THE SOLSTICE
According to a Midrash from the Jewish tradition, Adam
noticed the changing of the seasons during his first year on earth. As
fall became winter, he felt the weather grow colder. The days became
shorter and the nights grew longer. And Adam worried that the daylight would
disappear completely and the earth would be devoured in endless darkness.
And so, during the longest night, Adam held desperate vigil
over the last dying ember of light. And just at the moment when he would
have lost all hope, he noticed the change in the season. The night became
shorter, the day became longer, and the light gradually returned to the world.
The human heart is attuned to the seasons, which change
according to the earth's great circumambulation. Within this seasonal
turning there is a promise: Darkness will never completely consume us.
There will always be a divine light waiting to reemerge. However,
sometimes we must be the ones to hold this spark of light through the darkness.
THE TORCH
In the year 1170, a pregnant woman named Juana de Aza had a
strange dream. She dreamed that she gave birth to a dog with a torch in its
mouth. The dog ran through the world setting everything aflame.
Juana de Aza consulted a dream interpreter at a local
monastery. The interpreter told her that her son would be a saint who would
spread the message of truth throughout the world. The next month she gave
birth to St. Dominic.
The torch has always symbolized the truth. The heart
of those who are truthful becomes like a torch – it guides them along through
the journey of life. And those who live truthfully inspire
others. So each torch lights another and in this way the light
spreads throughout the world.
THE TRUTH
In the world of Aristotle, truth is a goddess. The
Greek Aletheia (and her Roman counterpart Veritas) does not just represent
correctness. She is a living being who carries her torch into dark caves
and wells, revealing the inner realities. Her name itself means “the act
of unconcealing.”
Truth is therefore an ongoing experience, an ongoing
exploration. It is a seeking, like the quest of the Magi (the Three Wise
Men) following the light of the beacon star through the dark deserts of the
world.
THE JOURNEY OF THE MAGI I
Three Magi, wise men from afar,
Caspar, Malchior and old Balthasar,
Great Zoroastrian astrologers,
Rejoiced when they saw the star.
The meaning of this new celestial sight,
Shining, inviting in the night,
Was a signal calling from the west,
Three Magi, wise men from afar,
Caspar, Malchior and old Balthasar,
Great Zoroastrian astrologers,
Rejoiced when they saw the star.
The meaning of this new celestial sight,
Shining, inviting in the night,
Was a signal calling from the west,
Blessing them with holy light.
They knew at once that it was best
To sell the things that they possessed,
They knew at once that it was best
To sell the things that they possessed,
For to follow this starry light,
Was to be their sacred quest.
And for everything they sold,
They bought frankincense, myrrh and gold,
The swiftest camels they could find,
And packed provisions for the road.
At first their wives said, "Go unload those camels!
You're taking our firewood and candles?
Our extra socks and cooking pots?
Our hats and gloves and sandals?
It's winter and you're taking all the furs!
Since when were you desert travelers?"
Since when were you desert travelers?"
But the shining wonder in their eyes
Softened the cries of challengers.
Softened the cries of challengers.
“Always keep your star in view.
May this light guide all you do.
Let it lead your sacred quest,
And the light will shine through you.”
LET THERE BE LIGHT
A long darkness preceded life. It is a darkness that
we have not forgotten. Much of our being still lies hidden within its
mystery. In Genesis, we are told, “In the beginning … the Earth was void;
and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” This is before the Spirit of God
moved upon the face of the waters and said, “ ‘Let there be light,’ and
there was light.”
This is mystery upon mystery. While seeming to depict vast
external acts, the story also describes an interior awakening. The moment
of creation continues in every moment, in every life, in every cell and atom.
The void is opened every instant a thought or new being is born, and from the
eternal darkness, emerges into the world of light.
THE DAWN
If you have ever had occasion to be out early in the morning
before the dawn breaks, you will have noticed that the darkest time of night is
immediately before the dawn. The darkness deepens and becomes more
anonymous. Light is incredibly generous, but also gentle. When you
attend to the way the dawn comes, you learn how light can coax the dark.
