Brotherlawrence

In Matthew 2^nd chapter we are introduced to a group of men call Magi or wise men. These were men highly skilled in astrology, astronomy, predicting the future, and were sought after by kings and emperors as advisers to them. In the world of their day they would have been unsurpassed yet I believe that is not what made them wise. Instead I believe there is something else about them which in fact made them wise men and can speak to us in the 21^st century.

In the beginning of the chapter we see the Magi following a star that they believe points to the birth of a king. Each of us is following our star which will lead us to the Christ child even as it did the Magi ultimately. However there is a danger here in following that star which can cause us to miss the Christ entirely.  In Matthew 2:1 it says the Magi come to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the social, religious and political capital of Israel. Its name means city of peace. One of the titles that Jesus would bear is Prince of Peace.[1] Therefore it would make sense that Jesus would be born in the city of peace. However that would be wrong.

There is a king ruling in Jerusalem called Herod. One of the meanings for the name Herod is “song of the hero”.  Herod wants to be seen and thought of as a hero. He spends over 40 years building a temple to try and curry the favor of the Jews. In the end it never happens and he will die, despised and hated by the very people whose favor he sought.

This is because of another meaning for the name Herod.  Another meaning for Herod is freeman, wanderer, fugitive, trembler and coward. It can also mean to be free or to flee.

Herod wanted to be a free man, respected and loved by the people he ruled. On the surface it might seem that he was a free man. After all he was the king, top guy in Judah, however looks can be deceiving.  For you see Herod was actually a coward who, when confronted with the truth, trembles and fears it, but rejects it, thus causing him to wander from the truth, and to become a fugitive to it.

Jew comes from the word Judah, meaning praise.  So the news that a king, the long awaited Messiah, spoken of by the prophets, should have been received as good news leading the people to praise God for the fulfillment of his word.

Doesn’t happen.  Instead Herod and everyone else see a threat and are filled with fear and consternation.  To Herod, this baby has to be destroyed, as only he can be the rightful king and be praised.

He pretends to be religious and one who wants to worship this new king. However it is all a charade in an effort to find out where the child was so Herod could have it killed. Thus no peace or rest in the city of peace, only deception and a façade. [2]

It is not wrong necessarily to want fame or fortune. However Herod’s way of self promotion and demanding respect is not the way to obtain it. In fact it can lead us to miss the very thing we say we are looking for and to kill it instead.

To avoid that mistake we need to continue to follow the Magi and see what they point us to as the means to find Christ in our lives.

As we move on we see the Magi leaving Jerusalem to go to Bethlehem where the Christ was to be born. Immediately they see a star which leads them to where the child was. [3]

Bethlehem means house of bread.   In the Gospel of John, Jesus refers to himself as the living bread which came down from heaven.[4]

So the living bread, Jesus, is born in the house of bread, Bethlehem. That is a good place to start but it can’t end there lest we die.

The church can offer us a lot of good, a place to learn and grow, worship God and enter into his presence. It can also offer forgiveness, healing and rest to weary souls. However it can also be a place of corruption, hypocrisy, power seeking and grabbing with a lot of commotion but no locomotion.  That, we need to be aware of, and avoid at all costs.

As we move on we see the Magi coming into the house where Jesus is.  They fall down and worship him, presenting gifts to him.[5]

In the Greek here the word means to kiss, lick like a dog licking his master’s hand to prostrate oneself in homage to a superior by acts of reverence and adoration and worship. This they do by offering gifts of frankincense, myrrh, and gold.

Frankincense comes from the resin of trees and was highly valued throughout the ancient world of Jesus time. It was very expensive, with a sweet smelling fragrance used for making incense, and as an ingredient in sacrifices. 

Primarily used in worship, frankincense speaks of the worship of God. However to be true worshippers of God we must die to self, which is represented by myrrh, which was used to anoint the body of Jesus at his death.[6]

This death is to allow us to become pure gold for the Master’s use.

John, the Revelator, quotes Jesus as telling us to buy gold that has been tried and refined by fire.[7]  This has a twofold purpose.

The first is revealed to us by the prophet Malachi. He says that the Lord is making up his jewels to spare and show off to the world of what he will do for a people wholly surrendered to him. [8]

However, there is a far greater purpose God has for us, and which the Magi point us.

