he will save us.

Dec 19th
Radix Jesse

Root of Jesse

Isaias 11:1
And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root.

Isaias 11:10
In that day the root of Jesse, who standeth for an ensign of the people, him the Gentiles shall beseech, and his sepulchre shall be glorious.

Micheas 5:1
Now shalt thou be laid waste, O daughter of the robber: they have laid siege against us, with a rod shall they strike the cheek of the judge of Israel.

Romans 15:8-13
For I say that Christ Jesus was minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. But that the Gentiles are to glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: Therefore will I confess to thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and will sing to thy name. And again he saith: Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. And again: Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and magnify him, all ye people. And again Isaias saith: There shall be a root of Jesse; and he that shall rise up to rule the Gentiles, in him the Gentiles shall hope. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing; that you may abound in hope, and in the power of the Holy Ghost.

Apocalypse 5:1-5
And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne, a book written within and without, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel, proclaiming with a loud voice: Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man was able, neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor under the earth, to open the book, nor to look on it. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open the book, nor to see it. And one of the ancients said to me: Weep not; behold the lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

Dec. 20th
Clavis David

Key of David

Isaias 22:22
And I will lay the key of the house of David upon his shoulder: and he shall open, and none shall shut: and he shall shut, and none shall open.

Isaias 9:6
For a child is born to us, and a son is given to us, and the government is upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace.

Dec. 21st
Oriens

Radiant Dawn, Dayspring

Isaias 9:2
The people that walked in darkness, have seen a great light: to them that dwelt in the region of the shadow of death, light is risen.

Malachias 4:1-3
For behold the day shall come kindled as a furnace: and all the proud, and all that do wickedly shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall set them on fire, saith the Lord of hosts, it shall not leave them root, nor branch. But unto you that fear my name, the Sun of justice shall arise, and health in his wings: and you shall go forth, and shall leap like calves of the herd. And you shall tread down the wicked when they shall be ashes under the sole of your feet in the day that I do this, saith the Lord of hosts.

Dec. 22nd
Rex Gentium

King of all Nations, King of the Gentiles

Isaias 9:7
His empire shall be multiplied, and there shall be no end of peace: he shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom; to establish it and strengthen it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth and for ever: the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Isaias 2:4
And he shall judge the Gentiles, and rebuke many people: and they shall turn their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into sickles: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they be exercised any more to war.

Dec. 23rd
Emmanuel

God with us

Isaias 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son and his name shall be called Emmanuel.

http://fisheaters.com/customsadvent10.html

Thomas Merton (1915 - 1968)

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O land alive with miracles!O clad in streams. Lift your blue trees into the early sun!
O country wild with talentIs there an hour in you that does not rouse our mind with songs?The boughs that bend in the weak windOpen us momentary windows, here and there,Into those deep and purple galleries,Disclosing us the birds your genius.

O brilliant wood! Yours is the voice of a new world;And all the hills burn with such blinding art
That Christ and angels walk among us, everywhere.These are their ways, their fiery footsteps,That flash and vanish, smile and pass;--By those bright passengers our groves are all inspired.Lo, we have seen you, we have seized you, wonder,Caught you, half held you in the larch and lighted birch:But in that capture you have sailed us half-mile-high into the air

To taste the silences of the inimitable hawk:But in the dazzled, high and unelectric airSeized in the talons of the terrible DoveThe huge, unwounding Spirit,We suddenly escape the drag of earthFly from the dizzy paw of gravityAnd swimming in the wind that lies beyond the trackOf thought and genius and of desire,

Trample the white, appalling stratosphere.~

Thomas Merton

The Kingdom of God ( Jesus teaching on the kingdom) Pt 1

2011-12-08T12:10:00.000-08:00

Matthew 3:2

“Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. ”

Matthew 4:17

“From then on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”’

Matthew 5:3

“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”

Matthew 5:10“God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”

Matthew 6:33“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

Matthew 12:28“But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you.”

Matthew 19:24“I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

Matthew 21:31“Which of the two obeyed his father?” They replied, “The first.” Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do.”

Mark 1:15

“The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

Mark 4:11“He replied, ‘You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders,”’

Mark 4:26“Jesus also said, ‘The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground.’”

Mark 4:30“Jesus said, ‘How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it?’”

Mark 9:1

“Jesus went on to say, “I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God arrive in great power!”

Mark 10:14

“When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, ‘Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.’”

