Come support Father Raphael Mary Salzillo, OP he as dialogs with a Muslim imam and a Jewish rabbi.
The Muslim student club at Everett Community College will be hosting a panel discussion on religious tolerance this coming Tuesday, March 9th from noon to 1:00pm at Everett Community College. Fr. Raphael Mary will sit on the panel along with a Muslim imam and a Jewish rabbi. All are welcome!
The address of the campus is 2000 Powers St. Everett, WA 98201. When you get to campus, just ask for the the multi-purpose room at Parks Student Union and anyone will be able to direct you.
Showing posts with label Education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Education. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
DEUS PROVIDEBIT
The West Coast Dominican Brothers of St. Albert's Priory have a new blog called Deus Providebit. It's pretty fabulous - check it out!!!
Here's a bit about the Brothers in their own words...
Here's a bit about the Brothers in their own words...
"For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the Dominican Order, the purpose of the Order is to pass on to others the fruits of our contemplation. This 'passing on' of our contemplation we call preaching, a word that may conjure up for our readers a dry Sunday homily or the diatribe of a sidewalk evangelist. Preaching, for us, does not carry such negative connotations. Rather, it is the outward expression of an inward encounter with the Living God. Such expressions have taken shape in many ways over the 800 year history of our Order: the itinerant evangelism of our founder- St. Dominic, the passionate love for truth and the intellectual clarity of Sts. Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas, St. Martin de Porres' evangelical love for the poor, St. Catherine of Siena's ministry of reconciliation and reform. The Studentate of the Western Province aspire to these models of holy preaching and we hope that this blog, in its better moments, helps further the Dominican mission: Laudare, Benedicere, Praedicare- To Praise, To Preach, To Bless."
West Coast Walk for Life Video
West Coast Walk for Life was an amazing success! Check out this new video (featuring a couple of our parishioners) made by Br. Michael James Rivera, OP, of St. Albert's Priory in Oakland, CA. For amazing writing from the Dominican Brothers, check out their new blog, Deus Providebit.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
New Year - New Testament
Fellow YAYA, Kevin Birnbaum just started a new project and blog for the New Year. His plan is to read one chapter of the New Testament every weekday through out the year. He will blog about it. His hope is to get people to follow along, to comment, and to discuss the readings.
Here's Kevin's first post: My New Testament Reading Plan
From time to time I'll develop an ambition to read through the entire Bible in a year. But it never lasts long. At least for me, that's just way too much daily reading. I need a more modest goal.
Then I realized that the New Testament is only 260 chapters long, which means that if I start today (Jan. 4) and read just one chapter each weekday, I'll finish the last chapter on Dec. 31. Very tidy. Very manageable.
So I'm going to do it. And I'm going to blog about it, writing a very brief reflection on each chapter as I read it. I'm neither a Scripture expert nor a saint, so I'll try to avoid pontificating and stick, rather, to viewing this as an opportunity for intellectual and (especially) spiritual growth.
A couple of procedural notes: 1) I plan to read the English Standard Version of the Bible, a revision of the Revised Standard Version that is both (as I understand) fairly literal and quite beautiful. 2) I'll be reading the books of the New Testament in their normal order, with the exception that the four Gospels will be interspersed throughout the year; I'm starting with the Gospel of Luke because Luke and the Acts of the Apostles are two volumes of the same extended work, and they stay together this way.
Below is my reading schedule, with the name of each book, the number of chapters it has, and the date it should be finished. I invite anyone who's interested to read along with me and leave your own comments.
UPDATE: The question was asked whether commenters should stick to discussing whatever theme I point out in a given chapter. The answer is no: Feel free to bring up any aspect of a chapter that you find worthy of comment.
Luke - 24 chapters - Feb. 4
Acts - 28 chapters - March 16
Romans - 16 chapters - April 7
Mark - 16 chapters - April 29
1 Corinthians - 16 chapters - May 21
2 Corinthians - 13 chapters - June 9
Galatians - 6 chapters - June 17
Ephesians - 6 chapters - June 25
Philippians - 4 chapters - July 1
Colossians - 4 chapters - July 7
1 Thessalonians - 5 chapters - July 14
2 Thessalonians - 3 chapters - July 19
1 Timothy - 6 chapters - July 27
2 Timothy - 4 chapters - Aug. 2
Titus - 3 chapters - Aug. 5
Philemon - 1 chapter - Aug. 6
Matthew - 28 chapters - Sept. 15
Hebrews - 13 chapters - Oct. 4
James - 5 chapters - Oct. 11
1 Peter - 5 chapters - Oct. 18
2 Peter - 3 chapters - Oct. 21
1 John - 5 chapters - Oct. 28
2 John - 1 chapter - Oct. 29
3 John - 1 chapter - Nov. 1
Jude - 1 chapter - Nov. 2
Revelation - 22 chapters - Dec. 2
John - 21 chapters - Dec. 31
Then I realized that the New Testament is only 260 chapters long, which means that if I start today (Jan. 4) and read just one chapter each weekday, I'll finish the last chapter on Dec. 31. Very tidy. Very manageable.
So I'm going to do it. And I'm going to blog about it, writing a very brief reflection on each chapter as I read it. I'm neither a Scripture expert nor a saint, so I'll try to avoid pontificating and stick, rather, to viewing this as an opportunity for intellectual and (especially) spiritual growth.
A couple of procedural notes: 1) I plan to read the English Standard Version of the Bible, a revision of the Revised Standard Version that is both (as I understand) fairly literal and quite beautiful. 2) I'll be reading the books of the New Testament in their normal order, with the exception that the four Gospels will be interspersed throughout the year; I'm starting with the Gospel of Luke because Luke and the Acts of the Apostles are two volumes of the same extended work, and they stay together this way.
Below is my reading schedule, with the name of each book, the number of chapters it has, and the date it should be finished. I invite anyone who's interested to read along with me and leave your own comments.
UPDATE: The question was asked whether commenters should stick to discussing whatever theme I point out in a given chapter. The answer is no: Feel free to bring up any aspect of a chapter that you find worthy of comment.
Luke - 24 chapters - Feb. 4
Acts - 28 chapters - March 16
Romans - 16 chapters - April 7
Mark - 16 chapters - April 29
1 Corinthians - 16 chapters - May 21
2 Corinthians - 13 chapters - June 9
Galatians - 6 chapters - June 17
Ephesians - 6 chapters - June 25
Philippians - 4 chapters - July 1
Colossians - 4 chapters - July 7
1 Thessalonians - 5 chapters - July 14
2 Thessalonians - 3 chapters - July 19
1 Timothy - 6 chapters - July 27
2 Timothy - 4 chapters - Aug. 2
Titus - 3 chapters - Aug. 5
Philemon - 1 chapter - Aug. 6
Matthew - 28 chapters - Sept. 15
Hebrews - 13 chapters - Oct. 4
James - 5 chapters - Oct. 11
1 Peter - 5 chapters - Oct. 18
2 Peter - 3 chapters - Oct. 21
1 John - 5 chapters - Oct. 28
2 John - 1 chapter - Oct. 29
3 John - 1 chapter - Nov. 1
Jude - 1 chapter - Nov. 2
Revelation - 22 chapters - Dec. 2
John - 21 chapters - Dec. 31
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
ADVENT REFLECTIONS: JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM
Fr. Michael Fones OP, Co-Director of the Siena Institute, gave a beautiful refection on Advent entitled, "Journey to Bethlehem" last year. He kindly shared the write-up of his talk with us last year. It is so good that it certainly warrants re-posting this year.
Happy Advent, Everyone! Please consider taking a few minutes to read this beautiful reflection; it certainly is a great way to prepare for the upcoming celebration of our Christ's birth!
In this Advent evening I’ll be
* presenting some material,
* giving you some time for personal reflection,
What is needed before you begin a journey to a place you want to go?
* A destination
* A map if you’re driving, going on foot
* Supplies appropriate to the journey
* The right attitude: excitement, anticipation, hope, attentiveness so that the journey is more than a means to an end.
We are on a journey this Advent – a journey towards a spiritual Bethlehem – a journey to Christmas – when we celebrate the miraculous mystery of God among us
As we make our way towards the celebration of that event, let’s look at some others who journeyed to Bethlehem so long ago:
What might have been the attitudes of these individuals or groups, and can we be – or not be – like them as we journey to Bethlehem and Christmas this last week of Advent?
