Today’s reading
Philippians 4:15-20
“I have been paid in full and have more than enough; I am fully satisfied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will fully satisfy every need of your according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Phil. 4:18-20).
Prayer
Why does our giving please you, Holy Mystery? Why is it that I know your eternal smile, your gentle joy, in every kindness and generosity of soul that I see?
Could it be that all true giving is carried by the great river of life that has poured from your heart since time began? Can it be that our joy in bringing joy to another heart is not our joy but yours? Is it possible that the fullness of generosity that bursts the seams of our souls is the Fullness of your divine heart? And is this Fullness the highest ecstasy human flesh may know?
I believe so. I believe we are in you, most intimately knowing and enjoying you, when you fill us that we transcend the narrow circle of self truly to love, to give, to share our life. Lifted beyond ourselves we, finally, become ourselves, full and complete, knowing the utter incomprehensibility of You who are Boundless Love. And our flesh, too, shines with the glory of your life, a fragrant offering that pleases you.
You privilege us to please you. For our giving, all giving, shares in the dancing love that courses mysteriously in your inner, divine life. It pours from you into this and every cosmos to give life and abundance to all you love, and you love all.
So take us into the holy joy of your great generosity. For we come again to Christmas. Stir our hearts to celebrate the appearance of your eternal kindness, shining in the face of Jesus. This day and most certainly Christmas Day, may we, too, shine with the glory of your life. Amen.
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Friday, December 22, 2006
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Today’s reading
Philippians 4:15-20
“You Philippians indeed know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone. ... I have been paid in full and have more than enough; I am fully satisfied, now that I have received ... the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will fully satisfy every need of your according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Phil. 4:15-16, 18-20).
Prayer
Come, Lord Jesus. You are the fragrant offering we receive in every true act of giving. You. Open our hearts to receive you in every generosity. And move our souls to participate in that great cycle of giving and receiving that is the presence of your life among us.
You are the great giving of God. In you the Holy One shares the treasure of divine life. Here we meet the purity of love given in a joy beyond our capacity to comprehend.
So come, Lord Jesus. Let us look upon your beauty and receive the love you are, the Love of whom you are the face. We yearn to enter the mystery of a love beyond all measure. We crave Christmas for we long to be filled with the Fullness of God who is love. So fill us with your Fullness that our tears of joy may give you proper praise. Draw us into your great generosity that we, in our receiving and giving, may participate in the incarnation of your divine life in the places of our habitation.
Every real gift, every act of giving, cries out your name and bears the truth of your divine life. Every act of sharing and love glorifies you, enlarging the wonder of your presence among us, making earth itself and our withered hearts fragrant with your beauty.
So come Lord Jesus. Give us the eyes to see you in every generosity. Give us your heart that we might share in the unspeakable giving of the Unspeakable Giver, who is Love beyond all measure. Amen.
Philippians 4:15-20
“You Philippians indeed know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone. ... I have been paid in full and have more than enough; I am fully satisfied, now that I have received ... the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will fully satisfy every need of your according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Phil. 4:15-16, 18-20).
Prayer
Come, Lord Jesus. You are the fragrant offering we receive in every true act of giving. You. Open our hearts to receive you in every generosity. And move our souls to participate in that great cycle of giving and receiving that is the presence of your life among us.
You are the great giving of God. In you the Holy One shares the treasure of divine life. Here we meet the purity of love given in a joy beyond our capacity to comprehend.
So come, Lord Jesus. Let us look upon your beauty and receive the love you are, the Love of whom you are the face. We yearn to enter the mystery of a love beyond all measure. We crave Christmas for we long to be filled with the Fullness of God who is love. So fill us with your Fullness that our tears of joy may give you proper praise. Draw us into your great generosity that we, in our receiving and giving, may participate in the incarnation of your divine life in the places of our habitation.
Every real gift, every act of giving, cries out your name and bears the truth of your divine life. Every act of sharing and love glorifies you, enlarging the wonder of your presence among us, making earth itself and our withered hearts fragrant with your beauty.
So come Lord Jesus. Give us the eyes to see you in every generosity. Give us your heart that we might share in the unspeakable giving of the Unspeakable Giver, who is Love beyond all measure. Amen.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Today’s reading
Philippians 4:10-13
“I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. In any case, it was kind of you to share my distress” (Phil. 4:11b-13).
