Advent: December 24th Christmas Eve

   http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2012-12-24 

Advent: December 24th

Christmas Eve

Old Calendar: Vigil of the Nativity of Our Lord

+Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.

In the General Roman Calendar, this date is the last day of Advent, Christmas Eve, and also (beginning with the vigil Mass) is the first day of Christmas time. The liturgical texts express wholehearted confidence in the imminent coming of the Redeemer. There is much joyous expectation. Most families have their own observances, customs that should be preserved from generation to generation. Today is the last day of our Christmas Novena.

Christmas Eve at ChurchThe entire liturgy of Christmas Eve is consecrated to the anticipation of the certain and sure arrival of the Savior: "Today you shall know that the Lord shall come and tomorrow you shall see His glory" (Invitatory of Matins for the Vigil of the Nativity). Throughout Advent we have seen how the preparation for Jesus' coming became more and more precise. Isaiah, John the Baptist and the Virgin Mother appeared throughout the season announcing and foretelling the coming of the King. We learn today that Christ according to His human nature is born at Bethlehem of the House of David of the Virgin Mary, and that according to His divine nature He is conceived of the Spirit of holiness, the Son of God and the Second Person of the Trinity.

The certitude of His coming is made clear in two images. The first is that of the closed gate of paradise. Since our first parents were cast forth from the earthly paradise the gate has been closed and a cherubim stands guard with flaming sword. The Redeemer alone is able to open this door and enter in. On Christmas Eve we stand before the gate of paradise, and it is for this reason that Psalm 23 is the theme of the vigil:

Lift up your gates, O princes,
Open wide, eternal gates,
That the King of Glory may enter in. . . .

Christmas Eve at HomeIt must be so that the grown-ups may devote themselves with a quiet mind, unhindered by any commotion, to these great mysteries of the Holy Night, that in most Catholic countries the giving of gifts has been advanced to Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve is an appropriate time for the exchange of gifts, after the Christ-Child has been placed in the manger, and the special prayers before the crib — and a round of Christmas carols — are over. If the gifts are given out before the Midnight Mass, the children can concentrate more easily on the great mystery which is celebrated, when the Greatest Gift is given to all alike, even those who have received no material expression of Christmas love. And then, too, Christmas Day with its two additional Masses can be devoted more to the contemplation of the Christmas mystery and the demands of Christmas hospitality.

The opening of the eternal gates through which the King of Glory may enter is indicated by the wreath on the door of our homes at Christmastide. The Advent wreath, which accompanied the family throughout the season of preparation may be taken down. The violet ribbons are removed, and it is gloriously decorated with white and gold. It is then placed upon the door as a symbol of the welcome of Christ into our city, our home and our hearts. On Christmas Eve the whole house should be strewn with garlands and made ready for the Light of the World. The crib is set in a special place of honor, for tonight the central figure of the Nativity scene is to arrive.

Today is Day Nine of the Christmas Novena.

St. Sharbel Makhluf, Priest (1828-1898)

Monday, 24 December 2012 St. Sharbel Makhluf, Priest (1828-1898)  Other saints of the day SAINT SHARBEL MAKHLUF Priest (1828-1898)         Joseph Zaroun  Makhluf was born in a small mountain village of Lebanon. Raised by an uncle who opposed the boy's youthful piety, he snuck away at age 23 to join the Baladite monastery of Saint Maron at Annaya where he took the name Charbel in memory of a 2nd century martyr. He was ordained in 1858.            Devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, he spent the last twenty-three years of his life as a hermit. Despite temptations to wealth and comfort, Sharbel lived as a model monk on the bare minimums of everything. He gained a reputation for holiness, and was much sought for counsel and blessing. He had a great personal devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, and was known to levitate during his prayers. He was briefly paralyzed just before his death.         Several post-mortem miracles were attributed to him, including periods in 1927 and 1950 when a bloody "sweat" flowed from his corpse. His tomb has become a place of pilgrimage for Lebanese and non-Lebanese, Christian and non-Christian alike.         Sharbel taught the value of poverty, self-sacrifice, and prayer by the way he lived. He was beatified in 1965 and canonized in 9 October 1977 by Pope Paul VI.         July 24th is the feast day for St. Sharbel Makhluf on the Universal Church. The Maronite Church celebrates him on the 3rd Sunday of July and on December 24th (the day he went to heaven).

