The Third Sunday of Easter
The Word: Acts 5:27-41 ("We must obey God rather than men")
(Parallel reading, Daniel 1:1 - 3:88: Rack, Shack, & Benny)
Revelation 5:11-14 (from whence the finale from Handel's Messiah is taken)
John 21:1-19 (Sunday Breakfast; Peter recants his triple denial with a three-fold affirmation of his love for Jesus)
Whoa! This afternoon I realized that I haven't posted a thing in two months!
I suppose I could have posted something sooner. I had a couple of flash moments that caught me in a receptive mood, but by the time I could get to my laptop I had real trouble articulating what struck me as meaningful. (It's hard to blog during Mass or worship services!)
One such 'gotcha' came to me about a week ago. It was before the April 15 deadline for filing income tax returns in America, and there was still talk about the recession, unemployment and all things financial. Everyone seemed to be talking about financial red ink - and the moment transferred itself from the secular world to the spiritual. A place where 'red ink' could easily refer to blood. How great was that 'red ink'! An outpouring that canceled humanity's debt and allowed us all to live 'in the black' with God!
Okay, maybe that's a bit of a stretch as far as symbolism goes.
Somewhere in my string of posts (check the archives) I did a reflection on the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (aka Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael); better known to fans of the Veggie Tales series as Rack, Shack, and Benny. While mindlessly folding laundry yesterday, I popped this video into my DVD player, not knowing the subject matter would come back today.
The adaptation lent itself to an Easter theme of sorts. Our heroes are ordered to bow before a giant chocolate bunny as employees of Mr. (Nebuchad)Nezzer's factory, something they simply won't do; just like the post-pentecostal Apostles won't stop teaching, preaching, exhorting, and evangelizing about Jesus. Just believing in something doesn't remove you from troubles or obstacles; in many cases, those beliefs can be their source. Hmmm...
On the other hand, I really liked the concept of the "Sunday breakfast business meeting" Jesus held with the Apostles, and most notably Peter, along the Sea of Tiberias.
It's interesting to note that the usually placid and pastoral John manages to give himself some credit. The youngest of the Twelve refers to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved"; he summons up enough courage to stand at the foot of his Master's cross and receive the commission to attend to Mary as his own mother; he is the first of the apostles to arrive at the empty tomb and believes immediately; and in this passage, recognizes Jesus onshore while they're in the boat a football-field's length away. Yet, his one-upsmanship is subtle. John recognizes Peter as the next-in-command. He waits for Peter to get to the tomb before he witnesses the scene for himself; and in this passage, once John recognizes Jesus (man, was his eyesight good!) Peter takes over by jumping out of the boat half-naked and swims ashore to meet him.
John goes one step further in demonstrating the depths of reconciliation. Jesus asks Peter, "Do you love me?" Not once, but three times. By the third time, we can anticipate that the Master has gotten under Peter's skin just enough to make his response a bit irritated. Why do you keep asking when you know everything?
Yeah, it's those special moments that endears Peter to me all the more. And if a blustery, hapless soul like Peter can be given the keys to the executive washroom, not to mention Paradise, at a simple breakfast business meeting, there's deep, genuine, and sincere hope for all of us.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
What More Can I Say?
Ash Wednesday
I haven't written a post in awhile.
I've been busy to some degree. Things are changing and several facets of life are going through this "hurry up and wait" sort of metamorphosis. I've been kept busy at work on a software implementation project; but that really only explains some of it.
Honestly, I don't have the foggiest idea on what to say that's any newer, different or more interesting than what I was posting before.
I can't be sure, but maybe this is exactly where God wants me right now; with my 'fount of wisdom' emptied.
That's one of the spiritual challenges I have. When one receives and understands knowledge, it is usually required that one shares and imparts the benefits of that knowledge to anyone and everyone interested. Trouble is, it's not like the knowledge or benefits aren't generally known to the public. Further, what each person does with the knowledge and benefits is different and has circumstantial influence. In layman's terms, your mileage may vary.
So here it is. Ash Wednesday, the beginning of another season of Lent; a reminder of sorts of just one description of "why God put me here" - that is, to lay a footprint. That it's not all about me, nor my singular, vertical relationship with God. That relationship is important; but it is not complete without the horizontal relationship - stretching my arms wide open to embrace everything in the path before me. God put all that there, too.
As a child, I was encouraged to 'give up' candy and snacks during Lent so that I could get just an inkling that others go without in a much more serious manner. All it really did was provide the fuel for a huge sugar-induced blowout on Easter Sunday. Still, fifty years later, that sort of logic still pervades, even though some pastors now add the caveat that whatever you give up has to really mean something a bit more long-lasting than just the next 6-1/2 weeks.
Some pastors, particularly in England, have suggested that this year's 'give ups' lend themselves to a 'green' theme; such as turning off all electronic devices (cell phones, laptops, video games, TV) for a full day. And if anyone reading does that with the intention of helping out the planet, you have my sincere thanks and praise.
Me? I think it goes deeper than that.
I joked a few years ago that I was giving up Lent (for Lent) - sort of an anti-establishment, momentarily rebellious streak that occasionally casts a stray thought into my head. (I will not succumb to the notion that this is temptation. There is no balance if the stray thought is not given an audience.)
This year, I am simply giving up. That's it. No object attached.
I'm going to attempt surrender; but not to life itself or even the way I live it. I will attempt surrender to the preconceived "it has to be this way and not that" and lead by allowing myself to be led. Yeah, I know it doesn't sound like it makes sense. But it does. I know it. The points in my life when I allow it to be done in that open way have led to the greatest treasures God could possibly given to me.
At a point in my life when many things ahead are not clearly defined, it's a great thing to have another hand on the steering wheel. There's just nothing more I can say.
I haven't written a post in awhile.
I've been busy to some degree. Things are changing and several facets of life are going through this "hurry up and wait" sort of metamorphosis. I've been kept busy at work on a software implementation project; but that really only explains some of it.
Honestly, I don't have the foggiest idea on what to say that's any newer, different or more interesting than what I was posting before.
I can't be sure, but maybe this is exactly where God wants me right now; with my 'fount of wisdom' emptied.
That's one of the spiritual challenges I have. When one receives and understands knowledge, it is usually required that one shares and imparts the benefits of that knowledge to anyone and everyone interested. Trouble is, it's not like the knowledge or benefits aren't generally known to the public. Further, what each person does with the knowledge and benefits is different and has circumstantial influence. In layman's terms, your mileage may vary.
