Showing posts with label EMPTYING of Self. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EMPTYING of Self. Show all posts

12/20/2015

HE+ Was PROCLAIMED #3 ... By an EMPTYING of Self... Advent Meditations 2015 for the Monastic-At-Heart







Luke 1:26-27, Greek

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel 
was sent from GOD 
unto a city of Galilee, 
named Nazareth,

To a virgin being espoused to a man 
whose name was Joseph, 
from the house of David; 
and the virgin’s name was 
Mariam.


Luke 1:35-38 , Greek

And the angel answered 
and said unto her,
The HOLY SPIRIT shall come 
upon thee,
and the power of the Highest 
shall overshadow thee:
therefore also the ONE+ 
being born of you HOLY
 shall be called the SON+ of GOD.

And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth,
she hath also conceived 
a son in her old age:
 and this is the sixth month
 with her, who was called sterile.

For with GOD nothing 
shall be impossible.

And Mariam said,
Behold the handmaid of the LORD;
be it unto me according to thy word.

And the angel departed from her.


Could young Mariam have refused to carry The Hebrew MESSIAH+ ?

Yes.

Mariam was not divine; she was simply Adamic, of the human line of David. She had as much free-will to obey or disobey the Word of the LORD to her as we do. 

At that moment in time, she yielded her entire being to GOD. Her life was instantly changed, and that, for all time.

Her purpose in life was instantly re-directed, instantly re-routed, with no going back.

We all know that Mother-Hood does indeed change a person. Now there is a tiny human being who is totally helpless except for the help Mother gives him. He is totally vulnerable except for the protection of Mother.

But, Mariam's change was greater.

She emptied her life 
in an instant.


Being well-trained in the Commandments of GOD, she knew her life --- as she had hopefully planned it --- was over. Hebrew girls were stoned to death if they were with child without a husband.

This particular young Hebrew virgin accepted GOD'S Will for her life,  turning her care and well-being over to GOD.  Her heart was in accord with Job's words: Even though HE slay me, yet will I trust HIM , Job 13:15a.

If GOD asked great things of her, could she not trust HIM to take care of her through it all ?

Likewise, if The LORD asks an obedience of us, are we willing to empty our lives for HIM+ ?

It is a sure thing that GOD will not share the throne with Self.

How do we come to such a state, where the LORD will ask us to empty our lives for HIM+ ?

We practice.

We practice individually, within the secret place of our hearts.

We practice daily and hourly, if need be.


We practice 
EMPTYING ourselves 
for HIM+.
  

We shun all leadings of Self to aggrandize itself. Rather, we turn to The LORD in humility, asking His+ help to forsake our natural Self-interest.

We practice by training ourselves to STOP OUR DAY in order to worship HIM+ throughout... be it 5 minutes on the hour or some other similar discipline.


We practice yielding 
to His+ Will
… in every SMALL matter, 
through the day.


That is how we monastic-at-heart train ourselves and practice obedience.

Little is written about Mariam's growing-up years or training. Little is written about her adult years that would warrant adulation.

Aside from her carrying The Divine Babe+ in her virgin womb, Sister Mariam's greatest gift to mankind is her example of yielded, total obedience to the Word of GOD, the WORD+ made flesh Who+ dwelt among us.

Let us Pray:

O Life-Giving LORD JESUS, I empty my life out for THEE+.

Fill me with Thy+ Blessed SPIRIT, so that I may learn to please THEE+ in every small matter, that I may be closer to THEE+. Prune away the warped areas, O LORD, and train me to go in the way THOU+ dost will.   

Here is my empty Self; take it for Thy+ good pleasure, O LORD JESUS.

I thank THEE+, O CHRIST, for even wanting me. I join myself  to THEE+ in love.


Holy, Holy, Holy 
LORD GOD ALMIGHTY
WHO+ is, 
WHO+ was, 
and WHO+ is to come.

Maranatha. 
Come, LORD JESUS.  
Amen