Jump to content
IGNORED

We are all called to carry and pass on the flame


markdohle

Recommended Posts


  • Group:  Senior Member
  • Followers:  11
  • Topic Count:  77
  • Topics Per Day:  0.03
  • Content Count:  641
  • Content Per Day:  0.22
  • Reputation:   328
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  06/16/2016
  • Status:  Offline

We are all called to carry and pass on the flame
(Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple)

This then is the message which we have
 heard from Him and declare unto you: that God is light,
and in Him is no darkness at all.—1 John 1:5

 

This morning as I was going into our church for Vigils (our 4 AM Divine Office) the church was aglow with the gentle light of candles.  In front of our podium there were six large candles and on our window ledges, there was one small candle per window.  A restful, gentle sight, candle light is soothing for most people.  The whole office was in the dark and each psalm was recited by one of the monks.  The cantor started off the office by singing the invitatory as well as the hymn. 

During the meditation, I was thinking about how one candle can share its flame with an unlimited number of other candles.  No matter how small the flame, it can be passed from one candle to the other.   At the Easter Vigil, we enter a dark church with only the Paschal Candle being lit, the church is cold, the Blessed Sacrament is not there, there is no light anywhere but from that one candle that proclaims the Risen Lord.  Then the flame is passed on and soon the church is filled with the warm light of Christ love. 

I thought of my own heart, how often it can seem cold and empty.  Then I thought of the light of Jesus Christ how it lives in my heart and how I can also spread my little flame of Christ love and grace to others, we all can.  We are all, after all, a priestly people, a royal priesthood. 

It is with Christ love that we can spread his love; our small hearts can still pass on the flame of the grace and love of Jesus Christ.  All we need do is to ask him into our hearts, so that we can be channels of his grace and love, to reach out with his light, to seek healing for ourselves and those around us and to become more sensitive to the depth of love we are called to. 
 

One flame

Just one tiny flame,
then another,
in giving there is no diminishment,
but an increase of light in a dark world,
ruled by emotions sinister,
greed always hungry,
lust ever devouring
seeking to douse the light
but that small flame
is Christ Love incarnate in each of us;

Immortal and everlasting
without end amen.---Br.MD

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Group:  Diamond Member
  • Followers:  5
  • Topic Count:  54
  • Topics Per Day:  0.02
  • Content Count:  2,437
  • Content Per Day:  0.88
  • Reputation:   1,525
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  10/05/2016
  • Status:  Online

Matthew 5King James Version (KJV)

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

 

Ephesians 5King James Version (KJV

14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Group:  Worthy Ministers
  • Followers:  18
  • Topic Count:  958
  • Topics Per Day:  0.35
  • Content Count:  13,641
  • Content Per Day:  5.03
  • Reputation:   9,083
  • Days Won:  6
  • Joined:  12/04/2016
  • Status:  Offline
  • Birthday:  03/03/1885

8 hours ago, markdohle said:

We are all called to carry and pass on the flame
(Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple)

This then is the message which we have
 heard from Him and declare unto you: that God is light,
and in Him is no darkness at all.—1 John 1:5

 

This morning as I was going into our church for Vigils (our 4 AM Divine Office) the church was aglow with the gentle light of candles.  In front of our podium there were six large candles and on our window ledges, there was one small candle per window.  A restful, gentle sight, candle light is soothing for most people.  The whole office was in the dark and each psalm was recited by one of the monks.  The cantor started off the office by singing the invitatory as well as the hymn. 

During the meditation, I was thinking about how one candle can share its flame with an unlimited number of other candles.  No matter how small the flame, it can be passed from one candle to the other.   At the Easter Vigil, we enter a dark church with only the Paschal Candle being lit, the church is cold, the Blessed Sacrament is not there, there is no light anywhere but from that one candle that proclaims the Risen Lord.  Then the flame is passed on and soon the church is filled with the warm light of Christ love. 

I thought of my own heart, how often it can seem cold and empty.  Then I thought of the light of Jesus Christ how it lives in my heart and how I can also spread my little flame of Christ love and grace to others, we all can.  We are all, after all, a priestly people, a royal priesthood. 

It is with Christ love that we can spread his love; our small hearts can still pass on the flame of the grace and love of Jesus Christ.  All we need do is to ask him into our hearts, so that we can be channels of his grace and love, to reach out with his light, to seek healing for ourselves and those around us and to become more sensitive to the depth of love we are called to. 
 

One flame

Just one tiny flame,
then another,
in giving there is no diminishment,
but an increase of light in a dark world,
ruled by emotions sinister,
greed always hungry,
lust ever devouring
seeking to douse the light
but that small flame
is Christ Love incarnate in each of us;

Immortal and everlasting
without end amen.---Br.MD

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Group:  Worthy Ministers
  • Followers:  18
  • Topic Count:  958
  • Topics Per Day:  0.35
  • Content Count:  13,641
  • Content Per Day:  5.03
  • Reputation:   9,083
  • Days Won:  6
  • Joined:  12/04/2016
  • Status:  Offline
  • Birthday:  03/03/1885

edited=- a double post again. sorry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Group:  Worthy Ministers
  • Followers:  18
  • Topic Count:  958
  • Topics Per Day:  0.35
  • Content Count:  13,641
  • Content Per Day:  5.03
  • Reputation:   9,083
  • Days Won:  6
  • Joined:  12/04/2016
  • Status:  Offline
  • Birthday:  03/03/1885

Just now, Neighbor said:

 The glow of  votive candles inside their red glass containers always remind me of my my mother in law, may she rest well.

We were touring Virginia City Nevada. I like to go into churches, and so I had gone into the little Roman Catholic church there. I  found it to be of older liturgical design and layout. My father in  law came in,  kneeled, lit some candles. As I left to give him some time, he turned and said, Don't tell my wife I am here. I said, Okay; and went on with my tour of the old silver mining town.

I bumped into my mother in law on the street. She asked; Have you seen my husband? I must have looked the look of  the deer in the headlights, for she said; Where is he? Seeing  the church she said with a flamming voice that about singed my eyebrows off my face she ranted; He's in that blank-ity blank church lighting  those blank-ity blank candles!  Boy I'm going to stop that!  I  hate those people, the priest refused to ring the church bells when mother died because she hadn't attended church in over six months. A whole life she was faithful to the church and then they  wouldn't ring the bells for her.- she was bedridden, but they didn't care they never even came to the house for her.

And she flamed on for so long that  my father in law was able to leave the church and later meet us on the street like he had just left the casino there. He looked at me like he knew I had taken his beating down for him. Turned out my eyebrows weren't burned off, -but my eyelashes they were a bit askew.

 That was over fifty years ago, but I still remember the hot flame of her voice as she was so upset by the priests and the church. She never did get over it.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Group:  Worthy Ministers
  • Followers:  32
  • Topic Count:  477
  • Topics Per Day:  0.17
  • Content Count:  6,560
  • Content Per Day:  2.27
  • Reputation:   7,638
  • Days Won:  9
  • Joined:  06/12/2016
  • Status:  Offline

What a bright light Jesus is. All the light to see everything. If we live by his light we will never stumble.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...