Mark 10:15“I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

Mark 10:23“Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!”

Mark 12:34“Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, ‘You are not far from the Kingdom of God.’”

Lughnasadh (Lammas) Liturgy

2011-11-29T21:40:00.000-08:00

LUGHNASADH LITURGY

The earth is the Lord's
And all that is upon it
Created and creative things
Fruit and Fruitfulness
Springtime and Summer
Seedtime and harvest
For the promise of harvest
contained within a seed
we thank you.

For the oak tree
within an acorn
The bread
within a grain
The apple
within a pip
The mystery of nature
gift wrapped
for us to sow
we thank you.
‘As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.’ (Gen 8:22)

We see signs of summer's passing in golden leaves,
shortening days, misty mornings, autumn glow.
We sense its passing in rain that dampens,
winds that chill, Harvest's bounty placed on show.
Creator God, who brings forth
both green shoot and hoar frost,
sunrise and sunset,
we bring our thanks
for seeds that have grown,
harvests gathered,
storehouses filled,
mouths fed.

And, as your good earth rests
through winter's cold embrace,
we look forward to its re-awakening
when kissed by Spring's first touch.

Here a song, chant or hymn might be sung

‘Sow everywhere the good seed given to you. Sow in good ground, sow in sand, sow among the stones, sow on the oad, sow among the weeds. Perhaps some of these seeds will open up and grow and bring forth fruit, even if not at once'
Seraphim of Sarov (1759-1833) Russian monk

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves."
John Muir

"We marvel at the Creator, not only as the one who made heaven and earth, sun and ocean, elephants, camels, horses, oxen, leopards, bears and lions, but also as the one who made the small creatures: ants, gnats, flies, worms and the like - things whose shape we know better than their names. And as in all creation we revere his skill, so the one whose mind is given to Christ is earnest in small things as in great, knowing that an account must be given even for an idle word."
Jerome (331-420) Church Father

For creativity in its many forms
we give you thanks
For the skill of weaver
potter, artist, sculptor
needle worker
all who take that which you have given
and make with it something of beauty
For fruitfulness in its many forms
we give you thanks
For selfless love
grace, wisdom, knowledge
sacrifice
all who take that which you have given
and make with it something of beauty

For summer's passing
and harvest home
A. WE THANK YOU
For seed that has fallen
the promise of spring
A. WE THANK YOU
We bless you,
God of Seed and Harvest
And we bless each other
That the beauty of this world
And the love that created it
Might be expressed though our lives
And be a blessing to others
Now and always
A. AMEN

liturgy developed by John Birch

Celtic Advent Begins

2011-11-17T08:05:00.000-08:00

A CELTIC ADVENT LITURGY

The lantern is lit

(A few moments of silence)

'Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.'

(John 1:3-5)
In the beginning, Lord

I was alone

Like the earth

before your Spirit moved over the waters.

I was formless and empty

and darkness filled the depths of my heart.

Then, it was as if you declared

'Let there be Light'

and out of the darkness

I began to see hope

like a shimmering ray of love

breaking through the parting clouds

at the conclusion of the night.

In the beginning, Lord I was alone

but when I saw you in the light I was no longer afraid.

You held out your hand

and though I had a choice

I had no choice

because to refuse

was to embrace again the darkness.

In the beginning, Lord I was alone

now I am again a part

of your creation

loved, wanted, needed, family.

In the light of your presence

I hold out my heart that others

might glimpse through it your reflection

and be drawn from the darkness that I once embraced

into the light of your sunrise

the brightness of your face

Lord Jesus, Son of God, Saviour of the world

All: Be the centre of all that we are, and the life that we lead

Lord Jesus, Light in this dark World, illuminate our hearts and minds

All: Be the centre of all that we are, and the life that we lead

(A space for music to be played or sung )

'There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.'

