Daily Meditations Archives - Page 311 of 332

Christmas Eve: The Fortieth Day of Christmas Advent

12/24/2012

The persons who are involved in the story of Christ’s birth were all quite different. Mary and Joseph were humble travelers seeking a place of shelter. The shepherds were simple men of the land tending their flocks. The wise men were wealthy and aristocratic foreigners wandering in a strange land. Yet, each of them shared a common characteristic. They opened their hearts to the actions of the Lord who mysteriously led them to the village

Christmas Advent: The Thirty-Seventh Day

12/21/2012

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” —Isaiah 52:7 (NRSV) OUR VIGIL ENDS WHEN, like the watchmen of ancient Israel, we sing for joy at our Savior’s coming. On Christmas day, the full dimension of our relationship with God is revealed and we become, through Christ, God’s children. Because God took on human flesh,

Christmas Advent: The Thirty-Sixth Day

12/20/2012

CHRISTMAS DAY IS THE FEAST OF THE INCARNATION, the celebration of God with us. That which we have longed for has entered our human experience. In Christmas services, we hear the pronouncement of the angel: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Families and churches often represent the Incarnation

Christmas Advent: The Thirty-Fifth Day

12/19/2012

The Gift of Christmas The Christmas season is such a beautiful time of the year. Lights, candles, and cutout snowflakes begin to decorate our city’s streets. People begin to adorn their homes with the colors of red and green, wreaths, candles, and dazzling arrays of lights. These decorations even spill into our schools and businesses. That’s the Christmas season! That is the Christmas season? This past week, as I was speaking with one of my

Christmas Advent: The Thirty-Fourth Day

12/18/2012

THE CRECHE CHRISTMAS EVE is the beginning of the feast of the Nativity, the celebration of God with us. All of the waiting and preparation of Advent leads us to this night. On the evening before the celebration of Christ’s birth, the church gathers for a vigil. Images of darkness and light suffuse our worship during the Christmas Eve liturgy: we are entering into the dark night of our Savior’s birth, when Light will come

Christmas Advent: The Thirty-Third Day

12/17/2012

THE BRIEF AND POTENT PRAYERS OF THIS WEEK of the Advent season so beautifully weave together all the many themes of Advent. They have been used at least since the seventh century in [Western Christian] monasteries, which are among the few remaining communities still singing them to mark the week beginning December 17 as a special time in the Advent season. Some Benedictine hospitals keep this tradition as well; only in the pediatric ward will you see

Christmas Advent: The Thirtieth Day

12/14/2012

The Russian Nativity Icon The Russian nativity icon vividly portrays the Christmas perspective of the Orthodox Church. Through symbolism and teaching about Gods incarnation (becoming human) the icon presents Christmas as a “feast of re-creation.” The word icon is a Greek word meaning “image” or “likeness.” The nativity icon is done in an art style dating back to the sixth century Byzantine Empire. Orthodox iconography is a purely idealistic art form. Through the Byzantine style

Christmas Advent: The Twenty-Ninth Day

12/13/2012

Thin Places (Part III) More hectic than holy? If you visit Bethlehem today, you’ll find that it doesn’t have the same kind of pastoral, quiet and mystical aura of a thin place like Iona. There’s jostling with a long line of pilgrims waiting to get into the Church of the Nativity, monks yelling instructions to be quiet, cameras flashing, security officers mulling about — all for people to get one chance to touch the star

Saint Spyridon the Wonderworker of Trymithous

12/12/2012

The island of Cyprus was both the birthplace and the place where this glorious saint served the Church. Spyridon was born of simple parents, farmers, and he remained simple and humble until his death. He married in his youth and had children, but when his wife died he devoted himself completely to the service of God. Because of his exceptional piety, he was chosen as bishop of the city of Tremithus (Trymithous). Yet even as

Christmas Advent: The Twenty-Seventh Day

12/11/2012

Thin Places (Part II) Bethlehem, a thin place The prophet Micah called the people of Judah to focus hard on finding a thin place in the midst of the thick and foreboding threat of foreign invasion. Like a raging storm, the Assyrian invaders were bearing down on them to sweep them away as God’s instrument of judgment against his people. They would dodge that particular fate at the hands of Assyria, but they would not