Joseph has a dream, in which he is told to take Jesus, Mary and himself, and flee into Egypt,[9]  Had Joseph not listened and obeyed he would have died with his entire family at the hands of Herod when he comes to slay Jesus.  In the same way, Jesus is not just for us alone, but for us to take to Egypt or the world, which Egypt symbolizes.

Egypt can be a good place for awhile. We can still go to church and receive and learn from it.  However in the end there has to be more.  There must be a time when we have to be alone with God and find out for ourselves what he has for us and wants of us.

No church or pastor, counsellor, friend, confidante, can speak directly to our hearts like Jesus can, and reveal his will and plans to us.  Thus when Jesus and family leave Egypt, they go to Nazareth of Galilee and settle there. [10]   

Galilee means circle, circuit or district. It was about 90 miles north of Jerusalem. In Jesus' time it would have been about a five day journey to get there.

Nazareth meaning is uncertain but some think it may from the Hebrew word nazir meaning branch or rod.

The prophet tells us from the stem of Jesse a root shall come forth and a Branch.  It then tells us that the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him, giving him power and wisdom from which he will rule the earth in peace.[11]   

How can this be, and what part will God’s people play in it?

Jesus says in his Sermon on the Mount “Blessed are the peacemakers…”[12]

The writer of Hebrews tells us to follow after peace and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.[13]

The early church took the call to peace seriously, refusing to take up arms against anyone or to support and be a part of any group or government that did that. They also refused membership to anyone in the military or government. By doing this they obtained a reputation as those who turned the world upside down.[14]  They also were admired for how they loved one another.  It was this attitude that took the early church from a small persecuted sect to a major force, which can change our world today.

The Magi message now points us to Christ and the cost it takes to follow him and change our world. It is not for the faint-hearted or those wanting to play it safe. It is, however, for the brave who are willing to go forth planting seeds of love and peace in all whom they meet.

It is to recognize no enemies, no inferiors or superiors, no sexual differences but only fellow travellers and seekers of truth, like us.

As we extend brotherly love towards all we meet we come to realize we are all born of God and loved by him.[15]  

This is the message of Jesus to his church today, and what the early church would tell us today too.  May we take that message to heart and run with it and change our world leaving our world far better than we found it.  Amen.

In recent weeks I have been thinking about how to live victoriously and triumphantly in Christ. I have been thinking about Hebrews 12:1-2 and the fact it says that for the joy that was set before him Jesus endured the cross Hebrews12:2 in the New Revised Standard Version says

"…looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of[a] the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God."

The word used here for joy is according to Strong's Concordance is chairo meaning cheerful, calm delight, gladness and exceedingly joyful. I have studied history and know that crucifixion/cross was an exceedingly shameful, agonizingly painful way to die. It brought no glory to the one enduring it but a curse instead.[1] We see this when Jesus is condemned and dies as a criminal and has to be taken down from the cross and buried the same day so the land would not be defiled.[2] Definitely not something to be excited about or look forward to and if anything something to be dreaded and avoided at all costs. Yet it says for joy Jesus went to the cross. After the Last Supper Jesus knowing Judas was about to betray him to death sings songs of praise to God with his disciples as they proceed to Gethsemane. [3] The word used here for sung means to celebrate and praise God for all he has done for them. This same attitude was exhibited by many of the early Christian martyrs as they went to their deaths.

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Dear family,

During this Advent season as we approach the coming Christmas season I have been drawn to thinking about and contemplating land, Mother Earth, nature, my cat Mowgli. Especially the song they sing to me and the words of wisdom they speak to me. It's a song of life, of going on, of new things to explore and discover, a song of sameness, calmness and yet changes. It's about being malleable, pliable, able to change and be shaped to be something beautiful, strong and firm so I can't be blown over.

This song has many voices, many who sing it to me, never ending always leading onward. There is the song of Mowgli with its one word meow which I as his daddy get to try and interpret is he hungry, does he want attention, does he want to be petted or have his back rubbed? Maybe it is a dirty litter box he wants cleaned and is staging a protest about? Perhaps it's his "girlfriend" Ripley the neighbor cat who he thinks he is madly in love with that he is pining for. The meow of hope that she will appear, then an excitement as he calls to her to come talk with him, and total dejection when she usually ignores and he goes wild with despair until he finally lets daddy comfort him, pet him, hold him and tell its all ok before he takes off to a place to relax and nap. However the song of Mowgli is not that really. Instead it's a song of calmness that no matters what's going on I don't have to react. If I do then have my meltdowns then forget about it and move on. He, like myself, likes to lie and look at nature as I do.

