Why go through Mary?

- Why go through Mary?

- Because God did.

 

The Transfiguration

The reading today is about the transfiguration (From the gospel according to Saint Mark). As I’m not that knowledgeable I had a hard time to understand what was happening in this text. So I looked around a bit and thought that I could share it with you.

The transfiguration - Raphael

Here’s Mark 9:2-9

And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter and James and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves, and was transfigured before them. And his garments became shining and exceeding white as snow, so as no fuller upon earth can make white. And there appeared to them Elias with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Rabbi, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. For he knew not what he said: for they were struck with fear.

And there was a cloud overshadowing them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying: This is my most beloved son; hear ye him. And immediately looking about, they saw no man any more, but Jesus only with them. And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them not to tell any man what things they had seen, till the Son of man shall be risen again from the dead. And they kept the word to themselves; questioning together what that should mean, when he shall be risen from the dead.

To my pleasant surprise it seems that I’m not the only one having a hard time to grasp what was happening here. Even the three apostles seems kind of confused too. So why did Peter say that he should start building tabernacles? Well, lets look at what Jesus, Moses and Elias is talking about.This is described in Saint Luke chapter 9:30-31:

And behold two men were talking with him. And they were Moses and Elias, Appearing in majesty. And they spoke of his decease that he should accomplish in Jerusalem.

My guess is that Peter rather thought of departure than of death. The three holy men talked about Christ’s departure from Jerusalem – which was death – But Peter did not know about Christ’s death and resurrection (as in questioning together what that should mean, when he shall be risen from the dead). He believe he just understand that Jesus will eventually departure from Jerusalem.

I believe this is the reason for Peters sudden outburst of love for carpentry and housebuilding. He finds it seemly to express his respect and love by referring to one of the three great feasts in the Hebrew liturgical calender: the Sukkot – the feast of tabernacles – an ancient Jewish festival in the remembrance of the Exodus (as in departure) and the temporary houses that was build during the great walk through the desert: Peter offers Jesus, Moses and Elias to make them tabernacles.

Isn’t this a nice thought: The great Apostle, the very first pope, was also a simple man, trying his best, and even when he doesn’t really understand, he tries so hard to do the best, and the most fitting, as he can.

- Pray for us, St. Peter, that we can act as humble and fitting as you did, when we do not understand.

 

Tack så mycket

Thanks all for your input to my previous post. You’re such a great bunch! It seems I got the green light even though I got nothing to say… Yay!

Minutz suggested that I write in Swedish instead: I like to practice my poor English, and I very much enjoy having contact with people from all around the world so apart from the title of this post – I’ll stick to English.

Therese suggested that I write a little something about my everyday life: My dear friend. That is such a good idea and I will start doing that from time to time (even though this will let what a grumpy old man I am shine through).

Gabrielle is too kind. I’m not at all sure I have that much to share. But I’ll try to come up with something more than just intermission music. Perhaps I can share storys from my peculiar friends or my peculiar past. The only problem with that is that it will let what a peculiar man I am, shine through…

Carol suggests I find me a great poem. (Haven’t you noticed, I haven’t finished the previous one yet?) I have a great interest for literature and perhaps I can find something, on a less grand scale, to write about every now and then. I think I have some ideas…

And finally, Ann whoagrees with me that I have nothing important to say. But then she quotes St Teresa of Avila :

Christ has no body
Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
no hands but yours,
no feet but yours,
Yours are the eyes through which is to look out
Christ’s compassion to the world;
Yours are the feet with which he is to go about
doing good;
Yours are the hands with which he is to bless men now.

Isn’t that beautiful? (even though I doubt that I can live up to it,it is something worth striving for).

 

Still pondering what to do with this blog. Doesn’t feel that I have any important things to say.

Intermission music anyone?

 

A Papist approach

You must love, venerate, pray and mortify yourself for the Pope, and do so with greater affection each day. For he is the foundation stone of the Church and, throughout the centuries, right to the end of time, he carries out among men that task of sanctifying and governing which Jesus entrusted to Peter.

St. Josemaría

 

In office

I got an office earlier this week. I’ve never had one before. I remember when I was a kid and visited my grandmothers office and she let me play with all the office accessories. I loved visiting her at her work. She was such a lovely lady. Now I have an office of my own! Or almost on my own. I’m sharing it with E. And I’m like a little kid again, with staplers and binders.

E who knows that I am Catholic asked me, rather jokingly, where I would place the altar. Well, I took him on his word and later that day I went to my Catholic bookstore and bought a small Madonna figurine. I choosed a crowned one so noone would have any doubts about exactly which religion I adhere too. I got an Catholic calender too.

