Every year we are reminded in a special way that through the simple life of a nun, Mary revealed herself to people as an intercessor in a very special way.
We ourselves wear this miraculous medal and believe that Mary is at our side at all times and in all matters.
This year, let us take up the manifold concerns of all our employees who care for the well-being of the people entrusted to us in our facilities.
“He has chosen you in a mysterious but true way to be saved, with Him saved. Yes, Christ calls you, but He calls you in truth. His call is demanding, because He invites you to let yourself be completely “caught up” to Him, so that your whole life sees the Light. Let yourself be raptured by Jesus and try to live only for Him!”
St. John Paul II, Rome, Italy, October 13, 1993.
Let’s try to imagine surrendering everything to Him – the people who are important to us, the work we do, the things we surround ourselves with, the place where we live. Let’s try to imagine that we live only for Jesus, without being attached to persons, things, activities or place. To what extent do these imaginings agree with our lives?
epiphany
The Revelation of John is the last book in the New Testament. It is about the future of the world and therefore also about my future. The world will pass away, God will appear in his glory. In this context there are two wonderful metaphors about Jesus in the last chapter:
I am the root and the Origin of David, the bright morning star (Rev. 22:16). Both pictures fit well into the time of Advent. For our last monthly lecture, I chose the second image: the bright morning star.
The morning star in the liturgy
A Spiritual Exercise for Advent: Look for prayers, texts, and songs that feature the morning star. That shouldn’t be difficult in Advent.
Advent liturgy
O-Antiphon (Vespers from December 17): You morning star (December 22)
Morning Star Songs
The night has advanced (GL 220)
God holy creator of all stars (GL 230)
How beautifully the morning star shines on us (GL 357)
Morning star of the dark night (GL 372
Hymn of Lauds (Sunday 1st week)
O eternal creator of all the world,
reigns day and night,
you set the times their time
give change in the course of time.
The rooster, the herald of the day, calls,
the guardian in the dark.
His cry separates the night from the night,
a light to the wanderer at night.
Then the morning star rises
illuminates the black firmament,
then the crowd of dark powers gives way
shy away from the path of evil.
Then the skipper feels new strength,
the surf of the sea softens,
the rock of the church, Peter, weeps,
regrets the guilt at cockcrow.
So, get up quickly from sleep:
The rooster wakes up everyone who is still dreaming.
The rooster harasses the tardy,
the rooster accuses the deniers.
hope awakens at cockcrow,
and relief will flow to the sick.
The robber abandons his actions,
Fallen trust again.
Lord when we fall, look at us
and heal us through your gaze.
Your look erases error and sin,
our guilt dissolves in tears.
You light, penetrate our spirit,
drive sleep away from our hearts,
the first word is dedicated to you,
our morning praise praise you.
Amen.
More than a fixed star
When we talk about the morning star (or evening star), we like to look for a fixed star in the evening or morning sky. But the liturgical texts and songs mean more than a fixed star in the sky with the image of the morning star. It’s about experiencing the dawning day and the associated light after experiencing the darkness of the night.
orientation
Then the morning star rises, illuminates the black firmament…
Then the skipper feels new strength, the waves of the sea soften, …
I quickly become disoriented in the dark, I can’t find my way, I’m unsure. As soon as the light appears, I can find my way around, orient myself, security comes back.
Spiritual Exercise: How do I orientate myself in my life?
Hope
Hope awakens at the crowing of the cock, and relief streams to the sick.
The robber lets the fallen trust in his deeds anew.
Many are afraid of the dark. Children in front of the “black man” (whoever that might mean). Old people no longer dare to go out at night for fear of being mugged. And after a night of pain, the sick long for the new morning.
forgiveness
The liturgy knows another night: the night of sin and guilt.
The Advent song “The night has advanced” describes wonderfully how God deals with our guilt.
The night is already fading, make your way to the stable!
You shall find salvation there, the course of all times
Proclaimed from the beginning, since your sin happened.
Now you have an alliance, whom God himself has chosen.
This night is also mentioned in the ‘Exsultet’ of the Easter Vigil. But guilt has found a redeemer. It is no coincidence that the ‘Exsultet’ ends with a reference to the “morning star that does not set”, to Jesus Christ.
Prelate Dr. Stefan Dybowski
With a wonderful song of joy, Mary teaches us to praise the Lord. To her we acclaim:
Rejoice my Spirit in God my Saviour
Great things has the Lord done for us, Precious and almighty, holy is his name.
My Spirit rejoices in God my Saviour
He looks upon the humility of his children, and his goodness extends to those who fear him.
My Spirit rejoices in God my Saviour
Let us address our prayer of supplication to Mary. As children to our mother, to her we say
Mother of God, give me a simple heart.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, keep me a childlike heart, pure and transparent. Grant me a simple heart, which does not linger to savour the sadness of everyday life.