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What Can We Learn From An Adulterous Woman?

Dear family.

For several weeks now I have been stuck meditating and thinking about the woman caught in the act of adultery by religious leaders looking for a way to find fault with Jesus. The story is found in the Gospel of John chapter 8:2-10. Jesus had spent the night on the Mount of Olives and has just arrived at the temple. Jesus begins teaching the people there. While this is going on the scribes and Pharisee’s bring a woman allegedly caught in the act of adultery. They are looking to test Jesus so they have something to accuse him of. They think they have the perfect trap to ensnare Jesus and give them something to condemn him for. If he says stone her then he is a legalist and makes a lie out of all the talk about love, forgiveness that he has been preaching. One the other hand if he says let her go he has broken the Law of Moses, ignored the sin of the woman and become a law breaker which would give the religious leaders many grounds for finding fault with Jesus and condemning him. So they think they have him either way.

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Dear Family,

1.  Woman to Eve

At this point she is simply known as someone who was taken from man/Adam. Then after the fall but before they are evicted from the garden Adam changes his mind and gives the woman a new name.

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Dear family

In the last few months during the having to be shut in due to the Coronavirus I have had a lot of time for reflection and contemplation on various aspects of my life and how well I may be doing in seeking to be more like Christ and fulfilling the ministry he has called me to and my calling as a monastic. This particularly in light of recent events the killing of innocent black men in Minneapolis, St, Louis and elsewhere and the riots and protests that have take place all over the world in reaction to and in support of the protestors. I support the protestors and believe in justice for the families of those killed and the punishment to the full extent of the law of those responsible for the killings. Yet I am white and therefore in the eyes of some automatically racist. So what is the truth?

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Dear family

Enclosed a draft of a new book I am considering writing and a draft of the first chapter of what I believe will be many more to come hopefully. Interested in getting reaction to what I have to say and as always all comments welcomed. Look forward to hearing back from you all.

Brother Lawrence Damien Cos

Introduction

During the Lenten season we are called to follow Jesus through the stages of rejection, trial and condemnation, Calvary, the tomb and finally to participation in his resurrection and ascension and all that means. However what is it all really about especially for us in the 21^st century? Is it just about some historical event or is there something we are supposed to be getting from this that can change us and our world? In that regard where does this all begin? Where do the first hints of the impending death and resurrection of Jesus first surface? What are the circumstances under which the idea is presented and who are the participants to this conversation concerning the ultimate fate of Jesus? Finally what is their reaction to the news that Jesus would die? The answers to these questions I believe help Jesus define and fulfill his mission. For us today it I believe shows us what Lent is truly about and what life in general should be about. Follow with me as we look at this further.

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Dear family

Today March 25 we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation i.e. when Gabriel appears to Mary to tell she would become pregnant and a son to be called Jesus. So its nine months to Christmas and no, no one actually knows when the annunciation actually happened. Its celebrated now because Jesus birth is celebrated on December 25. However the church here is not worried about when these events may have happened but what they represent and speak to us now. So what does the annunciation have to say to us in the 21^st century? Follow me as I try to answer that question.

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“To be like Jesus,

To be like Jesus,

All I ask is to be like Him,

Through all life’s journey,

From earth to glory,

All I ask is to be like Him.”

Dear Family

Back in my Evangelical days I used to sing the above song a lot. Then would come the trials, tests etc. and it seemed that was never going to happen. Seemingly it seemed I was in a tomb all my dreams and visions dead and myself not doing much better. I think many of us have at times desired to be like Jesus, or perhaps like St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta or one of the other saints or holy people who have passed before us as examples for us to emulate and try to follow as best we can. We pray, we fast, we seek God, we learn his Word, we contemplate and meditate and perhaps even go on retreats yet nothing seems to change and it seems we are at a standstill going nowhere fast. We are going through the motions, making a lot of commotion, but there doesn’t seem to be any locomotion or very little at best. We want to hurry up the process but instead we move along at a snail’s pace if at all. It seems we are stuck in neutral and wondering where is God in all this?

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Dear family.

In a few months, in June, those in the LGBTQ community will be celebrating Pride month, and our pride in who we are. Many from within the LGBTQ culture, as well as straight Christians, look to their faith for answers on what this all means, whether one can be gay or LGBTQ and Christian, and how to engage our world in an increasingly pro-LGBTQ culture.