The Crowds
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. Luke 2:1-3
While you fight the often increasingly surly crowds in the malls this next week, consider the mood of the inhabitants of Palestine. People moving to and fro across the crowded roads; camping out in fields, commerce disrupted, weddings, funerals interfered with. It was bad enough that people would be on the move for Passover, but that was a joyful experience. In this case, everyone knew the purpose was for accurate collection of taxes.
Roman census edict from 104 A.D in Egypt.
"Gaius Vibius Maximus, prefect of Egypt, says: The house-to-house census having been started, it is essential that all persons who for any reason whatsoever are absent from their homes be summoned to return to their own hearths, in order that they may perform the customary business of registration..."
A.H.M. Jones, ed., "A History of Rome Through the Fifth Century", New York: Harper and Row, 1970, II, pp. 256 f.
Yet did anyone guess that this huge inconvenience played into God’s hands? That because of a decree issued 1500 miles away, by an emperor who had no knowledge of or interest in Jewish prophecy, a great prophecy would be fulfilled?
"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Micah 5:2
How often do we complain about inconveniences that later on turn out to be the means by which God does something good for us? We can never know in this life that the red light we get stopped at means we don’t hit a little boy who runs out into the street after a ball without looking three blocks ahead.
When I first spent some serious time in Colorado Springs at the home of the Catherine of Siena Institute, I needed to first arrange for a place to stay. I called the Dominicans in Castle Rock, CO, about 40 miles north of the Springs. They didn’t answer my calls, or my e-mails. “Well, they’re Dominicans from the Central Province, not my own,” I reasoned, “and their place is forty miles away and I don’t have a car. I’m not sure what I’d have done if they opened their community to me, anyway.”
So I called the Franciscan friars who have a community in Colorado Springs. No answer from them, either. Time was slipping by and I still had no place to stay when I went to work in Colorado Springs.
Eventually, Sherry Weddell, my co-director, asked her pastor if I could stay with him. “Sure,” he responded. He didn’t know (nor did I) that I would become his “roomie” for the better part of three months each of the last four years!
In the meanwhile, once I settled in, he mentioned that he’d just started a 6:30 a.m. Mass, and would I mind helping out with it from time to time. (He already had an 8 a.m. Mass each day). “No problem,” I said, “I get up early anyway.”
It was at the 6:30 a.m. Mass that I met Daniel, a now 36-year old former drug addict who has become a very, very good friend, and whose story of conversion has challenged my own response to Jesus’ invitation to discipleship, and whose story has become part of many of my parish missions. God has worked quite powerfully in my life through Daniel, and I’d likely not have met him had either the Dominicans or the Franciscans answered their phone.
Sometimes the frustrating things that happen to us are actually part of a bigger picture that we can’t possibly be aware of; a bigger picture that has some great good in store for us if we trust God is constantly acting in our lives on our behalf.
What’s happening in the society around you that is frustrating you or getting on your nerves during this Advent season? Can you imagine any way God might be able to work in your life through it?
Joseph and Mary
And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:4-7
You know how Mary stepped out in faith, acquiescing to God’s invitation to be the mother of His son – and an unwed mother at that. Imagine how hard it must have been for her to tell Joseph, a good man, that she was pregnant, knowing full well that he could have her stoned to death for adultery! Imagine how much trust Joseph had to have in his own dream, in which God told him to have no fear regarding taking Mary into his home.
I don’t know about you, but after all that they’d had to accept on faith, I’d expect things to get easier, not harder. I’d expect a better entrance into the world for the Messiah. It would be hard enough to believe that the Son of God would be born to a poor couple, but born away from home, away from immediate family? No room in the inn, even. I often wonder if Joseph felt any guilt that he couldn’t provide a better place for Mary; or resentment that she had said, “yes” to this preposterous invitation.
It’s situations like the predicament Joseph and Mary found themselves in that night that make it hard for me to say “yes” to God. I have a comfortable life. I don’t have to worry about food, shelter, clothing, or work. I have health care, good health, a great education. I have a level of physical comfort that would be the envy of 99.9% of all the people who have ever lived.
Would following Jesus more closely as a disciple mean embracing some discomfort? After all, he tells his disciples, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised." Then he said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:22-23
Jesus says that being a disciple is a daily act of self-denial – a daily decision to be obedient to our Father in heaven, as Jesus is obedient to his Father. That is the cross. The cross is not inflicting pain on ourselves, nor is it the misfortunes of life that are thrust upon us – like sickness or injury, or a drug addicted son, or an unfaithful spouse. The cross is found in responding to those situations, as well as pleasant situations, by discerning, “what would God have me do here and now?” The discomfort is often two-fold: it’s found in people’s responses to our decision to follow God, and in the doubts that can plague us, “Am I really doing the right thing?”
Mary and Joseph are doing the Father’s will as they make the journey towards Bethlehem – most likely unconscious of the fact that in doing so they are fulfilling Micah’s prophecy. They may have well wondered, “Are we doing the right thing? Is this what God wants?” They may have been afraid of what else might happen to them.
I would be afraid – in fact, I am afraid. But I’m not alone in my fear. Listen to this quote, and see if you can guess who said it.
“If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us? Are we not perhaps afraid to give up something significant, something unique, something that makes life so beautiful? Do we not then risk ending up diminished and deprived of our freedom?”
Benedict XVI’s inaugural homily.
This is a definite attitude of mine. I’ve read too many old “lives of the saints,” stories that emphasized the horrible suffering undergone by the saint for the love of God.
* Will God ask of me something I don’t want to do? Or can’t do?
It’s a fairly common Catholic attitude. If God really loves you, you’re gonna suffer. Being a disciple is like eating your vegetables as a child. It’s really unpleasant, but good for you, and will make you grow stronger…if it doesn’t kill you first.
But we must not forget the blessings that come from being an instrument of God – even in this life. After all, Mary and Joseph experienced some pretty wondrous things: visits by shepherds and magi – and living with God made flesh.
Do you fear what might happen if you entrusted your life completely to God? What are you afraid of?
Angels
Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. Luke 2:8-12
If there’s a common refrain in the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke, it is “don’t be afraid!” The angel Gabriel tells Mary and Zechariah, her cousin Elizabeth’s husband, “do not be afraid.” Joseph is told in a dream not fear taking Mary into his home. Now the shepherds are told not to fear.
And in every case the reason for not fearing is because God is present and at work.
Why do we become afraid?
We’re confronted with the Unknown, with something beyond our experience. And because it’s unknown or beyond our experience, we don’t trust it. The more we’ve been mistreated, the more fearful we’re going to be when we face a strange, new situation.
Fear is about self-preservation – it triggers a primal fight or flight response in us.
Fear is connected to the story of the Fall. In the garden, when the man and woman have eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they hide themselves from God when he comes walking in the garden in the breezy time of the day. They had sinned and feared punishment – a punishment deserved for their disobedience.
The angels say, “Do not be afraid” and give a reason: they have a message of good news and great joy. The message is God has sent a savior to us; the Messiah long-awaited by the Jews. Of course, the shepherds, the magi, even Mary and Joseph had no idea what kind of Messiah Jesus would be. Not an earthly king, but a suffering servant. Not a warrior who would triumph with the sword, but one who would conquer death by giving his life in love. A Messiah who would undo Adam’s disobedience and remove our fear.
Listen to what the apostle, John, has to say in his first letter:
We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. In this is love brought to perfection among us, that we have confidence on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:16-19
If our intention is to become more like Jesus in this world; if we are willing to carry the cross that comes from setting aside our own will and doing Our Father’s will – we will be as he is in this world. If our desire for the good of others overcomes our desire to judge whether they’re worthy of that good, then our love is being perfected. And we will have no reason to fear punishment from God – or even think about it. We will be living as His sons and daughters.
Shepherds
When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. Luke 2:15-18
On a beautiful early summer day between my junior and senior years in high school I received a letter from the McDonald’s corporation. Immediately, I knew what it was about. I remembered my band director had nominated me for the McDonald’s All-American Marching Band the previous November. I had even made a tape of my playing as part of the nomination process. This was my rejection letter, at long last.
Except it began with the single-word sentence, “Congratulations!” Much to my astonishment and joy, I had been selected as one of two representatives from the state of Illinois. Immediately I wanted to tell my parents, but dad was at work and mom was out on errands. So I called some of my friends – not a single one answered. I went out into the neighborhood. I had to tell someone my good news!
When we experience something good, we naturally want to tell others. When I was in campus ministry, I often was among the first to know that someone was engaged.
