Peace, Light, and Joy in Advent

Peace. Light. Joy. The mercy of God.

These are ideas that we associate with the Advent season. Why is it that we focus on these particular ideas when we ponder the birth of Jesus? Partly, it is because that is what Christians have been doing since the earliest Christian writings.

Luke’s Gospel gives us a lot of our information about the birth of Jesus. It also includes four songs sung by different individuals around the time of his birth. These songs collectively point us to ponder these meaningful words: peace, light, and joy. And to see these all as part of the limitless mercy of God.

For our reflection this morning, I’ll just read a few excerpts from each of the four songs.

The angels announced PEACE:

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,

    and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” (Luke 2:14)

Simeon experienced PEACE and saw the LIGHT:

“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,

    according to your word;

for my eyes have seen your salvation,

     which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles

    and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32)

Mary knew JOY in response to God’s MERCY:

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47)

“His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation” (Luke 1:50)

“He has . . . lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things, . . .
He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy.” (Luke 1:52-54)

Zechariah put this all together:

“By the tender mercy of our God,
    the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 2:78-79)

God of Mercy: We ask today for the joy exhibited by Mary, the peace declared by the angels, the light foretold by Zechariah, all of which point us to the tender mercy of our God. Amen.

A Fourth Century Advent Hymn

On this day St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan in the fourth century, is remembered. One of thirty-six “Doctors of the Church,” among his significant contributions to the Christian faith (including being the teacher of St. Augustine) is a rich collection of hymns, some of which continue to be sung to this day. A few years ago I shared a Christmas hymn of Ambrose. Today I would like to share an Advent hymn, “O Splendor of God's glory bright.”

Since I posted on hymns in the Gospel of Luke last week, it is interesting to notice the way that some themes of the Lukan hymns are taken up in Ambrose’s hymn. Ambrose’s hymn has its primary focus on the coming of Jesus as bringing light and illumination to humanity. Jesus is “Light of light,” “true Day,” and “very Sun of heaven’s love.” And in the final stanza he ends with the notion of a new dawn arising, with Jesus as “our perfect Morn.” These ideas echo the song of Simeon with his emphasis on the coming of Jesus as “a light for revelation” (Luke 2:32). Zechariah as well strikes these notes: “By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death” (Luke 1:78,79). One striking difference from Luke’s hymns, and from the hymns embedded in the New Testament, is the very personal dimension that can be seen in stanzas 2, 3, 4, and 5. These verses shift the focus to the congregation itself in asking for divine assistance to live lives that are reflective of those who are in the light and no longer in darkness. This more personal dimension is a trend that can be seen in the hymnody that developed in the second century and beyond. To me, such development in successive generations illustrates one way that Christians of later eras built on the earlier traditions and adapted them to the needs of their day.

1 O Splendor of God's glory bright,
from Light eternal bringing light,
O Light of light, light's living Spring,
true Day, all days illumining. 

2 Come, very Sun of heaven's love,
in lasting radiance from above,
and pour the Holy Spirit's ray
on all we think or do today. 

3 And now to Thee our pray'r ascend,
O Father, glorious without end;
we plead with sovereign grace for pow'r
to conquer in temptation's hour. 

4 Confirm our will to do the right,
and keep our hearts from envy's blight;
let faith her eager fires renew,
and hate the false, and love the true. 

5 O joyful be the passing day
with thoughts as pure as morning's ray,
with faith like noontide shining bright
our souls unshadowed by the night. 

6 Dawn's glory gilds the earth and skies,
let Him, our perfect Morn, arise,
the Word in God the Father one,
the Father imaged in the Son.

Source: Hymnary.org

While looking for this hymn, I was pleased to discover a contemporary setting of this hymn by Zac Hicks. I found it to be a very meditative piece that reflects the solemnity of the words but also the celebratory joy of being invited to live in the light.

Advent and the Hymns of Luke’s Gospel

The four songs embedded within the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke are a rich resource for reflecting on the advent of Jesus. Individually, they are meaningful and moving prayers and exclamations of praise in response to the good news about the arrival of the long-awaited messiah. Collectively, they reinforce and complement one another creating a tapestry of praise in celebration of the birth of the savior. The season of Advent is a perfect time to reflect on these beautiful passages.

For those unfamiliar with these passages, they are commonly referred to by their Latin names: the Magnificat (1:46–55) is the song of Mary; the Benedictus (1:68–79) is the song of Zechariah; the Gloria in excelsis (2:14) is the song of the angels; and the Nunc Dimittis (2:29–32) is the song of Simeon. Reading them as the responses of praise to the announcement and arrival of the promised savior is particularly instructive.