Prayer
Come, Lord Jesus. Teach us your secret. You come to us as an ordinary infant. But you bear in your flesh a unity with divine wonder that is the secret of contentment of joy. You walked this earth gently. You did not need to prove anything, to win great victories or even the approval of others. You knew from the start that true life exists not in pride of possession or personal power. Life resides in the enduring unity, the habitual holy communion you shared in hidden depths of soul with the One who is eternal and who is all love.
You knew this Holy and Unspeakable Mystery not by intellectual grasping but by abiding. Moment to moment, soul-to-soul, you dwelt in undivided union in a love I cannot imagine, yet which I know with certainty in darkest intuition.
My senses collapse in frustrated failure trying to penetrate the dazzling darkness that surrounds this One who is love. But, Lord Jesus, you knew this One always with absolute certitude, dwelling in hidden depths of intimate communion so that there was no separation between you. This is your secret, Lord Jesus. You were and are eternally one with the One. I look into your face and know that I gaze into the depths of Eternal Wonder.
Can I enjoy such communion, my soul abiding, resting, dwelling in blessed communion with the One Love in whom you constantly dwelt? Sometimes I dwell in that space, experiencing the contentment, the joy, the peace you give your friends. Only Lord Jesus, I would know this communion not intermittently but as enduring presence.
So come Lord Jesus. Draw near this soul of mine again. Let me rest in the love I find in you that I may learn the secret you alone can share. Amen.
Philippians 4:10-13
“I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. In any case, it was kind of you to share my distress” (Phil. 4:11b-13).
Prayer
Come, Lord Jesus. Teach us your secret. You come to us as an ordinary infant. But you bear in your flesh a unity with divine wonder that is the secret of contentment of joy. You walked this earth gently. You did not need to prove anything, to win great victories or even the approval of others. You knew from the start that true life exists not in pride of possession or personal power. Life resides in the enduring unity, the habitual holy communion you shared in hidden depths of soul with the One who is eternal and who is all love.
You knew this Holy and Unspeakable Mystery not by intellectual grasping but by abiding. Moment to moment, soul-to-soul, you dwelt in undivided union in a love I cannot imagine, yet which I know with certainty in darkest intuition.
My senses collapse in frustrated failure trying to penetrate the dazzling darkness that surrounds this One who is love. But, Lord Jesus, you knew this One always with absolute certitude, dwelling in hidden depths of intimate communion so that there was no separation between you. This is your secret, Lord Jesus. You were and are eternally one with the One. I look into your face and know that I gaze into the depths of Eternal Wonder.
Can I enjoy such communion, my soul abiding, resting, dwelling in blessed communion with the One Love in whom you constantly dwelt? Sometimes I dwell in that space, experiencing the contentment, the joy, the peace you give your friends. Only Lord Jesus, I would know this communion not intermittently but as enduring presence.
So come Lord Jesus. Draw near this soul of mine again. Let me rest in the love I find in you that I may learn the secret you alone can share. Amen.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Today’s reading
Philippians 4:8-9
“Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:8-9).
Prayer
Come, Lord Jesus. Peace escapes us. It lies in a land beyond our grasp. But perhaps that is our problem. We grasp and seek to hold for our own what can only be received with an open hand and a humble heart--and shared the same way, lest it be lost.
So young we learn life is about grasping what we want. Lines between “mine and not mine” quickly appear. Life is soon defined by enlarging what is mine, and competing with those who might take what I need to expand my importance, command and kingdom. It’s a movement of body and soul that stretches from the playpen to the world’s bloodiest streets.
And it kills us, Dear Friend. It separates our souls from the hearts of those we most need. It teaches us to fear. It erodes trust. It turns creation into a thing to be possessed, and human beings made in your image into mere objects of our manipulation.
Come Lord Jesus. Teach us the way of peace. Our hearts long for what you alone can give. You point us to all that is beautiful of Earth, all that is pure, all that is right and just, that pleases soul and mind, all that is worthy of praise and appreciation. You come and reveal the wonder of Eternity in your human face and hands, wide open in blessing.
And I know: All is gift, not to be possessed but received and savored as the outpouring of an eternal generosity that I cannot begin to comprehend, except with a heart of overwhelmed gratitude.
Peace begins in your boundless, divine generosity, O Loving Mystery. You take pleasure in giving the fullness of your life and beauty. May I see and savor all that is your joy to give that gratitude may teach me the way of peace. In the advent of your great self-giving, may your peace guard my heart and mind. Amen.
