What I love about the Divine Office is that you are plunged into the psalms, and like all poetry you are sometimes hit with a phrase or an image that strikes deep down below the rational faculties. It's like the Holy Spirit sends a dart into your heart and the beauty and power of the image touches you in a place beyond and below words.
This morning it was the phrase from Ps. 81 "I would feed them with the finest wheat and fill them with honey from the rock." Honey from the rock? What does that mean? When you meditate on the image it brings up a multitude of meanings. The Old Testament says that the manna from heaven tasted like honey, and the promised land is flowing with milk and honey. Then I remembered that in the early church the newly baptized, before the Eucharist, would be given milk and honey--the food of newborn infants and the food of the promised land. There's more.
My brother is big on honey as a health food and knows a lot about bees. He says that honey is the only natural food that doesn't rot or decay. It is a perfect preservative. As such it is a symbol, therefore for immortality. If you like it is the food of heaven. Also, honey has great healing qualities. It helps you battle infection if you have a cold. It helps you sleep at night. Furthermore, honey is made by bees, who gather nectar, and the metaphysical poets said the bees were like minute angels--flying around doing God's business, gathering the sweetness of the sun which the flowers had made and taking it home to feed one another and to store up sweetness for man. They saw the Queen as an image of Mary--the Queen of this tiny heaven, and the community of bees as a swarm of all the angels and saints.
To boil it all down, the honey can refer therefore to God's goodness and the sweetness of his grace, and where do we find that grace? It comes most powerfully and paradoxically from the rock. We find it where we did not expect to find it. We find the sweetest honey in the wilderness. We find it hidden in the rock, and in a world where we make ourselves and our ego the only authority what rock is harder to accept than the rock of an authority greater than ourslves--an authority to which I must submit and obey? This is the rock that is either a stumbling block or a stepping stone--and I am referring to the rock on which the church is built--Peter and his successors.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
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There is even more truth to this Verse than one would expect. We know bees live in hives, don't we? Yes and no. Nowadays, and in the Western World, quite a lot of bees do. But, before the invention of bee-keeping (took quite a lot of stings to do that), bee swarms used to live where they found a handy and half-way protected place: In a hollow tree or a cave; under an overhanging cliff; even in holes in the ground. To this day, there a people who fight wild (untamed) bee-swarms for their honey. Not in the Western World, but in Asia. No, one cannot term that "harvesting". They climb trees or cliffs and try to smoke the bees away, then take the loot and disappear fast. This was nothing special, just the way to do it. For people coming from the desert, honey must have been the ultimate of God's gifts, and they have appreciated it.
Many old churches round here (in Devon) have bees living in the walls, but the honey can't be got out!
Oh aye, our hives are lovely places to meditate. The community and cooperation among the bees who live according to Divine Order reminds us that we too, have a place in that Divine Order...if only we can "divine" it. ;)
Oh, dear, if only you knew your history, you would know that the Rock of Saint Peter is a flawed concept.
Now, I know, that you will tell me that Peter is constant, and the Church is built upon Peter etc. Ubi Petrus ibi Ecclesia. Ubi Ecclesia vita eterna ....and all that kind of stuff.
But, while I have respect for the Pope and the Rock of St Peter etc. etc, and count myself as a faithful Catholic, I'm not so thick or stupid to think that blindly following Peter and his successors is always the right thing to do or assured to keep us on the path to salvation. Because, Peter and his successor frequently get it wrong and lead us down erroneous paths. So, we need to exercise a little bit of individual common sense and conscience to things. The Holy Spirit speaks to us all. And sometime He tells me the Pope has got it wrong ! Not often. But often enough.
So, please stop peddling this blind obedience, faithfulness, fidelity stuff. Like the other day with the saints and their blind obedience when planting cabbages upside down in obedience to some nutty superior. It's a completely wrong and damaging take on what we are called to be and do.
It infantalises people and stops them from becoming mature, thinking, people of conscience and faith who have an adult relationship with God and with the Church. That's not healthy for any of us.