The first fingers of light appear on the horizon, and ever so deftly and
gradually, they pull the mantle of darkness away from the world.
We are always on a journey from darkness into light.
Each day is a journey. We come out of night into the day. And we
come out of the darkness of winter into the effervescence of
springtime. All creativity awakens at this primal threshold where
light and darkness test and bless each other.
- John O’Donohue
THE JOURNEY OF THE MAGI II
Their caravan crossed dark and darker lands,
Through a wilderness of snow and sand,
Guided by the orient of light,
Their path they came to understand.
As daylight shrank into the night,
They came to Persia and a rare delight:
The palace city of Persepolis
Spilling riches shining bright.
Their caravan crossed dark and darker lands,
Through a wilderness of snow and sand,
Guided by the orient of light,
Their path they came to understand.
As daylight shrank into the night,
They came to Persia and a rare delight:
The palace city of Persepolis
Spilling riches shining bright.
They turned and returned to their goal,
The distant star that pulled the soul.
But the ziggurats of Babylon
Were next to test their self-control.
A wealthy and luxurious place,
Filled with pleasures for every taste,
A library full of famous scrolls,
But they had no time to waste.
They passed gardens echoing with song,
And had listened to camel hooves so long,
That to hear trumpets and tambourines,
The distant star that pulled the soul.
But the ziggurats of Babylon
Were next to test their self-control.
A wealthy and luxurious place,
Filled with pleasures for every taste,
A library full of famous scrolls,
But they had no time to waste.
They passed gardens echoing with song,
And had listened to camel hooves so long,
That to hear trumpets and tambourines,
The temptation was so very strong,
Inviting them to stop and rest,
But these thoughts they did suppress,
And kicking the camels onward still,
Continued on their quest.
“Always keep your star in view.
May this light guide all you do.
Let it lead your sacred quest,
And the light will shine through you.”
THE SHELTER OF DARK
Darkness is one of our closest companions. The dark is
older than the light. In the beginning was darkness. The first
light was born out of the dark. All through evolution the light
grew and refined itself, until, finally, a new lamp was lit with the human
mind… It was a light that could see itself. The mind brought a new
quality of light, which could acknowledge and unveil mystery and create
mysteries of its own.
Its eternity of patience rewarded, infinity discovered at
last its true mirror in the human soul. For the first time, there was
someone who could see the depths and reflect the glimpses. In a certain
sense, all human action, thought, and creativity make mirrors for life to
behold itself. Yet the closer our acquaintance with the mystery, the more
the mystery deepens. Brightness only reinforces the opaque soul of
darkness. We forget so easily that all our feelings, thoughts, and
brightness of mind are born in darkness. Thoughts are sparks of
illumination within the dark silence and stillness of our bodies. We have
an inner kinship with darkness that nothing can dissolve. This protects
us from allowing too much light into the secret centre of our minds. The
immensity and slow beauty of the inner life need the shelter of dark in order
to grow and find their appropriate forms.
- John O’Donohue
THE SEED
Before it can grow, a seed must be planted into fertile
soil. Growth requires a dark incubation. Surrounded by the darkness of
earth, a seed opens its tender inner self. The soil nurtures the seedling
until it sprouts from the ground. Yet even after a part of the plants
reaches out into the world above, another part remains below the surface.
Growth is symmetrical. The deeper the roots plunge into the mysterious dark the
higher the plant can reach toward the luminous heavens.
THE JOURNEY OF THE MAGI III
The road grew long for these three men.
It took them round and back again.
The snow fell harder each dark night,
Storm clouds hid the stars and then,
Caspar drew up his reigns with fright.
He could no longer see the light.
Each wise man faced a different way,
And soon began to fight.
"We must turn back,” Malchior rushed to say.