There are very few Catholics in Sweden and even though it started as some form of joke perhaps the little Madonna will lead people to ask questions or talk about her.

 

music during the intermission

Bear with me, soon I hope get back to normal posting (and life).

Edit:
Sadly this great video from the sixties have been removed, but here’s an rerecording of Lee Hazlewood’s Swedish Cowboy song. Some of the words have been changed, The horse now comes from Toys’r'us and the cowboy has become a childboy, but anyhow: It’s Hoojaa.

 

Update

I have been working (or at least running around and feeling all stressed out) a lot lately and haven’t had the time to update my blog in awhile. Now I noticed that I forgot to write about the last stanza in Hopkins poem as well, but perhaps that is a good thing. I could never write a conclusion to such a great poem anyway!

Another blog, that is even less updated than mine is the blog about the wonderful little boy Luukas. Well he is turning two may 31:st and his mother has posted a new entry.

Read the amazing story about one of Gods little warriors here: Luukas story

God bless you all!

/Joakim

 

34. His name is called The Word of God

34.

Now burn, new born to the world,
Double-naturèd name,
The heaven-flung, heart-fleshed, maiden-furled
Miracle-in-Mary-of-flame,
Mid-numberèd He in three of the thunder-throne!
Not a dooms-day dazzle in his coming nor dark as he came;
Kind, but royally reclaiming his own;
A released shower, let flash to the shire, not a lightning of fire hard-hurled.

The Wreck of the Deutschland
By Gerard Manley Hopkins

 

 

 

This stanza deals with the aspect of the double nature of God the Word, the Incarnation of the mid-numbered in the Holy Trinity: Christ, the Son.

To Hopkins the sound of words connected their meaning to each another and he believed their sound also had bearing for their meaning. In his early note-books (1862-1863) long lists of similar sounding words and intricate descriptions of their kinship is found: Grind, gride, gird, grit, groat, grate, greet. – Crook, crank, kranke, crick, cranky. – Flick, fillip, flip, fleck, flake. A popular belief in Gerard Hopkins time was the onomatopoetic origin of many words and their roots (e.g. Frederic Farrar’s Essay on the Origin of Language from 1860). This interest for the affinity of words might of course also be due to his studies in the classical languages which of course involves lists of roots and derived meanings from Greek and Latin.

Hence, the similarity of the word “son” and the word “sun” was, in Hopkins mind, most probably charged with deep meaning. For instance, a possible interpretation of the phrase double-natured name might be of that precise relationship, the Son/sun: Christ the light as the burning light of the world. The Son is – through the nun – newly manifested in the world again, just as the morning sun appears in the dark of the night. The Son/sun is like a new born to this world. This is how Hopkins can ask a new born to burn for us: – It is Christ, the morning sun.

The simile of the Son as the sun may be interpreted in the risen giant of stanza 33 and the cycle of the sun have connections to the master of the tides in stanza 32. The Yore-flood of Stanza 32 can also be related to the darkness and primal waters of Genesis. Christ, the Son/sun as the emerging light of the Deluge:

In the beginning God created heaven, and earth. And the earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God moved over the waters. And God said: Be light made. And light was made. And God saw the light that it was good; and he divided the light from the darkness. And he called the light Day, and the darkness Night; and there was evening and morning one day. (Genesis 1:1-5)

So when Hopkins mention the double-natured name, he is referring to the Word of God. It is actually the christening of the Son/sun as in the Gospel according to Saint John. The light of the creation of the world is Christ the Word: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:1-5)

In the Creed of the Catholic Church the naming of Christ is in close context with a description of the birth of Christ as a double nature of both True God and True Man: And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages; God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one substance with the Father; through Whom all things were made. Who for us men and for our salvation descended from the heavens,and was made flesh by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man. (The Nicene Creed)

This is the passage of the solemn bow (In Roman Catholic liturgy the congregation bows during the Incarnation reference in the Credo) where the most holy of mysteries are described: The Son of the trinity enclosed in the womb of Mary. Hopkins described it as The heaven-flung, heart-fleshed, maiden-furled. And he describes the immaculate conception as the Miracle-in-Mary-of-flame – a paraphrase of the maid as the Queen of Heaven: The woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. (Apocalypse 12:1).

Then there is the double nature of the life Christ lived: His Death is a part of His Heavenly Birth – His Divine Birth is incorporated with the Divine Passion. He was also crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; suffered, and was buried; on the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven. (The Nicene Creed)

And as the Sun follows its path Christ will reappear after a time of darkness on earth. This second arrival is described in the book of Revelations. It also speaks of the double-natured name of God: His name is both related to the Birth of Christ and to both the Creation and the End of the world.

