Daily Devotional of sorts
December 29th: Feast of St. Thomas Becket
One of the reasons I started this is to be exposed to figures in Christian history I did not know much about. Thomas Becket is the first of many who I am just learning about. Do not go into this thinking I am some expert or anything and I encourage everyone to read on their own about the people and holidays I talk about here. Thomas was made Archbishop of Canterbury (The highest position in the Church of England) in 1162. From the beginning, the king at the time, Henry II, began trying to interfere in Church business. When Thomas came out against his decisions, he fled to France for safety but eventually returned home to England. He continued being a thorn in the side of Henry II, and eventually, Thomas was murdered by the King’s men while in his cathedral. I think there are a few lessons we can take from St. Thomas Becket’s life. I think that it is incredibly harmful for the state to intervene in church affairs. The Kingdom of God is not of this world and shouldn’t be subject to petty worldly rulers. In an age where so many Christians seem to be loosing sight of that, perhaps we should take some inspiration from Thomas Becket’s martyrdom. We should stand against government interference in the business of religion. It corrupts and rots the Church from within and should be fought against tooth and nail. No state in the Church and no Church in the state.
Prayer: Lord, grant us the bravery and zeal for truth that you granted Thomas Becket centuries ago. May we defend our churches from the modern day King Henrys who seek to manipulate and bend the Church to their whims. They seek only power and have no holy intent in their hearts. May we always stand guard and protect the wall between Church and State. Amen.
December 28th: Childermas (Feast of the Holy Innocents)
There is a story in the Bible about how King Herod ordered the execution of all children 2 years old or younger in Bethlehem in an effort to eliminate the infant Jesus in his cradle. In the Church, they are known as the Holy Innocents, the first (if unwitting) Christian martyrs. There isn’t much historical evidence that this tragedy happened, but I don’t think that should erase the meaning of the story. I truly believe that children are the greatest evangelists among us. The Kingdom of God belongs to those with the hearts of children, as I have explained in a previous post. In a world so full of violence, cynicism, hatred, and fear, I believe it takes bravery to try to see the world through the lens of a child. ESPECIALLY with modern day social media, it is easier then ever to see the true horror that lurks in this world up close and personal. It seems like it’s becoming harder and harder to be a child. Children, being the most vulnerable humans, are most prone to the most horrific of crimes. This day should be a day to remember the millions of children who have suffered all their lives. But it should also be a day to celebrate our inner child. Adults need to embrace childhood. That doesn’t mean that you don’t grow up or be mature, but it does mean that you need to cultivate a sense of whimsy and awe when looking at the universe. If everyone is constantly morose and pessimistic about things, everything will get worse. You must see value in the World to save it. It is a freeing feeling, no longer must you worry about all of the many problems of the world. This is not to say you cannot face the horrors, more-so that you cannot let them consume you. Feel the light of the child within you and light up the darkness of the world!! Christmastide as a season is precisely for that purpose.
Prayer: O God, grant us the joy and innocence of a child. Help us to see our world with eyes full of whimsy, hope, and enthusiasm. Awaken the Kingdom of Heaven inside us, so that it may spread and grow. Help us to heal our broken world with boundless optimism, energy, and desire to do good. Amen.
“O sisters too, how may we do, For to preserve this day, This poor youngling for whom we sing, ‘Bye bye, lully, lullay’?” - The Coventry Carol
December 27th: St. John's Day
St. John is one of the most influential people in Christian history. Next to Paul, he is the most prolific writer in the New Testament (if you believe he is actually the author of all the books credited to him, which is disputed by some scholars). What I think is most inspiring about John is his devotion. He was the only one of the twelve to actually be present at the Crucifixion. He, along with Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary, were the ones who stayed with the Lord the longest on the cross. John 1 is an incredibly deep and beautiful chapter, as most of the Gospel of John is. It is clear whoever did write it was a deep thinker. The idea of the word of God being incarnated in the person of Jesus is so beautiful when you really think of it. Richard Rohr explains this much more in depth than I can at this point, which I will link below. But I want to take this day to reflect on that point. Christ is in all, the Word of God is everywhere. Doesn't that idea just make everything seem magical again? God is EVERYWHERE. He isn't confined to a church wall. He is not confined to the Pope. He is not even confined to any specific religion. He is everywhere, from the smallest neutrinos, to the biggest galactic super clusters. From the beggar on the street, to the man in the White House. From every young person wrestling with their faith, to Pope Leo. We are all touched and infused with Christ. John understood this, we all came into being through Christ. Knowing this, how could we look at the world with anything but wonder and joy!!