As we approach Christmas, we need to return to the story of the Word made flesh and reflect on the enormity of God sharing our human condition. In a world that celebrates fame, fortune, success, and victory as sources of joy, we have to recall that God comes to ordinary people – especially the forgotten, the poor, the lowly, the simple, those the world considers to be losers. The shepherds were nothing special, and yet the angels were sent to them. Perhaps because they lived in poverty, they could look upon a newborn babe born into poverty, lying in the feedbed of animals, and believe, “Here is my Messiah and Lord.”
Here’s something to reflect upon. According to the Pew Foundation study titled, “Religion in America,” based on interviews with 35,000 Americans, Catholics are less likely than atheists to talk about God.
If good news is something we can’t keep our mouths shut about, perhaps we aren’t experiencing the gospel as good news. Perhaps we haven’t experienced Jesus’ love and life-changing grace.
I invite you to spend a few moments offering a simple prayer – it is a prayer that a friend of mine, a sexually promiscuous former meth addict prayed for five years before he was ready to accept an answer. He prayed, “Lord, help me love you with the same love you have for me.”
And pray that we’re willing to embrace the answer to that prayer – and the change to our life that will happen as a consequence.
Magi
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage." … After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. Matthew 2:1-12
[The following description of the star the magi followed is lifted shamelessly from this website: http://www.bethlehemstar.net/
For a less far-reaching hypothesis that ties in with the known chronology of Herod’s death in 4 BC (two years before the Magi would come to Judea in the following scenario) go to: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/decemberweb-only/151-51.0.html]
The Bible is filled with references to astrology. This is because astrology was widely accepted as truth in Biblical times. Christians who believe that astrology is Satanic would be surprised to learn that the Bible is filled with astrology and even Jesus himself made numerous references to astrology. Certainly astrology is condemned in terms of foretelling the future – but it is used in Scripture to help interpret current events.
Thanks to the science of astronomy, we can calculate the position of stars in the night sky in the past, as well as predict the position of stars in the future – and anyone who’s ever gone to a planetarium has seen.
One of the great astrological stories in the Bible is the story of the star of Bethlehem. In ancient times, planets like Jupiter were considered "wandering stars." Jupiter itself, named after the king of the Roman Gods, has long been known as the “king planet.”
It's not enough to have a kingly name and reputation, of course. To be Matthew's Star, Jupiter as viewed from Earth would have to do peculiar things. More precisely, as considered by a magus viewing from the Middle East during the years 3 and 2 BC, Jupiter's movements would have to satisfy all the identifying characteristics of the Star mentioned in Matthew’s gospel. In September of 3 BC at the time of the Jewish New Year, Rosh ha-Shanah, Jupiter began to do just that.
A magus watching Jupiter that September saw two objects moving so close that they appeared to touch. This close approach of celestial bodies is sometimes called a 'conjunction.' Our Middle Eastern viewer saw Jupiter coming into a close conjunction with the star, Regulus. Regulus takes its name from the word root which yields our word 'regal.' The Babylonians called Regulus Sharu, which means 'king.' The Romans called Regulus Rex, which means 'king.' So to start things, at the beginning of the new Jewish year, the Planet of Kings met the Star of Kings. This conjunction may have indicated kingship in a forceful way to a Babylonian magus (satisfying one qualification for the Star), but it might not have startled him, since such a conjunction happens every 12 years. He might have been merely interested, but more happened.
The planets move against the field of fixed stars. From Earth, they appear to be "active." For example, were you to watch Jupiter each night for several weeks, you would see that it moves eastward through the starry field. Each night Jupiter rises in the east (satisfying a second Star qualification). Each night it appears to be slightly farther east in the field of fixed stars. All of the planets move like this.
But the wandering stars exhibit another, stranger motion. Periodically, they appear to reverse course and move backward through the other stars. This may seem odd, but the reason is simple enough: we watch the planets from a moving platform—Earth—hurtling around the Sun in its own orbit. When you pass a car on the freeway, it appears to go backward as it drops behind. For similar reasons, when the Earth in its orbit swings past another planet, that planet appears to move backward against the starry field. Astronomers call this optical effect retrograde motion.
In 3/2 BC, Jupiter's retrograde wandering would have called for our magus' full attention. After Jupiter and Regulus had their kingly encounter, Jupiter continued on its path through the star field. But then it entered retrograde. It "changed its mind" and headed back to Regulus for a second conjunction. After this second pass it reversed course again for yet a third rendezvous with Regulus, a triple conjunction. A triple pass like this is more rare. Over a period of months, our watching magus would have seen the Planet of Kings dance out a halo above the Star of Kings. A coronation.
Jupiter's interesting behavior may explain the kingly aspect of the Star. But there are other aspects of the Star of Bethlehem Matthew mentions. How did Jupiter's movement relate to the Jewish nation? Is its association with the Jewish New Year enough? Where is an indication of a birth? Some might say that the triple conjunction by itself would indicate to a magus that a new king was on the scene. Maybe. But there is more.
The Jewish nation is composed of twelve ancient tribes. Jewish prophecy states that a particular tribe will bring forth the Messiah: the tribe of Judah. The symbol of Judah's tribe is the lion. You can see these connections in an ancient prediction of Messiah's coming found in the first book of the Bible, the Book of Genesis, Chapter 49, which we hear during Advent.
9 You are a lion's cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness-- who dares to rouse him? 10 The sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.
This association of Messiah with the tribe of Judah and with the lion is a productive clue. It clarifies the connection between Jupiter's behavior and the Jewish nation, because the starry coronation—the triple conjunction—occurred within the constellation of Leo, The Lion. Ancient stargazers, particularly if they were interested in things Jewish, may well have concluded they were seeing signs of a Jewish king. But there is more.
The last book of the New Testament is, in part, a prophetic enigma. But a portion of the Book of Revelation provides clear and compelling guidance for our astronomical investigation. The apostle John wrote the book as an old man while in exile on the island of Patmos. Perhaps the austerity of this exile or a lack of companionship left him time to ponder the night sky. Whatever the reason, Revelation is full of star imagery. In Chapter 12, John describes a life and death drama played out in the sky: the birth of a king.
1 A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. … The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron sceptre...
A woman in labor, a dragon bent on infanticide and a ruler of the nations. We have already seen this ruler in the Book of Genesis, above. This would be the Messiah, in his role as King of Kings. If that interpretation is correct, then according to the gospel story the woman would be Mary, the mother of Jesus. The dragon which waits to kill the child at birth would be Herod, who did that very thing. John says the woman he saw was clothed in the Sun. She had the moon at her feet. Is he describing something that actually happened in the sky?
In September of 3 BC, at the beginning of the Jewish New Year, as Jupiter was beginning the coronation of Regulus, another startling symbol rose in the sky. The constellation which rises in the east, clothed with the sun, behind Leo is Virgo, The Virgin. And as John said, the moon was at her feet. It was a new moon, symbolically birthed at the feet of The Virgin.
The sheer concentration of symbolism in the stars at this moment is remarkable. These things could certainly lead our magus to conclude that a Jewish king had been born. But even this is not the whole story. These symbols could indicate a birth, but if they were interpreted to indicate the time of conception, the beginning of a human life, might there be something interesting in the sky nine months later?
In June of 2 BC, Jupiter continued the pageantry. The Planet of Kings traveled on through the starry sky toward another spectacular rendezvous, this time with Venus, the Mother Planet. This conjunction was so close and so bright that it is today displayed in hundreds of planetaria around the world by scientists who may know nothing of Matthew c. 2. They do it because what Jupiter did makes such a great planetarium show. Jupiter appeared to join Venus. The planets could not be distinguished with the naked eye. Each contributed its full brightness to what became the most brilliant star our man had ever seen. Jupiter completed this step of the starry dance as it was setting in the west. That evening, our Babylonian magus would have seen the spectacle of his career while facing toward Judea.
No one alive had ever seen such a conjunction. If the Magi only began their travel plans in September, when they saw this sight nine months later, someone may have shouted "What are we waiting for? Mount up!" At the end of their travel, which may have taken weeks or months, these experts arrived in Jerusalem. They told their tale, and "all Jerusalem was disturbed." Herod wanted to know two things: when the Star had appeared, and where this baby was.
To qualify as the Star, Jupiter would have to have been ahead of the Magi as they trekked South from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. Sure enough, in December of 2 BC if the Magi looked south in the wee hours, there hung the Planet of Kings over Bethlehem.