"No, let us make camp here and stay,
Until we catch sight of the star
What can we do but pray?"
"I can tell you where we are,"
Said shaking, weary Balthazar.
"We have found eternal night
The road grew long for these three men.
It took them round and back again.
The snow fell harder each dark night,
Storm clouds hid the stars and then,
Caspar drew up his reigns with fright.
He could no longer see the light.
Each wise man faced a different way,
And soon began to fight.
"We must turn back,” Malchior rushed to say.
"No, let us make camp here and stay,
Until we catch sight of the star
What can we do but pray?"
"I can tell you where we are,"
Said shaking, weary Balthazar.
"We have found eternal night
By following that star.”
But as they nearly lost their heart,
But as they nearly lost their heart,
The storm clouds burst and tore apart.
Unveiling the deep midnight sky,
Where the star shone in the dark.
Unveiling the deep midnight sky,
Where the star shone in the dark.
The magnificent light had clearly grown,
Through the clouds it brightly shone,
Illuminating sandy dunes
And reflections in the snow.
Around them the whole world glimmered,
Brightly in their eyes it shimmered,
And in a luminous reverie,
They made their way through the blizzard.
In the snow they found the manger square,
An glow in this world they had dared,
To cross all obstacles to come and find
A light divine beyond compare.
An glow in this world they had dared,
To cross all obstacles to come and find
A light divine beyond compare.
“Always keep your star in view.
May this light guide all you do.
Let it lead your sacred quest,
And the light will shine through you.”
CHILDREN
When we have children, they pass through our bodies. Our
bodies are vessels for their embryogenesis - a capacity we inherited from
the vessels that birthed us. All life is a sequence of exquisitely complex
forms, each nested in the previous iteration. Every cell arises from a previous
cell, and every creature is born from a parent. We originate in the bodies of
our parents, who originated in the bodies of our grandparents, and beyond,
through a series of countless renditions, which form a transmission back to the
very origins of life.
Every human being begins as a single cell, which contains a
microcosmic ancestry of the entire tree of life, articulated in atoms,
stardust, and light from the beginning of the universe. But every embryo must
still labor stage by stage. First we become a tiny swimming creature within the
dark primordial sea of the womb. We develop a heart, a brain, eyeballs and
limbs. And finally we are born into the world of light. Yet even as
we go forth into our lives we carry this heritage of billions of years bundled
into every one of our cells. We cannot fully comprehend or articulate
this great dark mystery inside of us except to pass it on to our own offspring.
BETHLEHEM
A brilliant constellation filled the sky with light.
Shepherds and their sheep sang throughout the night.
The clatter of camel hooves brought visitors from afar -
a caravan of gifts following the star.
A donkey brayed. The oxen moaned.
Sounds of celebration came from every home.
Friends and family gathered all around -
everyone returning to the old hometown.
Only one place was filled with quite peace -
a humble little barn of gentle sleeping beasts.
There in the silence and the darkness inside,
a child was born to a mystical bride.
So as we write our Christmas lists,
and rush to buy and wrap our gifts,
and when our friends and families meet,
to sing and dance and talk and eat,
Is there a place deep inside of you,
that is quiet and peaceful too?
Because at first light on Christmas morn,
that is the place where God is born.
THE JOURNEY OF THE MAGI IV
“As we three entered the holy land,
“As we three entered the holy land,
We had expected something grand:
Perhaps a palace fit for kings.
But instead through snow and sand,
We found a warm and humble stable,
But instead through snow and sand,
We found a warm and humble stable,
Some shepherds around the table,
And there the peaceful child slept,
With a manger for his cradle.
The babe glowed with a light surreal
That radiated love's ideal.
Between the mother and the father,
We approached and bowed to kneel.
The babe glowed with a light surreal
That radiated love's ideal.
Between the mother and the father,
We approached and bowed to kneel.
A wonder beyond Babylon and Persepolis,
For the miracle we beheld was really this:
The brightest light shines upon,
A family’s simple bliss.