©Evangelizo.org 2001-2012

The Great O Antiphons December 23: "O Emmanuel"

CAPORALI Bartolomeo Virgin And Child With Angels Sunday, 23 December 2012 The Great O Antiphons: "O Emmanuel" Click on symbols to see the day. O EMMANUEL December 23 Symbols: Manger Come to save us, O Lord our God. O Emmanuel, God with us, our King and Lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Savior: Come to save us, O Lord our God. O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, expectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster. The manger reminds us of the simplicity and poverty surrounding the birth of Jesus and is representative of His life of humility. Recommended Readings: Isaias 9:2-7 Catholic Culturere

The Great O Antiphons December 23: "O Emmanuel" Christ, the hope of all Nations, who await   his appearing (See Isaiah 7:14; 8:8; Matthew 1:23; Haggai 2:7) O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, expectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster. O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the one awaited by the gentiles, and their Savior: come to save us, Lord our God. Fr. Z's Rather Old "O Antiphon" Page www.wdtprs.com/JTZ/o_antiphons/Share The seventh and last antiphon is sung at Vespers on 23 December. They are called the "O Antiphons" because they all begin with the letter-word "O": they .. The O Antiphons developed during the Church's very first centuries. The writer Boethius (+525) mentions them. By the 8th century they were in use in Rome. There are seven of these special antiphons, and their texts spring from the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures, the Prophetic and Wisdom Books. They are found in the Liturgy of the Hours or older Roman Breviary, which clerics, religious, consecrated virgins, and others use for daily prayer. The O Antiphons are short prayers sung before and after the Magnificat, the great prayer of Mary in Luke 1:46-55 when coming visit to Elizabeth her cousin the Virgin praised God for His favor wondrous deeds. The Magnificat is sung during Vespers, evening prayer. The O Antiphons begin on 17 December, seven days before the Vigil of Christmas (24 December). The seventh and last antiphon is sung at Vespers on 23 December. They are called the "O Antiphons" because they all begin with the letter-word "O": they address Jesus by one of His Old Testament titles.  They are fervent prayers asking Our Lord to come to us.

The Great O Antiphons December 22: "O Rex Gentium"

The Great O Antiphons: O Rex Gentium

12/22/2012

Since at least the eighth century, the Great O Antiphons have been sung before and after the Magnificat at Vespers, in the Western Christian tradition, on the seven days preceding Christmas Eve (17-23 December).

Each antiphon uses a different title for the Messiah, and refers to the coming of the Messiah. If you are saying Evening Prayer at home, you may wish to add the appointed antiphon before and after reciting the Magnificat.

The antiphon appointed for today follows:

O King of the nations, and their desire,
the cornerstone making both one:
Come and save the human race,
which you fashioned from clay.

(Text of the antiphon is from Common Worship: Times and Seasons. London : Church House Publishing, 2006).

http://www.stlukeandtheepiphany.org/post/the_great_o_antiphons_o_rex_gentium/ 

W. Pannenberg Spirit of Life 'special bestowal of the Spirit of God'

Inscribed Text from Pannenberg following the 'divine light'

Faith and Reality Pannenberhg

III The Spirit of Life p. 22

The last phrase would seem to associate the divine Spirit with those fruitful winds which renew the vegetation in spring. Yahweh's Spirit had in fact taken over this function from Baal, who appeared in storms and bestowed fertility.

The life-giving activity of the divine Spirit is the horizon for all other functions which the Old Testament attributes to the Spirit of God. That is true especially of charismatic phenomena. Not only prophetic vision and inspiration but the work of the artist, the poet's language and the hero's deeds require a special bestowal of the Spirit of God. These charismatic effects are not however to be seen in isolation, but have to do with the same Power which inspires and animates all life. The charismatic effects are only quite outstanding instances of fulness of life. Because they display especially intensified forms of life, they must partake to an extraordinary degree of the divine Spirit.