(John 1:6-9)

(A moment of silence - During the silence, you may like to read and reflect on the words that have been read, gaze at the lantern - or simply enjoy the peace and calm )

In the lonely places

The wilderness

Where we stand forlorn

Windswept and alone

Your voice calls out

Prepare a way for the Lord

In the dark places

The shadows

Where we hide our fears

Embrace our tears

Your voice calls out

Prepare a way for the Lord

For the desert places in which we walk

The streets we roam

The paths we cross

Guide our feet

Take us to places

Where you would go

Give us words that you would use

That in this Advent season

Of promise and preparation

We might point the way with John the Baptist

To the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

O come, Thou Day-spring, from on high,

And cheer us by thy drawing nigh;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

And death's dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come again and with us ever dwell

(Scripture reading - possibly the Gospel reading for the day)

(A space for music to be played or sung)

(Intercessions - A caim prayer)

Circle us, Lord

Circle us with the light of your presence, bright within this dark word

Enable us to be overcomers of fear and temptation

Enable us to be victors over sin and despair

Enable us to become that which you would desire

(Silent prayer)

Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation

Circle us with the light of your presence

Circle us, Lord

Circle our family within the shelter of your outstretched arms

Protect them in each moment of their daily lives

Protect them in the decisions that they face

Protect their homes and relationships

(Silent prayer)

Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation

Circle our families with the light of your presence

Circle us, Lord

Circle this nation with Advent love and hope

Create a desire to listen to the Advent message

Create a willingness to understand and respond

Create a need to reach out to the Christ Child

(Silent prayer)

Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation

Circle our nation with the light of your presence

Circle us, Lord

Circle this world with the joy of your Salvation

Where there is sickness and disease bring healing

Where there is hunger and despair bring hope

Where there is torture and oppression bring release

(Silent prayer)

Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation

Circle this world with the light of your presence

Lord, thou hast given us thy Word for a light to shine upon our path;

grant us so to meditate on that Word, and to follow its teaching,

that we may find in it the light that shines more and more until the perfect day; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Christian Pacifisim

2011-11-11T18:33:00.000-08:00

The feeling of patriotism - It is an immoral feeling because, instead of confessing himself a son of God . . . or even a free man guided by his own reason, each man under the influence of patriotism confesses himself the son of his fatherland and the slave of his government, and commits actions contrary to his reason and conscience." Leo Tolstoy, Patriotism and Government

Those soldiers were filled with wonder and admiration at the grandeur of the man’s piety and generosity and were struck with amazement. They felt the force of this example of pity. As a result, many of them were added to the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and threw off the belt of military service.

—Disputation of Archelaus and Manes

I do not wish to be a king; I am not anxious to be rich; I decline military command... Die to the world, repudiating the madness that is in it.

Titian’s Address to the Greeks

The Scriptures teach that there are two opposing princes and two opposing kingdoms : the one is the Prince of peace ; the other the prince of strife. Each of these princes has his particular kingdom and as the prince is so is also the kingdom. The Prince of peace is Christ Jesus ; His kingdom is the kingdom of peace, which is His church; His messengers are the messengers of peace; His Word is the word of peace; His body is the body of peace; His children are the seed of peace. Menno Simmons(1494-1561), Reply to False Accusations, III

To our most bitter opponents we say: ‘We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering. We shall meet your physical force with soul force. Do to us what you will, and we shall continue to love you.’
Martin Luther King. (1929-1968), “Loving your Enemies” in Strength to Love

Love without courage and wisdom is sentimentality, as with the ordinary church member. Courage without love and wisdom is foolhardiness, as with the ordinary soldier. Wisdom without love and courage is cowardice, as with the ordinary intellectual. Therefore one who has love, courage, and wisdom is the one in a million who moves the world, as with Jesus, Buddha, and Gandhi.
Ammon Hennecy (1893 - 1970)

Litany of the Celtic Saints (1)

2011-11-01T12:12:00.000-07:00

God of the Incarnate Word

   have mercy upon us
God of the Abiding Spirit
   have mercy upon us
St. Aidan of Lindisfarne
   St. Aidan pray for us
St. Bede the Venerable
   St. Bede pray for us
St. Brendan the Navigator
   St. Brendan pray for us
St. Brigid of Kildare
   St. Brigid pray for us
St. Kieran of Clonmacnoise
   St. Kieran pray for us
St. Columba of Iona
   St. Columba pray for us
St. Finian of Clonard
   St. Finian pray for us
St. Francis of Assisi
   St. Francis pray for us
St. Hilda of Whitby
   St. Hilda pray for us
St. Ita, Foster Mother of the Saints
   St. Ita pray for us
St. Killian the Missionary
   St. Killian pray for us
St. Martin of Tours
   St. Martin pray for us
St. Patrick the Enlightener
   St. Patrick pray for us
All Saints of the Green Martyrdom
Green Matyrs, pray for us
All Celtic Saints Beloved of Christ
Beloved Celtic Saints, pray for us
Lord Have Mercy
Christ Have Mercy

Lord Have Mercy

John Cassian (360 – 435)

2011-10-12T17:56:00.000-07:00

Link to John Cassians "Conferences" table of Contents

Francis of Assisi

2011-10-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

The Canticle Of Brother Son And Sister Moon

Most high, all powerful, all good Lord!
All praise is yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing.