So here it is. Ash Wednesday, the beginning of another season of Lent; a reminder of sorts of just one description of "why God put me here" - that is, to lay a footprint. That it's not all about me, nor my singular, vertical relationship with God. That relationship is important; but it is not complete without the horizontal relationship - stretching my arms wide open to embrace everything in the path before me. God put all that there, too.
As a child, I was encouraged to 'give up' candy and snacks during Lent so that I could get just an inkling that others go without in a much more serious manner. All it really did was provide the fuel for a huge sugar-induced blowout on Easter Sunday. Still, fifty years later, that sort of logic still pervades, even though some pastors now add the caveat that whatever you give up has to really mean something a bit more long-lasting than just the next 6-1/2 weeks.
Some pastors, particularly in England, have suggested that this year's 'give ups' lend themselves to a 'green' theme; such as turning off all electronic devices (cell phones, laptops, video games, TV) for a full day. And if anyone reading does that with the intention of helping out the planet, you have my sincere thanks and praise.
Me? I think it goes deeper than that.
I joked a few years ago that I was giving up Lent (for Lent) - sort of an anti-establishment, momentarily rebellious streak that occasionally casts a stray thought into my head. (I will not succumb to the notion that this is temptation. There is no balance if the stray thought is not given an audience.)
This year, I am simply giving up. That's it. No object attached.
I'm going to attempt surrender; but not to life itself or even the way I live it. I will attempt surrender to the preconceived "it has to be this way and not that" and lead by allowing myself to be led. Yeah, I know it doesn't sound like it makes sense. But it does. I know it. The points in my life when I allow it to be done in that open way have led to the greatest treasures God could possibly given to me.
At a point in my life when many things ahead are not clearly defined, it's a great thing to have another hand on the steering wheel. There's just nothing more I can say.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
No Shortages Here
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
(The Last Sunday in the Christmas Season)
(The First Sunday in Ordinary Time)
The Word:
Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 (First Song of the Servant: he is called for the victory of justice)
or Isaiah 40:1-11 (Prepare the way of the Lord!)
Psalm 29:1-10 (The Lord will bless his people with peace)
or Psalm 104:1-4, 24-30 (God’s creation looks to him for sustenance)
Acts 10:34-38 (God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power)
or Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7 (The grace of God has appeared)
Luke 3:15-22 or Matthew 3:13-17 or Mark 1:7-11
(Jesus is baptized; the Holy Spirit descends on him; the Father speaks: “This is my beloved Son, listen to him”)
Much of the richness of the Sacrament of Baptism is due to the fact that Jesus himself conformed to a baptism in the waters of the Jordan River by his cousin John, as recorded in all four Gospels. On this day, it is meaningful to recall the vows made in our name all those years ago (55 years ago this month for yours truly), and to all that becoming Christian means.
It is NOT one-sided. That is, while God is with and through and behind it all, his gift of free-will (free choice) means that we have a response to God and a responsibility to others. These, while seemingly clearly defined, are not so clearly executed.
Due to the advances of our technology, we see the world and its prominent people – the famous and the infamous – on our television and computer screens. We read and hear about them in the news. And what we see, read, and hear, can often leave us overwhelmed to the point that we overemphasize what goes on elsewhere and manage to neglect those things and people to and with whom God has placed in our lives. Parents, spouses, children, extended relations, friends, colleagues – all people we care about to a great extent but sometimes are left to fend for themselves when life is going through changes or maybe isn’t going as well as it could.
Put simply, there is no shortage of stuff for which to pray.
One part of how I define prayer is the acknowledgment that there is a Supreme Being, a Higher Power, a God whose omnipresence is key to guiding us through life, and especially those parts of it that are burdensome. Today, I am called to mention that which I know relies upon God’s hand to either improve or help accept those burdens. I mention them in with no particular priority, with this exception: in ordinary structured community prayer, Catholics usually pray first for the Church; then for the conditions of the world at large, then that of the nation; followed by special interests of the local community or parish, and lastly, for the sick, the dying, and the recently dead. Then, and only then, do we find time to think of our own situation. Often though, our situations become so large that they preclude any dwelling on the rest of the world beyond a passing thought. I don’t know about you, but while we can – and should – pray for the general peace and welfare of all the world, where does my prayer start affecting action, as it should?
It starts small. It starts within our smallest and most intimate circles of people and conditions we know. It has to. If we don’t have a handle on our own way of life, if we are not as lights shining brightly in our homes, how can we be light-bearers to anyone else?
And so today I offer prayer for what is on my mind, what is on my horizon, as I write.
- For my nephew celebrating his 34th birthday today as he struggles to cope with mistakes he made as a “prodigal” child, and to release him from feeling any sense of guilt from his cousin’s untimely death years ago.
- For my dear wife who, like so many women, gives selflessly to the business and vocation of motherhood and homemaking – so much that they struggle to find time to have to themselves.
- For my son, who must live life coping with who he is because he is autistic; and that he will find a loving, caring community who will accept him without trying to force him into a mold in which he can’t fit.
- For my parents, and especially my mother and mother-in-law, who are now struggling simply to live without physical or emotional pain and in peace.
- For my father and sister, and sister-in-law and her husband, who have undertaken the gargantuan tasks of directly caring for and coping with the illnesses my mother and mother-in-law now live through.
- For my brother, who for the majority of life has struggled with holding on to full-time work.
- That in this year that looks to be filled with many changes, not the least of which include changes in my position at work and the prospect of finding a more suitable home, my family and I will be guided and safeguarded.
- For general peace, good health, security, and happiness for people and families the around the world.
- That people will find God in their hearts.
In life we are taken from heights where we could seemingly touch heaven to depths some call a living hell. May I never lose sight that no matter where I am or what I do, you, God, are with me.
(The Last Sunday in the Christmas Season)
(The First Sunday in Ordinary Time)
The Word:
Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 (First Song of the Servant: he is called for the victory of justice)
or Isaiah 40:1-11 (Prepare the way of the Lord!)
Psalm 29:1-10 (The Lord will bless his people with peace)
or Psalm 104:1-4, 24-30 (God’s creation looks to him for sustenance)
Acts 10:34-38 (God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power)
or Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7 (The grace of God has appeared)
Luke 3:15-22 or Matthew 3:13-17 or Mark 1:7-11
(Jesus is baptized; the Holy Spirit descends on him; the Father speaks: “This is my beloved Son, listen to him”)
Much of the richness of the Sacrament of Baptism is due to the fact that Jesus himself conformed to a baptism in the waters of the Jordan River by his cousin John, as recorded in all four Gospels. On this day, it is meaningful to recall the vows made in our name all those years ago (55 years ago this month for yours truly), and to all that becoming Christian means.
