Sunday after the Blessing of the Waters January 14, 2024

 As preached by Sister Cecelia

Holy Wisdom Church

Amos 8:1-7; Colossians 3:12-17; Luke 16:1-9 

About the rich fool who built bigger barns to hold his extra grain, St. Ambrose quoted when preaching that the bosoms of the poor, the houses of the widows, the mouths of children are the barns which last forever.

The Hebrews, too, believed that charity to the poor would stand to a person’s credit in the world to come. Making friends of the poor and needy by sharing one’s wealth with them was the way to go through life. A person’s true wealth consisted in what was given away, not what was kept for the self.

In one sense, that is what the steward did in this morning’s parable, and the master appreciated his shrewdness. The steward’s largesse, however, was not because he was thinking of helping others, only himself. The steward in today’s gospel had not been faithful in small things and eventually lost his job. If our integrity slips in small matters, it will certainly fail in more crucial matters.

We are only too aware of the tragedies and natural disasters that darken the present time, as well as our histories—to say nothing of the effects of human weakness, blindness, and malice. Nevertheless, those who have chosen to serve God will work together despite their differences.

I’m reminded of Samuel’s response to God after the 4th time he was awakened from sleep: “Here I am, Lord, your servant is listening." At our baptism we become not only God’s children but servants of God. Rebuilding is one of the charisms of creation. Creation is ongoing, and we can choose to help with the rebuilding or add to the tearing down. It is a decision, a choice to add to the building up.

Today’s Epistle indicates the qualities that enable us to make the choices to bring about a rebuilding of the future. Dealing with our everyday life with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience requires forgiveness on our part. It is by the dynamism of the desire to be instructed in the ways of God that we are gradually enlightened about the nature of divinity. Even though not an autumn leaf falls in vain, and does so without our understanding or permission, it is difficult to reach the point of believing there is a meaning behind all that happens in life. In the personal experience of God’s kindness, we begin to accept the possibility that there is meaning behind every event.

Very rarely, we can clearly spot God’s fingerprint in the details of a situation or a decision.  Most of the time it can feel like guesswork. Knowing how we can best serve God, how to go about the building up, can be anxiety producing. God’s will for us is not usually marked with a “Sign here” tab. Therefore, we shouldn’t worry about getting everything right on the first try. The aim at all times is to shift the focus from oneself as the center of the universe, in order to place oneself at the service of the Creator.

 It is much more important to be ready and willing, like Samuel, to repeat, “Here I am, Lord, your servant is listening.” Then we will find ourselves on the right path despite any detours we take in life. Spending our energies to come to an understanding of what is within our reach. and then working to improve matters. is a great accomplishment.

What choices will promote peace within ourselves and in the whole creation?

What do others learn of Christ by observing us?

 

"Then Jesus appeared..." (Mt 3:13) Theophany 2024

As preached by Brother Christopher
Holy Wisdom Church

“Then Jesus appeared…” (Mt 3:13)

 

Why did Jesus get baptized? As biblical scholars and historians attest, that Jesus was baptized can hardly be doubted. Since John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance and those who went out to the Jordan to be baptized simultaneously confessed their sins, why would Jesus— whom we believe to have been the sinless one— why would he have joined their ranks? John the baptist himself protests initially, “It is I need baptism from you and yet you come to me…” I don’t think it was a display of false humility on Jesus’ part but instead an action that was drenched in meaning, in solidarity with humanity. On the one hand, Jesus recognized that it was God’s will; when he responds to John by telling him it is necessary that they fulfill all righteousness, that’s what he was getting at. Jesus recognized that in submitting to baptism not only was he identifying fully with the human condition, but also in his person he was bringing to a close the old covenant and ushering in a new age. In this sense, his baptism was a prophetic act, one that was radically eschatological. That this is so is shown by the fact that as he emerges from the water, heaven opens and the Spirit of God descends on him like a dove and the voice from heaven says, ‘This is my Son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ This is the revelation of the Trinity. All three persons are present: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The evocative symbol of the dove that hovered over the chaotic waters in Genesis, now is present at the new creation, and the voice of the Father confirms Jesus’ true identity before his public ministry. To quote John the Baptist, he will be the one in the new age to baptize in the Holy Spirit and with fire.