In a similar way Paul's notion of the new life of the resurrec­tion depends on the traditional understanding of life as the product of the divine power of the Spirit. Ordinary life is not yet life in the full sense of the word, because it is transitory. Living beings in the world as it is share only to a limited extent in the power of life, because (according to Gen 6.3) God has decided that his Spirit should not be wholly effective in men; for man is only flesh, and for that reason the time of his life is limited. When he dies, 'the dust returns to the earth as it was and the Spirit returns to God who gave it', as Ecclesiastes says (9.7). That does not of course suggest any immortality of the human soul, but instead its dissolution into the divine Spirit from which it came. Paul found a reference to the limited nature of earthly life in the Genesis account of the creation of man, since it tells only of a living being or soul originating in the creative breath oflife. For Paul, that meant that the living being brought forth thus was distinct from the creative Spirit and this fact explained the transient nature of our present life. Because our life in the form ofa soul or as a living being is separated from its origin in the creative Spirit of God, it is subject to death. Hence the question of another life can arise, of a true life that is still con­nected with its origin in the Spirit. That is expressed in the Pauline idea of the resurrected life which will be one with the

The Great O Antiphons: "O Oriens"

Friday, 21 December 2012   The Great O Antiphons: "O Oriens"
The Great O Antiphons December 21: "O Oriens" Christ, the Resurrection and the Life (See Luke 1:78, 79; Malachi 4:2) O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol   justitiae: veni, et   illumina sedentes   in tenebris, et umbra   mortis. O Dawn, splendor of eternal light, and sun of justice, come, and shine on those seated in darkness, and in the shadow of death. The seven "O Antiphons" (also called the "Greater Antiphons" or "Major Antiphons") are prayers that come from the Breviary's Vespers during the Octave before Christmas Eve, a time which is called the "Golden Nights." Each Antiphon begins with "O" and addresses Jesus with a unique title which comes from the prophecies of Isaias and Micheas (Micah), and whose initials, when read backwards, form an acrostic for the Latin "Ero Cras" which means "Tomorrow I come." Those titles for Christ are: Sapientia Adonai Radix Jesse Clavis David Oriens Rex Gentium Emmanuel  These glorious titles in more detail:  http://www.fisheaters.com/customsadvent10.html Title: Meaning: Old Testament prophetic verses: Oriens Radiant Dawn, Dayspring Isaias 9:2 The people that walked in darkness, have seen a great light: to them that dwelt in the region of the shadow of death, light is risen. Malachias 4:1-3 For behold the day shall come kindled as a furnace: and all the proud, and all that do wickedly shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall set them on fire, saith the Lord of hosts, it shall not leave them root, nor branch. But unto you that fear my name, the Sun of justice shall arise, and health in his wings: and you shall go forth, and shall leap like calves of the herd. And you shall tread down the wicked when they shall be ashes under the sole of your feet in the day that I do this, saith the Lord of hosts.

COMMENT: Refectory Reading "Whose Bible is it?" Pelikan

----- Forwarded Message -----

 "The weight of learning"!

From: William W.  
To: Fr Donald ...
Sent: Thursday, 20 December 2012, 19:23
Subject: Re: [Dom Donald's Blog] COMMENT: daunting Pannenberg

Dear Father Donald,

 

Thank you - another famous theologian for me to encounter! Jaroslav Jan Pelikan. His book "Whose Bible is it?" will be a real joy for you to listen to in the Refectory. 

 

Wikipedia has a good write up on Pelikan, and gives a quotation that illustrates the brilliance of his mind:

 

His 1984 book The Vindication of Tradition gave rise to an often quoted one liner. In an interview in July, 1989, he said: "Tradition is the living faith of the dead; traditionalism is the dead faith of the living. Tradition lives in conversation with the past, while remembering where we are and when we are and that it is we who have to decide. Traditionalism supposes that nothing should ever be done for the first time, so all that is needed to solve any problem is to arrive at the supposedly unanimous testimony of this homogenized tradition." 

I came upon this delightful image entitled "The weight of learning"! It tells of the delight - and urgency - of discovery!

 

With my love in Our Lord,

William                                                 

Sister Catherine Regan ocso died 19 Dec 2012

Sister Catherine Regan OCSO

Whitland Abbey

  

December 19, 2012 : Sister Catherine Regan was born in 1935 in Tranent, East Lothian (Scotland). She entered Stapehill in 1960 and made her solemn profession in 1965. Sister was 78 years old and had been in monastic vows for 50 years when the Lord called her. 