To you, alone, Most High, do they belong.
No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name.

Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures,
especially through my lord Brother Sun,
who brings the day; and you give light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars;
in the heavens you have made them bright, precious and beautiful.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
and clouds and storms, and all the weather,
through which you give your creatures sustenance.

Be praised, My Lord, through Sister Water;
she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom you brighten the night.
He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.

Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth,
who feeds us and rules us,
and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

Be praised, my Lord, through those who forgive for love of you;
through those who endure sickness and trial.

Happy those who endure in peace,
for by you, Most High, they will be crowned.

Be praised, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whose embrace no living person can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Happy those she finds doing your most holy will.
The second death can do no harm to them.

Praise and bless my Lord, and give thanks,
and serve him with great humility.

the Lords Prayer Scottish Gaelic

2011-09-27T21:57:00.000-07:00

The Lord's Prayer

(Scottish Gaelic)

Ar n-Athair a tha air nèamh,
Gu naomhaichear d'ainm.
Thigeadh do rìoghachd.
Dèanar do thoil air an talamh,
mar a nìthear air nèamh.
Tabhair dhuinn an-diugh ar n-aran làitheil.
Agus maith dhuinn ar fiachan,
amhail a mhaitheas sinne dar luchd-fiach.
Agus na leig ann am buaireadh sinn;
ach saor sinn o olc:
oir is leatsa an rìoghachd,
agus an cumhachd,
agus a' glòir,
gu sìorraidh. Amen

the Celtic Cross

2011-09-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

The Celtic Cross, or wheel cross, is one of the most widely recognized patterns of this Christian symbol. It comes to us through at least three different paths, or interpretations of its development. First, the circle with rays coming out from the center through its sides, top and bottom, had been a widespread symbol for the sun. In the Celtic world, this sun symbol had often been represented as an actual wheel with numerous spokes, deriving from the old belief that the sun was drawn by a chariot with wheels. This interpretation is adaptable to Christianity on the basis that Christ is the Light of the world. Moreover, with its longer bottom line, the Celtic cross is reminiscent of the Star of Bethlehem, with the light directing us to the birth of the Savior.

The second path is more traditionally Christian and can be traced in the development of the cross itself on monuments in Britain and elsewhere. One of the earliest Christian symbols (even before the cross) was the Chi-Rho -- a combination of the first two Greek letters in the name Christos, resembling a P over an X and often placed within a circle or wreath. Gradually, the X was turned to become a crossed vertical and horizontal line, with the vertical line merging with the vertical line of the P. The loop of the P eventually disappeared, leaving us with the simple cross within a circle. By extending the lines outside the circle, we have the traditional Celtic cross.

In a more basically Celtic tradition, however, the cross is indeed a "wheel cross." The wheel was a symbol of the Indo-European peoples who had come into the West with the domesticated horse and the chariot. So the wheel in its simplest symbolic representation of a circle (the rim) with internal vertical and horizontal lines (the spokes) came to be associated with the Europeans and especially with the Celtic peoples. The Christian cross then is a traditional wheel symbol with the arms extended to form the cross of Christ superimposed upon the circular wheel. This interpretation is highly symbolic of Christ's Lordship over the Celtic people, but it also represents a combination of Christianity with traditional Celtic spirituality.

One thing that the interpretation of the Celtic cross as a wheel cross does give us that is most characteristic of the Celtic way is the idea of connectedness. As the Celtic knots that often adorn it show a connectedness through the single unbroken thread, the wheel cross provides us with another unbroken symbol in a circle -- often used as a symbol itself for the unity of the people of God -- connected and embraced by the arms of the cross.

graphic: St. John's Cross, Iona
from all saints parish web sight

THE WELSH REVIVAL

2011-09-15T22:36:00.000-07:00

The Welsh Revival of 1904-1905

During the spring of 1904 a young Welshman named Evan Roberts was repeatedly awakened at 1:00 a.m. He met with God until 5:00 a.m. The Welsh revival followed. Churches were packed for prayer meetings. In a prayer meeting for young people, Pastor Joseph Jenkins asked for testimonies. A young girl named Florrie Evans, who had only been a believer a few days, rose and with a trembling voice said simply, "I love Jesus with all my heart." The other young people's hearts were melted. A powerful spiritual awakening that brought 100,000 people to Christ was under way.