But Matthew says the star stopped over Bethlehem. How could a planet do that? And did Jupiter do it?
The problem with a planet stopping is not what you might think. The problem is not that planets can't stop. Just the opposite. The problem is that all planets are always stopped to the eye of a human observer. The movement of the stars and planets are imperceptible to the naked eye. So, if all stars are always stopped, what can Matthew have meant?
An astronomer tracking the movement of planets through the star field watches not so much on the scale of minutes, but on the longer scale of days, weeks and months. On this scale of time, Jupiter did stop, just as it entered retrograde motion in winter of 2 BC - on December 25. Magi viewing from Jerusalem would have seen it stopped in the sky above the little town of Bethlehem.
The magi read of a great occurrence in Judea, and with the help of Jewish prophecy went to Bethlehem. The conjunction of planets and stars, their location in the sky – all were set in motion by God from the very beginning of creation. Three pagan astrologers saw enough to know that something a remarkable and unique king was being born, and they made the dangerous journey to offer him homage.
As you exchange gifts with family and friends this Christmas, what gift will you give to the Master of the Cosmos, Your Savior, Your King? What gift is most appropriate to give our creator except our very selves?
Soldiers
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet: "A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more." Matthew 2:16-18
The soldiers journey to Bethlehem, too. Our way to the Lord is never without opposition. The soldiers of Herod are long dead and turned to dust, but the soldiers of the Evil One still hunt us, the children of God.
We must never be dismayed that evil still works its way in the world. Wars, scandals, oppression, political dishonesty, lying, addiction – these are a part of the environment in which the Christian journeys, just as they were part of the environment in which Christ walked.
Christ has overcome the Evil One and his minions; their power is broken, but we must neither fear, nor deny, the existence of the darkness. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” We must be children of the light.
The Son of God: God With Us
though he was in the form of God, Jesus did not regard equality with God something to be grasped*. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:6-8
In the garden, the Tempter suggested that if Adam and Eve were to eat from the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil, they would become “like gods.” This is the fundamental human sin; to desire to be what we are not; to grasp beyond our creatureliness to become God. To be like God: self-sufficient and all-knowing. Our redemption begins not on Calvary, but in Bethlehem – or better, in Mary’s womb, as the Word becomes flesh and makes his dwelling among us. Not grasping after divinity, the Son freely giving up aspects of his divinity in order to be a servant: a servant not just of his Father, but of his Father’s creatures – us!
Nothing in Jesus’ life was about himself. He was a man always for others, just as God is always for us. If this is true of God, it must also be true of His creatures. Your life is not about you, but, as St. Paul told the Corinthians, Your life is hidden with Christ in God. He is your life, and when he is revealed, you will be revealed in all your glory with him. Col 3:4
One of the things I’ve discovered in listening to people describe the charisms God has given them is a sense of radical humility. They know that they are drawing from another source, that Someone is working through them, and that much of their work is to get out of the way. They can take risks, come up with creative responses to situations, people, and problems that they encounter, because ultimately the gift they have – and the effect they have on others – is not their own. Instead, they realize that they have been given a gift, a responsibility, a call that is theirs alone because Someone has taken them seriously.
Your life is not about you, and the charisms are tremendous reminders of that fact. They are reminders of how much God has invested in you, just as he invested in his Son, Jesus.
Your job is not to concoct an image for yourself, but to gradually allow grace to reveal who you truly are, in all your uniqueness, and flawed giftedness. Conversion leads to that uncovering of your true self. You are not called to be another shepherd, or a St. Joseph or the Blessed Virgin, or a magus, or anyone. Just as God became flesh in a particular person – what a scandal! – He wishes to take flesh today through you. And rather than destroying who you are, in Christ, Paul says, “you will be revealed in all your glory with him.” Your true self is more glorious, grounded, original, and free than any self-made image you try to project.
And this true self can be discovered only on the journey to Bethlehem, and only if you imitate those who’ve made the journey before you: the shepherds, magi, Mary, Joseph, and, of course, Jesus, Emmanuel, God-with-us.
Happy Advent, Everyone! Please consider taking a few minutes to read this beautiful reflection; it certainly is a great way to prepare for the upcoming celebration of our Christ's birth!
ADVENT REFLECTIONS: JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM
(Fr. Micheal Fones, OP)
(Fr. Micheal Fones, OP)
In this Advent evening I’ll be
* presenting some material,
* giving you some time for personal reflection,
What is needed before you begin a journey to a place you want to go?
* A destination
* A map if you’re driving, going on foot
* Supplies appropriate to the journey
* The right attitude: excitement, anticipation, hope, attentiveness so that the journey is more than a means to an end.
We are on a journey this Advent – a journey towards a spiritual Bethlehem – a journey to Christmas – when we celebrate the miraculous mystery of God among us
As we make our way towards the celebration of that event, let’s look at some others who journeyed to Bethlehem so long ago:
What might have been the attitudes of these individuals or groups, and can we be – or not be – like them as we journey to Bethlehem and Christmas this last week of Advent?
The Crowds
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. Luke 2:1-3
While you fight the often increasingly surly crowds in the malls this next week, consider the mood of the inhabitants of Palestine. People moving to and fro across the crowded roads; camping out in fields, commerce disrupted, weddings, funerals interfered with. It was bad enough that people would be on the move for Passover, but that was a joyful experience. In this case, everyone knew the purpose was for accurate collection of taxes.
Roman census edict from 104 A.D in Egypt.
"Gaius Vibius Maximus, prefect of Egypt, says: The house-to-house census having been started, it is essential that all persons who for any reason whatsoever are absent from their homes be summoned to return to their own hearths, in order that they may perform the customary business of registration..."
A.H.M. Jones, ed., "A History of Rome Through the Fifth Century", New York: Harper and Row, 1970, II, pp. 256 f.
Yet did anyone guess that this huge inconvenience played into God’s hands? That because of a decree issued 1500 miles away, by an emperor who had no knowledge of or interest in Jewish prophecy, a great prophecy would be fulfilled?
"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Micah 5:2
How often do we complain about inconveniences that later on turn out to be the means by which God does something good for us? We can never know in this life that the red light we get stopped at means we don’t hit a little boy who runs out into the street after a ball without looking three blocks ahead.
When I first spent some serious time in Colorado Springs at the home of the Catherine of Siena Institute, I needed to first arrange for a place to stay. I called the Dominicans in Castle Rock, CO, about 40 miles north of the Springs. They didn’t answer my calls, or my e-mails. “Well, they’re Dominicans from the Central Province, not my own,” I reasoned, “and their place is forty miles away and I don’t have a car. I’m not sure what I’d have done if they opened their community to me, anyway.”
So I called the Franciscan friars who have a community in Colorado Springs. No answer from them, either. Time was slipping by and I still had no place to stay when I went to work in Colorado Springs.
Eventually, Sherry Weddell, my co-director, asked her pastor if I could stay with him. “Sure,” he responded. He didn’t know (nor did I) that I would become his “roomie” for the better part of three months each of the last four years!
In the meanwhile, once I settled in, he mentioned that he’d just started a 6:30 a.m. Mass, and would I mind helping out with it from time to time. (He already had an 8 a.m. Mass each day). “No problem,” I said, “I get up early anyway.”
It was at the 6:30 a.m. Mass that I met Daniel, a now 36-year old former drug addict who has become a very, very good friend, and whose story of conversion has challenged my own response to Jesus’ invitation to discipleship, and whose story has become part of many of my parish missions. God has worked quite powerfully in my life through Daniel, and I’d likely not have met him had either the Dominicans or the Franciscans answered their phone.
Sometimes the frustrating things that happen to us are actually part of a bigger picture that we can’t possibly be aware of; a bigger picture that has some great good in store for us if we trust God is constantly acting in our lives on our behalf.
What’s happening in the society around you that is frustrating you or getting on your nerves during this Advent season? Can you imagine any way God might be able to work in your life through it?
Joseph and Mary
And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:4-7
You know how Mary stepped out in faith, acquiescing to God’s invitation to be the mother of His son – and an unwed mother at that. Imagine how hard it must have been for her to tell Joseph, a good man, that she was pregnant, knowing full well that he could have her stoned to death for adultery! Imagine how much trust Joseph had to have in his own dream, in which God told him to have no fear regarding taking Mary into his home.
