Mary van Balen

PHOTO: The Living End
I weep and my eyes dissolve in tears, since the comforter who could revive me is far away. My sons are in despair, the enemy has proved too strong. Mid-morning reading Lamentations 1:16

This feast was always difficult for me, offended as I was by the injustice of these senseless deaths: countless young boys killed because they were born at the wrong time and place.

The birth of Jesus, Love incarnate, occasioned this slaughter, which is both foreshadowing of fear-induced violence engendered in some by his message, and a metaphor for those throughout history who suffer because of circumstance rather than consequence.

Who are today's Holy Innocents?  Read More 

PHOTO: NASA

Something which has existed since the beginning,
that we have heard,
and we have seen with our own eyes;
that we have watched
and touched with our hands:
the Word, who is life –
this is our subject.
That life was made visible:
we saw it and we are giving our testimony,
telling you of the eternal life
which was with the Father and has been made visible to us.
What we have seen and heard
we are telling you
so that you too may be in union with us,
as we are in union
with the Father
and with his Son Jesus Christ.
We are writing this to you to make our own joy complete.
1Jn 1, 1-4

These words from the first letter of John capture the enormity of the improbable reality of the Incarnation: One who was from all eternity, One who was with the Father, has been made visible to us. Those who walked the earth at the same time Jesus did, not only saw the Divinity among them, but also touched him, ate with him, heard his voice, and spoke with him.

One might think that this would be enough, that nothing else could add to the joy or wonder of that experience. The last line in John's letter speaks otherwise: "We are writing this to you to make our own joy complete." Read More 

PHOTO: Mary van Balen
"How small and gentle his coming was. He came as an infant. The night in which he came was noisy and crowded; it is unlikely that in the traffic and travelers to Bethlehem, the tiny wail of the newly born could be heard.

God approaches gently, often secretly, always in love, never through violence and fear. He comes to us, as God has told us, in those we know in our own lives..."
Caryll Houselander, The Passion of the Infant Christ, p. 46


This Christmas, after a long day at work and then baking and cleaning at home,I attended midnight mass at my parish. Walking through the parking lot, I saw candle flames flickering behind stained glass windows, and voices of the choir and congregation singing Christmas carols drifted across the snow covered neighborhood. The area, a mix of business and poor homes, looked transformed by a fresh fall of powdery snow. Read More 

PHOTO: Mary van Balen
One tradition I never have difficulty keeping is having last minute preparations to do on Christmas Eve. Try as I might, I am never quite ready by December 24. This year I am close, though. Today I decided to bake more cookies than I had originally intended to make.

My daughter was in the dining room, sewing away. Christmas music sung by Cambridge College's King's Choir played in the background. (We both missed other CD's that are packed away or given to someone else. The Cambridge choir is technically perfect, but as my daughter said, lacks energy and enthusiasm. Eventually we turned it off.)

I pulled out my standard Christmas recipes, handed down from my grandmother to my mother to me. Ginger snaps were the first. As I worked in mom's kitchen I remembered decades of Christmases when the house filled with sweet spicy smells of ginger cookies baking. I don't think a more tasty breakfast exists than one of ginger snaps and tea. Read More 

PHOTO: Mary van Balen
Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’ Lk 1, 43-45

The alarm sounded at 2:30am. For a moment, I couldn't remember why. The eclipse! I bounded out of bed, stuffed my fluffy-socked feet into warm black boots, threw on my coat over the white robe wrapped tightly around me, and opened the door into the night. Crunching over snow, I walked to the backyard and looked upward. Read More 

PHOTO:Unknown source





DEFEATED BY LOVE

The sky was lit
by the splendor of the moon
So powerful
I fell to the ground

Your love
has made me sure

I am ready to forsake
this worldly life
and surrender to the magnificence
of your Being
- Rumi

The moon has inspired poets since verses were first written. Those living in North America will have a good view of a particular lunar beauty: a total lunar eclipse during early morning hours of Dec. 21. This is the first total lunar eclipse in three years. The next one will not be visible here until 2014, so, if the skies are clear where you live, stay up and enjoy the sight.

The eclipse begins at 12:29am. EST. The moon enters totality at 2:41am and leaves it at 3:53am. the eclipse is completely finished at 6:04am EST. Read More 

IMAGE:Picasso Peace Dove Two


He himself will be peace.
Micah 5,4



These words, taken from today's mid-morning reading (Terce), speak a profound message to us as Christmas approaches. The world is filled with violence and injustice, from our own neighborhoods to countries on the other side of the planet.

Overwhelmed, we can become paralyzed or apathetic, not because we don't want to do something, but because we don't know what to do or where to start.  Read More 

PHOTO: Mary van Balen
Send victory like a dew, you heavens,
and let the clouds rain it down.
Let the earth open
for salvation to spring up.
Let deliverance, too, bud forth
which I, the Lord, shall create.
Is 45,7

Thinking of something budding at this time of year is hopeful. At the beginning of Advent, I bought a small Christmas Cactus plant for that reason. The first blossom has emerged, but a number of the tiny magenta buds have dropped. I don't know that that means; I hope not that no more buds will open.

Today's first reading reminded me of my new plant, and of the cold blanketing bulbs and plants outside. When I think of the earth being "open," as Isaiah writes, I think of spring planting when farmers plow and gardeners turn over soil with spades and trowels. But, thinking of the earth's openness in this season brings something else to mind. Read More 

PHOTO:

At 12:30a.m. I slipped on my long, almost to the ankles down coat and stepped outside into the very cold night. I had not planned on staying up to view the Geminid meteor shower. The cloudy afternoon sky left over from the first real snow the day before had showed no sign of clearing, but sometime between 5:30 and 9, it did.

The neighborhood was quiet. No cars driving by to crunch the icy streets. Christmas lights from a few houses glowed brightly against white snow-flocked bushes and trees. I remembered childhood Christmases celebrated in this same neighborhood. Our Jewish neighbors had four children. Debbie told me years later that she and Julian stayed up on Christmas Eves and peered down through their second floor window into our living room where Mom and Dad were decorating our tree. She wished for a Christmas tree. I had wished for the eight-day gift giving of Hanukah. Read More 

PHOTO: Mary van Balen
As the messengers were leaving, Jesus began to talk to the people about John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the breeze? No? Then what did you go out to see? A man wearing fine clothes? Oh no, those who wear fine clothes are to be found in palaces. Then what did you go out for? To see a prophet? MT 11


Taken from today's gospel reading, these words challenged me. Sometimes when I pray and try to discern where God is in my life and what I am called to do, I am surprised by what I discover. I don't always like what I "hear." For example, as I continue to look for full time employment with no luck, I don't want to hear "trust in me." I want to hear "We'd love to have you!"

But trust is what I am asked to do. Work hard, apply for jobs...and trust.

Or, when I am faced with something I would rather avoid but must meet head on and no amount of prayer makes it any easier, I wonder...why do I pray?
 Read More