On November 7th, 1904 Moraih Chapel was filled to capacity for a prayer meeting that lasted until 3:00 a.m. Soul winning spread through the coalmines. Profane swearing stopped. Even the miners' horses were puzzled when their masters stopped cursing.

Orders to the Bible Society "for Scriptures from Wales during November and December, were over three times the amount for the corresponding months of 1903..." The Times said this resulted from the Welsh revival, adding that this demand showed no sign of falling off.

"The mighty and unseen breath of the Spirit was doing in a month more than centuries of legislation could accomplish" the pastor of Saint John's-Wood Presbyterian Church declared on Sunday, January 1st, 1905 according to the London Times.

The Welsh revival "had a great effect" in healing spiritual carelessness among Christians and "the growing bitterness which has accentuated our unhappy divisions", the Bishop of Bangor declared on January 2nd, 1905. He called "congregations to meet together often for united prayer."

The Times added that "the religious revival in Wales continues...with unabated zeal." Huge crowds were attending the meetings. Bible verses covered the doors down in the coalmines. "At Swansea the Poor Law guardians...dealt with revival cases in which people...have taken their parents from the workhouse."

"The Welsh revival movement has shown no sign of flagging...", The Times pointed out on January 10th. Entire congregations were on their knees in fervent prayer and "for the first time there was not a single case of drunkenness at the Swansea Petty Sessions."

On January 11th The Times noted that David Lloyd-George, who later became the British Prime Minister, said the Welsh revival gave hope "that at the next election Wales would declare with no uncertain sound against the corruption in high places which handed over the destiny of the people to the horrible brewing interest...".

Lloyd-George even saw one of his political rallies taken over by the Welsh revival. He was impressed as a young girl prayed in the presence of 2,000 people. He said in one town the tavern sold only 9 cents worth of liquor drinks on Saturday night!

The Times observed that "The whole population had been suddenly stirred by a common impulse. Religion had become the absorbing interest of their lives. They had gathered at crowded services for six and eight hours at a time. Political meetings and even football matches were postponed...quarrels between trade-union workmen and non-unionists had been made up..."

"At Glyn-Neath a feud had existed for the past 10 or 12 years between the two Independent chapels, but during the past week united services have been held in both chapels, and the ministers have shaken hands before the congregations."

The Salvation Army set apart January 19th, 1905 for a day of confession, humiliation, and prayer throughout England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. All day prayer meetings were held in many of the principal cities of the British Isles, according to the London Times. The meeting was marked by "fervent prayer and any one who felt called upon to pray." Fires of spiritual revival and moral recovery were spreading.

Coal miners crowed into prayer meetings that lasted till 3:00 a.m. and then washed, ate breakfast and returned to work. Many drunkards confessed their sins and received Christ.

According to the London Times of February 2nd, 1905 due to the Welsh revival many men abandoned dins of iniquity. Employers noticed a great improvement in the work produced by their employees. A judge named Sir Marchant Williams said that his work was much lighter especially regarding drunkenness and related offenses.

The revival fires burning in Wales in 1904-05 spread through England, Ireland and Scotland. Prayer meetings multiplied. As many as 2,000 attended a prayer meeting in the city of Bradford. In the City of Leeds, Samuel Chadwick reported that his church was never empty all day. An amazing work of grace transformed life in a factory.

In 1905 a week of united prayer meetings in an English town called Nuneaton led to a "glorious revival". The Prince's Theatre was packed each Sunday night after church with 1500 praying believers and many unsaved seekers. In Bulwell, many of the most degraded drunkards were converted. In the Bedfordshire villages, whole nights devoted to prayer prepared for powerful evangelism.

Joseph Kemp, pastor of Charlotte Chapel in Edinburgh, visited God's mighty work of revival in Wales in 1904. Back in his home church on New Year's Eve, 1905, an unusually fervent prayer meeting led to conviction of sin. A powerful revival that continued for over two years was under way. A strong work of evangelism began. 1,000 inquirers received counseling.

The Irish Presbyterians issued a Call to Prayer. Noonday and evening prayer meetings multiplied. The Irish Methodists and other denominations experienced an unusual spirit of grace and supplications. In Lurgan, revival meetings packed both the First Presbyterian and the Methodist churches. The taverns were emptied while people who had not attended church before come in record numbers and received Christ.

