The Presentation of the Child at the temple

Luke 2:21-39

"Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord"

The young couple approach the temple to offer a sacrifice to ransom their child. The law requires that each first born male is to be given for the service of God. The sacrifice of a pair of young pigeons or turtledoves ritualistically satisfies the debt.

As they approach the temple; a center of activity which mixes awe and wonder at the presence of the most high in the Holy of Holies, with a certain open-air bazaar earthiness as merchants ply their trade within the shadow of the walls, providing the various animals called for in the temple rituals. There is the noise of middle eastern barter ringing out as the business of man is contracted in order to proceed to the business of satisfying the requirements of holy law.

The heat thickens the air which is liberally peppered with clouds of dust kicked up by the traffic of many feet. An old man sits on a low chair in a shaded bit of wall by the entrance to the women's court. This is the open area within the first wall of the temple complex. His face is brown and lined with the years he has lived. He looks penetratingly at each face that crosses "his" entrance. His head nods, and his lips move as though he were in converse, but he poses his speech to no one in particular. His eyebrows arch and his animated hands show that he silently speaks on a subject of no little importance to him. He stops in mid-gesture, drops his head and covers his eyes. His head begins to shake from left to right in a slow arching movement. He breathes out a long, considered, sigh. He lifts his head, his hands outstretched, palms raised as in supplication. His tear-filled eyes meet the eyes of a young woman with a newborn child held close. Her husband is looking about him at the impressive architecture of the temple precinct. His expression is a mixture of awe and apprehension. The smell of roasted flesh permeates the air.

The old man, Simeon by name, rises slowly, painfully from the low stool. His eyes have not left Mary's. He wipes at his eyes with the back of his hand. The sadness and confusion that permeated his frame only moments ago, is disappearing in waves. He looks down at the child. His gaze lingers. His eyes flutter shut for a moment. He nods his head once, twice, and speaks in a hushed tone. "Adonai, now I can leave, in peace. You fulfilled your promise. You let these eyes see salvation. He will be for all, he will bring truth to Gentiles and Glory to your chosen people." He addressed Mary. "Your child will be a force that moves through Israel, men will rise or fall because of him. Not all will want to hear what he has to say. He will break your heart."

The nativity

Luke 2:8-14

The night is clear and cold. It is a cloudless night and the sky is brilliant with stars. The muted bleating of sheep lulls the sleepy shepherd Avram like a lullaby. His brother is asleep a short distance away, his cloak wrapped around him to keep out the chill. His head is bowed down, his forehead almost touching his knees which are pulled up close to his body to keep him warm.

Avram thinks to himself how nice it would be to close his eyes for just a moment. It is his turn to watch. He yawns a long langorous yawn. His eyes flutter shut; for just a moment. He feels himself starting to drift off to sleep and starts suddenly. He forces his eyes open and is sure that he is dreaming. There standing before him is a beautiful young man all dressed in brilliant garments. Are they white? Yellow? Rose? He can't tell. He sees the man as clearly as if it were day. But, it is the middle of the night. How can that be? He is sure that he has fallen asleep and makes the effort to wake himself. He squeezes his eyes tightly shut and then forces them wide open. The young man is still there. If he is not asleep, then he must have lost his senses. This frightens the young shepherd.

The shining youth holds out an open hand above the head of Avram and speaks. "Don't be afraid. Listen closely. I am a messenger sent to bring you good news of great joy."
The angel's voice calms Avram and replaces his fear with curiosity.
"Today, in the city of David, the one for whom you have waited patiently is born. He is the anointed one. He is Adonai."

The sheep stopped their bleating. The absence of that dependable sound seemed to startle Avram more than anything that had transpired so far that night. He listened. Nothing. He shook his head trying to clear whatever stoppage had temporarily deafened him. No, wait.....I can still hear the breeze dancing through the bushes. No, wait........it's not the breeze, it's....voices! Avram squints and cocks his head to one side attempting to will the sound into clearer focus.

The angel's eyes crinkle as a broad smile washes across his shining face. And in answer to Avram's unspoken prayer, to hear more clearly, he slowly begins to form with his lips the words that are being sung.

"Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

Avram can hear it now. They sing it over and over. Such beautiful music unlike any heard by human ears!

Then, all at once, it is quiet once again.

The angel turns to Avram and says "You're having a tough time believing all of this. I understand. This will be a sign for you to know that I speak the truth. Go into the town and seek out the child who was born in a stable this night. You will find him. He will be wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. When you see all of this as I have described it, remember my words and know that they are true."

Then Avram was alone again, in the midst of a field filled with bleating sheep, and his snoring brother.