We offered up our gifts so they might thrive.
And through this dark world survive,
For in their perfect innocence,
The light had been revived.
A family’s simple bliss.
We offered up our gifts so they might thrive.
And through this dark world survive,
For in their perfect innocence,
The light had been revived.
“Always keep your star in view.
May this light guide all you do.
Let it lead your sacred quest,
And the light will shine through you.”
THE NEW FAMILY
No matter what went on around them; no matter
what message the snowstorm was straining to utter;
or how crowded they thought that wood affair;
or that there was nothing for them anywhere;
first, they were together. And — most of all — second,
they now were a threesome.
Joseph Brodsky
THE OTHER WISE MAN – PART ONE
Every evening Artavan watched the skies from his garden. It
was a cold night in the early month of winter when he first saw the star. He
did not need to consult his astrolabes or books. He knew what the divine light
foretold - Christ had been born in the west.
He had long planned a journey to meet the new prophet king.
Along with three other astrologers, Artavan had made a solemn promise: to meet
at the crossroads seven days after the appearance of the star. Artavan did not
know if he would ever return. So he sold all of his possessions and said
goodbye to his family and friends.
With everything he sold he acquired three gifts: a pearl as
white as the moon, a ruby as bright as the sun, and a diamond as black as
night. On the appointed day he took a swift camel and rode off towards the
crossroads. He rode through the day and night in order to be on time to meet
his companions.
But as he rode through the darkest hour of night he came
upon a man lying by the side of the road. Artavan reigned in his camel and
looked down at the dying man. He must have been attacked by some dreadful
highway bandits. Artavan knew that if he stopped to help he would be late to
meet his companions. But how could he just leave the man to die by the side of
the road?
So Artavan stepped down from his camel and lifted the
injured man onto his saddle. And he led them both to a nearby village.
Artavan found some relatives of the dying man to take him in and give him care.
But by the time Artavan arrived at the crossroads his companions had already
departed….
SHOPPING
When it’s Christmas we’re all of us magi.
When it’s Christmas we’re all of us magi.
At the grocers’ all slipping and pushing.
Where a tin of halvah, coffee-flavored,
is the cause of a human assault-wave
by a crowd heavy-laden with parcels:
each one his own king, his own camel.
- Joseph Brodsky
THS OTHER WISE MAN – PART TWO
Artavan would have followed his companions west, but he did
not have a caravan or supplies to cross the desert. So he sat by the crossroads
for a long time. Finally he reached into his vest and found the pearl. For a
moment he held it close and mourned the loss of his gift. Then he rode back to
the village and sold the expensive pearl. With the profits he bought
seven camels packed with food and water, everything he needed to cross the
desert.
Through the middle month of winter Artavan travelled across
the desert, always a few days behind his friends. During the day he followed
their footprints in the sand. At night the star was his guide.
After a long journey he arrived in the sleepy little village
of Bethlehem. He found the inn and met the innkeeper, a friendly woman with a
child of her own. She told Artavan the story: The carpenter Joseph and his wife
had spent the night in the stable. In the night the young wife had given birth.
The innkeeper also remembered the other astrologers: They
had come, bowed before the child, and given gifts of spice and gold. Then, as
quickly as they had arrived, the family disappeared.
Artavan wept as he heard the story. His whole life he had
prepared for this moment and now he had missed everything….
Just then they heard a cruel trumpet blast. Herod’s soldiers
entered town, dragging families into the streets and killing every child. As
the soldiers approached the inn, the innkeeper pleaded with Artavan, “Stranger,
can you save my child?”
Artavan stepped out to meet the soldiers. “In exchange for
the blood of a child,” he asked, “Will you take this red gem?”
The soldiers nodded and took the ruby.
Now Artavan had only one jewel left. He heard the family had
fled south with their child into Egypt. So he followed ….