I don’t know about you, but after all that they’d had to accept on faith, I’d expect things to get easier, not harder. I’d expect a better entrance into the world for the Messiah. It would be hard enough to believe that the Son of God would be born to a poor couple, but born away from home, away from immediate family? No room in the inn, even. I often wonder if Joseph felt any guilt that he couldn’t provide a better place for Mary; or resentment that she had said, “yes” to this preposterous invitation.
It’s situations like the predicament Joseph and Mary found themselves in that night that make it hard for me to say “yes” to God. I have a comfortable life. I don’t have to worry about food, shelter, clothing, or work. I have health care, good health, a great education. I have a level of physical comfort that would be the envy of 99.9% of all the people who have ever lived.
Would following Jesus more closely as a disciple mean embracing some discomfort? After all, he tells his disciples, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised." Then he said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:22-23
Jesus says that being a disciple is a daily act of self-denial – a daily decision to be obedient to our Father in heaven, as Jesus is obedient to his Father. That is the cross. The cross is not inflicting pain on ourselves, nor is it the misfortunes of life that are thrust upon us – like sickness or injury, or a drug addicted son, or an unfaithful spouse. The cross is found in responding to those situations, as well as pleasant situations, by discerning, “what would God have me do here and now?” The discomfort is often two-fold: it’s found in people’s responses to our decision to follow God, and in the doubts that can plague us, “Am I really doing the right thing?”
Mary and Joseph are doing the Father’s will as they make the journey towards Bethlehem – most likely unconscious of the fact that in doing so they are fulfilling Micah’s prophecy. They may have well wondered, “Are we doing the right thing? Is this what God wants?” They may have been afraid of what else might happen to them.
I would be afraid – in fact, I am afraid. But I’m not alone in my fear. Listen to this quote, and see if you can guess who said it.
“If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us? Are we not perhaps afraid to give up something significant, something unique, something that makes life so beautiful? Do we not then risk ending up diminished and deprived of our freedom?”
Benedict XVI’s inaugural homily.
This is a definite attitude of mine. I’ve read too many old “lives of the saints,” stories that emphasized the horrible suffering undergone by the saint for the love of God.
* Will God ask of me something I don’t want to do? Or can’t do?
It’s a fairly common Catholic attitude. If God really loves you, you’re gonna suffer. Being a disciple is like eating your vegetables as a child. It’s really unpleasant, but good for you, and will make you grow stronger…if it doesn’t kill you first.
But we must not forget the blessings that come from being an instrument of God – even in this life. After all, Mary and Joseph experienced some pretty wondrous things: visits by shepherds and magi – and living with God made flesh.
Do you fear what might happen if you entrusted your life completely to God? What are you afraid of?
Angels
Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. Luke 2:8-12
If there’s a common refrain in the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke, it is “don’t be afraid!” The angel Gabriel tells Mary and Zechariah, her cousin Elizabeth’s husband, “do not be afraid.” Joseph is told in a dream not fear taking Mary into his home. Now the shepherds are told not to fear.
And in every case the reason for not fearing is because God is present and at work.
Why do we become afraid?
We’re confronted with the Unknown, with something beyond our experience. And because it’s unknown or beyond our experience, we don’t trust it. The more we’ve been mistreated, the more fearful we’re going to be when we face a strange, new situation.
Fear is about self-preservation – it triggers a primal fight or flight response in us.
Fear is connected to the story of the Fall. In the garden, when the man and woman have eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they hide themselves from God when he comes walking in the garden in the breezy time of the day. They had sinned and feared punishment – a punishment deserved for their disobedience.
The angels say, “Do not be afraid” and give a reason: they have a message of good news and great joy. The message is God has sent a savior to us; the Messiah long-awaited by the Jews. Of course, the shepherds, the magi, even Mary and Joseph had no idea what kind of Messiah Jesus would be. Not an earthly king, but a suffering servant. Not a warrior who would triumph with the sword, but one who would conquer death by giving his life in love. A Messiah who would undo Adam’s disobedience and remove our fear.
Listen to what the apostle, John, has to say in his first letter:
We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. In this is love brought to perfection among us, that we have confidence on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:16-19
If our intention is to become more like Jesus in this world; if we are willing to carry the cross that comes from setting aside our own will and doing Our Father’s will – we will be as he is in this world. If our desire for the good of others overcomes our desire to judge whether they’re worthy of that good, then our love is being perfected. And we will have no reason to fear punishment from God – or even think about it. We will be living as His sons and daughters.
Shepherds
When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. Luke 2:15-18
On a beautiful early summer day between my junior and senior years in high school I received a letter from the McDonald’s corporation. Immediately, I knew what it was about. I remembered my band director had nominated me for the McDonald’s All-American Marching Band the previous November. I had even made a tape of my playing as part of the nomination process. This was my rejection letter, at long last.
Except it began with the single-word sentence, “Congratulations!” Much to my astonishment and joy, I had been selected as one of two representatives from the state of Illinois. Immediately I wanted to tell my parents, but dad was at work and mom was out on errands. So I called some of my friends – not a single one answered. I went out into the neighborhood. I had to tell someone my good news!
When we experience something good, we naturally want to tell others. When I was in campus ministry, I often was among the first to know that someone was engaged.
As we approach Christmas, we need to return to the story of the Word made flesh and reflect on the enormity of God sharing our human condition. In a world that celebrates fame, fortune, success, and victory as sources of joy, we have to recall that God comes to ordinary people – especially the forgotten, the poor, the lowly, the simple, those the world considers to be losers. The shepherds were nothing special, and yet the angels were sent to them. Perhaps because they lived in poverty, they could look upon a newborn babe born into poverty, lying in the feedbed of animals, and believe, “Here is my Messiah and Lord.”
Here’s something to reflect upon. According to the Pew Foundation study titled, “Religion in America,” based on interviews with 35,000 Americans, Catholics are less likely than atheists to talk about God.
If good news is something we can’t keep our mouths shut about, perhaps we aren’t experiencing the gospel as good news. Perhaps we haven’t experienced Jesus’ love and life-changing grace.
I invite you to spend a few moments offering a simple prayer – it is a prayer that a friend of mine, a sexually promiscuous former meth addict prayed for five years before he was ready to accept an answer. He prayed, “Lord, help me love you with the same love you have for me.”
And pray that we’re willing to embrace the answer to that prayer – and the change to our life that will happen as a consequence.
Magi
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage." … After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. Matthew 2:1-12
[The following description of the star the magi followed is lifted shamelessly from this website: http://www.bethlehemstar.net/
For a less far-reaching hypothesis that ties in with the known chronology of Herod’s death in 4 BC (two years before the Magi would come to Judea in the following scenario) go to: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/decemberweb-only/151-51.0.html]
The Bible is filled with references to astrology. This is because astrology was widely accepted as truth in Biblical times. Christians who believe that astrology is Satanic would be surprised to learn that the Bible is filled with astrology and even Jesus himself made numerous references to astrology. Certainly astrology is condemned in terms of foretelling the future – but it is used in Scripture to help interpret current events.
Thanks to the science of astronomy, we can calculate the position of stars in the night sky in the past, as well as predict the position of stars in the future – and anyone who’s ever gone to a planetarium has seen.
One of the great astrological stories in the Bible is the story of the star of Bethlehem. In ancient times, planets like Jupiter were considered "wandering stars." Jupiter itself, named after the king of the Roman Gods, has long been known as the “king planet.”
It's not enough to have a kingly name and reputation, of course. To be Matthew's Star, Jupiter as viewed from Earth would have to do peculiar things. More precisely, as considered by a magus viewing from the Middle East during the years 3 and 2 BC, Jupiter's movements would have to satisfy all the identifying characteristics of the Star mentioned in Matthew’s gospel. In September of 3 BC at the time of the Jewish New Year, Rosh ha-Shanah, Jupiter began to do just that.
A magus watching Jupiter that September saw two objects moving so close that they appeared to touch. This close approach of celestial bodies is sometimes called a 'conjunction.' Our Middle Eastern viewer saw Jupiter coming into a close conjunction with the star, Regulus. Regulus takes its name from the word root which yields our word 'regal.' The Babylonians called Regulus Sharu, which means 'king.' The Romans called Regulus Rex, which means 'king.' So to start things, at the beginning of the new Jewish year, the Planet of Kings met the Star of Kings. This conjunction may have indicated kingship in a forceful way to a Babylonian magus (satisfying one qualification for the Star), but it might not have startled him, since such a conjunction happens every 12 years. He might have been merely interested, but more happened.