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Welcome to Holy Cross Abbey, Whitland. Holy Cross Abbey is set on the side of a hill overlooking a broad valley with the Preseli Hills as a backdrop beyond. It is a place of peace and great natural beauty and provides a perfect environment for a monastic life of prayer and praise: a place of rest and refreshment for those who visit us. We are about 5 hours from London, 2 hours from Cardiff, by road or rail, but a million miles away if you compare the bustle of capital city with the gentle landscape of Pembrokeshire in West Wales. We belong to a world- wide Order of Cistercians, both men and women. You can find information about other houses of our Order by visiting www.ocso.org Website:  www.hcawhitland.co.uk

The Great O Antiphons December 20: "O Clavis David"

Thursday, 20 December 2012 The Great O Antiphons: "O Clavis David"
The Great O Antiphons December 20: "O Clavis David" Christ, harrower of hell (See Isaiah 22:22; Revelation 3:7) O Clavis   David, et   sceptrum domus Israël, qui   aperis, et nemo claudit, claudis,   et nemo aperuit: veni, et   educ vinctum de domo   carceris, sedentem   in tenebris, et umbra   mortis. O Key of David, and scepter of the house of Israel, you open, and no one shuts, you shut, and no one opens: come, and lead the prisoner from jail, seated in darkness and in the shadow of death. 20 December, O CLAVIS DAVID By  Father Mark   on December 19, 2011 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)  http://vultus.stblogs.org/2011/12/o-clavis-david.html   To illustrate the antiphon O Clavis David, I chose Bartolomeo Bermejo's magnificent painting of the Harrowing of Hell. It depicts the Risen Christ descending into the dreary dungeon of Hades where Adam and Eve, Methuselah, Solomon, and the Queen of Shebah await Him. The Risen Christ descends into the darkness, radiant in the light of his glory. Psalm 106 expresses the mystery of the moment: "Then they cried to the Lord in their need and he rescued them from their distress. He led them forth from darkness and gloom and broke their chains to pieces" (Ps 106:13-14). O Key of David and Sceptre of the House of Israel , who opens and no one can shut, who shuts and no one can open (Is 22:22; Rev 3:7): Come and bring the prisoners forth from the prison cell, those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death (Is 42:7; Ps 106:13-14; Lk 1:9). The Yes to Love On December 20th we stand in the doorway of the humble dwelling where the Blessed Virgin Mary receives the Angel's message. We are all ears, all eyes . . . listening, looking, and trying to take in something of the mystery that unfolds before us. The mystery of the Annunciation is, in essence, the Virgin’s utterly simple "Yes" to Love; through her "Yes"l'amore che move 'l sol e anche le stelle, the light that moves the stars and even the sun, encloses itself in her womb. We enter the mystery of the Annunciation, not by any effort of the imagination, but by an utterly simple and penetrating act of faith, by the "Yes" to Love. Love Conceived, Love Crucified, Love Risen One does not approach the Virgin of the Annunciation without discovering the Mother of Sorrows. The joyful "Yes" to Love conceived beneath the Virgin's heart flowers into the sorrowful "Yes" to Love crucified, and the glorious "Yes" to Love risen from the tomb. Standing in the doorway of the Holy House of Nazareth, listening and looking, we have only to believe in Love, in the Love to whom "nothing is impossible" (Lk 1:37). Annunciation Today's O Antiphon is closely tied to the Annunciation Gospel. "He will be great," said the Angel Gabriel, "and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of his father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end" (Lk 1:32-33). We lift our voices to Christ, calling him "Key of David and Sceptre of the House of Israel." The Key of the House of David The antiphon draws its invocation from the twenty-second chapter of Isaiah. The Lord says to Shebna, the master of the household of King Hezekiah, "And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Helkias, and I will clothe him with thy robe, and will strengthen him with thy girdle, and will give thy power into his hand: and he shall be as a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Juda.

COMMENT: daunting Pannenberg

Dear, William,

Your message is welcome.

Getting into Pannenberg is daunting reading, even in 'Faith an Reality' promoted as easy reading.

Even at that, the light shines....

For your interest, you may know of our current Refectory Reading at lunch, as pictured. Jaroslav Pelikan, outstanding in Scripture.

Yours 

Donald.  

