Society of St. John: Christmas Companionship

Society of St. John: Offer Companionship

“As we approach the Christmas season, think of someone in your own life who is sad, or lonely, or hurting, and pledge to say or do something to help bring God’s healing love into their lives. Invite them for a coffee, or a meal. Pay them a visit. Phone them. Show them that they are not alone.” -Br. Geoffrey Tristram, Brother Give Us a Word, Daily Email, December 19, 2017, Society of Saint John the Evangelist

The Brothers of St. John offer us a reminder of gifts we have to offer for Christmas. There are 12 days of Christmas between Christmas Day and Epiphany on January 6. These should be slow down times for us where we can re-center. Children are out of school waiting for us to play with them. There is no better way to connect to the Christ born within us than connecting to the newly born Christ in children who have not developed any worldly masks of protection which also often hide Christ’s essence.

We all have neighbors and friends we have neglected because of our busyness. This is the time to offer to them our precious gift of time. Here with them as well is where the Christ Child has been born and is waiting to see us.

Joanna joannaseibert.com 

Brueggemann, Benedict: Gift of Christmas

Brueggemann, Benedict: Christians living in the new year

“The gift of Christmas contradicts everything we sense about our own life. Our world feels unsavable, and here is the baby named Jesus, ‘Save.’ Be ready to have your sense of the world contradicted by this gift from God.” Walter Brueggemann, Devotions for Advent, Abundance, p. 67.

War Memorial Chapel National Cathedral Washington

We listen to the news. We become depressed. Every day something more terrible happens. We feel helpless, powerless. The gift of love, the gift of Christmas does bring hope. I keep thinking about St. Benedict. The world is crashing all around him. Rome is being destroyed by Germanic invaders who have taken over his country. He tries to escape and become a hermit. It doesn’t work. He joins a community. He decides the community needs a new way to live together in love and consideration for others and develops The Rule of Benedict.

 This of course is an over simplification of this part of history.

 The beginning of the prologue to the rule is, Listen with the ear of your heart.  This is the call I hear this Christmas season. I am being called to a more intentional living of the rule of Benedict in community. I am presently beginning to review the rule for a presentation for Community of Hope training in the next few weeks. This is training for lay people in pastoral care which is steeped in Benedictine Spirituality. I give thanks to friends who asked me to help with this. They think they are helping to train others. Maybe so, but in reality, they are re-training me for an intentional living in love in the coming new year.

Joanna  joannaseibert.com

Gesu Bambino

 Gesu Bambino

“Upon a winter night,

Was born the Child, the Christmas Rose,

The King of Love and Light.

The angels sang, the shepherds sang,

The grateful earth rejoiced.” Gesu Bambino Frederick Martens, music by Pietro Yon

Christmas and Advent 4 at Kanuga

My younger brother died three years ago on the day after Christmas or Boxing Day or the Feast Day of St. Stephen. I still miss him.

This Christmas Eve as I am preparing in the early morning to go to the eight o’clock service, I heard on our National Public Radio Station (NPR) a piano arrangement of Gesu Bambino. This is Italian Christmas Carol with O Come All Ye Faithful for the chorus with the music written by Pietro Yon and the lyrics by Frederick Martens. 

Suddenly I feel my brother’s presence. My brother sang this as a solo at a Christmas program when he was ten or eleven in the basement of the Baptist church in our hometown, West Point, Virginia. He was taught Gesu by the minister’s son, Bobby Pleasants, who also was an organist and my piano teacher. I wonder where he is now. I give thanks for Bobby for the gift he gave me today by teaching my brother to sing this etheral Christmas anthem so many years ago.  I see and hear my young brother singing like a cherub in the candle light, lifting his head and his eyes as he strains for the high notes, singing with all his might.

This is a Christmas gift from my brother. He was physically very strong. I have many mobility issues. This Christmas Eve we have four services at St. Mark’s since this has been a short Advent with the fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve falling on the same day. I have been so concerned whether I can physically serve as the deacon at all of these services where almost a thousand people will attend. This morning I am empowered. I feel my brother and his strength beside me. I have no doubt that  this is something I can do.

Joanna     joannaseibert.com