(14, 15) For while all things were in quiet silence, and the
night was in the midst of her course, Thy almighty word leapt down from heaven
from thy royal throne, as a fierce conqueror into the midst of the land of destruction.
(21) For a blameless man made haste to pray for the people,
bringing forth the shield of his ministry, prayer, and by incense making
supplication, withstood the wrath, and put an end to the calamity, showing that
he was thy servant.
The first of these passages has been variously used for
Introits and Benedictions in the Roman mass for Christmas and Epiphany. The
words proclaim the arrival of the Word, the Logos, for which the original
meaning, per Heraclitus (ca. 535–475 BC) was, “a principle of order and
knowledge.” Later, Logos was used by Stoic philosophers to describe “the divine
animating principle of the universe.” And even later, the author of John’s
Gospel (ca. 90 CE) called Logos the divine incarnation, the Christ potential in the man, Jesus. Isaiah predicts
this event: Isaiah 9:6 (701-681 BC) For unto us a child is born, unto us a
son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall
be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The
Prince of Peace.
A man, an incarnate human, “the principle of divine order
and knowledge,” a vessel for the “divine animating force of the universe” would
break through the darkness, “the quiet silence of night,” and put an end to the
chaos and destruction by the people on earth… And this person, blameless,
praying and making supplication under the shield of his ministry, this human,
would infuse Life with peacemaking. This Prince of Peace.
Holy and Compassionate God, Source of Life, Spirit of
Goodness, Prince of Peace, may we be quiet enough to allow your light to cut
through our chaos. May we, in the example of Jesus, be humble enough to order
our worlds with prayer and supplication, rather than noise and defensiveness.
May the power of peace so full and present in this season be our Logos in every
season.
Amen _/\_Peggy
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