Merton: Mary, Elizabeth 1

Thomas Merton: Mary Elizabeth 1

“Then it was as if I suddenly saw the secret beauty of their hearts, the depths of their hearts where neither sin nor desire nor self-knowledge can reach, the core of their reality, the person that each one is in God's eyes. If only they could all see themselves as they really are. If only we could see each other that way all the time. There would be no more war, no more hatred, no more cruelty, no more greed." Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, 140-142, Doubleday:1966.

Merton ‘s mystical experience captures what spiritual friends seek to accomplish, seeing the light of Christ in each other. I am reminded of the visit of Mary, the mother of Jesus, to her even more pregnant relative, Elizabeth in Luke 1:39-56. As Elizabeth, carrying John the Baptist, hears Mary's greeting to her, the baby in her womb leaps for joy. Elizabeth is then filled with the Holy Spirit and greets Mary with the words: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." Mary then breaks into the song of praise and thanksgiving which we call the Magnificat, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the lord." How wonderful when we meet our neighbor that the creative part within us, the Christ within us, leaps for joy to perceive the Christ within our neighbor. What does this story tell us occurs in our lives and the lives of our neighbor when this happens? We are filled with the Holy Spirit and our neighbor is empowered to say or sing or live out the Magnificat.

Some of us are like Mary, just beginning to bear children. Many of us are like Elizabeth, beyond the child-bearing age. Some of us have never borne children, but this story of these two saints as well as Merton’s story still speaks to us. God is speaking to the birthing, the creative part of us which empowers us to see the Christ in ourselves and the Christ in our neighbor.1

1 Seibert, The Living Church, May 25, 2003

Watch for the Light

“The spiritual Experience, whether it be of faith, hope or love, is something we cannot manufacture, but which we can only receive.” Philip Britts, “Yielding to God,” Watch for the Light, p. 111-112. Plough 2001.

Watch for the Light is a daily reading for Advent and Christmas by some of the best-known spiritual writers, Bonhoeffer, Dillard, Donne, Eliot, Hopkins, Kierkegaard, L’Engle, Lewis, Luther, Merton, Norris, Nouwen, Underhill, Yancy and many others. The short essays are three to five pages long making this an Advent and Christmas reading that will take fifteen to thirty minutes to read and digest. This is a daily reading where we decide to devote a little more time to our Advent meditation with some of the most beloved spiritual writers. I am a major underliner, so I went back through the book to look for the most underlined essay. It was difficult since there were many underlined passages in every writing. One favorite was the essay “Yielding to God,” by the British poet, Philip Britts. Britts writes that Mary’s example for us of “let it be with me according to your word,” is the essence of the Christmas story. Jesus is conceived out of surrender and born not out of “the head of Zeus” like Athena, but in a lowly stable with all the animals and the cold and the dirt.

Britts writes that Christ was born into poverty to heal the poverty of our hearts. Christ did not come as a moral tune up or as self-improvement guru or spiritual teacher. He came to show that the same breakthrough can occur in our hearts today just as “ the word becoming flesh” changed the world over 2000 years ago.

Joanna. Joannaseibert.com

A Dog in the Manger

A Dog in the Manger

‘”I want to put Jesus in the manger!”

You did it last year. It’s my turn.”

No, I’m the oldest, I get to do it.”

Well, I’m the youngest, I think I should!”

Maggie grabbed the figure from Jack and accidentally dropped it face down on the hard floor.

“Now you’ve done it,” cried Jack.”’

Jim Simons, A Dog in the Manger and other Christmas stories, p 1, Rowman and Littlefield 2015.

Jim Simons is an Episcopal priest who decides to write and tell a story for his Christmas Eve sermon every year which eventually now births into this collection of Christmas sermons called A Dog in the Manger. Simons reminds us that Jesus tells stories and the birth narratives consist of two different stories told by two authors, Luke and Matthew. He reminds us how the Christmas season is a special time to tell stories, stories about our roots, our parents and grandparents, and our early life.

Simon’s stories are entertaining but with a deep and meaningful message of hope about the significance of the birth of Jesus, and especially the deep love of God for each of us. The stories are fiction but no doubt have been taken from his life experiences. The book’s title comes from the first story about a puppy whose passion becomes going around town bringing back home to his new owner all the baby Jesuses from outdoor nativity displays.

I bought the book a few years ago when I was preaching more often looking for material for sermons for the Christmas season. I often preach about Christmas pageants because I have been involved in so many, and at least half of Simons’ stories are related to these dramas that always add some new and unexpected incarnational wisdom to Christmas.

This past year I have been reading a great deal of spiritual nonfiction writings in preparation for this book and two others. As Advent approaches I know I have been hungry simply for stories, and serendipitously this book appears in my stack for the Christmas season. My goal has been to read at least one story or at the least a half a story a day, but most days I find myself not being able to put the book down. Indeed, perhaps one factor for this craving has been the months I have put reading fiction on hold.

A Dog in the Manger has been exactly what I needed at the beginning of this liturgical year, and so I share it with you if by chance you are hearing a similar call.

Joanna. Joannaseibert.com