The Mystery of Christ
The Liturgy as Spiritual Experience

by Father Thomas Keating

Chapter 1

The Christmas-Epiphany Mystery
Continued

Christmas

    In the beginning was the Word; the Word was in God's presence, and the Word was God. He was present to God in the beginning. Through him all things came into being, and apart from him nothing came to be. Whatever came to be in him, found life, life for the light of human beings. The light shines on in darkness, the darkness did not overcome it.

    The real light which gives life to every person was coming into the world.

    He was in the world, and through him the world was made, yet the world did not know who he was. To his own he came, yet his own did not accept him. Any who did accept him he empowered to become children of God.

    These are they who believe in his name--who were begotten not by blood, nor by carnal desire, nor by anyone's willing it, but by God.

    The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory of an only Son coming from the Father, filled with enduring love. [John 1:1-14]

    The feast of Christmas is the celebration of divine light breaking into human consciousness. This light is so bright that it is impossible at first sight to grasp its full meaning. Only an intuitive realization such as that of shepherds is able to enjoy it. Later, as our eyes adjust to the light, we perceive little by little all that is contained in this Mystery, culminating in the crowning feast of Epiphany, the manifestation of the divine in the Babe of Bethlehem.

    Let us try to grasp the significance of the Word made flesh. The Greek New Testament word for flesh is sarx. Sarx means the human condition--the incomplete, unevolved, immature levels of human consciousness. It means human nature in its subjection to sinfulness. Jesus did not merely assume a human body and soul; he assumed the actual human condition in its entirety, including the instinctual needs of human nature and the cultural conditioning of his time.

    Sarx refers to the human condition closed in on itself; fallen, and not interested in rising. It is the human condition committed to biological survival for its own sake or for the sake of the clan, tribe, nation or race.

    The Greek word soma refers to the body insofar as it is open to further evolution: it is the human condition open to development. "The Word was made flesh" signifies that by taking the human condition upon himself with all its consequences, Jesus introduced into the entire human family the principle of transcendence, giving the evolutionary process a decisive thrust toward God-consciousness.

    In the Epistle to the Romans, Adam is the symbol of solidarity in the flesh (sarx). Everybody shares the sarx of Adam and thus forms one corporate personality with  him. Christ, assuming the human condition exactly as it is, penetrates it to its roots and becomes the source of a new corporate personality open to transcendence. The Spirit, the principle of transcendence, frees the human condition (sarx) for movement into the new corporate personality that Paul calls the Body of Christ. Our participation in the Body of Christ has a corporate and cosmic significance. To say "no" to that participation is the primary meaning of sin in the New Testament. It is the choice to remain just flesh (sarx), that is, to be dominated by the self-centered programs for happiness. It is to opt out of the divine plan for the transformation of human consciousness into Christ-consciousness. This transformation is what Christmas is all about. This is the growth process that the Gospel inaugurates and to which we are called. Self-centered human nature seeks out ever more and better ways to remain just as it is, because that seems to guarantee its survival. but to choose the status quo is to opt for solidarity with Adam and to reject "the Christ."

    "To everyone who received him, he gave power to become the children of God," that is, to know their divine Source. This is the Mystery of the Word made flesh. Flesh does not merely mean skin and bones; it means the worldly values of the self-centered programs for happiness held firmly in place by conscious or unconscious habits or by over-identification with one's family, tribe or nation. Christ, by joining the human family, has subjected himself to the consequences of the flesh and at the same time introduced into it the principle of redemption from all pre-rational levels of consciousness. Our own development into higher states of consciousness is the cutting edge of the corporate personality of "the Christ," the gradual unfolding in time of the new Adam. Every act that is motivated by that vision--every healing of body, soul or social ill--is contributing to the growth of the Body of Christ and hence to the pleroma. This will occur when enough individuals have entered into Christ-consciousness and made it their own.

    The joy of Christmas is the intuition that all limitations to growth into higher states of consciousness have been overcome. The divine light cuts across all darkness, prejudice, preconceived ideas, prepackaged values, false expectations, phonyness and hypocrisy. It presents us with the truth. To act out of the truth is to make Christ grow not only in ourselves, but in others. Thus, the humdrum duties and events of daily life become sacramental, shot through with eternal implications. This is what we celebrate in the liturgy. The kairs, "the appointed time," is now. According to Paul, "Now is the time of salvation," that is, now is the time when the whole of the divine mercy is available. Now is the time to risk further growth. To go on growing is to be at the cutting edge of human evolution and of the spiritual journey. The divine action may turn our lives upside-down; it may call us unto various forms of service. Readiness for any eventuality is the attitude of one who has entered into the freedom of the Gospel. Commitment to the new world that Christ is creating--the new corporate personality of redeemed humanity--requires flexibility and detachment: the readiness to go anywhere or nowhere, to live or do die, to rest or to work, to be sick or to be well, to take up one service and to put down another. Everything is important when one is opening to Christ-consciousness. This awareness transforms our worldly concepts of security into the security of accepting, for love of God, an unknown future. The greatest safety is to take that risk. Everything else is dangerous.

