Advent through the centuries: the twelfth century

Thursday, December 12, 2013
The twelfth century of the Church

Scripture:
John 12:35-36

Jesus replied, “The light is with you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he went away and hid himself from them.

Reading:

Old English Homilies of the Twelfth Century, Author unknown. Read more here.

To-day is come the holy time that is called Advent, thanked be our Lord Jesus Christ who hath sent it. And it lasts full three weeks and somewhat more, and betokens three times (periods); one which was before the Old Law, the second was under the Old Law, and the third was under the New Law. Men who were dwelling under each of these three periods longed eagerly after our Lord Jesus Christ’s coming as we [now] do, who are under these three weeks which are called Advent, that is to say, in English, our Lord Jesus Christ’s coming.

Our Lord Jesus Christ’s comings are two openly;–the first is gone, which the patriarchs and the prophets and other men who were [living] in those days longed for; and the second coming shall be on doomsday, and that we look for; and all those who have been since our Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven; and all those who are to come hereafter await his coming. And of the first coming speaks the holy book, thus saying, Here comes our King, let us go towards him and receive him graciously and highly honour him.

Mosaic of Madonna and Child, from the Chilander monastery in Greece, c. 12th century.

Prayer:

A prayer for Christmas, by Bernard of Clairvaux.

Let Your goodness Lord appear to us, that we
made in your image, conform ourselves to it.
In our own strength
we cannot imitate Your majesty, power, and wonder
nor is it fitting for us to try.
But Your mercy reaches from the heavens
through the clouds to the earth below.
You have come to us as a small child,
but you have brought us the greatest of all gifts,
the gift of eternal love
Caress us with Your tiny hands,
embrace us with Your tiny arms
and pierce our hearts with Your soft, sweet cries.

Advent through the centuries: the eleventh century

Wednesday, December 11, 2013
The eleventh century of the Church

Scripture:
Psalms 119:105-106

Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,
to keep your righteous rules.

Reading:

Anselm of Canterbury, Prologion, XIV. 1077/78.

How vast that Truth is in which resides everything that is true and outside of which there is only nothing and what is false! How immense [that Truth] is which beholds in one spectrum all created things and beholds by whom, through whom, and in what manner [all things] were created from nothing! What purity, what simplicity, what assurance and splendor are present there! Surely, [these] surpass what can be understood by any creature.

11th century mosaic of Jesus, from the Hagia Sophia.

Prayer:

Scottish Prayer for Peace

Deep peace of the running wave to you,
Deep peace of the flowing air to you,
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you,
Deep peace of the shining stars to you,
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you, for ever.

Advent through the centuries: the tenth century

Tuesday, December 10, 2013
The tenth century of the Church

Scripture:
Psalms 43:3-5

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.

One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.

Reading:
Symeon the Metaphrast, The Life of Nicholas, c. 10th century

At about the hour of Matins our estimable Nicholas, impelled by the Holy Spirit, came to the church. In its vestibule the man deemed worthy of the vision received him. “What do people call you, my son?” he earnestly inquired. “Nicholas the sinner,” he simply and unaffectedly answered, “and I am the servant of Your Sanctity.”

At these humble and courteous words of our exemplary man, to be sure partly because of the name of Nicholas which had been foretold when it appeared, but partly also because of the extraordinary, unmistakable modesty [for the holy man knew the saying, “Whom does God look to here below, except the meek and the peaceable?”], he knew that this was the man whom God was signifying.

At that, joy suffused him, just as if he had stumbled on some precious treasure. He thought of this disclosure as pure wealth. “Follow me, son,” he directed. Taking him by the hand, he led him to the bishops, who recognized at once what had already been foretold to them by their colleague. They, too, filled with holy joy, recognized that the virtue of the man was in accord with the will of God.

Then they immediately conducted the saint to the sanctuary of the temple. When news of this affair had spread about [for it is natural for news to circulate in such important matters and to employ swift wings], uncounted masses poured in the church. In a loud voice the bishops proclaimed: “Accept, our sons, this man as your shepherd, whom the Holy Spirit has anointed for you and to whom he has submitted your souls for guidance and instruction. He has been made our leader not by human but by divine determination. He whom we have been longing for we have: whom we were seeking for, now we receive. As long as we may truly be shepherded and protected by him, we need not lack hope that in the day of the Coming and the Revelation we may stand firm as a people beloved of God.”