Prayer: Lord, may you infuse us with the holy awareness of Your ever-present nature. May You enable us to see the world as it truly is, as John did. Not a materialistic and random arrangement of physics and chemistry, but a beautiful mosaic. Bound together eternally by Your Love and Your Word. May we only seek to delve deeper into the love that unites us all. Amen.
"All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it." - John 1:3-5 NRSVUE
The Christification of the Universe - Fr. Richard Rohr
December 26th: St. Stephen's Day
So St. Stephen is a figure that most people don't think of too often which I think is a shame. He was one of the first deacons in Church history as described in the Acts of the Apostles. He was also the first Christian to be martyred for his faith. I feel like Christianity glorifies martyrdom too much. I think not giving up your faith even unto death is an honorable thing but I don't think it should be as glorified as it is. The feast day of a is typically the recorded day that the individual passed away. It seems to me that far too many people tend to focus on the deaths of martyrs rather then the lives they led. I personally think that Christianity should foster a life-preserving ethic. Martyrdom should of course be respected and honored. But so many people treat it as something that should be encouraged. I think that's kind of disturbing. We should be inspired by the lives of the saints, just as much, if not more then their deaths. We should be inspired by Stephen's life of service to his fellow Christians as a deacon. And by the bravery he showed up by standing by his faith.
Prayer: Lord, may we seek to serve more then be served just like our brother in faith, Stephen. Grant us the desire to help those around us, as well as the courage showed by Stephen at his death. May we always stand for our faith, and may we always seek to protect life wherever it is found. Amen.
"While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died" - Acts 7:59-60 NRSVUE
December 25th: Christmas Day
Merry Christmas!! While it isn’t known for sure when exactly Christ was born, in my opinion, that doesn’t really matter. We celebrate the coming of Christ in human form today. Christ is in and surrounds all creation. He unites all of us, and he draws us in towards Himself. To think that the Word of God himself would descend into humanity is so incredible to me. That is what Christianity is all about in my opinion. The Word of the Lord that binds the universe together, taking the form of a human for us to reflect off of and imitate. Christianity shouldn’t be (solely) about worshiping Jesus. It should be about following Him and imitating Him. That is the flaw with most of American Christianity. We are so focused on worshiping and not so much on the practical aspects of the faith. The Word of God incarnate tells us to forgive seventy times seven, He tells us to love our neighbor, He tells us to care for the poor and oppressed. But the best we can do is go to Church every Sunday. For the twelve days of Christmastide, let’s all rededicate ourselves to the true meaning of Christ. Peace on Earth, Good will for all.
Prayer: Guide our hearts to righteousness, Lord. Show us the Way of life and charity. As the sun begins to rise after the long winter, may we embody its life giving light. May we overcome all darkness and evil. And may we remember to celebrate and cherish the divine and cosmic love that binds us all together. Christ is born!! Amen.
“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” - Luke 2:14 NKJV
December 24th: Christmas Eve
Many people don’t know this, but Christmas Eve is actually also the feast day of Adam and Eve! I want to take just a minute of your time to focus on that. When most people think of Adam and Eve, they think of original sin. The idea that their actions doomed all of humanity. But this is not a universally held belief in Christianity. It is most prevalent in western Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism). I think something that we in the west should focus on is what things were like before the so-called original sin. Before the Fruit was eaten, things existed in a state of original innocence. Adam and Eve had no knowledge of evil or shame. They had no desire to commit evil. It was a very childlike state of existence. I believe personally that the Christmas season should be about celebrating the childlike nature in all of us. I believe that in the World to Come, we (all of creation) will be restored to a state of childlike innocence. The wonder with which we viewed the world will return, and it will be so much better then we could possibly fathom. This Christmas, lets celebrate the inner child in all of us. I believe that the Kingdom of Heaven is accessible here and now to those of us willing to embrace our childlike wonder. Merry Christmas!!!!!!
Prayer: As we prepare to celebrate the coming of Christ, grant us, O God, the same spirit of faith, hope, and love, that we knew as children. In a world so full of evil and cynicism, may we, through our actions and words, shine the light of love onto the world. May we be free of hatred, bigotry, and despair. And may we be restorers of creation, one step at a time. Amen.
“Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” - Matthew 19:14 NRSVUE