50. Intimations of Christ.

Dearly Beloved,

When I was at school my favorite piece of the liturgy was the Benedicite, which I think was sung only at Matins in Lent. That is the canticle that incites all of creation to praise and magnify God. It starts with the general:

“O all ye Works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.”

It then becomes more specific as it moves to angels who are incited to praise the Lord, then the inanimate manifestations of nature, mountains, clouds, the heavens, seas and floods then green things, plants, then wild animals – whales and fowl, then domestic animals and then on to us humans according to our status, and finally, best of all, after thirty lines of praise by different manifestations of creation:

O ye holy and humble Men of heart, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O Ananias, Azarias and Misael bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.

Those two lines can be sung at absolutely top volume. Ananias, Azarias and Misael are wonderful Hebrew names for the three men thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing the command of Nebuchadnezzar to bow down to a golden idol. They are better known by their Babylonian names Shadrach, Meshach and Abendnego.

What is really significant about the story from Daniel is that although only three men were tossed into the furnace, Nebuchadnezzar looks into the fiery furnace and he sees four men in the flames. That fourth man he concludes is God. It is a wonderful intimation of the future coming of the peace of Christ out of the turmoil of human history.

These intimations are rare but another in the Old Testament is when, after a battle, Abraham is given cakes and wine by the Priest Melchizedec which is an intimation of both the priesthood and kingship of Christ and hints at the bread and wine which will be used a thousand years in the future to celebrate the Eucharist.

The Benedicite is a wonderful affirmation of the beauty, diversity and energy of God's creation. Surely the contemplation of creation is another way to God.

Peace,

Paul.
Completed 4th June 2022
Photo: Paul Munton

A Beautiful Demoiselle, Calopteryx virgo, 
a  type of damselfly that lives by fast flowing water

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