It is NOT one-sided. That is, while God is with and through and behind it all, his gift of free-will (free choice) means that we have a response to God and a responsibility to others. These, while seemingly clearly defined, are not so clearly executed.
Due to the advances of our technology, we see the world and its prominent people – the famous and the infamous – on our television and computer screens. We read and hear about them in the news. And what we see, read, and hear, can often leave us overwhelmed to the point that we overemphasize what goes on elsewhere and manage to neglect those things and people to and with whom God has placed in our lives. Parents, spouses, children, extended relations, friends, colleagues – all people we care about to a great extent but sometimes are left to fend for themselves when life is going through changes or maybe isn’t going as well as it could.
Put simply, there is no shortage of stuff for which to pray.
One part of how I define prayer is the acknowledgment that there is a Supreme Being, a Higher Power, a God whose omnipresence is key to guiding us through life, and especially those parts of it that are burdensome. Today, I am called to mention that which I know relies upon God’s hand to either improve or help accept those burdens. I mention them in with no particular priority, with this exception: in ordinary structured community prayer, Catholics usually pray first for the Church; then for the conditions of the world at large, then that of the nation; followed by special interests of the local community or parish, and lastly, for the sick, the dying, and the recently dead. Then, and only then, do we find time to think of our own situation. Often though, our situations become so large that they preclude any dwelling on the rest of the world beyond a passing thought. I don’t know about you, but while we can – and should – pray for the general peace and welfare of all the world, where does my prayer start affecting action, as it should?
It starts small. It starts within our smallest and most intimate circles of people and conditions we know. It has to. If we don’t have a handle on our own way of life, if we are not as lights shining brightly in our homes, how can we be light-bearers to anyone else?
And so today I offer prayer for what is on my mind, what is on my horizon, as I write.
- For my nephew celebrating his 34th birthday today as he struggles to cope with mistakes he made as a “prodigal” child, and to release him from feeling any sense of guilt from his cousin’s untimely death years ago.
- For my dear wife who, like so many women, gives selflessly to the business and vocation of motherhood and homemaking – so much that they struggle to find time to have to themselves.
- For my son, who must live life coping with who he is because he is autistic; and that he will find a loving, caring community who will accept him without trying to force him into a mold in which he can’t fit.
- For my parents, and especially my mother and mother-in-law, who are now struggling simply to live without physical or emotional pain and in peace.
- For my father and sister, and sister-in-law and her husband, who have undertaken the gargantuan tasks of directly caring for and coping with the illnesses my mother and mother-in-law now live through.
- For my brother, who for the majority of life has struggled with holding on to full-time work.
- That in this year that looks to be filled with many changes, not the least of which include changes in my position at work and the prospect of finding a more suitable home, my family and I will be guided and safeguarded.
- For general peace, good health, security, and happiness for people and families the around the world.
- That people will find God in their hearts.
In life we are taken from heights where we could seemingly touch heaven to depths some call a living hell. May I never lose sight that no matter where I am or what I do, you, God, are with me.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
All This and a Bag of Chips - And a Partridge in a Pear Tree
The Season of Light:
The Twelve Days of Christmas
The Last Day in the Year of Our Lord 2009
The Word:
1 John 2:18-21 ("...many antichrists have appeared, thus we know it is the last hour")
Psalm 96:1-2, 11-13 (The Lord comes to rule the earth)
John 1:1-18 ("In the beginning was the Word...and the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw his glory")
Attention, Kmart shoppers: Christmas is not over! No, it only started December 25. We are now in the other part of the Season of Light, the tough part.
Why is it so tough? Didn't we do all we could over the better part of five weeks to get ready for it? Did we not drool enough over all the decorations, light displays, and the plethora of food and sweets? Of course we did.
Most of us ruffled through ads, wrestled through stores, and while we the people might not have gotten skinnier, I'm willing to bet some of our credit cards are noticeably, physically thinner; and our bank balances have gone down, even if our weight may be up a bit. I can't imagine anyone actually spent the $87,400 plus change on the cost of gifts listed in The Twelve Days of Christmas, but I have been known to be wrong. And there are some single gifts in our modern day priced higher than all the drummers, rings, and birds.
I'm not complaining. The Season of Light is a time when we're supposed to open our hearts - and most times that does lead to opening our wallets. But the point of this part of the season - now that radio stations have stopped playing carols and the decorations are coming down faster than they went up - is that our hearts remain open to Emmanuel, "God with(in) us." That could be among the origins of the legendary "New Year's Resolutions." You know - those things for which goals are set on January 1 to accomplish that you will likely abandon by February.
One of my biggest problems is when I attempt something (for example, losing weight - but it's not the only thing) I have this impression that it's something I have to do all by myself. If I find a way to do things with someone else, the change in life pattern becomes much easier. Take, for example, time for prayer. It should be something I am presupposed to do, and have the discipline. I don't. However, quite out of the blue in this year about to end, I was led to daily podcasts of the Divine Office and Bible readings for Mass. I set my alarm to wake me with one of these podcasts, and try to time the others at various points during my day. If I can walk while I pray any of the others, so much the better.
We have a degree of exercise and fitness equipment at home, and I must try to make better use of them alongside my family this year instead of watching the nth rerun of some TV show I happen to like (and I manage to find one every night).
One resolution is being made that will be a tough one to meet, but meet it we must - in the coming year our family will find a new home. There are no major problems with where we are, but there are several reasons when added together make this important. It will take time and a lot of energy, and a lot of hope.
Other things that are in flux in the year ahead are the stuff of future blogging. All I can say is it's going to be one heckuva ride. Once upon a time I would have thought that by 55 the ride would be slowing down. Forget that noise. However, I can honestly say that I'm looking forward to the ride so much that the accompanying challenges don't seem to be as big as I would have put them at other points in life.
Last Sunday it was pointed out that Joseph (Mary's husband and the stepfather of Jesus) was never quoted as saying anything in all the places in the Gospels (mainly Matthew and Luke) where he is mentioned. Still, the narrative clearly shows that he was a man of faith and action, a model for husbands and fathers today. (As long as nobody buries me upside down in order to buy or sell a house, I think we're okay.)
