The Keening of Mary

Today we Orthodox celebrate the Dormition (Falling Asleep) of the Most Blessed, Ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of God (Theotokos).

Our Roman Catholic brethren celebrate this day as The Assumption, the taking up into heaven of the Blessed Mother.

Either way one prefers to look at it, most of us will assuredly fall asleep one day, but we have the hope of being transitioned, taken up to be with Our Lord. What the Blessed Virgin Mary has become, we also have the hope to become: a Perfected Human Person in Perfect Communion with the Fullness of the Presence of God. Alleluia!

For this occasion, I share here a beautiful poem from the ancient Celtic Christian Tradition:

The Keening of Mary

Mary:   O Peter,

                O Apostle,

                  has thou seen

                  my bright love?

Peter:   I saw Him
               even now,

                 in the midst

                 of His foemen.

Mary:   Come hither,

               ye two Marys,

               and my

               bright love be

                         keening.

The

Two

Marys:   If His body be not with us,

                    sure our keene

                    had little meaning.

Mary:   Who is yonder stately Man

                  on the Tree

                  His Passion showing?

Christ:   O Mother, thine own son,

                   can it be
                   thou art not knowing?

Mary:   And is that the little son

                 whom nine months

                             I was bearing?

              And is that the little son

                 in the stall

                 I was a' caring?

              And is that the little son

                 this Mary's breast

                         was draining?

Christ:  Hush thee,

                hush thee, Mother,

                 and be not
                 so complaining.

Mary:   And is this the very hammer
                 that struck the sharp nails
                                            thro' thee?

              And this the very spear

                 that thy white side pierced

                                      and slew thee?

              And is that the crown of thorns

                 that thy beauteous head

                                             is caging?

Christ:  Hush, Mother,

                 for my sake
                 thy sorrow be assuaging.

              For thy own love's sake

                 thy cruel sorrow smother!

             The women of my keening

                are unborn yet,

                       little Mother!

             O woman, why weepest thou

                 my death that leads to pardon?

             Happy hundreds,

                today,

                shall stray through Paradise Garden.

             Hush, O Mother,

                and be not sorrowful.


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A Daughter of Charity

Today is the Feast Day of my Patron, Saint Louise de Marillac. co-Founder of the religious society known as The Daughters of Charity.

She was quite a lady and one who loved God. She has been an influence in my Religious life as well as the life and vision of our Order, particularly in our focus on the Divine Incarnation.

St. Louise embraced the Incarnation as the most wonderful work of God in salvation history. She admired the humility of God-made-Flesh. Christ came, "as humbly as can be imagined so that we might be more free to approach Him". She experienced the whole life of Jesus as a manifestation of the fullness of His love and His pilgrimage on earth as a model for all of us to imitate. For those who don't know much about her I would encourage getting to know her.

Today also marks the 15 year anniversary of my priestly ordination.

Reflecting on this I note that I am still a most unprofitable servant.

But today I take to heart the encouraging words of St. Louise:

"Do not be upset if things are not as you would want them to be for a long time to come. Do the little you can very peacefully and calmly so as to allow room for the guidance of God in your lives. Do not worry about the rest".

Indeed, she has much to say to us today:

"It seems to me that our interior conversation with God should consist in the continuous remembrance of His holy Presence. We must adore Him every hour and make acts of love for His Goodness ... We should raise our minds to God and depend only on Him, remembering that, from all eternity, He has been and is sufficient to Himself; consequently, He can and should be sufficient for us ... It is your prayers... which attract from the Goodness of God all His Graces".

Happy Heavenly Birthday, dear Mother Louise! May your prayer be our prayer as well:

"May my life be solely for Jesus and my neighbor so that, by means of this unifying love, I may love all that Jesus loves, and through the power of this love which has as its center the eternal Love of God for His creatures, I may obtain from His Goodness the graces which His Mercy wills to bestow upon me".

Amen.

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When the Christmas Lights Go Out

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, in the liturgical cycle of the Divine Office, officially brings the Christmas Season to a close.
Among many things, here at the Abbey, this means the Christmas lights and decorations are taken down and packed away for another year.
We are always the last ones on the street and even the entire area to still have the lights going a week after New Years.

I always feel a bit sad having to turn off the Christmas lights.
It always looks so dark afterwards.
It's almost as if, for a few weeks once a year, even those of little faith or not of the Faith unwittingly participate in displaying the Light of Christ, even if only through otherwise secular and commercial means.

In my area, the inflatable yard decorations are the popular thing - eight foot tall Santas, snowmen, nutcrackers, Nativitys, Charlie Brown & Peanuts characters and the Grinch - abound.
Some folks display their Christian Faith more profoundly with lights that spell out "Happy Birthday Jesus".

It's a lot of fun and pretty to look at.
Lights shining in the darkness.
And then they all go out.
And the houses and the streets are dark once again.

Of course the Christmas Cards we send and receive encourage us with sentiments of keeping the Spirit of Christmas alive in our hearts throughout the year.
I wonder how many of us actually do that.
More often than not, I suspect most of us give no further thought to Christmas or any spirit thereof until we see the Christmas decorations go up on display in the retail stores after the Halloween decorations come down.

That's the consumer trend.

The Christian 'trend' is different.
Especially if one participates in the liturgical cycle of the Church.
We move with Christ from His Birth to His Baptism, from the Manger to the waters of Jordan, to the first miracle at the Wedding in Cana, the beginning of His earthly ministry, and on to the season of Lent and Pascha.

The sanctification of time.

Even in the in-between seasons called 'Ordinary Time', there is always something happening because Christ's life is always happening in us and through us. We eat His Flesh and drink His Blood as often as we do and we have His Life within us in every season and at all times.
The Christmas lights may go out but His Light in us never goes out.
And we need to make sure (as far as it depends on us) this Light is visible and perceptible.
Christ's Incarnation, Birth, Baptism, every event and season of His Life as well as those who shared in it - our Lady Theotokas, His Mother and our Mother - the Apostles, disciples and Saints, His brothers and friends - our brothers and friends.
All of this Life and Light has happened, is happening, and we must remember and keep it ever in mind, while driving to work or shopping in Walmart.

Christians should never be people who need retail reminders.
We should not be people who say, "I’m so glad Christmas is over".
Nothing is over. It is ever beginning, ever continuing. Never ending.

"Christ is bathed in light" writes St. Gregory of Nazianzus, "let us also be bathed in light.
Christ is baptized; let us also go down with Him and rise with Him.
Be cleansed entirely and continue to be cleansed. Nothing gives such pleasure to God as the conversion and salvation of men, for whom His every word and every revelation exist. He wants you to become a living force for all mankind, lights shining in the world. You are to be radiant lights as you stand beside Christ, the great light, bathed in the light of Him Who is the light of heaven. You are to enjoy more and more the pure and dazzling light of the Trinity, as now you have received - though not in its fullness - a ray of its splendour, proceeding from the one God, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to Whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen."

The Christmas lights have been turned off but we have been bathed in the light of the Incarnation.
The Christmas tree ornaments have been packed away but we are decorated with a ray of Theophany.
We’ve stopped singing Christmas Carols but we must never stop singing ‘Glory to God in the Highest’.

Keep shining!
Keep singing!
The darkness can’t stand it!