Revival fires spread through Bangor University resulting in "only a third or fourth of the students attending some of the classes... Beginning with a spontaneous outburst of praise and prayer among the men students, the movement spread...at a united prayer meeting...some...broke down sobbing."

In 1905 when Fred C. Gibson became pastor of 1st Presbyterian Church in Tobormore, County Londonderry, Ireland the little town was morally and spiritually dead. So he signed a covenant with God to seek revival by his preaching and his prayers. In spite of strong resistance, God moved in special meetings that changed the Christians and resulted in remarkable conversions of hardened sinners.

God can do it again. Join with others all over the world in praying for spiritual awakening. Gather a group to pray on the first Monday of each month.

graphics: upper left: prayer meeting in the coal mines, middle right welsh revival stock photo, lower left Evan Roberts and team

All Rights Reserved. You may copy for free distribution without making any changes; Rev. Oliver W. Price

Early Church teaching: the Incarnation (6)

2011-09-08T19:50:00.000-07:00

The Word, the Wisdom of God, was made flesh

from a Sermon of Peter Chrysologus

The blessed apostle has recalled that two men gave a beginning to the human race, namely Adam and Christ; two men equal in physical nature but unequal in merit; truly alike in their bodily structure, but totally dissimilar in their own origin. ‘The first Adam', he says, ‘became a living being; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

That first Adam was made by this last, from whom he obtained the soul to give him life; the last was author of his own making: he did not look for life from another, but himself alone bestowed life on all. The first Adam is moulded from the vile dust of the earth, the second comes forth from the precious womb of the Virgin. In the first Adam earth is changed into flesh, in the last, flesh is raised up to God.

And what more? This last is the Adam, who when forming the first set his own image in him. Hence he assumed his role, and received his name to prevent the loss of what he had made to his own image. There is a first Adam, then, and a last Adam: the first has a beginning, the last has no end. Because this last is in truth himself the first, as he says, ‘I am the first and the last...'.

‘As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven'. How shall those not born in such a condition be found so, remaining not as they were born, but as they were reborn?

This is the reason, brothers, why the heavenly Spirit makes fertile the womb of the virginal font, by the secret admixture of his light, that it may bring forth as heavenly creatures, and bring back to the likeness of the Creator, those whom their origin in earth's dust had produced as men of dust in miserable state. So now reborn and refashioned to the likeness of our Creator, let us fulfil the apostle's command: ‘Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, let us also bear the image of the man of heaven'.

Now reborn after the pattern of our Lord, as I have said, let us bear the full and complete image of our maker; not in majesty, in which he is alone, but in innocence, simplicity, meekness, patience, humility, mercy and concord - in which he designed to become and to be one with us.

graphics: upper: Zairian Christ, lower: south park Jesus

Mother Teresa (1910- 1997)

2011-09-05T07:23:00.000-07:00

DO IT ANY WAY

The verses below reportedly were written on the wall of Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta, India, and are widely attributed to her. Some sources say that it was written on the wall in Mother Teresa's own room. In any case, they are association with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity.

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

-this version is credited to Mother Teresa

living water thumb nail of mother Teresa

Simone Weil (1909 - 1943)

2011-08-24T13:51:00.000-07:00

Simone Weil's mystic experiences in her own words

She had her first mystical experience at the Solesmes Monastery as she listened to the monks chant. She later had another mystical experience in which she stated that “Christ himself came down and He took me” as she read George Herbert’s poem, “Love bade me welcome while my Soul drew back.” Here are excerpts from a letter written in Marseilles, France about May 15, 1942 to her close friend Father Perrin about these experience

"In 1938 I spent ten days at Solesmes, from Palm Sunday to Easter Tuesday, following all the liturgical services. I was suffering from splitting headaches; each sound hurt me like a blow; by an extreme effort of concentration I was able to rise above this wretched flesh, to leave it to suffer by itself, heaped up in a corner, and to find a pure and perfect joy in the unimaginable beauty of the chanting and the words. This experience enabled me by analogy to get a better understanding of the possibility of loving divine love in the midst of affliction. It goes without saying that in the course of these services the thought of the Passion of Christ entered into my being once and for all.