LOVE
Why should we love our enemies? The first reason is
fairly obvious. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness
to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only
light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into
a friend. We never get rid of an enemy by meeting hate with hate; we get
rid of an enemy by getting rid of enmity.
- Martin Luther King
THE OTHER WISE MAN – PART THREE
For many years Artavan searched for Christ - in Roman forts
and palaces, in temples beside the flowing Nile, in gardens and sycamore
groves. In Alexandria he met an old sage, “Christ is not found in rich places.”
he told Artavan who had searched so long, “He is found with the poor and
hungry.”
And so Artavan traveled with beggars. He spent his days in
hospitals and prisons, living with those who suffer the most. After many years,
Artavan passed through the great sacred city of Jerusalem. There was some
revolution going on and angry crowds packed the streets.
In the chaos Artavan heard a man cry out, “Come to Calvary!
They are killing Christ!”
And the crowd pressed toward the hill to see the Romans kill
another man.
Artavan took out his final black jewel and rushed off with
the teeming crowd, hoping to have one final glimpse of the king who he
had searched for his whole life. As he moved through the crooked streets he saw
a young slave girl being sold. She cried out, “Save me from this evil fate!”
Artavan’s heart made him stop. He looked at his last jewel.
For a moment he mourned the loss and then he bought the girl’s freedom.
Just then a great darkness fell. An earthquake shook the
city. The crowds fled. Clouds of dust and darkness filled the air. And
Artavan knew it was over. Christ had died. And he had missed his final
chance.
“My quest is over and I have failed.” Artavan wept,
“Christ, I am sorry. I never saw your face”
Just then a voice called down to Artavan from the hill of
death, “Do not weep. You have seen my face.”
“When you helped the dying man, that was me. The newborn
child, the slave girl, the homeless and imprisoned, those who cry for justice,
they are my face. Give compassion to the whole world and you will have given a
greater gift than all the jewels and gold, and frankincense and myrrh.”
And Artavan cried because he knew that he had accomplished
his quest and seen the face
of God.
REALITY
The Catholic philosopher and social worker Jean Vanier began
as a scholar of Aristotle. In a recent interview he describes his
philosophical orientation:
“The main theme with Aristotle is the primacy of experience
over ideas. So the worst thing that can happen for Aristotelians is to
become Aristotelians. Because then they start reading and thinking about
Aristotle, but they are no longer linked with reality - to touch reality, to
listen to people, to see the world evolving, and so on…
For me, the most important thing is to love reality. Not to
live in the imagination: what could have been or what should have been.
But to love reality. And then to discover, in reality, that God is
present.”
THE LIGHT OF THE INNER ALTAR
The festival of Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the
Temple in Jerusalem. That temple, which was first based on the Garden of
Eden, has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. And although the
ancient ruin is still fought over by men and nations, its true form is found
within the human heart.
Like the temple, each of us has a sacred sanctuary
inside. Within this inner temple is the altar of the
heart. No matter what darkness and war wages outside, we can keep
our inner altar kindled with the light of divine love, and guidance, and
thanksgiving.
The outer temple will be destroyed and rebuilt again.
The kingdom will be captured and ransomed again. There will always
be darkness and war. Yet we can still tend to our inner light.
Hanukkah celebrates the relighting of the altar, even in the midst of war
and darkness.
“May your heart be an altar, from which the bright flame
of unending thanksgiving ascends to Heaven”
- St.
Mary Euphrasia Pelletier
LISTENING
There is something quiet about Jesus. He encountered
people who suffered from disease and poverty, and people who were caught up in
prostitution and money. And he would sit with them and eat with
them. And he would listen to them.
Sometimes he would reassure them that God loves everyone.
THE BODY IS LIKE MARY
The body is like Mary and each of us has a Jesus inside.
Who is not in labor, holy labor? Every creature is.