Many Christians believe that homosexuality and anything else close to it is immoral, which has lead to a long history between the church and LGBTQ people that is fraught with tension, pain and sometimes violence.  Those who believe that homosexuality is a sin often point to several well-known Scripture passages from the Old and New Testaments.  Most of the Christian debate about human sexuality has centered on interpretation and emphasis of these passages, however, are they right?  Is there another understanding that can help guide LGBTQ people in their understanding of the Bible, and how God truly sees them?  There are so-called "clobber" verses which are used by those who believe homosexuality is wrong. However, is their interpretation and understanding correct?  It may surprise some to find out that these clobber passages aren't the only Scriptures that can guide faithful Christians as we seek to have a godly understanding of sexual and gender identity and orientation.

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Dear Family

I was surfing on the internet and came across what were called "Living Humanist Values : The Ten Commitments." They are based on the Ten Commandments found in the Bible but taken from a humanist standpoint and non religious platform. While I do not endorse Humanism necessarily I think the article makes some good points which can be equally to those of us seeking the Compassionate Christ and to follow that image. In that respect I offer it here along with my thoughts on it for us to consider and if we like might want to consider doing some if not all in our lives. It is not to be considered laws or rules that we have to obey but signs that can help us on our way to becoming more like Christ. Join me now in what I hope will be an exciting adventure for us all.

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Dear Family,

On September 29, in the Roman Catholic Church, Episcopal/Anglican Church, and many other church traditions, we will celebrate the Feast Of Saint Michael and all Angels.  So why does the church have this celebration?

First, to remind us that we have spirits we can call on, to help us through this life.  The word angel means messenger, so angels are messengers of God to us.

As the writer of Hebrews reminds us, angels are ministering spirits sent to minister to those who are heirs of salvation.[1] So we have them here to call upon and have them assist us.  However the church doesn't stop there, as it also recognizes on this day, the rank of Archangels, namely Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint Gabriel and Saint Raphael.  So who are these characters, and why does the church choose to honor them today?  Furthermore what does it all mean for us in the 21st century?  Come with me as we explore further and answer that question.

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Dear Family,

This past May I celebrated my 71st birthday and in October I will celebrate 53 years in ministry which is cool.  So what have I learned in all that time? Am I smarter now than I was then? Actually no.  I have gotten dumber in one respect.  In my teens and early 20's I thought I had all the answers and was ready to change the world.  Now I am amazed at how much I don't know and how more there is for me to discover and learn.  Yet on the other hand I think I have learned a few things along the way that I would like to share here.  I pray you all will enjoy this and find it helpful.

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Read chapter 1 "A Passion For Compassion" first

Chapter 2 

"…and none of the condemned things are to be found in your hands. Then the LORD will turn from his fierce anger, will show you mercy, and will have compassion on you. He will increase your numbers, as he promised on oath to your ancestors- 18because you obey the LORD your God by keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in his eyes." (Deuteronomy 13:17:18 NIV)

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INTRODUCTION

Recently many of my friends and I have been discussing compassion and the compassionate Christ. What is it, what would it look like are questions we have asked ourselves and discussed with each other. One important issue we need to address and think about is how do we bring the reality of a compassionate Christ into our world and let it change it for the better. It is good to think about it, talk, get ideas but that is not enough. If all we do is dream about what may be possible nothing will ever change. We need to put feet to our prayers, our thoughts, ideas and so forth. We need to have a passion for compassion.

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What can we learn from St. Mary the Mother of Jesus that can apply to us today? Is she relevant to us today? Does she have anything to say to us now that will help us today? Recently I have been studying about Mary and trying to understand, venerate and honor her properly. The following is a study I believe God gave me on the subject.

1. ACCEPTANCE OF THE WILL OF GOD FOR HER

"Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word". (St. Luke 1:38 New American Bible St. Joseph Edition)

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Dear family

As I believe most of you know I am a monk and a member of a monastic community called "The Community of Solitude". So what is solitude? It is my belief that the whole universal church is called to spend periods of time in solitude seeking God and yet for me and other monastics this has a special call and meaning. So let's dig a bit and see what we can find that may help us all in our seeking God and coming to understand God's will for us and the journey we are on to Jesus and eternity.

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