The planets move against the field of fixed stars. From Earth, they appear to be "active." For example, were you to watch Jupiter each night for several weeks, you would see that it moves eastward through the starry field. Each night Jupiter rises in the east (satisfying a second Star qualification). Each night it appears to be slightly farther east in the field of fixed stars. All of the planets move like this.
But the wandering stars exhibit another, stranger motion. Periodically, they appear to reverse course and move backward through the other stars. This may seem odd, but the reason is simple enough: we watch the planets from a moving platform—Earth—hurtling around the Sun in its own orbit. When you pass a car on the freeway, it appears to go backward as it drops behind. For similar reasons, when the Earth in its orbit swings past another planet, that planet appears to move backward against the starry field. Astronomers call this optical effect retrograde motion.
In 3/2 BC, Jupiter's retrograde wandering would have called for our magus' full attention. After Jupiter and Regulus had their kingly encounter, Jupiter continued on its path through the star field. But then it entered retrograde. It "changed its mind" and headed back to Regulus for a second conjunction. After this second pass it reversed course again for yet a third rendezvous with Regulus, a triple conjunction. A triple pass like this is more rare. Over a period of months, our watching magus would have seen the Planet of Kings dance out a halo above the Star of Kings. A coronation.
Jupiter's interesting behavior may explain the kingly aspect of the Star. But there are other aspects of the Star of Bethlehem Matthew mentions. How did Jupiter's movement relate to the Jewish nation? Is its association with the Jewish New Year enough? Where is an indication of a birth? Some might say that the triple conjunction by itself would indicate to a magus that a new king was on the scene. Maybe. But there is more.
The Jewish nation is composed of twelve ancient tribes. Jewish prophecy states that a particular tribe will bring forth the Messiah: the tribe of Judah. The symbol of Judah's tribe is the lion. You can see these connections in an ancient prediction of Messiah's coming found in the first book of the Bible, the Book of Genesis, Chapter 49, which we hear during Advent.
9 You are a lion's cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness-- who dares to rouse him? 10 The sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.
This association of Messiah with the tribe of Judah and with the lion is a productive clue. It clarifies the connection between Jupiter's behavior and the Jewish nation, because the starry coronation—the triple conjunction—occurred within the constellation of Leo, The Lion. Ancient stargazers, particularly if they were interested in things Jewish, may well have concluded they were seeing signs of a Jewish king. But there is more.
The last book of the New Testament is, in part, a prophetic enigma. But a portion of the Book of Revelation provides clear and compelling guidance for our astronomical investigation. The apostle John wrote the book as an old man while in exile on the island of Patmos. Perhaps the austerity of this exile or a lack of companionship left him time to ponder the night sky. Whatever the reason, Revelation is full of star imagery. In Chapter 12, John describes a life and death drama played out in the sky: the birth of a king.
1 A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. … The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron sceptre...
A woman in labor, a dragon bent on infanticide and a ruler of the nations. We have already seen this ruler in the Book of Genesis, above. This would be the Messiah, in his role as King of Kings. If that interpretation is correct, then according to the gospel story the woman would be Mary, the mother of Jesus. The dragon which waits to kill the child at birth would be Herod, who did that very thing. John says the woman he saw was clothed in the Sun. She had the moon at her feet. Is he describing something that actually happened in the sky?
In September of 3 BC, at the beginning of the Jewish New Year, as Jupiter was beginning the coronation of Regulus, another startling symbol rose in the sky. The constellation which rises in the east, clothed with the sun, behind Leo is Virgo, The Virgin. And as John said, the moon was at her feet. It was a new moon, symbolically birthed at the feet of The Virgin.
The sheer concentration of symbolism in the stars at this moment is remarkable. These things could certainly lead our magus to conclude that a Jewish king had been born. But even this is not the whole story. These symbols could indicate a birth, but if they were interpreted to indicate the time of conception, the beginning of a human life, might there be something interesting in the sky nine months later?
In June of 2 BC, Jupiter continued the pageantry. The Planet of Kings traveled on through the starry sky toward another spectacular rendezvous, this time with Venus, the Mother Planet. This conjunction was so close and so bright that it is today displayed in hundreds of planetaria around the world by scientists who may know nothing of Matthew c. 2. They do it because what Jupiter did makes such a great planetarium show. Jupiter appeared to join Venus. The planets could not be distinguished with the naked eye. Each contributed its full brightness to what became the most brilliant star our man had ever seen. Jupiter completed this step of the starry dance as it was setting in the west. That evening, our Babylonian magus would have seen the spectacle of his career while facing toward Judea.
No one alive had ever seen such a conjunction. If the Magi only began their travel plans in September, when they saw this sight nine months later, someone may have shouted "What are we waiting for? Mount up!" At the end of their travel, which may have taken weeks or months, these experts arrived in Jerusalem. They told their tale, and "all Jerusalem was disturbed." Herod wanted to know two things: when the Star had appeared, and where this baby was.
To qualify as the Star, Jupiter would have to have been ahead of the Magi as they trekked South from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. Sure enough, in December of 2 BC if the Magi looked south in the wee hours, there hung the Planet of Kings over Bethlehem.
But Matthew says the star stopped over Bethlehem. How could a planet do that? And did Jupiter do it?
The problem with a planet stopping is not what you might think. The problem is not that planets can't stop. Just the opposite. The problem is that all planets are always stopped to the eye of a human observer. The movement of the stars and planets are imperceptible to the naked eye. So, if all stars are always stopped, what can Matthew have meant?
An astronomer tracking the movement of planets through the star field watches not so much on the scale of minutes, but on the longer scale of days, weeks and months. On this scale of time, Jupiter did stop, just as it entered retrograde motion in winter of 2 BC - on December 25. Magi viewing from Jerusalem would have seen it stopped in the sky above the little town of Bethlehem.
The magi read of a great occurrence in Judea, and with the help of Jewish prophecy went to Bethlehem. The conjunction of planets and stars, their location in the sky – all were set in motion by God from the very beginning of creation. Three pagan astrologers saw enough to know that something a remarkable and unique king was being born, and they made the dangerous journey to offer him homage.
As you exchange gifts with family and friends this Christmas, what gift will you give to the Master of the Cosmos, Your Savior, Your King? What gift is most appropriate to give our creator except our very selves?
Soldiers
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet: "A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more." Matthew 2:16-18
The soldiers journey to Bethlehem, too. Our way to the Lord is never without opposition. The soldiers of Herod are long dead and turned to dust, but the soldiers of the Evil One still hunt us, the children of God.
We must never be dismayed that evil still works its way in the world. Wars, scandals, oppression, political dishonesty, lying, addiction – these are a part of the environment in which the Christian journeys, just as they were part of the environment in which Christ walked.
Christ has overcome the Evil One and his minions; their power is broken, but we must neither fear, nor deny, the existence of the darkness. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” We must be children of the light.
The Son of God: God With Us
though he was in the form of God, Jesus did not regard equality with God something to be grasped*. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:6-8
In the garden, the Tempter suggested that if Adam and Eve were to eat from the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil, they would become “like gods.” This is the fundamental human sin; to desire to be what we are not; to grasp beyond our creatureliness to become God. To be like God: self-sufficient and all-knowing. Our redemption begins not on Calvary, but in Bethlehem – or better, in Mary’s womb, as the Word becomes flesh and makes his dwelling among us. Not grasping after divinity, the Son freely giving up aspects of his divinity in order to be a servant: a servant not just of his Father, but of his Father’s creatures – us!
Nothing in Jesus’ life was about himself. He was a man always for others, just as God is always for us. If this is true of God, it must also be true of His creatures. Your life is not about you, but, as St. Paul told the Corinthians, Your life is hidden with Christ in God. He is your life, and when he is revealed, you will be revealed in all your glory with him. Col 3:4
One of the things I’ve discovered in listening to people describe the charisms God has given them is a sense of radical humility. They know that they are drawing from another source, that Someone is working through them, and that much of their work is to get out of the way. They can take risks, come up with creative responses to situations, people, and problems that they encounter, because ultimately the gift they have – and the effect they have on others – is not their own. Instead, they realize that they have been given a gift, a responsibility, a call that is theirs alone because Someone has taken them seriously.
Your life is not about you, and the charisms are tremendous reminders of that fact. They are reminders of how much God has invested in you, just as he invested in his Son, Jesus.