For all the doom and gloom that was spoken about or presented itself in 2009, for all the running around in circles, for all the endless debate and dragging feet through litigation that hallmarks society, in spite of the specter of global warming and the prophecies claiming the world will end any day now (latest date: 12/21/2012), there is still love, joy, hope, and light...
..."and a partridge in a pear tree."
Farewell, 2009; Welcome, 2010! May we bear more light than diffuse it as we move forward, ever forward.
The Twelve Days of Christmas
The Last Day in the Year of Our Lord 2009
The Word:
1 John 2:18-21 ("...many antichrists have appeared, thus we know it is the last hour")
Psalm 96:1-2, 11-13 (The Lord comes to rule the earth)
John 1:1-18 ("In the beginning was the Word...and the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw his glory")
Attention, Kmart shoppers: Christmas is not over! No, it only started December 25. We are now in the other part of the Season of Light, the tough part.
Why is it so tough? Didn't we do all we could over the better part of five weeks to get ready for it? Did we not drool enough over all the decorations, light displays, and the plethora of food and sweets? Of course we did.
Most of us ruffled through ads, wrestled through stores, and while we the people might not have gotten skinnier, I'm willing to bet some of our credit cards are noticeably, physically thinner; and our bank balances have gone down, even if our weight may be up a bit. I can't imagine anyone actually spent the $87,400 plus change on the cost of gifts listed in The Twelve Days of Christmas, but I have been known to be wrong. And there are some single gifts in our modern day priced higher than all the drummers, rings, and birds.
I'm not complaining. The Season of Light is a time when we're supposed to open our hearts - and most times that does lead to opening our wallets. But the point of this part of the season - now that radio stations have stopped playing carols and the decorations are coming down faster than they went up - is that our hearts remain open to Emmanuel, "God with(in) us." That could be among the origins of the legendary "New Year's Resolutions." You know - those things for which goals are set on January 1 to accomplish that you will likely abandon by February.
One of my biggest problems is when I attempt something (for example, losing weight - but it's not the only thing) I have this impression that it's something I have to do all by myself. If I find a way to do things with someone else, the change in life pattern becomes much easier. Take, for example, time for prayer. It should be something I am presupposed to do, and have the discipline. I don't. However, quite out of the blue in this year about to end, I was led to daily podcasts of the Divine Office and Bible readings for Mass. I set my alarm to wake me with one of these podcasts, and try to time the others at various points during my day. If I can walk while I pray any of the others, so much the better.
We have a degree of exercise and fitness equipment at home, and I must try to make better use of them alongside my family this year instead of watching the nth rerun of some TV show I happen to like (and I manage to find one every night).
One resolution is being made that will be a tough one to meet, but meet it we must - in the coming year our family will find a new home. There are no major problems with where we are, but there are several reasons when added together make this important. It will take time and a lot of energy, and a lot of hope.
Other things that are in flux in the year ahead are the stuff of future blogging. All I can say is it's going to be one heckuva ride. Once upon a time I would have thought that by 55 the ride would be slowing down. Forget that noise. However, I can honestly say that I'm looking forward to the ride so much that the accompanying challenges don't seem to be as big as I would have put them at other points in life.
Last Sunday it was pointed out that Joseph (Mary's husband and the stepfather of Jesus) was never quoted as saying anything in all the places in the Gospels (mainly Matthew and Luke) where he is mentioned. Still, the narrative clearly shows that he was a man of faith and action, a model for husbands and fathers today. (As long as nobody buries me upside down in order to buy or sell a house, I think we're okay.)
For all the doom and gloom that was spoken about or presented itself in 2009, for all the running around in circles, for all the endless debate and dragging feet through litigation that hallmarks society, in spite of the specter of global warming and the prophecies claiming the world will end any day now (latest date: 12/21/2012), there is still love, joy, hope, and light...
..."and a partridge in a pear tree."
Farewell, 2009; Welcome, 2010! May we bear more light than diffuse it as we move forward, ever forward.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Joyful & Triumphant
The Season of Light:
Christmas Day, The Nativity of Jesus
The Christmas 'Novena', Day 9
The Word:
(Scripture readings usually proclaimed at Christmas)
Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29; Acts 13:16-17, 22-25; Matthew 1:1-25 (Vigil Mass)
Isaiah 9:1-6; Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14 (Midnight Mass)
Isaiah 62:11-12; Psalm 97:1, 6, 11-12; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:15-20 (Sunrise Service)
Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-18 (Christ's Mass)
Adeste fideles, laeti triumphantes;
Venite, venite in Bethlehem
Natum videte, regem angelorum
Venite adoremus
Venite adoremus
Venite adoremus Dominum
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant;
O come, ye; O come, ye to Bethlehem!
Come, and behold Him, born the King of angels.
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!
Cantet nunc io, chorus angelorum,
Cantet nunc aula caelestium:
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Venite adoremus
Venite adoremus
Venite adoremus Dominum
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation!
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Gloria in excelsis Deo! (Glory to God in the highest!)
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!
For He alone is worthy
For Christ alone is worthy
Venite adoremus...Christ the Lord!
Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning!
Jesus, to Thee be all glory given
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing
O come, let us adore him
Venite adoremus
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!
--Adeste Fideles (O Come, All Ye Faithful) (18th Century)
Latin text and music - John F. Wade, English text - Frederick Oakeley
And so, the world is turned upside down once again.
A king, redeemer, savior (take your pick or all of the above) is born in the humblest of places.
And...most of the world at the time could have cared less.
Today, it is all too easy to not consider the wide range of unworldly events that have shaped and molded a chunk of humanity for all time. To do without it completely, though, would be sacrilege.
Besides, it would give those who are professed atheists one less major thing to complain about. (Now there's an oxymoron for you - professing that you don't profess to any particular spiritual or faith path, religious congregation, or the like.)
O holy night
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night
Of the dear Savior's birth...
O holy night
When...something, something...Jesus
It is the night
Of the Christmas trees and pies
Jesus is born
And so I get a present
Thank you, Jesus for being born
Fall on your knees
O hear (Can't you hear?)
The angels'...something (VOICES!!)
O night divine
O night when I get presents
O night divine
O night...O holy night
--O Holy Night
19th Century carol
Original text by Adolphe Adam
Parody as sung by Eric Cartman in TV's South Park by Trey Parker and Matt Stone
Okay, this may be a bit of a stretch, but at least Eric thanked Jesus for being born and becoming the source of his holiday expectations. How many of us are thankful today for this time and place? Is it possible that a vast majority of us are so expectant of 'our fair share'(no matter how unfair or unbalanced that seems to someone else) that we fail to acknowledge that it came from somewhere else, no matter how much we may or may feel we earned it or are entitled to it?