Another mystery.

Please explore. Take a walk in the field. Feel the thick wool of the sheep as they rub against your legs. They have a certain earthy smell. Look up at the sky. Do you see that star just over the rise that seems to stand out tonight? Is Avram's dog making sure that you behave around the flock? Talk to Avram. Look at how the experience has affected him. What does his voice sound like? Be there when he wakes his brother and recounts what has happened. Follow them into the town. Find yourself at the entrance to the stable, with all if it's smells and sounds. Does the prophecy of the angel register on the face of Avram's brother when they find the babe in swaddling clothes lying in a manger? Spend time at the place where the story of our salvation began.

Be Creative!

In meditation, God shares with us some measure of the joy of creation.

We take a framework, a mystery, to "center" ourselves within; and then we set out to discover the unknown aspects of something we claim to already know.

Be quiet. Be attentive. Be open.

To some extent, you may be attempting to "create" a scene based on the imagery of the mystery.

That's a good starting point.

Next, you need to be willing to take a chance to be led by the hand.

You are placing yourself in the presence of God.

He does not ignore those who approach Him with hunger to know him more perfectly.

But, He is not predictable.

Be prepared to be taken off on tangental flights of imagination.

Do not try to "control" the experience.

You may find encompassing depths in little details that arise for your consideration.

Empty yourself, so that you might be filled with His grace and light.

The Visitation

Luke 1: 39-45

"When I was a child, I thought as a child. Now, I am a woman and must think and act as a woman."

Mary is hurrying on her way to the hill town in Judah where her cousin Elizabeth and her cousin's husband Zechariah live.

"She can't be. She's old. She must be mistaken. It's simply impossible!" She stops herself. She looks down at her still flat tummy that just gave her "a little tickle".

Impossible.

Seems as if she is going to have to work on her definition of "impossible".

Her mother had gotten word that very day that Elizabeth, who was thought to be quite beyond the years of child-bearing, is with child.

Mary impulsively asked her mother for leave to go and visit her cousin. There is plenty to do around the house. There always is. But, this time, the resistance that Mary had expected from her mother is not there. Anns eyes are sparkling with the joy that is filling her heart after hearing the good news from her cousin.

"Yes, of course you may go, and please bring her our love and good wishes."

Mary puts together a hasty bundle for the trip.

She packs some flatbread sweetened with honey, a handful of dark olives from the earthen jar in the kitchen, a couple of dates and a small bit of sheeps milk cheese. She also brings a clay flask of water from the well, and a handfull of wildflowers that have been sitting on the window sill, patiently drying ever since she picked them in the field at the edge of town. Her mother adds a bit of newly woven cloth as a gift for the child who is to come. Mary scoops up her parcel, rises on tip-toe to give her mother a warm kiss on the cheek, and then she is out the door.

The evening is warm and dry. The road is kicking up a low-hanging cloud of dust with every hurried step she takes. The noises of the village are fading behind her, and the stillness of the road ahead begins to take precedence. In just a little while, all she can hear is her breath, her steps, a gentle breeze moving through the trees and scrub brush off to either side of the road, and the occasional bird being startled out of their complacent little roadside nesting places as she hurries by.

Impossible.

That's why she will be able to understand. What I've heard today is impossible. What has happened to me is impossible. What has happened to her is impossible. What the man said my child (my child!) will be is IMPOSSIBLE!
Things like this do not happen. But if they do not, then how do I explain any of this? If I don't talk to someone about this whole business, and soon, I know that I will burst!

I'm worried about how I'm going to tell Joseph. He's a good man, but how do I explain this to him without sounding like a lunatic! Or worse, someone with something to hide. Yes, of course I'm afraid! I did nothing wrong, but people in town will not want to understand any of this. They will make assumptions. They will talk in hushed tones when they think I cannot hear. From there it is only a matter of time before the momentum that a whispered half-truth gains as it moves from one ear to another will cause this impossible reality to crash into me head on and burst my quiet life into a thousand noisy pieces.

It is dark and still when Mary finally arrives. She is still some distance from her cousin's house. She calls out "Elizabeth! It's me Mary!"

There is no reply.

She calls out again "Elizab..."

The door opens and light spills out onto the street. The old familiar form of her cousin is traced in light from inside the house.

"Is that my Anna's little girl?"

Mary breaks into a run.

Elizabeth steps out into the street, her arms held out wide. She scoops up the child who buries her head in the folds of her robe.

"Mother told me that you are to have a child, and I had to come and see you."

