At the time of his birth Christ, through whom every place was created, finds no place in the inn; and he who is Lord of all the world is born as though a foreigner, to enable us to be citizens whose homeland is heaven. He is wrapped in swaddling clothes in order to restore inContinue reading “He lies in swaddling clothes, but he reigns in heaven”
Tag Archives: Christmas
The bread’s purer snow
They came over the snow to the bread’spurer snow, fumbled it in their hugehands, put their lips to itlike beasts, stared into the dark chalicewhere the wine shone, felt it sharpon their tongue, shivered as at a sinremembered, and heard love crymomentarily in their hearts’ manger. They rose and went back to their poorholdings, nakedContinue reading “The bread’s purer snow”
St. Augustine on the Incarnation
Man’s Maker was made man, that He, Ruler of the stars, might nurse at His mother’s breasts; that the Bread might be hungry, the Fountain thirst, the Light sleep, the Way be tired from the journey; that the Truth might be accused by false witnesses, the Judge of the living and the dead be judgedContinue reading “St. Augustine on the Incarnation”
This night bestowed peace on the whole world
This night bestowed peace on the whole world; so, let no one threaten; This is the night of the Most Gentle One – let no one be cruel; This is the night of the Most Humble One – let no one be proud. Now is the day of joy – let us not revenge; Now is theContinue reading “This night bestowed peace on the whole world”
Now the angels honor us as friends
The Angel announces that a King is born, and the choirs of angels unite their voice with his, and rejoicing all together they sing: “Glory be to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will.” Before the Redeemer was born in the flesh, there was discord between us and theContinue reading “Now the angels honor us as friends”
Morning and Evening Prayers for the Second Week in Christmas and the Epiphany
Sunday Evening Lord of Hosts, for all the glory you have given to man, yet our lives are short among the long ages of the earth. In the storms of winter, there is still danger to mortal life. For all the power of man, the cold of winter still takes its toll. GiveContinue reading “Morning and Evening Prayers for the Second Week in Christmas and the Epiphany”
Morning and Evening Prayers for the Fourth Week in Advent
Sunday Evening Dec. 20th, Katharina von Bora Luther Lord God, You blessed your teacher Martin Luther with a good wife. As a good wife is greater than riches, I give you thanks for the good wives and their families of my church. Bless their labors and quiet their cares. Make them faithful and true,Continue reading “Morning and Evening Prayers for the Fourth Week in Advent”
BC:AD
This was the moment when BeforeTurned into After, and the future’sUninvented timekeepers presented arms. This was the moment when nothingHappened. Only dull peaceSprawled boringly over the earth. This was the moment when even energetic RomansCould find nothing better to doThan counting heads in remote provinces. And this was the momentWhen a few farm workers andContinue reading “BC:AD”
The clutching hand of the baby
Christmas is one of the great European exports. You’ll meet Santa Claus and his reindeer in Shanghai and Dar-es-Salaam; a long way from the North Pole. More seriously and less commercially, the story of the Nativity is loved even in non-Christian contexts (I discovered that one of the best and most sensitive recent film re-tellingsContinue reading “The clutching hand of the baby”
Prayer for a New Mother by Dorothy Parker
The things she knew, let her forget again –The voices in the sky, the fear, the cold,The gaping shepherds, and the queer old menPiling their clumsy gifts of foreign gold. Let her have laughter with her little one;Teach her the endless, tuneless songs to sing,Grant her her right to whisper to her sonThe foolish namesContinue reading “Prayer for a New Mother by Dorothy Parker”
Locus Communis 