Christ the Infinite

'Christ Harrowing Hell'
Courtesy of Shako

(This is a set of hymns chanted today in many Orthodox churches)

The Bright Resurrection of Christ

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling on death by death, and on those in the tombs bestowing life.

Though You descend into the grave, O Immortal One, yet You destroyed the power of hell, and rose again as Conqueror, O Christ our God, saying to the myrrh-bearing women, Rejoice! and giving peace to Your Apostles, and offering to the fallen resurrection.

O great and holiest Passover, Christ! O Wisdom, Word and Power of God! Grant that we may more perfectly partake of You in the unending Day of Your Kingdom.

Having slept in the flesh as a mortal, O King and Lord, You were raised on the third day. You raised up Adam from corruption and abolished death, O Passover of incorruption, Salvation of  the world!

Though You descended into the grave, O Immortal One, yet did You destroy the power of hell, and rose again as Conqueror, O Christ our God, saying to the myrrh-bearing women, Rejoice! And giving peace to Your Apostles, and offering to the fallen resurrection.

In the grave bodily, in hell with the soul as God, in Paradise with the thief, and on the throne with the Father and the Spirit were You Who fill all things, O Christ the Infinite.

Christmastide - Extended Family

Photo courtesy of Mindaugas Urbonas

Now we are at the 7th Day of Christmas and find that, after celebrating Jesus' early home life yesterday, this is another day with nothing planned. Are we getting bored yet with these famous 12 Days? Certainly it would be much more fun to rub our eyes at the extravagant gift of 7 swans a-swimming and all the rest (particularly the several sets of "5 golden rings" that are accumulating!). Getting stuff is so much more fun. Just look at how much we enjoyed it on Christmas Day!

But maybe that's the point. Other than the Magi's gifts there is no record Jesus and his family got any stuff or reveled in any festivities. If anything they were getting ready to circumcise him tomorrow -- an exceedingly important day in the life of a young Jewish family, but not quite the same as having an feast of french hen, goose, and pears.

If the Lord Messiah had chosen to be born in a royal palace instead of a dank cave (a choice he surely had) you may be sure he would have been welcomed with an extravaganza every bit as opulent and enthusiastic as that immortalized in "The 12 Days of Christmas." But he chose differently. And on this day the only extravagance is the love shown him by his little family of Mary and Joseph.

"Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?"

Interestingly then, when he had grown to be a popular rabbi with a knack for turning the most mundane situation into a profound lesson, he defined his followers in family terms:

He replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Looking around at those seated around him in a circle, he said, “Look, here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does God’s will is my brother, sister, and mother.”

(Gospel of Mark, chapter 3 verses 33 - 35, Common English Bible)

The commonplace love of his early family Jesus extended to all of us. In effect, we are the Holy Family today, and Jesus is the "first of many brothers and sisters," (Letter to the Romans, chapter 8 verse 29, CEB).

Book Review: The Liturgical Year by Joan Chittister

A few days ago I wrote about the alien nature of the society Jesus set up (i.e., Christianity) and mentioned that we even have our own calendar. One of the best resources I've found for grasping the profound meaning and purpose of that calendar is Joan Chittister's book The Liturgical Year: The Spiraling Adventure of the Spiritual Life. It is part of the Ancient Practices series edited by Phyllis Tickle and published by Thomas Nelson.

Ms. Chittister is a Sister in the Order of St. Benedict so, as might be expected, her book approaches the christian calendar from a Catholic perspective. But this is done with a light touch so a Protestant reader (or Orthodox, for that matter) will certainly profit from reading this book. From the perspective of history, our calendar has its origins in a time long before there were divisions in the Church.

Sister Joan goes into the history of each season in the calendar, but never at such a length that it becomes tedious. She is much more interested in the spiritual significance of the days and weeks of the christian year, what they teach us and how they draw us ever closer to Jesus himself...