There was a young English Catholic there from whom I gained my first idea of the supernatural power of the sacraments because of the truly angelic radiance with which he seemed to be clothed after going to communion. Chance -- for I always prefer saying chance rather than Providence -- made of him a messenger to me. For he told me of the existence of those English poets of the seventeenth century who are named metaphysical. In reading them later on, I discovered the poem of which I read you what is unfortunately a very inadequate translation. It is called "Love". I learned it by heart. Often, at the culminating point of a violent headache, I make myself say it over, concentrating all my attention upon it and clinging with all my soul to the tenderness it enshrines. I used to think I was merely reciting it as a beautiful poem, but without my knowing it the recitation had the virtue of a prayer. It was during one of these recitations that, as I told you, Christ himself came down and took possession of me...Moreover, in this sudden possession of me by Christ, neither my senses nor my imagination had any part; I only felt in the midst of my suffering the presence of a love, like that which one can read in the smile on a beloved face.

Until last September I had never once prayed in all my life, at least not in the literal sense of the word. I had never said any words to God, either out loud or mentally. Last summer, doing Greek with T-, I went through the Our Father word for word in Greek. We promised each other to learn it by heart. I do not think he ever did so, but some weeks later, as I was turning over the pages of the Gospel, I said to myself that since I had promised to do this thing and it was good, I ought to do it.

I did it. The infinite sweetness of this Greek text so took hold of me that for several days I could not stop myself from saying it over all the time. A week afterward I began the vine harvest I recited the Our Father in Greek every day before work, and I repeated it very often in the vineyard. Since that time I have made a practice of saying it through once each morning with absolute attention. If during the recitation my attention wanders or goes to sleep, in the minutest degree, I begin again until I have once succeeded in going through it with absolutely pure attention.

Sometimes it comes about that I say it again out of sheer pleasure, but I only do it if I really feel the impulse. The effect of this practice is extraordinary and surprises me every time, for, although I experience it each day, it exceeds my expectation at each repetition. At times the very first words tear my thoughts from my body and transport it to a place outside space where there is neither perspective nor point of view. The infinity of the ordinary expanses of perception is replaced by an infinity to the second or sometimes the third degree. At the same time, filling every part of this infinity of infinity, there is silence, a silence which is not an absence of sound but which is the object of a positive sensation, more positive than that of sound. Noises, if there are any, only reach me after crossing this silence. Sometimes, also, during this recitation or at other moments, Christ is present with me in person, but his presence is infinitely more real, more moving, more clear than on that first occasion when he took possession of me." (Excerpted from Waiting for God by Simone Weil - Harper & Row, New York, 1951, translated by Emma Craufurd).

Festival of Marymass

2011-08-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

Marymass is the Scottish name for the feast of the Assumption on 15th August. A Celtic festival by the name of Marymass was been celebrated in mid-August as early as the 7th century, with some festivals having actual records that go back to about the year 900.

Very early on, the Church chose August 15th to honor the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. August 15 would be the full moon of August if the new moon fell on the first of the month as it did during the time of the lunar calendar. It was proclaimed a holiday throughout the Roman Empire by Emperor Maurice around 600 in the East, and about 50 years later in the West. Common Celtic people would not have been aware of the theological doctrine of the assumption—that Mary did not die but was taken bodily up into heaven at the end of her earthly life. However, Celts would have associated Mary with the fruitfulness of the earth at the time of harvest, and celebrations connected to other harvest goddesses were transferred to Mary as the pagan Celtic lands were converted to Christianity. Representations of Mary often resembled the ancient depictions of harvest goddesses wearing robes decorated with ears of corn.

Marymass was the primary harvest festival in the northern Celtic regions where the harvest was later. It replaced the southern harvest festival Lughnasa which was normally celebrated anytime from late July to early August. The offering of the first fruits, first grains, or first loaf of bread, or Lammas (loaf-mass) which usually occurred during Lughnasa in the south, was transferred to Marymass in the north. The Lammas bannock (a traditional Scottish loaf) would be made from the new corn, dedicated to Mary the Mother of God, and used in Eucharistic celebrations. Some other traditional Marymass activities, such as elaborate flower displays, well dressing, torchlight and candlelight processions, and the offering of the first bread, were preserved intact for centuries because of the isolation of the Scottish islands and highlands.

Marymass fairs and festivals are still extremely popular in Scotland today, and frequently involve traditional music, poetry, and dancing. In some areas of Scotland modern Marymass tributes to the Blessed Virgin Mary have been combined or replaced by an emphasis on the historical figure Mary Queen of Scots. Young girls compete to be crowned Queen of Marymass with a court of four attendants each of whom is also called Mary.