When was the last time you thanked God just for being? Or at least, thanked someone in your life for being there for you? And, really meant it?
Today, Christians acknowledge a great gift - Emmanuel, God with us in the flesh and bone and sinews of humanity, and caught up in the web of human existence. For that alone I am thankful - although it took many years and the wonderful gift of loved ones and friends and colleagues for me to only begin to understand and appreciate the depth of such a gift.
The shouting and singing is over for now. Four out of five services in two days can tire a person out. I am truly excited yet calm, thankful and ready to move ahead. Now is the time to see how well that joy and cheer can be spread around.
Love and joy come to you
And to you your Christmas too
And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year
And God send you a Happy New Year!
Christmas Day, The Nativity of Jesus
The Christmas 'Novena', Day 9
The Word:
(Scripture readings usually proclaimed at Christmas)
Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29; Acts 13:16-17, 22-25; Matthew 1:1-25 (Vigil Mass)
Isaiah 9:1-6; Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14 (Midnight Mass)
Isaiah 62:11-12; Psalm 97:1, 6, 11-12; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:15-20 (Sunrise Service)
Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-18 (Christ's Mass)
Adeste fideles, laeti triumphantes;
Venite, venite in Bethlehem
Natum videte, regem angelorum
Venite adoremus
Venite adoremus
Venite adoremus Dominum
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant;
O come, ye; O come, ye to Bethlehem!
Come, and behold Him, born the King of angels.
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!
Cantet nunc io, chorus angelorum,
Cantet nunc aula caelestium:
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Venite adoremus
Venite adoremus
Venite adoremus Dominum
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation!
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Gloria in excelsis Deo! (Glory to God in the highest!)
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!
For He alone is worthy
For Christ alone is worthy
Venite adoremus...Christ the Lord!
Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning!
Jesus, to Thee be all glory given
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing
O come, let us adore him
Venite adoremus
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!
--Adeste Fideles (O Come, All Ye Faithful) (18th Century)
Latin text and music - John F. Wade, English text - Frederick Oakeley
And so, the world is turned upside down once again.
A king, redeemer, savior (take your pick or all of the above) is born in the humblest of places.
And...most of the world at the time could have cared less.
Today, it is all too easy to not consider the wide range of unworldly events that have shaped and molded a chunk of humanity for all time. To do without it completely, though, would be sacrilege.
Besides, it would give those who are professed atheists one less major thing to complain about. (Now there's an oxymoron for you - professing that you don't profess to any particular spiritual or faith path, religious congregation, or the like.)
O holy night
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night
Of the dear Savior's birth...
O holy night
When...something, something...Jesus
It is the night
Of the Christmas trees and pies
Jesus is born
And so I get a present
Thank you, Jesus for being born
Fall on your knees
O hear (Can't you hear?)
The angels'...something (VOICES!!)
O night divine
O night when I get presents
O night divine
O night...O holy night
--O Holy Night
19th Century carol
Original text by Adolphe Adam
Parody as sung by Eric Cartman in TV's South Park by Trey Parker and Matt Stone
Okay, this may be a bit of a stretch, but at least Eric thanked Jesus for being born and becoming the source of his holiday expectations. How many of us are thankful today for this time and place? Is it possible that a vast majority of us are so expectant of 'our fair share'(no matter how unfair or unbalanced that seems to someone else) that we fail to acknowledge that it came from somewhere else, no matter how much we may or may feel we earned it or are entitled to it?
When was the last time you thanked God just for being? Or at least, thanked someone in your life for being there for you? And, really meant it?
Today, Christians acknowledge a great gift - Emmanuel, God with us in the flesh and bone and sinews of humanity, and caught up in the web of human existence. For that alone I am thankful - although it took many years and the wonderful gift of loved ones and friends and colleagues for me to only begin to understand and appreciate the depth of such a gift.
The shouting and singing is over for now. Four out of five services in two days can tire a person out. I am truly excited yet calm, thankful and ready to move ahead. Now is the time to see how well that joy and cheer can be spread around.
Love and joy come to you
And to you your Christmas too
And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year
And God send you a Happy New Year!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Ero Cras
The Season of Light:
Christmas Eve
The Christmas 'Novena', Day 8
The Word:
2 Samuel 7:1-16 ("I will raise up [an heir after David]...I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me")
Psalm 89:2-5, 27 & 29 (Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord)
Luke 1:67-79 ("Blessed be the Lord...he has come to his people and set them free")
Over the last seven days I introduced each of the seven verses of the ancient hymn O Come, O Come Emmanuel. If you've been following, the verses all portray an image of the promised Messiah, according to the prophet Isaiah. Let's recap (Latin words in parentheses):
Come, Wisdom from on high (O Sapientia)
Come, Lord of might (O Adonai)
Come, Rod of Jesse (O Radix Jesse)
Come, Key of David (O Clavis David)
Come, Daystar (O Oriens)
Come, Desired [King] of the Nations (O Rex Gentium)
and, finally, Come, Emmanuel (O Emmanuel).
It is interesting to note that this hymn, though attributed to the 9th Century and in Latin, is similar to a style of Hebrew poetry, in which the first letter of each stanza or verse follows a pattern. (For example, each major section of Psalm 119 begins with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.) Taking all the bold letters from last to first, we have "ero cras", which is Latin for "Tomorrow, I will come."
Additionally, there was a practice in the Anglican Church to add one verse that was not part of the original series of antiphons. It, too was in Latin; a loose English translation reads like this:
O Virgin of virgins, how shall this be?
For neither before thee was any like thee, nor shall there be after.
Daughters of Jerusalem, why marvel ye at me?
The thing which ye behold is a divine mystery.
This was added after the previous seven verses. Adding the "V" of virgin (Latin virgo), to the acrostic, we now have "vero cras" (Truly, tomorrow).
Now, you know.
O come, divine Messiah!
The world in silence waits the day
When hope shall sing its triumph,
And sadness flee away.
Dear Savior haste;
Come, come to earth,
Dispel the night and show your face,
And bid us hail the dawn of grace.
O come, divine Messiah!
The world in silence waits the day
When hope shall sing its triumph,
And sadness flee away.