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: William W ...
To: Donald ...
Sent: Tuesday, 18 December 2012, 14:34
Subject: Re: Pannenberg 'Divine Light'

Dear Father Donald,

I do like the portrait photo of you seated in choir, quite absorbed in reflection on the cover of the 'O Antiphon' Advent Hours!

Wolfhard Pannenberg is quite a new name to me (you are right out in the deep waters of the 'wide ocean of theology'!). I looked him up on Wikipedia and very helpfully followed a link to http://www.firstthings.com/article/2009/02/002-god-of-the-philosophers-9 This is giving me a 'flavour' of the mind of the man.I am pleased that you have discovered his writings in your library! Such discoveries make the very best presents!

I await an Amazon copy of Benedict XVI's volume 3 in time to read it over the Christmas period. Joachim Jeremias doesn't touch upon the Infancy Narratives, and so I am eager to read this third volume. I am thoroughly inspired by Balthasar's 'Does Jesus know us, do we know him'. I love his very refined thought... though it does take serious focus, and a re-read, in order to 'hold' each thought for its further development in his next chapter's revelation! Wonderful inspirational writing!

When domesticity interrupts my train of thought, I sometimes think it is a kindness - throwing me a life-belt to avoid me drowning in the 'wide ocean of theology'! I like to jot down phrases and connections as I read, upon which later to ponder, and these keep the flow going for me.

It is a great delight for me to share in your ocean voyage, thank you!

With my love in Our Lord,

William

O Antiphons December 19: "O Radix Jesse"

Wednesday, 19 December 2012 The Great O Antiphons: "O Radix Jesse"
The Great O Antiphons December 19:  "O Radix Jesse" These Great "O Antiphons" at the Magnificat were first used by the Church in the 8th and 9th centuries. They are said in order, based on various titles for the Christ and are scripturally-based short prayers for the 17th to the 23rd of December. In these "O Antiphons" the Church expresses her deep longing for the coming of the Messiah. Christ, descendant of David, king of kings (See Isaiah 11:10; Romans 15:12; Revelation 5:5) O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare. O Root of Jesse, who stand as a sign for the people, kings stand silent in your presence, whom the nations will worship: come to set us free, put it off no longer.

Pannenberg - a surprise introduction

18th December  O Antphon "O ADONAI".

Novice took the photo at Lauds. I was simply admiring the cover of the Advent Hours.

The second day is of  'O Adonai' (click enlarge the Hebrew) - a pause of prayer.
   

Later the interest appears on the Website focus on Wolfhard Pannenberg.
The quotes beautifully point to "a transcendent experience of Divine Light".
1960-70s Librarian valued Pannenberg volumes on the shelves. At the end of 2012 the discovery is a Christmas gift.

Claremont School of Theology

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Theology in 3 Sentences: help me surprise Tripp Fuller for his Birthday!

May 31, 2012 by Bo Sanders 10 Comments

As I have moved from the East Coast to the West – I have also moved from being an evangelist-apologist to a theologian. I have also gone from focusing mostly on pastoral issues and leadership to an academic discipline of Practical Theology in dialogue with Process thought and PostLiberal criticism.

One of the things that I have had to develop is the ability to summarize issue and explain topics in about 3 sentences. I have become a master at introducing something new to folks in 3 sentences – because that is about all you get.

My Mainline associates (church & school) are baffled that I have preached 1,000 sermons and have cast out nearly 100 demons. My Evangelical friends have no idea what an alb & stole are and wouldn’t recognize a lectionary if it stuck a finger up their nose [not to mention a vestry or chancel]. I get to initiate Liberals who have never heard of ‘treasure hunts’, Evangelicals who have never heard of Bultmann, Charismatics ignorant of lectio divina and Mainliners to emergence theory.

Tripp and I got a lot of practice at this earlier in the year when we were promoting the Emergent Village Theological Conversation with Process Theology (Jan 2012). I love to do it with all sorts of topics in scholarship and philosophy.

It’s fun! You should give it a try.  Pick one of the following topics and give ‘er a rip:

• Wittgenstein is 3 sentences
• Womanist Thought in 3 sentences
• Liberation Theology in 3 sentences
• Tillich in 3 sentences

A while ago we had fun around here with “7 Word Sermons”. I was so impressed with the collective innovation and ingenuity that I thought it was time for another session.
This weekend we will be celebrating a landmark Birthday for one Mr. Tripp Fuller … SO I thought that it would be great to give Tripp a Birthday present that only a collection of theology nerds could give!