Elizabeth steps back, holds the child at arms length, and with a smile that crinkles her eyes into a dozen little furrows says "Blessed are you!" She stops herself. The look on her face changes to one of amazement. "And, Blessed is your child!"

Mary's eyes open wide. She catches her breath and holds it.

"How is it that the mother of my lord should come to me? When I heard your voice, the child I carry leapt for joy!" Her eyes immediately filled with tears, and she once again, pressed Mary to her breast.

We've shared another "moment" along the way of the Joyful chaplet. Don't leave it where I dropped it. Explore the place. Feel the cool of the evening. Follow the two of them as they walk arm and arm into the house. See the smile on Zechariah's face as he sees Elizabeth enter with Mary. Hear the laughter, feel the warmth of the oil lamp on the stand that throws a dim glow about the room. See it's reflection in the glistening eyes of all in the room. Listen in on the conversation that ensues between the two women as they shoo Zechariah away while they indulge in some "girl talk".

God's greatness dazzles us with it's simplicity. A pair of women, chat the night away. Neither of them is fully aware of the magnitude of the time they are sharing. The future has taken root in the present.

The hand of God has set into motion His plan for the revelation of the kingdom.

Take your time!

That's what the exercise is all about.

Do not rush through prayer as though it were one more thing to check off of your "to do" list.

The reason that there are as many beads on the rosary as there are is simple.

It "takes time" to get through a chaplet.

I prefer to think of it as an opportunity to "give time".

Meditation on the mysteries is an unselfish giving of ourselves. We take all the myriad things that clutter our lives with busy-ness and noise and push them all away. We bring into these moments of calm, ourselves. We are a delight to God's eye. That's why he created us. When we choose to put ourselves in His presence, or more precisely, to remind ourselves of our continually being in His presence, we bring our unique reactions to the mystery of the incarnation before him. We are His children and our free choice to seek out growth in the spirit is pleasing to Him.

The Anunciation

(Luke 1:26-28,30-36)

A young girl is alone praying.

There is no MTV, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, FOX, Times, Daily News, AM, FM, Streaming Video, Downloaded Audio, Unlimited family plan cellular minutes.

A young girl is alone praying.

These quiet moments away from the mundane routine of her days are comforting; refreshing.

Listen to the stillness of this moment.

Her lips move gently across the memorized words, that spoken together, create her evening prayers anew. They are her prayers. They are the prayers of her people. In her mind she hears the songs of David the King caressing the texts. David, the prophetic King, of whose line Moshiach would come to Redeem the children of the Covenant.

Breathe in deeply and feel the cool of the coming evening. Don't worry, you won't disturb her.

How very simple her room is. A bed, a chair, a chest, some shelves. Her eyes flit to the shelves for a held moment and then they flutter shut and she resumes her muted converse with her God.

What was it that caught her eye? There on the top shelf is a candle, not yet lit and some brilliantly coloured wildflowers that she picked that afternoon as she walked through a grassy field on her way home from a brief visit to her cousin. She had to talk to someone about Joseph, her betrothed, or she would burst! Her mother, Ann, was so occupied with preparations for the wedding feast, poor as it might be, that she has had little time to chat recently.

There it was on the shelf below! A delicate comb of fine dark wood sat there. It's surface was covered with an intricate design that dared the eye to follow it. Here was a work of Love. Hour after hour of affection was inscribed into it's very essence. That talented carpenter surely knew how to make more than oxe yokes and rough tables. He is a sensible man. He will provide for her. Her young life is very full.

"Hello Mary"

Her eyes fly open and wide!

"You are filled with Grace!"

(I am filled with fear! Who is this man, and how did he get past mother and father?)

"Don't worry. Adonai is with you."

The mans voice is calm, gentle, warm. The sound of it reassures and soothes her.

"You are the one. You are blessed among women."

What IS he talking about?

"Blessed is the fruit of your womb, Yeshua."

WAIT! All of the rest of that is very nice, and thank you very much for your kind words but,
WHO SAID ANYTHING ABOUT A BABY? You may have me mixed up with someone else. You see, I'm engaged to be married, but it is absolutely impossible that I am having a baby!

The unflappable gentle-man from God-knows-where patiently explains to her the message that he has been given to relay to her.

In her humanity, she does not want to believe it.

But, God has chosen well. He has prepared her from the time that she was in her mothers womb, for this moment. She accepts the task laid out for her by the angel. She trusts and whispers her assent: "Let it be done to me as you say".

And then she is alone again, at prayer.

No, not alone. Her hand moves slowly to her belly and rests there a moment, daring it to happen again. A smile engulfs her beautiful face as the sudden realization of what has happened establishes itself.