Your job is not to concoct an image for yourself, but to gradually allow grace to reveal who you truly are, in all your uniqueness, and flawed giftedness. Conversion leads to that uncovering of your true self. You are not called to be another shepherd, or a St. Joseph or the Blessed Virgin, or a magus, or anyone. Just as God became flesh in a particular person – what a scandal! – He wishes to take flesh today through you. And rather than destroying who you are, in Christ, Paul says, “you will be revealed in all your glory with him.” Your true self is more glorious, grounded, original, and free than any self-made image you try to project.
And this true self can be discovered only on the journey to Bethlehem, and only if you imitate those who’ve made the journey before you: the shepherds, magi, Mary, Joseph, and, of course, Jesus, Emmanuel, God-with-us.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Practice Makes Perfect: Virtue Ethics Yesterday and Today
July 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th
Do you have questions about how you make choices? Do you wonder how Catholics have thought about ethics for centuries? Many of us are unaware of the patterns of thought, feeling, and acion that shape our moral lives and help determine our ethical choices. Please join us for a lively lecture and discussion with Conrad Cahill and Br. Christopher Fadok, OP, Thursdays in July at 7:00pm in the Parish Hall.
Talking about Virtue: How Do You Say It? (July 9th)
Rules, Laws, and Action: How Do You Think It? (July 16th)
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: How Do You Do It? (July 23rd)
Friendship: How Do You Live It? (July 30th)
Rules, Laws, and Action: How Do You Think It? (July 16th)
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: How Do You Do It? (July 23rd)
Friendship: How Do You Live It? (July 30th)
For more information, contact Tara Simons at 206.732.7345 or tsimons@bspwa.org.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Dating Secrets from Theology of the Body
Join Dr. Tom Curran for an exploration of Pope John Paul II's revolutionary Theology of the Body, Wednesday, June 3rd at 7:00pm at the Prince of Peace Chapel in the Newman Center.
Theology of the Body has reinvented our understanding of sexuality and the human body, and is one of the fastest growing movements in the Church today.
Dr. Tom Curran holds a Ph.D. in Systemic Theology. He is host of the popular radio show, "Sound Insight" and is one of the most popular Catholic speakers in North America and has given over 1,000 speeches to over 20,000 Catholics.
Join us Wednesday for this amazing talk. 9:00pm Mass** will immediately for those who wish to stay.
** Due to the small nature of the Newman Center parking lot, people often double and triple park. Please plan accordingly if you do not plan on staying for Mass.
Theology of the Body has reinvented our understanding of sexuality and the human body, and is one of the fastest growing movements in the Church today.
Dr. Tom Curran holds a Ph.D. in Systemic Theology. He is host of the popular radio show, "Sound Insight" and is one of the most popular Catholic speakers in North America and has given over 1,000 speeches to over 20,000 Catholics.
Join us Wednesday for this amazing talk. 9:00pm Mass** will immediately for those who wish to stay.
** Due to the small nature of the Newman Center parking lot, people often double and triple park. Please plan accordingly if you do not plan on staying for Mass.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Angels in the Vatican and Drinks with the Dominicans!
Angels in the Vatican and Drinks with the Dominicans -- What could be a better way to spend a Wednesday evening?!
Don't miss Father Allen Duston OP's presentation (Part II) on Angels in the Vatican! Father Allen was Patron of the Arts for the Vatican Museums before coming to Seattle where he is currently working as a cannon lawyer for the Archdiocese and serving as Prior for our Dominican community.
Father Allen's presentation will take place in the parish hall. Afterwards, we'll head out for some drinks and socializing around 9:00pm to Ivars Salmon House.
Don't miss Father Allen Duston OP's presentation (Part II) on Angels in the Vatican! Father Allen was Patron of the Arts for the Vatican Museums before coming to Seattle where he is currently working as a cannon lawyer for the Archdiocese and serving as Prior for our Dominican community.
Father Allen's presentation will take place in the parish hall. Afterwards, we'll head out for some drinks and socializing around 9:00pm to Ivars Salmon House.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
ROOTED 2009: Saints in the Making
A special reminder to all Blessed Sacrament young adults that the Seattle Archdiocese Young Adult Conference 2009 is just one week away! Join us for ROOTED 2009: Saints in the Making at the University of Washington campus. This is a rare opportunity to gather with Catholic young adults from throughout the archdiocese and hear some amazing speakers including Tony Melendez, Sr. Miriam James Heidland, and Dr. Tom Curran. Additionally, there will be time for reflection, prayer and celebration as we grow together in faith and strengthen our desire to share that faith with the world. We are very excited that the event is being hosted in our own neighborhood this year and want to be sure that we have a good showing from Blessed Sacrament!
For more information and to download the registration form, visit http://seattleoyyam.org/. Click on "Young Adult Ministry" in the bar on the left and then "YA Conference" on the right. Send in your registration forms early to assure your workshop selections. Registration forms should be mailed to:
Debbie Fisher - ROOTED
OYYAM
710 - Ninth Ave
Seattle, WA 98104
This event is priced using a 3 tier pricing structure. Participants are asked to prayerfully consider what tier they can pay:
* Tier One $65: This is a subsidized fee. It does not reflect the actual cost of the Conference
* Tier Two $90: This is a slightly higher, partially subsidized fee. This is for those young adults who can afford to pay a little more, but cannot afford the actual cost of the Conference.
* Tier Three $115: This is the highest fee and more accurately reflects the actual cost of the Conference per participant.
Hope to see you there! If you have questions, contact Frances Farrell, Director of Young Adult ministry at frances.farrell@seattlearch.org.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Genocide Awareness Project (GAP)
The members of the newly formed UW student group, Students for Bio-Ethical Reform (SBR), would like to invite you, and any friends who might be interested, to hear a presentation about abortion in the United States, genocide around the world, past and present, and about a controversial anti-abortion exhibit that is scheduled to come to our campus next month.
The presentation will be on UW's campus next Tuesday, May 5th at 6pm in the HUB Room 200 B. Our group, SBR, is sponsoring the arrival of the Genocide Awareness Project (GAP), a public education outreach project by the national Center for Bio-Ethical Reform.
When you think of the word "abortion", what comes to mind? For most Americans, things like "freedom of choice", "my body", "right to privacy", "roe vs. wade", "fetus", and "unintended pregnancy" are very common. The purpose of GAP is to re-direct the conversation and debate surrounding abortion towards the children that are killed by it.
GAP is a traveling exhibit that has been to more than 100 college campuses around the country that displays uncensored large-scale graphic photographs of the bodies of children who were "terminated" in their mother's womb and then thrown into a bio-hazard waste bin.
The first question everyone asks is WHY? Why do we show these grotesque images to the public?
The answer? Until America sees abortion, it will continue to tolerate abortion.
1,200,000 children are aborted in this country every year. More than 3,500 every day.
Abortion is the leading cause of death in the United States of America.
THIS EXHIBIT IS ALREADY SCHEDULED TO BE DISPLAYED ON THE UW CAMPUS THIS QUARTER.
We are inviting you, once again, and anyone you know who cares for the lives of the unborn and for their mothers who are in desperate need of immediate advocacy, to come to this presentation to learn about the exhibit, to ask all manner of questions regarding abortion, to get a preview of what it will be like when it finally arrives, and most important, to discern if you are called to play a role by joining our efforts to spread awareness of the terrible violent reality of legalized abortion.
Please forward this invitation to any fellow students you may know who are as concerned about abortion violence as you.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at snyds12@gmail.com, and please also RSVP me if you are considering attending. To see GAP for yourself, you can visit http://www.abortionno.org/gap.html.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this. God bless.
Marc Snyder
President, SBR
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Divine Office Class
(Please note, the following post was written by Fr. Jordan, aka "The YA-ther". All claims for refunds must be taken up directly with him. )
Do you ever lose sleep, find yourself tossing and turning all night in bed, then feel tired and grumpy the next day because you didn't know anything about the Liturgy of the Hours?* We may have discovered the solution to this dreadful dilemma. On Thursdays, April 23rd & 30th, and May 7th, all Blessed Sacrament Young Adults are invited to spend three incredible and delightful evenings to learn about the official prayer of the Church with Fr. Jordan Bradshaw, O.P. Drawing upon his experience of 26 years of prayer (when not sleeping or watching TV), Fr. Jordan will guide us through a discussion about the history, liturgy, and structure of the Divine Office. The class will begin at 7:30pm in the Margaret of Savoy conference room at Blessed Sacrament Priory. We will conclude with Compline (Compline? What in the world is that? Well, come and find out you slackers!) at a very reasonable time (you will be out by 9:00pm or your ticket will be completely refunded by either Teresa or Lara) for you to get home early and get the rest you have always desired.** Please bring a Breviary. If you don't have one or know what this is, then you really need to take this class. Refreshments will provided only for those who come to the class.