See the value of true art when the earth or a soul is in
the mood to create beauty,
for the witness might then for a moment know beyond
any doubt, God is really there within,
so innocently drawing life from us with Her umbilical
universe,
though also needing to be born, yes God also needs to be
born,
birth from a hand's loving touch, birth from a song
breathing
life into this world.
The body is like Mary, and each of us, each of us, has a
Christ within.
- Jelaluddin Rumi
PARENTAL LOVE
We are accustomed to relating to God as a parent. So it is
new relationship when, in the Nativity story, we encounter the Divine in a
newborn child. And yet, as a parent remembering the birth of my own son, I can
completely relate to encountering in my tender child the fullness of creation,
with all its complicated emotions. The sacred responsibility, the true
devotion, the willingness to sacrifice one’s own needs for the child - these
sprung naturally from all-consuming love the moment we first lay eyes on our
children. The birth of one's child is one of the holiest moments in life.
The
same devotion we feel toward our children is required to experience
God. One must be willing to lose oneself completely in love. The
theologian Meister Eckhart describes the mystical birth of Christ in the
human soul: "The great spiritual being will be born in the human
soul, if one willingly accepts the burden and pain caused by Divine
love."
CHILDREN'S LOVE
The deepest desire of us all is not only to be admired, but
to be loved. Aristotle makes a distinction between admiration and
love. When you admire someone, you put them on a
pedestal. When you love someone, you want to be together.
One of the words of Jesus to Peter (in the gospel of St.
John) is, “Do you love me?”
So there is the cry of God, saying, “Do you love me?” And
there is the cry of humanity, saying, “Do you love me?” And these
two cries become one.
However, we are out of balance. We educate people to become
knowledgeable and capable. But we must also educate people to
relate, to listen, to help people become themselves. Children can bring this
equilibrium of the heart.
Maybe a father is a very strong man, a
businessman. But when he gets home, if he gets down on his
hands and knees and plays with a child, it is the child that is teaching the
father something about tenderness and love. Children teach us what
it means to be human, how to relate, and celebrate life together.
- Jean Vanier (from a 2007 Christmas radio interview)
THE THEOPHANY OF PERFECTION
The great Sufi mystic, Ibn 'Arabi was born in southern
Spain, at the time of the flowering of Andalusian Moorish culture. Among
his many beautiful poems is this one, written to the human-being from the
perspective of the Divine:
O my beloved,
You are the reason for the being of the world.
You are the center point of the sphere and it’s
encompassing.
You are its complexity and simplicity.
You are the order brought down between heaven and earth.
I did not create for you realizations,
Except that you realize me in them.
And when you realize me you realize yourself.
Beloved, how often have I called you and you do not hear?
How often have I stood before you and you do not witness me?
How often have I embodied myself in scents and you do not
inhale?
And in the flavors you do not savor the taste for my sake.
What is the matter with you?
Why do you not see me?
Why do you not hear me?
I am the Beautiful.
I am the Elegant.
Love me.
Love me. Love me alone.
Desire me most ardently.
Be consumed in me.
You will not find an intimate like me.
I am closer to you than yourself.
O heart, O heart.
CONSUMED IN GRACE
St. Catherine of Siena was oriented toward God from a very
young age. When her parents urged her to marry she cut of all her hair
and went without food. After a long protest they allowed her to follow
her calling and become part of the Dominican Order.
I first saw God when I was a child, six years old.
The face of the sun was pale before Him.
And the earth acted like a shy girl, like me.
His Divine light, which entered my heart,
continues to shine. Though I understand
how a person’s faith can flicker at times.
For what is the mind to do with something
that overwhelms the mind: a God
that consumes us in His grace.
A Beloved of infinite tenderness,
more gentle than the Mother’s first kiss
upon the newborn Christ.
GOOD NIGHT
God is revealed in every word and every act.
I know this may be hard to comprehend:
All creatures are helping God be born.
But enough talk for the night.
He is laboring in me.
I need to be silent
for a while,
as the light forms
in my heart.
