HerbEly

Do You See What Anna and Simeon Saw?

On February 2 we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. (Preempting the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time.) In the first of the three scripture lessons, (Mal 3:1-4) we hear the promise that 

And suddenly there will come to the temple the LORD whom you seek, And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.

While this promise was heard by many, it it was seen by only two when it happened. In the gospel (Lk 2:22-40) we learn that Anna and Simeon saw the baby Jesus when he was presented in the temple to be consecrated as a first born son. Anna and Simeon saw and recognized him as the promised of ages. They might have sung “Do You See What I See?’ (with Carrie Underwood.)

We can ask why Anna and Simeon were able to see when the wise, learned and powerful in Jerusalem were not. They were contemplatives - literally spending their time and longing in their hearts within the temple. And so it is for us. By themselves scholarship, learning and influence will not help us, even when we are using that influence to do the Lord’s work. In our hearts we must sit in the temple along with Anna and Simeon. We need not be in the temple continuously, especially if we are called to a life of service. Even while we are serving we can be there in our desires. If we are, our senses will gradually be awakened and we will see. Then we can pray with Simeon:

“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”

 

Screwtape on How to Tempt a Corinthian

Our scripture readings for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (January 26) include 1 Cor 1:1—13,17. I can imagine that C.S. Lewis was drawing on this lesson when he wrote The Screwtape Letters. Lewis imagines the advice that senior devil named Screwtape might provide to a junior devil, named Wormwood, on how to corrupt a young man. Since the young man has joined a church, Wormwood is concerned that he might go over the the enemy’s, i.e. God’s side. Screwtape sees in this a great opportunity. The young man should  be led to believe that his way of worship and his preferred teachers are the best way to God. Then he will engage in arguments and fights over the “right” way to worship and the “best” way to bring gospel values into the world. The goal in this case will be to divide the church into factions and prevent it from actually praising God and serving the poor. 

We see a similar situation in Corinth when Paul wrote:

For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters, by Chloe’s people, that there are rivalries among you. I mean that each of you is saying, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

The danger of competing loyalties and ideas of how programs and worship should be conducted is still present. We can see it in the Catholic Church in the reaction to the change of tone advocated by Pope Francis.

 

End of Christmas and Beginning of Ordinary Time

For those who follow the lectionary (a book of scripture readings for each Sunday of the year) this Sunday (Jan 12) is the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The gospel is the start of Jesus’ public ministry. This means that the gospel readings will no longer reflect Christmas or Epiphany but will follow Jesus’ public ministry. This year the third, gospel, readings will be mostly from Matthew. (Go here for a table showing the gospel and Old Testament readings for the year.) The first reading is from the Old Testament and is chosen to because it anticipates the gospel in topic or theme. The second reading is taken mostly from Paul but sometimes from other epistles or Revelation.

On the Catholic calendar the time between End of Christmas and beginning of Lent (March 5) is called Ordinary Time (sometimes Regular Time).  After Lent, Easter and Pentecost we will return to Ordinary Time and the readings from Matthew. Ordinary Time will end on November 23 with the Feast of Christ the King. Then we begin the cycle again with Advent.

Many Anglican, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary, which is close but not identical to the Catholic Lectionary. Here is a quote from the Wikipedia article on the RCL:

The major principle behind the lectionary is that on a Sunday members of congregations should be able to hear the voice of each writer week by week, rather than readings being selected according to a theme. Thus, in any given year the writer of one of the first three gospels will be heard from beginning to end. Likewise the rest of the New Testament is heard, in some cases, virtually in total, in others in large part.

This principle is subject to a number of exceptions. Firstly, different principles apply during the special seasons of the year: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent and Easter. Here appropriate lections relevant to the season are chosen. The rest of the year, called Ordinary Time, begins in February (after Candlemas) and runs until the Second Sunday before Lent. It then resumes after Pentecost until the Sunday before Advent which is kept as the Feast of Christ the King.

Rise up in Splendor Against the Darkness - updated

Revising my post for Epiphany Sunday, (Jan. 5th) adding a few comments and updating the scripture reference. Three years ago, I found reason for hope in face of looming darkness. Today I can cite "three signs of the times" (lk 12:54-56) giving reason for hope: poverty is declining, nuclear wapons are being converted into peacful use; and war related violence has declined. Each of these is remarkable and overlooked in the daily flow of news.

When I read my post of three years ago, my sense of hope is reenforced by these three "signs." - ones which the media overlooks in it's emphasis on the spectacular and the dangerous indications of darkness in the world.

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The traditional end of the Christmas season comes on Epiphany, celebrated this year on Sunday, January 2 instead of Jan 6, the traditional 12th night. Isaiah writes: 

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;

In Matthew we read that the Magi followed the light of a star. Darkness in the person of King Herod was gathering strength. Herod, a rich, cruel and powerful man, heard that the Magi had come to do homage to the "newborn King of the Jews." Matthew tell us that "when Herod heard this he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him." Herod would send his soldiers out to kill all boys born around the time of Jesus. Joseph was forced to flee through the desert to save his infant son.

 As we look around the forces of darkness still gather - on a personal and international level. Yet Herod's palace is in ruins and the infant son is worshipped across the world. Even in the face of darkness we should rise up, knowing that our light has come.