*Of course, you may lose even more sleep because of the frustration and anger you feel after you realize you wasted three Thursday evenings missing "Grey's Anatomy" and "The Office".
**Please note: Fr. Jordan's discussions are succinct and intelligent (well, at least this is what his mother thinks), so the talk could be shorter than planned.
Do you ever lose sleep, find yourself tossing and turning all night in bed, then feel tired and grumpy the next day because you didn't know anything about the Liturgy of the Hours?* We may have discovered the solution to this dreadful dilemma. On Thursdays, April 23rd & 30th, and May 7th, all Blessed Sacrament Young Adults are invited to spend three incredible and delightful evenings to learn about the official prayer of the Church with Fr. Jordan Bradshaw, O.P. Drawing upon his experience of 26 years of prayer (when not sleeping or watching TV), Fr. Jordan will guide us through a discussion about the history, liturgy, and structure of the Divine Office. The class will begin at 7:30pm in the Margaret of Savoy conference room at Blessed Sacrament Priory. We will conclude with Compline (Compline? What in the world is that? Well, come and find out you slackers!) at a very reasonable time (you will be out by 9:00pm or your ticket will be completely refunded by either Teresa or Lara) for you to get home early and get the rest you have always desired.** Please bring a Breviary. If you don't have one or know what this is, then you really need to take this class. Refreshments will provided only for those who come to the class.
*Of course, you may lose even more sleep because of the frustration and anger you feel after you realize you wasted three Thursday evenings missing "Grey's Anatomy" and "The Office".
**Please note: Fr. Jordan's discussions are succinct and intelligent (well, at least this is what his mother thinks), so the talk could be shorter than planned.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Dante and Benedict XVI on Love in the Modern World
Fr. Stephen Rowan from the University of Portland will be speaking at the Chesterton Society Talk this week. Join us on Thursday, April 16th at 7:30pm in the Otto Miller Hall (Conference Room 109) at Seattle Pacific University (469 Third West ).
Recognizing that the word “love” has been “tarnished, spoiled, and abused” in our time, and yet that the human heart needs love to live, Benedict XVI has presented a fresh vision of love to the world in his letter God is Love. The pope draws implicitly on the vision of the poet Dante. As an exile from his city of Florence in the 14th century, Dante found in the love of God radical solace for his alienation and the answer to his quest for justice and peace. This talk will review Benedict XVI’s vision, especially concerning love as both erotic (ascending) and oblative (descending) and show how Dante’s Divine Comedy informs that vision. True Chestertonians will be gratified to see how wisely the medieval poet, translated by a 21st century pope, comments on the nature of love and the need for it in contemporary life.
Recognizing that the word “love” has been “tarnished, spoiled, and abused” in our time, and yet that the human heart needs love to live, Benedict XVI has presented a fresh vision of love to the world in his letter God is Love. The pope draws implicitly on the vision of the poet Dante. As an exile from his city of Florence in the 14th century, Dante found in the love of God radical solace for his alienation and the answer to his quest for justice and peace. This talk will review Benedict XVI’s vision, especially concerning love as both erotic (ascending) and oblative (descending) and show how Dante’s Divine Comedy informs that vision. True Chestertonians will be gratified to see how wisely the medieval poet, translated by a 21st century pope, comments on the nature of love and the need for it in contemporary life.
Monday, April 6, 2009
It's All About Life Conference
One of the most prominent pro-life leaders in the world, Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life is speaking at the "It's About Life" Social/Dinner/Conference in Seattle. It's a great chance not only to network with other pro-life people in the area, but also learn more about relevant pro-life issues countrywide and how to become more involved.
A few of us saw Fr. Pavone speak at the Walk for Life in San Francisco and to say he's dynamic would be an understatement. He's intelligent, well-spoken, and on fire for the pro-life cause! He's also a heck of a nice guy (we got to take a picture with him!).
Lastly, Matt Ulrich, the contact for the Knights of Columbus, warns that tickets ($25) will go quickly and space is limited. NO tickets will be sold at the door. To reserve tickets, contact Matt Ulrich at 206-546-3923.
Young Adult Divine Office Class
How to Pray the Divine Office
(Liturgy of the Hours)
With Fr. Jordan Bradshaw, OP
April 23 & 30 and May 7 at 7:30pm
(Liturgy of the Hours)
With Fr. Jordan Bradshaw, OP
April 23 & 30 and May 7 at 7:30pm
This three-part series will introduce the Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours) to those who want to learn how to pray the official prayer of the Church. This class will include presentations and discussions on theology and spirituality of the Divine Office, as well as a practicum - that is, we will be chanting some of the offices, so please bring a breviary if you have one.
This series is intended to be introductory for those who wish to learn more about the Divine Office. All Young Adults are welcome. Please RSVP no later than April 16th.
For more information and location, please RSVP to Lara at laraserene@gmail.com
Theology of the Body is taking a break
Theology of the Body meetings are canceled for the duration of April and for the first week of May. We will resume meetings on May 14th, 2009.
Following Christ 2009
Discerning a Vocation to the Priesthood?
Following Christ
Wednesday, April 15
5:30 – 9:30pm
St. James Cathedral & Isaac Orr Conference Center
Join us for Mass and an evening of reflection on the Easter Readings and God's Call. Let by Sr. Claire Lentz, SP. We will begin at the 5:30pm Mass at the Cathedral, followed by a light supper and reflection at the Isaac Orr Conference Center across the street (910 Marion St.).
Please RSVP and direct your questions to: Rich Shively (206) 382-4595 richs@seattlearch.org
On the Road to Emmaus
Robert Zund (1827-1909)
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
How to Pray the Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours)
How to Pray the Divine Office
(Liturgy of the Hours)
With Jesson Mata
March 16, 23, 30 at 7:00pm
**UPDATE THIS CLASS IS NOW BEING HELD ON MONDAYS**
(Contact Jesson Mata: jmata@bspwa.org for more information.)
(Liturgy of the Hours)
With Jesson Mata
March 16, 23, 30 at 7:00pm
**UPDATE THIS CLASS IS NOW BEING HELD ON MONDAYS**
(Contact Jesson Mata: jmata@bspwa.org for more information.)
This three-part series will introduce the Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours) to those who want to learn how to pray the official prayer of the Church. Jesson will be using the four-volume breviary, but a single volume set will be acceptable for use by students.
The series will include presentations and discussions on theology and spirituality of the Divine Office, as well as a practicum - that is, we will be chanting some of the offices.
This series is intended to be introductory for those who wish to learn more about the Divine Office. All are welcome.
For more information and location, please contact Jesson Mata at 206-732-7343 or jmata@bspwa.org.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Daily Reading Podcast
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Drinks with the Dominicans
March 18th at 7:00 p.m. at Blue Star Cafe (4512 Stone Way N)
Join the young adults and Dr. James Felak (not a Dominican, but a great guy nonetheless) this month for a short presentation on "The Popes of Vatican II: John XXIII and Paul VI." Afterward, we'll have the opportunity to ask engage in some discussion and casual chit-chat with friends. Dr. Felak is a Blessed Sacrament Parishioner and an Associate Professor of History at the University of Washington. For questions, contact Teresa Dion (teresa.dion@gmail.com)
Join the young adults and Dr. James Felak (not a Dominican, but a great guy nonetheless) this month for a short presentation on "The Popes of Vatican II: John XXIII and Paul VI." Afterward, we'll have the opportunity to ask engage in some discussion and casual chit-chat with friends. Dr. Felak is a Blessed Sacrament Parishioner and an Associate Professor of History at the University of Washington. For questions, contact Teresa Dion (teresa.dion@gmail.com)
Friday, February 13, 2009
Light in the Darkness by Fr. Michael Fones, OP
On January 21, 2009 Fr. Michael Fones, OP, co-director of the Siena Institute, shared with us a great talk entitled "Light in the Darkness" - a discussion on how to share your faith with others. Unfortunately, Fr. Michael didn't make it through his entire talk, so he graciously offered to let us post his slides on his blog! Thank you, Fr. Michael!
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