Themes of these songs include such things as the mercy of God, which is mentioned twice in the Magnificat and twice in the Benedictus; though the term is not explicitly used in the other two songs, they clearly reflect responses to God’s favor. The notion of reversals where the proud are brought low and the humble are raised up, or those in darkness are enlightened, are prominent in the Magnificat and Benedictus. The fulfillment of God’s promises to his people to deliver them is a theme of the Magnificat, Benedictus, and Nunc Dimittis. The arrival of light, salvation, forgiveness, and guidance into the way of peace are major themes of the Benedictus. The glorifying of God and the announcement of peace and God’s favor are themes of the Gloria in excelsis. Peace, light, salvation, and glory are themes of the Nunc Dimittis, along with the notion of the Gentiles as recipients of God’s enlightening and saving work through the savior. Taken together there is a very interesting move from the individual blessing of Mary, to the fulfillment of God’s promises of deliverance to God’s people, to the praise of the angels, to the enlightening work of the savior extending to all of humanity. In this way the progression of thematic praise to God in Luke’s birth narrative aligns with the overall thrust of Luke’s two-part masterpiece of Gospel and Acts. Both Luke’s Gospel and Acts end with echoes of this notion of the inclusion of the Gentiles in the people of God (Luke 24:47; Acts 28:28).

It is instructive to compare the contents and emphases of these four songs with the christological hymns embedded within other writings of the New Testament (e.g., Phil 2:5-11; Col 1:15-20). If we were to do so, we might immediately be struck by a few significant differences. Luke’s songs do not have a primary focus on Jesus, as much as the saving work of God, and they do not mention some important themes of the other NT hymns. Missing from Luke’s hymns are references to such concepts as the preexistence of Jesus, the incarnation of Jesus, the death of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, and the ascension of Jesus. The Magnificat does not even mention Jesus! While this sounds like a lot of significant christological content that is absent from these songs, the context of these songs is important to consider. These are included at the beginning of Luke’s narrative, a narrative which itself will unfold the significance of Jesus, detailing the death on the cross and the resurrection and ascension. For the author of the gospel, it was not necessary to spell out all of these specific christological ideas in each song or even in the opening chapters. Instead, the songs of the infancy narrative set the stage for what will follow. Here is how I’ve explained it: “Rather than recount the salient contents of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, these four psalms portray the responses of a range of devout characters to the news that the time of redemption has begun.” (New Testament Christological Hymns, 207)

In this regard I find the work of Kindalee De Long at Pepperdine University especially instructive. She explains how the narrative of Luke unfolds in such a way that these songs demonstrate the responses of joy that would be expected in the arrival of the promised new age of divine deliverance. This idea can be found throughout the prophetic writings including Joel 2:26-27, Zephaniah 3:14-15, Zechariah 9:9-10, and Isaiah 66:7-11. So it is not just in the words of the songs that the meaning is found, but in the actual act of joyous singing in response to the news of the arrival of the savior.

Also, in spite of the differences from the other early hymns, there are significant shared themes:

“In common with the christological hymns, however, is an emphasis on the birth of Christ as signaling the initiation of the new age in which God fulfills the expectations of the prophets. Specific touch points with the early Christian hymns are the idea that Christ brings about peace, that his advent enlightens humanity, and that Gentiles and Jews alike are included as beneficiaries of God’s actions in Christ. One final point of connection is the idea that God’s redemptive activities in and through Christ result in glory to God.” (New Testament Christological Hymns, 207-208)

All of those elements of Luke's hymns are the central themes of the christological hymns found throughout the New Testament.

For Luke as an author it seems that he not only “tells” the reader about the messiah but also “shows” the reader that the birth of Jesus inaugurates a new age. And for Luke, the scripturesque language of the hymns does not simply “tell” but also “shows” that this new work of God is the work that the Jewish scriptures and prophets had foretold. Like the other hymns in the New Testament, these passages show a rich and deep engagement with the Jewish Scriptures. Apart from a careful reading of the scriptural grounding of these hymns in their early Jewish context, it is difficult to appreciate the full meaning of these passages.

Not only Luke the author but the characters in the narrative themselves invite us to understand that this was good news for “all the people.” And as Zechariah exclaimed it was “by the tender mercy of our God” that the dawn from on high was breaking upon them. Further, these characters model an appropriate response to the divine visitation: joyous praise to God.

In our world that is still longing for peace, the praises of Mary, Zechariah, the angels, and Simeon, are as timely as they were in the first-century context. And they can still enlighten us today as we contemplate with them the mystery of God’s mercy revealed in the advent of Jesus.

An Advent Reflection on the Beginnings of the Gospels

Below is an edited version of the reflection I shared at a meeting at Carlow University this week.