O Christ, whom nations sigh for,
Whom priest and prophet long foretold,
Come break the captive fetters;
Redeem the long-lost fold.
Dear Savior haste;
Come, come to earth,
Dispel the night and show your face,
And bid us hail the dawn of grace.
O come, divine Messiah!
The world in silence waits the day
When hope shall sing its triumph,
And sadness flee away.
You come in peace and meekness,
And lowly will your cradle be;
All clothed in human weakness
Shall we your Godhead see.
Dear Savior haste;
Come, come to earth,
Dispel the night and show your face,
And bid us hail the dawn of grace.
O come, divine Messiah!
The world in silence waits the day
When hope shall sing its triumph,
And sadness flee away.
--O Come, Divine Messiah
16th Century French carol
Tonight the stars shine for the children
And light the way for dreams to fly
Tonight our love comes wrapped in ribbons
The world is right and hopes are high
And from a dark and frosted window
A child appears to search the sky
Because it's Christmas, because it's Christmas
Tonight belongs to all the children
Tonight their joy rings through the air
And so we pray God's tender blessings
To all the children everywhere
To see the smiles and hear the laughter
A time to give, a time to share
Because it's Christmas, for now and forever
For all of the children and for the children in us all
--Because It's Christmas (1990)
Barry Manilow
This night we pray
Our lives will show
This dream we have
Each child still knows
We are waiting
We have not forgotten
On this night, on this night
On this very Christmas night
On this night, on this night
On this merry Christmas night
--Christmas Canon (1998)
Words: Paul O'Neill, Music: adaptation of the Kanon by Johann Pachelbel
as recorded by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Tomorrow, while all may seem the same, the world will once more be turned upside down.
Until then, may your God be with you...
Christmas Eve
The Christmas 'Novena', Day 8
The Word:
2 Samuel 7:1-16 ("I will raise up [an heir after David]...I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me")
Psalm 89:2-5, 27 & 29 (Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord)
Luke 1:67-79 ("Blessed be the Lord...he has come to his people and set them free")
Over the last seven days I introduced each of the seven verses of the ancient hymn O Come, O Come Emmanuel. If you've been following, the verses all portray an image of the promised Messiah, according to the prophet Isaiah. Let's recap (Latin words in parentheses):
Come, Wisdom from on high (O Sapientia)
Come, Lord of might (O Adonai)
Come, Rod of Jesse (O Radix Jesse)
Come, Key of David (O Clavis David)
Come, Daystar (O Oriens)
Come, Desired [King] of the Nations (O Rex Gentium)
and, finally, Come, Emmanuel (O Emmanuel).
It is interesting to note that this hymn, though attributed to the 9th Century and in Latin, is similar to a style of Hebrew poetry, in which the first letter of each stanza or verse follows a pattern. (For example, each major section of Psalm 119 begins with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.) Taking all the bold letters from last to first, we have "ero cras", which is Latin for "Tomorrow, I will come."
Additionally, there was a practice in the Anglican Church to add one verse that was not part of the original series of antiphons. It, too was in Latin; a loose English translation reads like this:
O Virgin of virgins, how shall this be?
For neither before thee was any like thee, nor shall there be after.
Daughters of Jerusalem, why marvel ye at me?
The thing which ye behold is a divine mystery.
This was added after the previous seven verses. Adding the "V" of virgin (Latin virgo), to the acrostic, we now have "vero cras" (Truly, tomorrow).
Now, you know.
O come, divine Messiah!
The world in silence waits the day
When hope shall sing its triumph,
And sadness flee away.
Dear Savior haste;
Come, come to earth,
Dispel the night and show your face,
And bid us hail the dawn of grace.
O come, divine Messiah!
The world in silence waits the day
When hope shall sing its triumph,
And sadness flee away.
O Christ, whom nations sigh for,
Whom priest and prophet long foretold,
Come break the captive fetters;
Redeem the long-lost fold.
Dear Savior haste;
Come, come to earth,
Dispel the night and show your face,
And bid us hail the dawn of grace.
O come, divine Messiah!
The world in silence waits the day
When hope shall sing its triumph,
And sadness flee away.
You come in peace and meekness,
And lowly will your cradle be;
All clothed in human weakness
Shall we your Godhead see.
Dear Savior haste;
Come, come to earth,
Dispel the night and show your face,
And bid us hail the dawn of grace.
O come, divine Messiah!
The world in silence waits the day
When hope shall sing its triumph,
And sadness flee away.
--O Come, Divine Messiah
16th Century French carol
Tonight the stars shine for the children
And light the way for dreams to fly
Tonight our love comes wrapped in ribbons
The world is right and hopes are high
And from a dark and frosted window
A child appears to search the sky
Because it's Christmas, because it's Christmas
Tonight belongs to all the children
Tonight their joy rings through the air
And so we pray God's tender blessings
To all the children everywhere
To see the smiles and hear the laughter
A time to give, a time to share
Because it's Christmas, for now and forever
For all of the children and for the children in us all
--Because It's Christmas (1990)
Barry Manilow
This night we pray
Our lives will show
This dream we have
Each child still knows
We are waiting
We have not forgotten
On this night, on this night
On this very Christmas night
On this night, on this night
On this merry Christmas night
--Christmas Canon (1998)
Words: Paul O'Neill, Music: adaptation of the Kanon by Johann Pachelbel
as recorded by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Tomorrow, while all may seem the same, the world will once more be turned upside down.
Until then, may your God be with you...
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Come, Emmanuel! Hail Festivus!
The Season of Light:
The Christmas 'Novena', Day 7
The Word:
Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24 ("I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me")
Psalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10 & 14 (Your redemption is near at hand)
Luke 1:57-66 (Elizabeth gives birth to a son; "His name is John")
Veni, veni Emmanuel!
Captivum solve Israel!
Qui gemit in exilio,
Privatus Dei Filio.
Gaude, gaude!!
Emmanuel nascetur pro te, Israel!!!
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice, Rejoice!!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!!!
--O Come, O Come Emmanuel (verse one)
Isaiah had prophesied:
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel (which means 'God is with us')" (Isaiah 7:14).