There is the scene, or more succinctly one of my versions of the scene, the mystery, the moment to be pondered. Now in meditation on it, let your mind wander. You are invited in to partake of the moment. Let it breathe. Let the clay of the walls be cool and crumbly to the touch. Let the barking of a dog in the street outside her window catch you unawares and break your concentration from the "holy moment" and bring you to the realization that the people that we recall in these meditations were not made of stained glass. There is no "right" way to meditate on the mysteries. But may I suggest that you give yourself permission to take a chance or two as you attempt to revisit tales that may have gathered "dust" over the years due to lack of intellectual or spiritual curiosity?

Now comes the fun part. We have a moment that we are exploring and "holding" as it were. And now we add the music. The first decade of the Rosary is recited while exploring the Anunciation. Two thoughts at the same time? Walking AND chewing gum? Yes, it can be done.

One our Father, 10 Hail Marys, and 1 Glory Be.

We start with our reliance on the Father, Creator.

We repeat the words of the Hail Mary over a decade to give time to our contemplation of the essence of the prayer, the Incarnation of Christ and the loving intercession of his mother.

We finish the meditation by coming home to the trinity.

The words of the prayers are going to have different meanings and different parts will come to the forefront of your thoughts throughout the twenty mysteries. You may find different parts of the prayers becoming more or less important to dwell on during the 10 repetitions of the Hail Mary. All this is as it should be. The repeated prayers should not be an exercise in uniformity, but rather in discovery.

Our Father
In this mystery, the Fatherhood of God becomes a very human thing. He is not esoterically the "spiritual father of all mankind" in this moment. He is the creator, who in love spoke a word which is his son. This son becomes enfleshed as an expression of his love for mankind. The son takes on flesh through the power of the Holy Spirit in an expression of his love for and obedience to the Father.

Hail Mary
The first half of the prayer is the scene that we are contemplating. We hear the words that they spoke to each other. We experience the reality of the moment.

Glory Be
The essence of emotion in the Magnificat is present in this song of praise to the Triune God.

Please be sure your trays are in their upright position...

Those are words that have been repeated to me every time I've ever set out on a journey by plane.

They are repeated to remind us of basic observances that are required in order to be safely on our way.

The Sign of the Cross, The Creed, and the "mini-chaplet" that begins the Rosary prepares us for a journey. They are familiar prayers recited outside of the context of the mysteries. They are the "on ramp", the stretching before a marathon, the vocal warm up before an oratorio, the glorious cacophany of an orchestra tuning before the conductor's upbeat .

The order of the prayers teaches us as much as the individual prayers themselves do. It is a lesson that attempts to describe the all-embracing Love that is offered to us each moment that we exist.

The sign of the Cross. The symbol speaks. The crucifix grounds our contemplation to the harsh realilty of what the symbolic gesture recalls, so that the thoughts that arise might have balance. The cross is a burden. The cross is the promise of death. The cross is the victory over death. The cross is our only passage from mortality to immortality. The cross is remembrance. The cross is redemption. The cross is the ironic carpenter's handiwork, on which was hung the carpenter. The cross is an ultimate exercise of free will (fiat voluntas tua). The cross is the forge and the anvil on which our souls are tempered.

Then there is the "Our Father". We pray in union with the Son a perfect prayer to the Father. He who was without sin, prays as our High Priest for the forgiveness of "our" sins. Through Christ are we made acceptable to the Father. In his words we learn of the Father. What is Christ, if not the Word? In the Eucharist, "in communion", what do we feed on, if not the Word of God?

We follow the Pater Noster with three repetitions of the Hail Mary. The tale of the Incarnation of the word is recounted to us. It is for us to continually rediscover, re-experience the wonder of that single miraculous moment in history, when a single "yes" saved the world in it's entirety.

The Glory Be (Gloria Patri) is a song of great joy which places our praise where it is due, before the majesty of the triune God.

When we have gotten to this point, we will have carved out a "sacred space" within which we can have the calm, the peace, the collection, the centeredness, the disposition to spend time in contemplation of the mysteries of the life of our Saviour.

Three Prayers repeated over and over........

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee! Blessed art thou amongst women and blest is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory Be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen

That's it right? I've figured out the beads!

But then, we traced the sign of the cross on ourselves at the beginning of the rosary. That's a prayer. Even if we don't utter a word, the sign of the cross is a physicalized prayer. Catholics love the idea of praying with all that we have available to pray with. Our minds, our hearts, our spirits, our bodies. When words fail us, or can no longer be uttered, we can still pray with the simplest of gestures. The ritual movements and postures are imbued with meaning and vibrant life, through repetition and association.

