I'm sure you are busy getting ready for the Triduum, as am I. We will resume our posting here next week (and if you had a post ready for {pretty, happy, funny, real}, do link it in the comments!), but I wanted to check in with a remarkable concurrence of dates that will not happen again in this century.
I'm speaking of the fact that the Annunciation, the day that commemorates the conception of Jesus, falls on the same day as Good Friday, the day of His death.
In my last post about The Spirit of the Liturgy, we talked a lot about objective truth. What's fascinating is how tradition has preserved the memory of some ways of explaining things that we have come to think of as pious legends or almost fairy tales, but which point to ways that the physical world reflects the spiritual world. So objective truth doesn't just mean that a world of ideas really exists, but that the cosmos itself retains evidence that it does, which is good to know, now that even material things are being questioned (as they inevitably must, once we let go of the reality of the immaterial).
We will really plumb the depths of this surprise (that the ancient ways relate to physical realities) when we look at the Ratzinger book. I did want to bring this little piece of what he talks about to your attention now, for the obvious reason that it's rich in contemplative possibilities as we live it in the Liturgical Year.
The date for Easter is set using several different metrics or criteria. It's complicated! But twice this century (as of tomorrow, the last one being in 2005), the confluence of events occurs. Not only is March 25 believed to be the date of Jesus' conception and death, but the date on which the ancients supposed the world began. It was also the date that Abraham led Isaac to sacrifice.
You can read a very good post on this topic from the Lepanto Institute. A little taste:
Our Lord was there in the Garden with Adam. He created Adam and gave him life. Our Lord was with him when he sinned, and He was with him when he was expelled. The sentence of death was spoken by Our Blessed Lord’s own lips, but in His infinite Mercy, He offered Himself in Adam’s place so that we may have eternal life with Him.
And did you know that John Donne, the great 17th century poet, wrote a poem on these events coming together on the same day? Here it is:
Upon The Annunciation and Passion
Falling Upon One Day. (March 25th, 1608)
by John Donne
Tamely, frail body, abstain to-day; to-day
My soul eats twice, Christ hither and away.
She sees Him man, so like God made in this,
That of them both a circle emblem is,
Whose first and last concur; this doubtful day
Of feast or fast, Christ came, and went away.
She sees Him nothing, twice at once, who's all;
She sees a Cedar plant itself, and fall;
Her Maker put to making, and the Head
Of life, at once, not yet alive, yet dead.
She sees at once the Virgin Mother stay
Reclused at home, public at Golgotha;
Sad and rejoiced she's seen at once, and seen
At almost fifty, and at scarce fifteen.
At once a Son is promised her, and gone;
Gabriell gives Christ to her, He her to John;
Not fully a mother, She's in orbity;
At once receiver and the legacy.
All this, and all between, this day hath shown,
Th' abridgement of Christ's story, which makes one–
As in plain maps, the furthest west is east–
Of th' angels Ave, and Consummatum est.
How well the Church, God's Court of Faculties
Deals, in sometimes, and seldom joining these!
As by the self-fix'd Pole we never do
Direct our course, but the next star thereto,
Which shows where th'other is, and which we say
–Because it strays not far–doth never stray;
So God by His Church, nearest to Him, we know
And stand firm, if we by her motion go;
His Spirit, as His fiery pillar, doth
Leade, and His Church, as cloud; to one end both.
This Church, by letting those days join, hath shown
Death and conception in mankind is one;
Or 'twas in Him the same humility,
That He would be a man, and leave to be;
Or as creation He hath made, as God,
With the last judgement, but one period,
His imitating Spouse would join in one
Manhood's extremes: He shall come, He is gone;
Or as though one blood drop, which thence did fall,
Accepted, would have served, He yet shed all,
So though the least of His pains, deeds, or words,
Would busy a life, she all this day affords;
This treasure then, in gross, my soul, uplay,
And in my life retail it every day.
Mrs. B. says
This is wonderful, thank you, Leila! For a few centuries now we’ve been used to investigating the laws of the cosmos and physical life in general in what we call a scientific way. It’s not wrong at all, but the scientific way can leave quite a bit out of the picture. The medieval mind was better prepared to understand how everything is marvelously connected – and why shouldn’t it be? God loves wonder and harmony. But if we forget that God is the author of all things we’re bound to miss a lot of this.
On a related not, I can’t wait to watch The Star of Bethlehem this Advent!
Teresa says
Oh Leila, what a glorious wonderful post!
Thank you so much for pointing this confluence out to us and especially for introducing the Donne poem.
It is beautiful.
A blessed Triduum to you
Melissa D says
Loved this especially: “… ’twas in Him the same humility,
That He would be a man, and leave to be…”
Chere Mama says
Blessed Easter to you Leila and to all your family. I am sending my link because it reminds me that the Passion and death and the Resurrection of Christ are still playing out in vivid and concrete reality in our modern day. These two Blessed men have given me such hope this week when the world is in need of so much hope.
http://newsfromhobbiton.blogspot.com/2016/03/love-poured-outstill-in-our-time.html
Janet says
A blessed Holy Week and Easter to all of you.
I love Donne.
Here is an excerpt of a much older liturgical poem connecting the Annunciation and the Crucifixion.
From the Byzantine Matins for Great Friday–sung in place in the place where the Magnificat usually is.
Lament not for me, Mother, as you behold me in the grave. I am you son
whom you conceived in your womb wi
thout seed. I shall rise and I shall
be glorified.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3OggfYZH (can’t vouch for the quality of the recording, but it gives the general idea.)
Annie says
Thank you for the Donne poem! Blessings on you this Triduum.
Jenny says
The article was very interesting. You always find the best stuff. Blessings to you!
Melissa says
Thank you for posting this.
Our pastor read this poem as his homily for Good Friday.
Easter blessings to you and your family!
Melissa