Christ climbed down
from his bare Tree
this year
and ran away to where
there were no rootless Christmas trees
hung with candy canes and breakable stars
Christ climbed down
from his bare Tree
this year
and ran away to where
there were no gilded Christmas trees
and no tinsel Christmas trees
and no tinfoil Christmas trees
and no pink plastic Christmas trees
and no gold Christmas trees
and no black Christmas trees
and no powder-blue Christmas trees
hung with electric candles
and encircled by tin electric trains
and clever cornball relatives
Christ climbed down
from his bare Tree
this year
and ran away to where
no intrepid Bible salesmen
covered the territory
in two-tone Cadillacs
and where no Sears Roebuck creches
complete with plastic babe in manger
arrived by parcel post
the babe by special delivery
and where no televisioned Wise Men
praised the Lord Calvert Whiskey
Christ climbed down
from his bare Tree
this year
and ran away to where
no fat handshaking stranger
in a red flannel suit
and a fake white beard
went around passing himself off
as some sort of North Pole saint
crossing the desert to Bethlehem
Pennsylvania
in a Volkswagen sled
drawn by rollicking Adirondack reindeer
with German names
and bearing sacks of Humble Gifts
from Saks Fifth Avenue
for everybody's imagined Christ child
Christ climbed down
from his bare Tree
this year
and ran away to where
no Bing Crosby carolers
groaned of a tight Christmas
and where no Radio City angels
iceskated wingless
thru a winter wonderland
into a jingle bell heaven
daily at 8:30
with Midnight Mass Matinees
Christ climbed down
from his bare Tree
this year
and softly stole away into
some anonymous soul
He waits again
an unimaginable and impossibly
Immaculate Reconception
the very craziest
of Second Comings
--Lawrence Ferlinghetti, from "A Coney Island of the Mind (1958)
My take on this, you ask? Why did I post it??
There's few who will disagree with me in saying that Christmas is a very important festival. However, it's not the only one observed in the Season of Light - and it and all the others are all interconnected. Consider this while I refresh you with one of the relative newcomers to the season, being celebrated today:
Talk about your "hallmark" holidays - Festivus is an annual holiday created by writer Dan O'Keefe and introduced into popular culture by his son Daniel, a scriptwriter for the TV show Seinfeld. Although the original Festivus took place in February 1966 as a celebration of O'Keefe's first date with his wife, Deborah, many people now celebrate the holiday on December 23, as depicted on the December 18, 1997 Seinfeld episode "The Strike". According to O'Keefe, the name Festivus "just popped into his head." The holiday includes novel practices such as the "Airing of Grievances", in which each person tells everyone else all the ways they have disappointed him or her over the past year. Also, after the Festivus meal, the "Feats of Strength" are performed, involving wrestling the head of the household to the floor, with the holiday ending only if the head of the household is actually pinned. These conventions originated with the TV episode. The original holiday featured far more peculiar practices, as detailed in the younger Daniel O'Keefe's book The Real Festivus, which provides a first-person account of an early version of the Festivus holiday as celebrated by the O'Keefe family, and how O'Keefe amended or replaced details of his father's invention to create the Seinfeld episode.
Some people, influenced or inspired by Seinfeld, now celebrate the holiday in varying degrees of seriousness; the spread of Festivus in the real world is chronicled in the book Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us. (Wikipedia)
Hey, folks, don't get me wrong - but it seems to me that the "Airing of Grievances" is not limited to one day in the calendar. God be praised if it were!
I think a few seriously missed the boat here. If you needed to celebrate "a non-denominational holiday" because you're "frustrated or jaded with the commercialism and pressure surrounding" the Season of Light, there are countless resources available to you. Watch The Grinch or one of the numerous versions of Dickens' Christmas Carol - better yet, read them - and while at it, read some of the ancient writings associated with the holidays we've been preparing for.
And on the other hand...
Consider the etymology of the word (again, from Wikipedia).
Festivus (with long "i", festīvus) is a Latin word, but not the name of a festival: in one reference it is said to mean "festive". A scholarly work on the etymology of the word by Dr. Brian A. Krostenko summarized in Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us, concludes that in ancient Rome the word evolved, referring at times to the way the common folk would misbehave on official religious holidays, and at other times to a certain snooty attitude amongst the higher classes. It is possible that the elder O'Keefe, who was studying ancient rituals, knew this etymology and adapted it for his family's holiday. The English word festive derives from festīvus, which in turn derives from festus "joyous; holiday, feast day".
So maybe Festivus can be a jump start for those still stuck in the rut of preparation. Something bizarre and out of left-field, unexpected, that can divert our focus from the mundane...
..Until you consider that the birth of Jesus, as given in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, is about as bizarre and out of left-field as anything television sitcom writers can think up. A virgin giving birth to a child? The husband is not the father? They're traveling to the city of the foster-father's tribal origin to be counted in a census by an occupying foreign power? The baby's born in a stable because nobody has the compassion to give a woman in labor a decent place (by 1st Century standards) to stay? (Where was the universal health-care program?)
Still, the day has become part of our culture, and - whether or not you celebrate it, you can be identified with it.
Tomorrow, Christmas Eve; Day 8 of the 'novena.' One more 'secret' regarding the 'O Antiphons'...and you thought I exhausted the subject.
One of us is crying
As our hopes and dreams
Are led away in chains
And we're left all alone
And one of us is dying
As are love
Is slowly lowered in the grave
Oh, and we're left on our own
But for all of us who journey
Through the dark abyss of loneliness
There comes a great announcement
"We are never alone"
For the One who made each heart that breaks
The Giver of each breath we take
Has come to earth
And given hope its birth
(chorus:)
And our God is with us, Emmanuel
And He's come to save us, Emmanuel
And we will never face life alone
Now that God has made Himself known
As Father and Friend, with us through the end
Emmanuel
He spoke with prophets' voices
And He showed Himself in a cloud of fire
But no one had seen His face
Until the One most holy
Revealed to us His perfect heart's desire
And left His rightful place
And in one glorious moment
All eternity was shaken
As God broke through the darkness
That had kept us apart
And with love that conquers loneliness
And hope that fills all emptiness
He came to earth to show our worth
(chorus)
So rejoice!! O, rejoice!!!
Emmanuel has come!!!
(chorus)
--Our God Is With Us (1995)
Steven Curtis Chapman
The Christmas 'Novena', Day 7
The Word:
Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24 ("I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me")
Psalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10 & 14 (Your redemption is near at hand)
Luke 1:57-66 (Elizabeth gives birth to a son; "His name is John")
Veni, veni Emmanuel!
Captivum solve Israel!
Qui gemit in exilio,
Privatus Dei Filio.
Gaude, gaude!!
Emmanuel nascetur pro te, Israel!!!
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice, Rejoice!!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!!!