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called faithful and true, and with justice doth he judge and fight. And his eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many diadems, and he had a name written, which no man knoweth but himself. And he was clothed with a garment sprinkled with blood; and his name is called, THE WORD OF GOD. (Apocalypse 19:11-13)

Hopkins prays for the second coming of Jesus (to the shire = England) will not be in the dooms-day dazzle (as in the terror of the last Judgment) nor in the dark as he came (as in the obscurity of the first coming of Jesus) but as a released shower of Grace, of Divine kindness. Christ will reappear on Judgment day and he will be royally reclaiming (as in the cycle of the sun where it reclaims light over darkness every morning) in full blown majesty, in his thunder-throne…

And then Christ will be showing His double nature in yet another way: The judge is also the Savior – The Savior is also the Judge.

And shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, of Whose kingdom there shall be no end. (The Nicene Creed)

 

 

During Lent and Easter I will publish the stanzas from the Wreck of the Deutschland, one by one. Sometimes with a small commentary or with some aspect about the poem. Hopefully someone will be able to use this as a form of prayer during Lent.

 

33. The ark of salvation

33.

With a mercy that outrides
The all of water, an ark
For the listener; for the lingerer with a love glides
Lower than death and the dark;
A vein for the visiting of the past-prayer, pent in prison,
The-last-breath penitent spirits―the uttermost mark
Our passion-plungèd giant risen,
The Christ of the Father compassionate, fetched in the storm of his strides.

The Wreck of the Deutschland
By Gerard Manley Hopkins

 

 

 

In stanza 31 we had a feathery delicacy that led the way home like Noahs dove. In stanza 32 we had the yore-flood of the Deluge and here the SS Deutschland is compared with an ark, as an continuation of the nuns calling as a bell summoning lost souls. Christ as a medium, the Mediator, a vein carrying the force of life through his Passion.

The ark was carrying the creatures Lower than death and the dark:

(As it is written: For thy sake we are put to death all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.) But in all these things we overcome, because of him that hath loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor might, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:36-39)

And perhaps here Hopkins is using the interpretation of the ark as an image for the “Unam Sanctam et Catholicam Ecclesiam”, as Pope Pius IX stated in the allocution “Singulari quadam” December 9:th 1854: For, it must be held by faith that outside the Apostolic Roman Church, no one can be saved; that this is the only ark of salvation; that he who shall not have entered therein will perish in the flood; but, on the other hand, it is necessary to hold for certain that they who labor in ignorance of the true religion, if this ignorance is invincible, are not stained by any guilt in this matter in the eyes of God. Now, in truth, who would arrogate so much to himself as to mark the limits of such an ignorance, because of the nature and variety of peoples, regions, innate dispositions, and of so many other things? For, in truth, when released from these corporeal chains “we shall see God as He is” [1 John 3:2], we shall understand perfectly by how close and beautiful a bond divine mercy and justice are united; but, as long as we are on earth, weighed down by this mortal mass which blunts the soul, let us hold most firmly that, in accordance with Catholic teaching, there is “one God, one faith, one baptism” [Eph. 4:5]; it is unlawful to proceed further in inquiry.

These souls that might have been saved as an cause of the wreckage would have been The-last-breath penitent spirits saved through the existence of Purgatory. In the first epistle of Saint Peter it is said: Because Christ also died once for our sins, the just for the unjust: that he might offer us to God, being put to death indeed in the flesh, but enlivened in the spirit, In which also coming he preached to those spirits that were in prison: Which had been some time incredulous, when they waited for the patience of God in the days of Noe, when the ark was a building: wherein a few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water. (1 Peter 3:18-20)

Traditionally this part of the Bible is seen as a proof of a third place, or middle state of souls: for these spirits in prison, to whom Christ went to preach, after his death, were not in heaven; nor yet in the hell of the damned: because heaven is no prison: and Christ did not go to preach to the damned. (Commentary Douay-Rheims)

The image of the wreckage, may be the wrecks of disasters of Man and Nature or inner storms of wrecked souls. However these the uttermost souls are being saved from the brink of disaster. This is the uttermost mark of Christ, the Redeemer.

 

 

During Lent and Easter I will publish the stanzas from the Wreck of the Deutschland, one by one. Sometimes with a small commentary or with some aspect about the poem. Hopefully someone will be able to use this as a form of prayer during Lent.