Monday 12 December

Antiphon: Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.

Adult Advent Announcement David A. Redding, from If I Could Pray Again (1965).

O Lord,
Let Advent begin again
In us,
Not merely in commercials;
For that first Christmas was not
Simply for children,
But for the
Wise and the strong.
It was
Crowded around that cradle,
With kings kneeling.
Speak to us
Who seek an adult seat this year.
Help us to realize,
As we fill stockings,
Christmas is mainly
For the old folks—
Bent backs
And tired eyes
Need relief and light
A little more.
No wonder
It was grown-ups
Who were the first
To notice
Such a star.

O Lord,
kindle in us the fire of your Spirit
that when your Christ comes again
we may shine as lights before his face;
who is alive and reigns now and for ever. Amen.

 

Ethiopia

Jesus teaching in the temple. Ethiopian postage stamp issued on 23 April 1975 in a series on the life of Christ, designed by Afework Mengsha from Ethiopian church murals.

Ethiopia
Click image for enlargement

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

3. Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4. Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.
5. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.
6. Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
7. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!
8. Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9. 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.

Edvard Evers and Gustaf Nordqvist (Sweden, 1921). Jul, jul, strålande jul. Zero8 Chorus, Stockholm.

Jul, jul, strålande jul
Glans över vita skogar
Himmelens kronor med gnistrande ljus
Glimmande bågar i alla Guds hus
Psalm som är sjungen från tid till tid
Eviga längtan till ljus och frid
Jul, jul, strålande jul
Glans över vita skogar.

Kom, kom, signade jul
Sänk dina vita vingar
Över stridernas blod och larm
Över all suckan ur människobarm
Över de släkten som gå till ro
Över de ungas dagande bo
Kom, kom, signade jul
Sänk dina vita vingar.

Christmas, Christmas, glorious Christmas
Gloss over white forests
The crowns of the sky with sparkling light
Shining arches in all houses of God
Hymns that are sung from time to time
Eternal desire for light and peace
Christmas, Christmas, brilliant Christmas
Gloss over white forests

Come, come, special Christmas
Lower your white wings
Over the blood and alarm of the battles
Over cry for human mercy
Over the families that go to rest
Over the days of when young people
Come, come, special Christmas
Lower your white wings.

May the Lord, when he comes, find us watching and waiting. Amen.