         Yet the significance doesn’t end there. On a liturgical level, theophany is an incredibly rich feast that expands the mystery of Jesus’ baptism to a more cosmic level. Water is a symbol of life. Without it, there is no life. In the context of the liturgy, water becomes an image of the whole of life, the world and all creation. No matter how dirty and polluted life has become, it is never beyond purification and transformation. When Jesus enters the water, he enters as the God/Man, possessing both a human and divine nature in one person. In one of the prefestive hymns we sung, “Neither simply God nor plainly human, but, in both his natures, he is one only-begotten Son. In his humanity, he asks the prophet to baptize him; in his divinity, he takes away the sins of the world.” Being immersed fully into the waters of the Jordan, Jesus symbolically unites himself with all creation, with all matter, and as he rises from the Jordan the whole world shimmers in its aftermath, transformed into an eschatological vision that is radiant for those with the eyes to see it. The liturgy gives us such a glimpse. Think of the verse in the 2nd lity hymn of this feast that we sang last night, “Today, Christ the Savior is baptized. As he comes forth from the waters, he raises all the world as well…”

         Today is Theophany, the appearance of God, God appearing in sensible form. It is a feast of lights, of revelation. Jesus’ baptism reveals a world transformed by God, restored to its pristine beauty by virtue of an unconditional love that overcomes every temptation to despair. That is worthy of our every hope.

Sermon 194 January 7, 2024: Mal 3:20-24; Eph 5:8-20; Jn 1:19-34 Sunday after Theophany

 As preached by Brother Luke
Holy Wisdom Chapel

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

 

         Was John the Baptist out of his mind? Why would anyone do what he did? Would you? He heads out into the wilderness, rails against the sickness of his society, calls on people to turn away from their evil ways and seek the Lord. He attracted crowds of people who took his message to heart. But he also attracted a board of inquiry that wanted to know just who he thought he was and by what authority he was baptizing. He was a latter day Jeremiah and he ended up getting thrown into jail and beheaded. Job security wasn't his thing.

         John the Baptist was a prophet. But he wasn't a Wall Street type prophet, selling inside information on how to make a financial killing in a fickle market in the midst of an uncertain economy. John was talking about a change of life and investing in a future that was out of this world. He was a voice in the wilderness crying out for a change that his society needed desperately but was loathe to pursue. Expediency was the watchword for the leadership of his day. Play it safe. Stick to the rules. If you rock the boat we will all be lost!

         Even more, John was also going against the grain in his approach. He was not promoting himself, he was pointing to someone else. Standing among you is someone whose sandals I am not fit to untie. What looks like hubris turns out to be the ultimate humility. And wouldn't it be refreshing for that approach to be available to us today? For the one he was pointing to was Jesus Christ. The one who enjoys God's favor. And like John the Baptist, was always pointing to someone else, namely God.

         Everything we do in church points to the alternate route. The route that does not take us deeper into the morass of society but raises us up to a vision that turns the Holy Trinity from a construct into a pattern for new life, a life of awareness of the other, mutuality, forgiveness, compassion, support, self emptying, receptivity - all of those things that contradict the impulse in the world today to build walls between us rather than bridges; to bomb to oblivion those who look, act or believe differently than we do.

         The message that John the Baptist was proclaiming 2000 years ago is the same message we need to hear today. Like then, it is still a voice crying out in the wilderness. It is a lonely occupation, but it remains the one thing necessary.

         John was pointing to Christ and preparing the way for him to enter the world to proclaim his message of salvation. And if we hear the message, how do we put it into effect? By the way we live and treat each other and the world around us. It's not a complicated agenda. The problem is that it goes against the human instinct for self preservation and self promotion. You follow a path that leads to crucifixion or decapitation, you're not likely to be a candidate for an appearance on "America's Got Talent." It doesn't fit into the popular culture of our day. But the good news is that some people are discovering that today's culture is sadly lacking any depth that satisfies the deeper human yearning for meaning in their lives that is not superficial.

         So each one of us in our own lives can do what Isaiah called for: to clear the way for the Lord [Is 40:3] to enter. Where? Into each one of our hearts. Our baptism is where it begins. Our lives is where it unfolds. Our challenge is to not let the light that entered into us at our baptism flicker and fade, but rather to take every opportunity to protect it and nurture it. To bring that light to others. Each one of us can make a difference.

 

Christ is in our midst!