Dear Servingblogger,
I'm not sure whether you can be counted as "a faithful Catholic", as you say, especially if you use your "conscience" to disagree with what is clearly stated in the catechism. You would have no ally in Cardinal Newman there.
You are not required to agree with the Holy Father's views on politics, economics etc.. but on matters of faith you have no authority to interpret scripture for yourself and create a DIY catholicism. Jesus instigated living (not dead) authority in Peter and his successors, as a Catholic you are required to believe this.
Hope this helps :)
How about obedience that isn't blind?
The Pasalms are indeed a constant surprise.
Speaking of bees, your brother may like the movie Ulee's Gold.
SB - you shouldn't lie to yourself. If you really believe that "the Holy Father frequently gets it wrong and leads us down erroneous paths" then you are not a 'faithful Catholic' at all, but an unfaithful and dissenting Catholic.
Not 'blind' obedience, but an open, mature and daring act of the will.
Just to add to Fr. Longenecker's point on whether the Holy Father "frequently gets it wrong" etc...
If say you are referring to his own sins, or to media-circuses such as the SSPX Bishop affair or the Muslim comments (taken out of context btw), then that must be distinguished from the Pope's teaching ex cathedra. We regard the Pope's teaching on faith as infallible (without error) not that the Pope himself is infallible (without error) or impeccable (without sin) or immaculate or emperor etc...
But, if you have read Benedict's Jesus of Nazareth, he clearly states that it is his personal search for Jesus and that people are free to disagree with it. This is different to say disagreeing with the Church's stance on artifical birth control.
Long story short, read your catechism!
Hi Father: Thank you once again for revealing just another beautiful reason for being Catholic - the Liturgy of the Hours. What is so great about the Divine Office is that we all get to pray together and ruminate. Your post is a perfect example of Lectio Divina at work in our souls if only we give God and His Word the time of day. RE: Honey -One of those mysteries how something so exquisite, functional and necessary could also be deadly for some of us. Re: Rocks - They are also a symbol of Yahweh - of protection - God choosing the impossible out of which to pour honey as well as streams of living water (Moses found out). Keep sharing with us, please.
My dear Mother, a retired Registered Nurse, told me as a young boy, the benefits of eating honey. I would not be surprised, if she had some Spiritual benefits also; tucked away in her mind and heart.
God Bless,
Deacon Dick.
Father, I love the imagery you used here, with the bees being like minute angels. I admit, I am terribly allergic to stings, so bees frighten me perhaps more than they ought to...but I promise you that the next time I encounter them, I will bring this phrase to mind.
We have a huge honey-locust tree in our back yard, and each year there are multitudes of honey bees swarming amidst the upper branches. It's impressive to hear the hum created by these workers coming to this specific place to harvest each year. I wonder how changed our hearts would be were we as intent upon the work God sets before us each day--which, of course, can be helped by structuring our day around the Divine Office! +JMJ+
I love the psalms . To much to say in regards to the Pope to serving blogger. Not that I am really as devoted to following the papacy but there is a reason Peter was appointed in his office. It would take to long to discuss. The orthodox uses an archbishop which may be more like the level of office Peter had. Anyways I just wrote a fascinating blog on the Jewish evangelism. Not that jews are so evangelical about their faith but just in regards to jewish conversions. I have even met some catholics who converted to jew. One captain in the military I met was. Just like judas it kind of is. Please read my recent blog posts if you have the time.
the psalms are the most vivid description of the father and his ways. Almost picturesque in detail unlike all of the other old testament books. The gospels do tell us of Jesus but the psalms are telling us of Jesus the King of Kings and Lord of Lords not just the brother and savior. David is a very heroic patron. I say we should all seek davids intercession and prayers.
Thank you for your insights, Father. The Psalms are "sweeter than honey, and the honeycomb" indeed.
servingblogger
You got any Rosary beads?
"The Rosary will be a very powerful armor against hell; it will destroy vice, deliver from sin and dispel heresy."
(one of fifteen promises given by Our Lady for those who recite the Rosary regularly and prayerfully)
PS Jesus loves YOU.
What a beautiful insight!
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