Pannenberg in 3 sentences.

Friday afternoon I will be recording a TNT with Tripp – and for his birthday present from me, he asked if we could talk about Pannenberg! (it’s called a Theology Nerd Throwdown for a reason folks).

I will use anything you put forward by showtime  and I know that it will keep Tripp smilin’ all weekend as the contributions come rollin’ in.

Thank you Deacons! and Happy Birthday Tripp 

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willhenderson 8 pts

1. I love his history as revelation approach

2. I  think his focus on the resurrected Christ helps us understand the Holy Spirit.   It sure has for me.

3. I love this proleptic idea that Bo shared with me recently.  The first two I got from Pannenberg but this last one is from Pannenberg to Bo to Will.

And to the person who talked of there never being another Pannenberg?  I don't know, Tripp just might pull that off & more!!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRIPP!!

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BoSanders 91 pts

Here is my attempt at Pannenberg in 3 sentences: 

- History is not driven by the past but is instead called forward by a God who is ‘the power of the future’. 

- The resurrection of Jesus is a (proleptic) foretaste that guarantees or ensures for the believer a ‘Theology of Hope’ about the consummation of all things. 

- Whatever is ultimately true in the end, will have always been true, so we can proceed with appropriate humility in our faith without stomping all over others because ultimately it is GOD who does it and not us. 

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BoSanders 91 pts

This just in from Bill Walker:

 - History is the (indirect) arena of Christian theology, and anthropology is fundamental theology.

- Theology therefore has meaning within the framework of history through which God, as infinite, in association with humanity, and through humanity’s orientation toward divine providence with all of creation, moves toward a future that is still hidden and tentative to the world; but that has already been revealed and anticipated (initiated but not finalized or grasped) in Jesus Christ as part of the story of Israel – as a universal historical revelation open to all.

- This formulation of revelation in the Church foretells of and intuits God’s kingdom coming from the future, thereby expressing God’s eschatological vindication of Jesus and the impending reign of love and justice.

tom c 8 pts

Here goes my attempt:

Wittgenstein was not a theologian. He did, however, have a lot to say about the importance of clarifying in order to dispel confusion that may arise from unscrupulous use of language. Is the clearing away of confusion about God theology?

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Da stand das Meer 14 pts

P.S. Wittgenstein in 3 sentences -

1. "Whereof one cannot speak thereof one must be silent"

2. and 3. see 1.

PB;)

Da stand das Meer 14 pts

Short(er) version;

1. A truly cosmic Christian vision for those who aren't afraid of having their minds expanded a little.

2. Don't think his big books are just for propping up broken chairs; they may be a headache if you're looking for 'soundbite theology', but mind-blowingly exciting stuff awaits those patient enough to dig beneath the dry-as-dust surface.

3. We're not likely to see the like of Wolfhart P. again anytime soon; his work is the sunset of a 200 year-old tradition of Germanic theological reflection , but a magnificent sunset.

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Da stand das Meer 14 pts

Happy Birthday Tripp!!

Here goes on Wolfi P. (perhaps I'm cheating here with the length of the sentences, but Pannenberg doesn't go in for short ones either...)

'Having been 'zapped' by a transcendent experience of Divine Light as a German teenager growing up in the crucible of the traumatic end of World War II, Wolfhart Pannenberg, like others of his generation such as Jürgen Moltmann and Johann Baptist Metz, realized that Christian theology has to deal with the messy business of human history if it wants to have traction in the real world.

The core conviction running throughout his work is that, instead of looking at cosmic history as being driven forward by the past, it is also - indeed primarily - drawn forward into the future of a God who is both Alpha AND Omega, and that the resurrection of Jesus is the inbreaking of that future plenitude into the time of our own lives and of our planet.

Seeking to find a balance between doing theology from 'below' and 'above', Pannenberg's thought leaves no human intellectual discipline untouched; although he may be regarded by some as the ultimate rationalist and the 'last dinosaur' of systematic theology in the German tradition, his huge project still has the capacity to inspire those who want to combine an affirmation of the core commitments of historic Christian faith with a genuine openness to the ongoing life of God's world in all its complexity and richness.'

Peace and prolepsis!

Peter B.

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