--O Come, O Come Emmanuel (verse one)
Isaiah had prophesied:
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel (which means 'God is with us')" (Isaiah 7:14).
Christ climbed down
from his bare Tree
this year
and ran away to where
there were no rootless Christmas trees
hung with candy canes and breakable stars
Christ climbed down
from his bare Tree
this year
and ran away to where
there were no gilded Christmas trees
and no tinsel Christmas trees
and no tinfoil Christmas trees
and no pink plastic Christmas trees
and no gold Christmas trees
and no black Christmas trees
and no powder-blue Christmas trees
hung with electric candles
and encircled by tin electric trains
and clever cornball relatives
Christ climbed down
from his bare Tree
this year
and ran away to where
no intrepid Bible salesmen
covered the territory
in two-tone Cadillacs
and where no Sears Roebuck creches
complete with plastic babe in manger
arrived by parcel post
the babe by special delivery
and where no televisioned Wise Men
praised the Lord Calvert Whiskey
Christ climbed down
from his bare Tree
this year
and ran away to where
no fat handshaking stranger
in a red flannel suit
and a fake white beard
went around passing himself off
as some sort of North Pole saint
crossing the desert to Bethlehem
Pennsylvania
in a Volkswagen sled
drawn by rollicking Adirondack reindeer
with German names
and bearing sacks of Humble Gifts
from Saks Fifth Avenue
for everybody's imagined Christ child
Christ climbed down
from his bare Tree
this year
and ran away to where
no Bing Crosby carolers
groaned of a tight Christmas
and where no Radio City angels
iceskated wingless
thru a winter wonderland
into a jingle bell heaven
daily at 8:30
with Midnight Mass Matinees
Christ climbed down
from his bare Tree
this year
and softly stole away into
some anonymous soul
He waits again
an unimaginable and impossibly
Immaculate Reconception
the very craziest
of Second Comings
--Lawrence Ferlinghetti, from "A Coney Island of the Mind (1958)
My take on this, you ask? Why did I post it??
There's few who will disagree with me in saying that Christmas is a very important festival. However, it's not the only one observed in the Season of Light - and it and all the others are all interconnected. Consider this while I refresh you with one of the relative newcomers to the season, being celebrated today:
Talk about your "hallmark" holidays - Festivus is an annual holiday created by writer Dan O'Keefe and introduced into popular culture by his son Daniel, a scriptwriter for the TV show Seinfeld. Although the original Festivus took place in February 1966 as a celebration of O'Keefe's first date with his wife, Deborah, many people now celebrate the holiday on December 23, as depicted on the December 18, 1997 Seinfeld episode "The Strike". According to O'Keefe, the name Festivus "just popped into his head." The holiday includes novel practices such as the "Airing of Grievances", in which each person tells everyone else all the ways they have disappointed him or her over the past year. Also, after the Festivus meal, the "Feats of Strength" are performed, involving wrestling the head of the household to the floor, with the holiday ending only if the head of the household is actually pinned. These conventions originated with the TV episode. The original holiday featured far more peculiar practices, as detailed in the younger Daniel O'Keefe's book The Real Festivus, which provides a first-person account of an early version of the Festivus holiday as celebrated by the O'Keefe family, and how O'Keefe amended or replaced details of his father's invention to create the Seinfeld episode.
Some people, influenced or inspired by Seinfeld, now celebrate the holiday in varying degrees of seriousness; the spread of Festivus in the real world is chronicled in the book Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us. (Wikipedia)
Hey, folks, don't get me wrong - but it seems to me that the "Airing of Grievances" is not limited to one day in the calendar. God be praised if it were!
I think a few seriously missed the boat here. If you needed to celebrate "a non-denominational holiday" because you're "frustrated or jaded with the commercialism and pressure surrounding" the Season of Light, there are countless resources available to you. Watch The Grinch or one of the numerous versions of Dickens' Christmas Carol - better yet, read them - and while at it, read some of the ancient writings associated with the holidays we've been preparing for.
And on the other hand...
Consider the etymology of the word (again, from Wikipedia).
Festivus (with long "i", festīvus) is a Latin word, but not the name of a festival: in one reference it is said to mean "festive". A scholarly work on the etymology of the word by Dr. Brian A. Krostenko summarized in Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us, concludes that in ancient Rome the word evolved, referring at times to the way the common folk would misbehave on official religious holidays, and at other times to a certain snooty attitude amongst the higher classes. It is possible that the elder O'Keefe, who was studying ancient rituals, knew this etymology and adapted it for his family's holiday. The English word festive derives from festīvus, which in turn derives from festus "joyous; holiday, feast day".
So maybe Festivus can be a jump start for those still stuck in the rut of preparation. Something bizarre and out of left-field, unexpected, that can divert our focus from the mundane...
..Until you consider that the birth of Jesus, as given in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, is about as bizarre and out of left-field as anything television sitcom writers can think up. A virgin giving birth to a child? The husband is not the father? They're traveling to the city of the foster-father's tribal origin to be counted in a census by an occupying foreign power? The baby's born in a stable because nobody has the compassion to give a woman in labor a decent place (by 1st Century standards) to stay? (Where was the universal health-care program?)
Still, the day has become part of our culture, and - whether or not you celebrate it, you can be identified with it.
Tomorrow, Christmas Eve; Day 8 of the 'novena.' One more 'secret' regarding the 'O Antiphons'...and you thought I exhausted the subject.
One of us is crying
As our hopes and dreams
Are led away in chains
And we're left all alone
And one of us is dying
As are love
Is slowly lowered in the grave
Oh, and we're left on our own
But for all of us who journey
Through the dark abyss of loneliness
There comes a great announcement
"We are never alone"
For the One who made each heart that breaks
The Giver of each breath we take
Has come to earth
And given hope its birth
(chorus:)
And our God is with us, Emmanuel
And He's come to save us, Emmanuel
And we will never face life alone
Now that God has made Himself known
As Father and Friend, with us through the end
Emmanuel
He spoke with prophets' voices
And He showed Himself in a cloud of fire
But no one had seen His face
Until the One most holy
Revealed to us His perfect heart's desire
And left His rightful place
And in one glorious moment
All eternity was shaken
As God broke through the darkness
That had kept us apart
And with love that conquers loneliness
And hope that fills all emptiness
He came to earth to show our worth
(chorus)
So rejoice!! O, rejoice!!!
Emmanuel has come!!!
(chorus)
--Our God Is With Us (1995)
Steven Curtis Chapman
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)