Advent season takes Christians through a time of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. In many ways the birth of Jesus can be seen as a new beginning in the history of salvation; and yet in many other ways it can be understood as a continuation and more complete expression of God’s work throughout history. This can be seen most clearly by reading the beginnings of each of the four Gospels. 

The Gospel of Mark skips right over the birth of Jesus and begins with John the Baptist, preparing the way for the Messiah. John the Baptist, a Jewish preacher and prophet, is linked very much to the prophetic tradition of the Jewish Scriptures. John the Baptist also baptizes Jesus. In beginning in this way, Mark shows continuity with God’s work in history through the Jewish people.

The Gospel of Matthew begins with a genealogy, going back in time earlier than Mark does, tracing the lineage of Jesus back to Abraham, and through King David. Such a beginning shows Jesus to be of Jewish royal lineage- a messiah who is a king.

The Gospel of Luke also begins with a genealogy. But his genealogy goes back even further- past David, past Abraham, all the way back to Adam. Luke also portrays Jesus as a Jewish messiah and king, but by tracing his lineage back to Adam Luke hints at his emphasis on Jesus as a savior for all people- a theme which one can trace through the entire Gospel of Luke. This is also a theme which is prominent in the nativity passages, for example the angelic announcement to the shepherds: 

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.  (Luke 2:10-11)

The Gospel of John begins not with John the Baptist, or with a birth, or with a genealogy, but with a poem (John 1:1-18). This poem--quite possibly an early Christian hymn--takes readers back yet further in time, even prior to the very beginning of the world. And by doing so in the medium of poetry makes its claims in a powerful and evocative fashion.

As we read this ancient poem, I’d like to note that this poem lays a foundation for several aspects of our tradition as a Catholic University. First, Jesus is described as the Word, using the Greek term Logos, a term ancient philosophers used to describe universal reason- the divine principle that orders the cosmos and sustains the world. Jewish writers had already been using this term as well to describe the Wisdom of God, which sometimes is represented through personification in Wisdom poems in biblical texts and early Jewish texts. The idea for the author of this poem is that what happened with the birth of Jesus was in line with all of the other manifestations of God’s Wisdom throughout history. Second, as this poem begins with creation it lays a foundation for our understanding of the sacredness of creation- all creation is the work of God, and all life and light has its origin in him. Third, through imagery of light and darkness, the poem reminds us that there is a moral dimension to humanity’s quest for knowledge. People can accept or reject the illuminating Wisdom of God which is available to all, and throughout history they have. Finally, as the poem describes God’s Logos becoming flesh in the human person of Jesus, it lays a strong foundation for our understanding of the dignity of all humans, and a holistic view of persons as not only spiritual but also physical, and highly complex. A reminder that as a university we educate not disembodied minds, but  whole persons who are valuable in all of who they are.

The poem that begins the Gospel of John can be arranged in seven strophes representing seven different eras of the work of God in the world through the Logos:

1) The word with God (vv. 1-2)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  2 He was in the beginning with God. 

2) The word and Creation (vv. 3-4)

3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.  

3) The Word in the World (v.5, v.9)

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 

4) The Rejection of the Word in the World (vv. 10-11)

10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.  11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 

5) The Word and those who Receive Him (vv. 12-13)

12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God,  13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. 

6) John’s Community’s Experience of the Word (v. 14)

14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.  

7) The Community’s Ongoing Reception of Grace (vv.16-17)

16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.  17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  

8) Concluding comment after the poem (v. 18)

18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

The climactic and startling moment of John’s opening poem comes in 1:14 where we learn that the Logos, the divine Wisdom, became flesh and made his dwelling among humans. The implications of this claim are rich and deep, and surely have yet to be fully probed. As noted above, though, the incarnation is foundational for some of the essential claims of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, particularly the sacredness of all creation and the dignity of all people. In the incarnation we learn that human experience, the bodily experience of humanity, can be a place of divine revelation. 

The incarnation thus affirms our bodily existence, and the basic stuff of daily life, as a place where God can be at work- and is. To me this all but eliminates the idea of an either/or distinction between the sacred and the profane. Instead, we can see life as a both/and. Our lives are both physical and spiritual at the same time. All of life is sacred and can reflect divine wonder.

Worshipping or working; being born or growing old; caring for a child or a loved one; teaching or serving; talking with a colleague or student; grading papers or writing an email; and even participating in a meeting. All that we do with our bodies has the potential to be seen as participating in God’s life-giving and light-giving work.

As throughout history, not everyone sees God’s Wisdom at work. And even in the life of Jesus, it was not everyone who perceived the glory of God in his life. But may our eyes be open to see every moment as a moment in which we are participating in something that is much larger than just ourselves alone. Amazingly, we are participants in God's story. This is the mystery that the Gospel writers, in their own ways, invite us to consider.