To these words the people added their own expression of gratitude, and addressed God those jubilees which cannot be expressed in words. Then the holy synod of bishops together with the clergy, at once invested him with what belonged to the office by law and what by custom. They appointed him Pontiff, though he was slow and hesitant to accept that pontifical honor. Because of a truly praiseworthy sense of constraint, he could hardly ascend the bishop’s throne to assume the prefecture and presidency of Myra, the proper dissemination of the Word of Truth and Piety adherence to orthodoxy, and the right teaching of it.

Symeon was a Hagiographer – he recorded the lives of saints. Here he writes about St. Nicholas, who would, over time, eventually be connected with Christmas in the form of Santa Claus. This is an excerpt; you can read more here.

Tenth Century manuscript showing the consecration of the Cluniac monastery.

Prayer:

Hymn 25, from Symeon the New Theologian

But, Oh, what intoxication of light, Oh, what movements of fire!
Oh, what swirlings of the flame in me, miserable one that I am,
coming from You and Your glory!
The glory I know it and I say it is your Holy Spirit,
who has the same nature with You, and the same honor, O word;
He is of the same race, the same glory,
of the same essence, He alone with your Father,
and with you, O Christ, O God of the universe!
I fall down in adoration before You.
I thank You that You have made me worthy to know, however little it may be,
the power of Your divinity.

Advent through the centuries: the ninth century

Monday, December 9, 2013
The ninth century of the Church

Scripture:
Psalms 43:3-5

Reveal your light and your faithfulness!
They will lead me,
they will escort me back to your holy hill,
and to the place where you live.
Then I will go to the altar of God,
to the God who gives me ecstatic joy,
so that I express my thanks to you, O God, my God, with a harp.
Why are you depressed, O my soul?
Why are you upset?
Wait for God!
For I will again give thanks
to my God for his saving intervention.

Reading:

Claudius of Turin, 780-827.

We’re into the heart of the Dark Ages now. Vikings raided many of the monasteries in Europe, and a lot of work was lost. There was a minor renaissance under the Frankish Holy Roman Empire, but it seems to have been more civic than religious. Very little theological work was recorded during the 9th century, and the only theologians I’ve been able to track down from that century were John Scotus, and Claudius of Turin. Neither were all that original – John Scotus is best known for being a near-heretic (or total heretic, depending on who you ask), and possibly a pantheist. Claudius of Turin is best remembered from being an iconoclast, who attempted to destroy all artwork in the church in Turin when he became bishop there. I did manage to find this snippet from Claudius, and it will have to do for our look at the 9th century.

Claudius:

I published three books [on Genesis] from the sayings of the holy Fathers concerning the letter and the spirit… For the word came into the world by Mary, clad in flesh; and seeing was not understanding; all saw flesh; knowledge of the divinity was given to a chosen few. So when the Word was shown to men through the lawgiver and the prophets, it was not shown them without suitable vesture. There it is covered by the veil of flesh, here of the letter. The letter appears as flesh; but the spiritual sense within is known as divinity. This what we find in studying Leviticus… Blessed are the eyes which see divine spirit through the letter’s veil.

From the Basilica di Santa Maria in Rome – Mary and Jesus dating to the ninth century. Claudius would have hated this.

Prayer:
Prayer from John Scotus eriugena, 8th century

O everlasting essence of things beyond space and time, and yet within them; you transcend yet pervade all things: manifest yourself to us, who feel after you, seeking you in the shadows of our ignorance. Stretch forth your hand to help us, for we cannot come to you without your aid. Reveal yourself to us for we seek nothing but you. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Related articles

• Sacraments and Sacramentals: Advent (simonebrosig.wordpress.com)
• Advent and the three-fold coming of Jesus (patheos.com)
• Day 3 – Advent (iamher1988.wordpress.com)