Mother of God, give me a simple heart.
A humble heart, that loves without demanding to be loved back, happy to open itself to other hearts, sacrificing itself before your divine Son.
Mother of God, give me a simple heart.
And may the God of hope fill us with profound joy. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Wine – as old as mankind?
Wine is an ancient cultural asset. Since the earliest times, people have grown wine, cultivated it, drunk it at festivals and celebrations, and last but not least experienced its intoxicating effect. All of this can also be found in the scriptures of the Bible. In this way, Jesus also takes up the image of the vine in his preaching in order to address a beautiful theme: the bond with God.
Connected or disconnected
The theme of the metaphor of the vine is actually clear. Remain in me, then I will remain in you. And only if you abide in me can you bear rich fruit.
Of course, if I cut the grapes, they can no longer grow, but dry up. And if I detach myself from the mountain guide’s rope during a mountain hike, it’s possible that I’ll slip and, in the worst case, fall. So, it seems sensible to remain connected to the vine or the mountain guide’s rope.
Communion – connection with Christ
In his metaphorical speech, Christ now addresses the connection to him. Only if you abide in me can you bear rich fruit. What does this bond with Christ look like?
Spiritual exercise: how would you describe your communion with Christ? Prayer, having time for him, living up to his commandments…?
Communion subject to conditions?
Jesus himself describes how the connection with him could look like. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love. The sentence reminds me of my school days: If you’re good, I’ll read you something. So, as students, we have to pay in advance before we get anything from the teacher. Is that the same with God? Do we have to earn His grace first?
God takes the first step
The Bible has a different order:
– Vocation narratives: God calls. Then comes the story of the called one; and despite all failures, God does not turn back his calling.
– Rule and serve: Jesus not only speaks of serving, he is the first to do so (washing of feet); to this poem by Goethe: Legend.
– Forgive: Jesus reaches out to people and this radically changes people’s lives. Example: Zacchaeus.
So, it is not man who makes the advance payment, but God. A gracious God.
joy in the gospel
A few years ago, Pope Francis issued an apostolic exhortation. Title: Joy in the Gospel. I enjoyed reading it very much. The Pope’s imagery alone impressed me. “The church is not a customs post, but a father’s house.” And elsewhere “The church is a house with open doors.” Open doors – by this the pope means not only the church doors, but open doors for the people, and open for the sacraments the church. Sacraments are not rewards for a good life, but strengthening for the weak. So, it’s the other way around: we don’t have to make advance payments, but rather God gives his love undeservedly and gratuitously. So, he wants us to stay on the vine and keep in touch with him.
stay in my love
In his first encyclical, Pope Benedict XVI writes: about love He distinguishes between two types of love. One kind is a love that flares up quickly but then dies out just as quickly. The other kind of love grows slowly, but is long-lasting and constant. In his metaphor of the vine, Jesus invites us to search for that abiding love.
Free espresso
In Naples there was once a beautiful habit. If someone was in a particularly good mood and drank an espresso in a bar, they would pay two instead of one. The second coffee was reserved for a guest who would come after him and who could not pay for it. So, a gesture of humanity.
I can well imagine the surprise when someone wants to drink an espresso and doesn’t have to pay for it. Surprises of this kind change life and bring light into the often-dull everyday life. In the Bible one often reads of such surprises.
The fact that there is no direct encounter between the donor and the recipient is remarkable. Poor guy doesn’t know who to thank. This reminds me of the rules of charity in ancient Judaism. There is a room with two doors. The givers enter through one door and deposit their offerings. After they leave, the poor come through the other door and receive the offerings. This does not create any dependency. An act of dignity for the recipient.
But even the donor does not know who is getting his espresso. Maybe a friendly person, but maybe also a completely unsympathetic type. And yet he gets the support. For me, this gesture breathes a vastness that I think is great. I experience that with God. He does not make his donations dependent on sympathy or gratitude. He just gives away. A bountiful vine.
Prelate Dr. Stefan Dybowski
09/09/2022 Monthly Lecture St. Franziskus Hospital, Berlin-Tiergarten
09/20/2022 Monthly Lecture Monastery St. Augustine, Berlin-Lankwitz
The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist
Gospel Mark 6:17-29
Our indifference is that shuts down the voice of truth in ourselves and around us. All the guests of the King did not speak a word against the injustice in the wish of the daughter of Herodias. Because they did not want to displease the king. How many times we kept silence against injustice to keep ourselves in our comfort zone? The beheading of St. John the Baptist is an example of our silent or active participation in the injustice among us. All the more, it’s important not to kill the voice of our own conscience with our own indifference. Respond to the grace of truth and fight injustice.
