Monday 15 December
Antiphon: Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.
James Tissot (France, 1836–1902). The Chief Priests Ask Jesus by What Right Does He Act in This Way. Brooklyn Museum.
An Advent Psalm
Awaken, my heart,
God's reign is near;
the Peaceable Kingdom
is in my hands.
If the wolf can be the guest of the lamb,
and the bear and cow be friends,
then no injury or hate can be a guest
within the kingdom of my heart.
Eden’s peace and harmony will only return
when first, in my heart,
there hides no harm or ruin,
for the Peaceable Kingdom is in my hands.
Isaiah’s dream became Jesus’ vision:
“Come, follow me,” Emmanuel’s echo rings.
“Reform your life, recover Eden’s peace,”
for only then will salvation appear.
For Advent’s dream is the healing of Earth,
when the eagle and bear become friends,
the child and the serpent playmates.
Arise, awaken, my heart,
the Peaceable Kingdom
is in your hands.
—Edward Hayes. Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim. New Edition. (Forest of Peace, 2008), p. 176.
A prayer for Christmas preparations
Lord Jesus,
Master of both the light and the darkness,
send Your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.
We who have so much to do seek quiet spaces to hear
Your voice each day.
We who are anxious over many things look forward to
Your coming among us.
We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete
joy of Your kingdom.
We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of Your presence.
We are Your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light.
To You we say, ‘Come Lord Jesus!’
Amen.
—Joel Mason.
Numbers 24.2-7, 15-17
Balaam looked up and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. Then the spirit of God came upon him, and he uttered his oracle, saying: ‘The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is clear, the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, who falls down, but with eyes uncovered: how fair are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel! Like palm groves that stretch far away, like gardens beside a river, like aloes that the Lord has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters. Water shall flow from his buckets, and his seed shall have abundant water, his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. . . .
So he uttered his oracle, saying: ‘The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is clear, the oracle of one who hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, who falls down, but with his eyes uncovered: I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near— a star shall come out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the borderlands of Moab, and the territory of all the Shethites.
Psalm 25.3-9
Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.
Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!
Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
Matthew 21:23-27
When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?’ And they argued with one another, ‘If we say, "From heaven", he will say to us, "Why then did you not believe him?" But if we say, "Of human origin", we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.’ So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ And he said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
The Trumpet Child. Over the Rhine (2007). Over-the-Rhine is a historic residential neighbourhood in Cincinnati, Ohio, after which the band is named.
The trumpet child will blow his horn
Will blast the sky till it’s reborn
With Gabriel’s power and Satchmo’s grace
He will surprise the human race
The trumpet he will use to blow
Is being fashioned out of fire
The mouthpiece is a glowing coal
The bell a burst of wild desire
The trumpet child will riff on love
Thelonious notes from up above
He’ll improvise a kingdom come
Accompanied by a different drum
The trumpet child will banquet here
Until the lost are truly found
A thousand days, a thousand years
Nobody knows for sure how long
The rich forget about their gold
The meek and mild are strangely bold
A lion lies beside a lamb
And licks a murderer’s outstretched hand
The trumpet child will lift a glass
His bride now leaning in at last
His final aim to fill with joy
The earth that man all but destroyed
May the Lord, when he comes, find us watching and waiting. Amen.