By 900, the aroma of herbs and flowers was widely associated with Mary's victory over death. People brought medicinal herbs and plants to church (periwinkle, verbena, thyme) to be incensed and blessed, bound into a sheaf and kept all year to ward off illness, disaster and death. Marymass also marks the start of Our Lady's 30 Days, a time when animals and plants lose their harmful qualities and all food is wholesome. This period of benevolence coincides with the seven weeks following the full moon of the Jewish month of Av, which were also called the Weeks of Comfort. The readings for these weeks are comforting, promising peace and prosperity.

In the Celtic calendar Mary is associated with both Lughnasa and Beltane: Beltane because of spring’s rebirth, and Lughnasa/Marymass because of the comparison between the fruitfulness of the harvest and the new creation of childbirth, especially the emerging of the corn from within the ear. Because of her rising into heaven, Mary is sometimes called the patron of airline pilots and crews. Marymass is celebrated on August 15.

Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874 – 1936)

2011-06-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

Chesterton Tounge in Cheek

"Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten."

"Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car."

"Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity."

"The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost."

"I am not absentminded. It is the presence of mind that makes me unaware of everything else."

"There are no uninteresting things, only uninterested people."

"The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people."

"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried."

"There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less."

"A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author."

"To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it."

"If there were no God, there would be no atheists."

"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered."

"The word "good" has many meanings. For example, if a man were to shoot his grandmother at a range of five hundred yards, I should call him a good shot, but not necessarily a good man."

"Religious liberty might be supposed to mean that everybody is free to discuss religion. In practice it means that hardly anybody is allowed to mention it."

Columba (521-597)

2011-06-09T09:56:00.000-07:00

Alone with none but Thee, my God,
I journey on my way;
What need I fear when Thou art near,
Oh King of night and day?
More safe am I within Thy hand
Than if a host did round me stand.

ST COLUMBA
SIXTH CENTURY

Mystics Delight

2011-05-18T10:09:00.000-07:00

Mystics Delight

Take me in

An orphan of love

lock me in

With no release

embraced not restricted

wooed by the promise of love

Mercies sweet breath

hot against my breast

the limbs of the eternal
wrapped about my heart

opened to the thrust of grace

convulsing in waves joy

Melting darkness

Birthing light

bc 7/96

dedicated to A.W.T

photo: bc

A W Tozer (April 12 1897- May 12 1963)

2011-05-16T08:53:00.000-07:00

Tozer and the Christian Mystics

Tozer’s hunger for God led him to study the Christian mystics. Their knowledge of God and absorbing love for Him profoundly attracted Tozer. He found in them kindred. "These people know God," he would say, "and I want to know what they know about God and how they came to know it." He so identified with their struggles and triumphs that people began referring to him, as a mystic, a designation of which he never objected.

His list of "friends of God" grew with the years. Nothing delighted him more than to uncover a long forgotten devotional writer. He eagerly introduced these newly discovered mystics to his friends and readers. Through his writing many of these writers were reintroduced, particularly among protestants, who for the most part avoided the "mystics".

In his daily life Tozer cultivated a sense of God that enveloped him in wonder, reverence and adoration. His one daily preoccupation was to practice the presence of God—a phrase popularized by the mystic Brother Lawrence whom Tozer found great delight in read.

Tozer sought to find in Christ a daily wonder, a recurring astonishment, a continual feast of love and grace.

It was through reading "the Pursuit of God" in 1980 that i was first introduced to the mystics. With pen in hand i eagerly jotted down each new name. I then worked my way through the list discovering the likes of Molinos, Fenelon, John of the Cross, Theresa of Aliva, Meister Eckhart, Guyon, Brother Lawrence and a plythora of others to long mention. My heart being exposed to concepts such as the dark night of the soul , practicing the presence and mystical union forever changed the direction of my spiritual journey. I am indebted to Tozer who for me became a mentor of sorts leading me along a path he had sought to chart through the great mystery which is the heart of God.

Photo: sacred heart the anchor Nashville, photo taken by BC.

Beltane Liturgy

2011-05-01T01:36:00.000-07:00

Let's just spend a moment or two in quietness. Consider winter's chill when all was still, with seed and plant lying dormant, followed by the rising sun and warming air of Spring, green shoots emerging, leaves unfurling, blossom shouting its praise to the Creator.

(Silence)

God of winter's cold, of clear sky and frozen river.