I cross myself and say the words. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. A stunning duet of sound and motion. I have reiterated my belief in the Trinity. I have begged for a blessing as I place myself in a sacred space. I have remembered the depth of Love shown to all of creation on a cross long ago. I bring to mind all of the current imagery associated with "bearing one's cross". My contemplation of the the myriad meanings of this simple gesture and utterance makes the duet a trio, which blossoms into a quartet as my soul shakes off the torpor of the too-busy day that has past and eagerly awaits my exercise of free will for the good.

Okay, so there's four prayers.

Hold on there Tex! We also recite the creed before the first Our Father. We take a brief stroll through the garden of what it is that we hold to be true. Take your time. Smell the flowers!

"I believe in God, the Father Almighty,the Creator of heaven and earth,and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,born of the Virgin Mary,suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died, and was buried.He descended into hell. On the third day He arose again from the dead.He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father. He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,the communion of saints,the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body,and life everlasting.Amen. "

Okay, Five Prayers!

Not so fast pardner. Each of the Mysteries, each pause for meditation upon a moment in the life of our Incarnate God is a prayer.

25 Prayers?

Don't forget the Fatima prayer at the end of each decade:

"Oh my Jesus! Forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of Hell! Lead ALL souls to heaven, especially those most in need of thy mercy. "

30?

We close each Chaplet of the rosary with the Salve Regina:

"Hail Holy Queen. Mother of Mercy. Our Life, Our sweetness and our Hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we lift up our mourning and sighs in this vale of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy upon us. And, after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb Jesus.

O Clement! O loving! O Sweet Virgin Mary!

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. "

OK, so it's not just three prayers repeated over and over again. What do YOU call it?

The Rosary.

It's a tool for finding time to be still; to LISTEN for the creator; A sublime method of placing yourself in the presence of God, wherever you may happen to be. I also believe that the prayers we pray, do bring about good for those who are in need of it. This good is manifested as the Holy Spirit sees fit.

(04/19/2005)

The smoke from the Sistine Chapel is WHITE!

Brothers and Sisters, I bring you news of great joy,

HABEMUS PAPAM!

TE DEUM laudamus: te Dominum confitemur.
Te aeternum Patrem omnis terra veneratur.
Tibi omnes Angeli; tibi Caeli et universae Potestates;
Tibi Cherubim et Seraphim incessabili voce proclamant:
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt caeli et terra maiestatis gloriae tuae.
Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus,
Te Prophetarum laudabilis numerus,
Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.
Te per orbem terrarum sancta confitetur Ecclesia,
Patrem immensae maiestatis:
Venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium;
Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum.
Tu Rex gloriae, Christe.
Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius.
Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem, non horruisti Virginis uterum.
Tu, devicto mortis aculeo, aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum.
Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris.
Iudex crederis esse venturus.
Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni: quos pretioso sanguine redemisti.
Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari.
V. Salvum fac populum tuum, Domine, et benedic hereditati tuae.
R. Et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in aeternum.
V. Per singulos dies benedicimus te.
R. Et laudamus nomen tuum in saeculum, et in saeculum saeculi.
V. Dignare, Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire.
R. Miserere nostri, Domine, miserere nostri.
V. Fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos, quemadmodum speravimus in te. R. In te, Domine, speravi: non confundar in aeternum.

O GOD, we praise Thee: we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.
Everlasting Father, all the earth doth worship Thee.
To Thee all the Angels, the Heavens and all the Powers,
all the Cherubim and Seraphim, unceasingly proclaim:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts!
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of Thy glory.
The glorious choir of the Apostles,
the wonderful company of Prophets,
the white-robed army of Martyrs, praise Thee.
Holy Church throughout the world doth acknowledge Thee:
the Father of infinite Majesty;
Thy adorable, true and only Son;
and the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
O Christ, Thou art the King of glory!
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
Thou, having taken it upon Thyself to deliver man, didst not disdain the Virgin's womb.
Thou overcame the sting of death and hast opened to believers the Kingdom of Heaven.
Thou sitest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.
We believe that Thou shalt come to be our Judge.
We beseech Thee, therefore, to help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy Precious Blood.
Make them to be numbered with Thy Saints in everlasting glory.
V. Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thine inheritance!
R. Govern them, and raise them up forever.
V. Every day we thank Thee.
R. And we praise Thy Name forever, yea, forever and ever.
V. O Lord, deign to keep us from sin this day.
R. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.
V. Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, for we have hoped in Thee.
R. O Lord, in Thee I have hoped; let me never be put to shame.