Philippians 4:8-9
“Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:8-9).
Prayer
Come, Lord Jesus. Peace escapes us. It lies in a land beyond our grasp. But perhaps that is our problem. We grasp and seek to hold for our own what can only be received with an open hand and a humble heart--and shared the same way, lest it be lost.
So young we learn life is about grasping what we want. Lines between “mine and not mine” quickly appear. Life is soon defined by enlarging what is mine, and competing with those who might take what I need to expand my importance, command and kingdom. It’s a movement of body and soul that stretches from the playpen to the world’s bloodiest streets.
And it kills us, Dear Friend. It separates our souls from the hearts of those we most need. It teaches us to fear. It erodes trust. It turns creation into a thing to be possessed, and human beings made in your image into mere objects of our manipulation.
Come Lord Jesus. Teach us the way of peace. Our hearts long for what you alone can give. You point us to all that is beautiful of Earth, all that is pure, all that is right and just, that pleases soul and mind, all that is worthy of praise and appreciation. You come and reveal the wonder of Eternity in your human face and hands, wide open in blessing.
And I know: All is gift, not to be possessed but received and savored as the outpouring of an eternal generosity that I cannot begin to comprehend, except with a heart of overwhelmed gratitude.
Peace begins in your boundless, divine generosity, O Loving Mystery. You take pleasure in giving the fullness of your life and beauty. May I see and savor all that is your joy to give that gratitude may teach me the way of peace. In the advent of your great self-giving, may your peace guard my heart and mind. Amen.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Monday, December 18, 2006
Today’s reading
Philippians 4:8-9
“Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing he things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:8-9).
Prayer
Come, Lord Jesus. Ah, but you always come. And you are always near, abiding even in the unsuspecting who reveal your beauty unawares. From across a room, I watch a mother raise a tiny new born to her lips, a little girl, I suppose, for all the pink. She kisses one tender cheek then lays the little one’s head over her heart. The fragile infant rests there soothed by the first sound she ever heard, the rhythm of a human heart pumping the warm blood of life into her, a parable bearing the truth of the universe.
The mother’s gesture was a totally unconscious. It was not done for display or consumption. No one was standing with them. No one was watching but me, anonymously, from far off. But I was close enough to witness the purity of a love given in joy. The pair shimmered with gentleness and peace, a holy family alive with the life of you whom I can only name Love Abiding.
I savored what I saw, Dearest Friend. For there you were again, in human flesh, revealing the heart not only of one woman but of Eternity. I savored the scene for it made me more alive than I had been but moment before, more aware, more peaceful, more gentle, and utterly certain that the world is shot through with your holy presence, convinced that the love you are is everywhere.
Wherever there is beauty and purity, justice and peace, gentleness and mercy, truth and honorable life, you are there. And there we rest our heads on the heart of the cosmos to hear the rhythm of Eternity, pumping the warm blood of life into our souls. Thanks be to God. So come, Lord Jesus. We want to live. Amen.
Philippians 4:8-9
“Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing he things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:8-9).
Prayer
Come, Lord Jesus. Ah, but you always come. And you are always near, abiding even in the unsuspecting who reveal your beauty unawares. From across a room, I watch a mother raise a tiny new born to her lips, a little girl, I suppose, for all the pink. She kisses one tender cheek then lays the little one’s head over her heart. The fragile infant rests there soothed by the first sound she ever heard, the rhythm of a human heart pumping the warm blood of life into her, a parable bearing the truth of the universe.
The mother’s gesture was a totally unconscious. It was not done for display or consumption. No one was standing with them. No one was watching but me, anonymously, from far off. But I was close enough to witness the purity of a love given in joy. The pair shimmered with gentleness and peace, a holy family alive with the life of you whom I can only name Love Abiding.
I savored what I saw, Dearest Friend. For there you were again, in human flesh, revealing the heart not only of one woman but of Eternity. I savored the scene for it made me more alive than I had been but moment before, more aware, more peaceful, more gentle, and utterly certain that the world is shot through with your holy presence, convinced that the love you are is everywhere.
Wherever there is beauty and purity, justice and peace, gentleness and mercy, truth and honorable life, you are there. And there we rest our heads on the heart of the cosmos to hear the rhythm of Eternity, pumping the warm blood of life into our souls. Thanks be to God. So come, Lord Jesus. We want to live. Amen.
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