The Heavenly Host

by Father Matt Burnett  

Bright creatures.

Hard as light.

Supple as water.

Gliding through Time.

Space is our garden.

Power is our being.

Heaven is our native home.

To see us gathered is to see no limit. To see no end of us.

To meet even one of us is to fear and tremble and shake.

To become dumb.

To become fertile.

God Almighty.

Beyond ken and knowing.

Yahweh is our King.

And in an instant, in every direction, the expanse of us bow knee and head to Him, cry full praise to Him.

We would conquer cosmos if He commanded.

Our captains speak tender words to His other creatures so small and frail.

We hold our breath.

Tonight Flesh breaks us.

We who are of might and power now weep and love.

We have always and never seen this.

In the presence of the one, so very small, mucus-covered Child, we are as nothing.

And in an instant, in every direction, the expanse of us bow knee and head to Him, cry full praise to Him.

Southwell Litany, Days 2 and 3

Day 2 - From weakness of judgment, from the indecision that can make no choice and from the irresolution that carries no choice into act; Strengthen our eye to see and our will to choose the right; And from losing opportunities to serve you, and from perplexing ourselves and others with uncertainties … Save us and help us, o Lord (The Southwell Litany) Day 3 - From infirmity of purpose, from want of earnest care and interest, from  sluggish indolence and slack indifference, and from all spiritual deadness of heart: … Save us and help us, o Lord (The Southwell Litany)

Ash Wednesday and Beginning of Lent

The Southwell Litany was written by a 19th century Anglican bishop and you'd be hard pressed to find a more searching, yet not shaming, self examination. We'll post a stanza every day, Lord willing, during Lent. 1 - From moral weakness, from hesitation, from fear of men and dread of responsibility; Strengthen us with courage to speak the truth in love and self-control; And alike from the weakness of hasty violence and from the weakness of moral cowardice: Save us and help us, o Lord (The Southwell Litany)

The Church Needs Hobbits (and most of us are Hobbits anyways.)

Good stuff at Brian Brown's piece, "The Church Needs Hobbits."  Please take a look at Brian's really encouraging post. It can be a great reminder, esp. to those of us at either "half time" or "just getting started" ages,  that we will flourish and God the Father be crazy-pleased with us as we live into Role more than Resume.

He is moving His Kingdom forward and we are called to participate.  He has important-even-if-not-flashy roles for most of us based on a myriad of considerations: yes, skills, but maybe even more could be personality, strengths, weaknesses (!), healed places, broken places, blind spots, needs of those around you (maybe it is less about us, than them), and His desire to shape souls more than, let's face it, uhm, well, egos?

We want to be chosen as the superior candidate; that's what Resumes are for.  Fair enough. But, in the bigger Drama of Life, maybe Role is even more critical than Resume.  There is a depth and contentedness to this that is so deeply Good.

Huzzah for the Hobbits!