    The light of Christmas is an explosion of insight changing our whole idea of God. Our childish ways of thinking of God are left behind. As we turn our enchanted gaze toward the Babe in the crib, our inmost being opens to the new consciousness that the Babe has brought into the world.

Epiphany

    The first text recalls the manifestation of Jesus in his divine Person to the Gentiles.

    After their audience with the king, they set out. The star which they had observed at its rising went ahead of them until it came to a stand still over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house, found the child with Mary, his Mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their coffers and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
[Matt. 2:9 - 12]

    The second text recalls the manifestation of Jesus in his divine Person to the Jews at the river Jordan.

    During that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. Immediately, coming out of the water, he saw the sky rent in two and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. Then a voice came from the heavens: "You are my beloved Son. On you my favor rests."
[Mark 1:9 - 11]

    The third text recalls the manifestation of Jesus in his divine Person to his disciples at the wedding feast of Cana.

    There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had likewise been invited to the celebration. At a certain point the wine ran out and Jesus' mother told him, "They have no more wine."

    Jesus replied, "Woman, how does this concern of yours involve me? My hour has not yet come."

    His mother said to the waiters, "Do whatever he tells you."

    As prescribed for Jewish ceremonial washings, there were at hand six stone water jars, each one holding twenty to thirty gallons.

    "Fill the jars with water," Jesus ordered, at which they filled them to the brim. "Now," he said, "draw some out and take it to the waiter in charge." They did as he instructed them. The waiter in charge tasted the water made wine, without knowing where it had come from; only the waiters knew, since they had drawn the water. The waiter in charge called the groom over and remarked to him: "Most people usually serve the choice wine first; then when the guests have been drinking a while, a lesser vintage. What you have done is to keep the choice wine until now." Jesus performed this first of his signs at Cana of Galilee. Thus did he reveal his glory, and the disciples believed in him.
[John 2:1 - 12]

    These three readings are an integral part of the celebration of Epiphany, the crowning feast of the Christmas-Epiphany Mystery and the full revelation of all that the light of Christmas contains. The manifestation of Jesus in his divinity to the Gentiles in the persons of the Magi is supplemented by two other events that are manifestations of Jesus' divine nature from a later period in his life. The liturgy is primarily a parable of what grace is doing now; it disregards historical considerations and juxtaposes texts in order to bring out the sublime significance of what is being transmitted in an invisible way through the visible signs.

    The first text describes the manifestation of Jesus' divinity to the Magi. they came from the ends of the earth and thus are symbols for all time of genuine seekers of the truth.

    Jesus' Baptism in the Jordan and the Marriage Feast of Cana are integrated into the celebration in order to enlarge the perspective from which we perceive the divinity of Jesus. Jesus' baptism by John represents the manifestation of Jesus' divinity to the Jews, the moment when Jesus entered in the Jordan is a preview of the graces of Easter and Pentecost, in which we celebrate the Mysteries of divine life and love. Jesus' descent into the waters of the Jordan anticipates his descent into the sufferings of his passion and death; his emergence from the Jordan symbolizes his resurrection; and the Dove's descent prefigures the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

    All water has been sanctified by its contact with the body of Jesus in the Jordan. Moreover, every drop of water in the universe, in virtue of the baptism of Jesus, has become a vehicle of grace. Every kind of affliction, symbolized by the waters of the Jordan, has become a vehicle of grace. Even suffering that is the direct consequence of sin has become an inexhaustible source of grace. This does not mean that suffering is an end in itself, but that it has to be accepted, passed through and transcended. It is the touch--the presence--of Jesus which transforms suffering into a vehicle of sanctification.

    The third text describes the Marriage Feast of Cana where Jesus manifested his divinity to his disciples.

    Epiphany celebrates the marriage, so to speak, between the church and Christ; we, of course, are the church. Hence, the wedding feast is a symbol of the celebration of the divine nuptials in the souls of those who have experienced the divine light, and the divine life and love which that light contains. The new wine is the transcendent principle that Christ has brought into the world by taking human nature into himself. The whole human family is taken up into this new life, which has been inserted once and for all into the heart of God by the Incarnation and the redemptive work of Jesus. The new wine is the message of the Gospel, a message that announces that this process is happening. This is the greatest news there ever was! The human family has become divine! Through baptism we accept our personal invitation and, by struggling with the false-self system, gradually enter into the marriage chamber--the permanent awareness, through faith, of our union with Christ who takes us into the bosom of the Trinity. Since human beings were formed from the earth, the earth itself, represented by us and in us, is taken up into the Eternal Word. In human beings, God reaches the highest conceivable level of self-communication and gathers all that he has created into oneness with himself.

    The final consummation, when "God will be all in all," takes place when the new wine has been served to everyone. The head waiter said to the young man, "You have saved the good wine until now." This is the wine of the Spirit that rejoices the hearts of all who drink it.

The Significance of the Wedding Feast at Cana

    There was a wedding at Cana of Galilee. The mother of Jesus was present. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. When they ran out of wine, since the wine provided for the wedding was all finished, the Mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." Jesus said, "Woman, why turn to me? My hour has not come yet." His Mother said to the servants, "do whatever he tells you."

    There were six stone water jars standing there, meant for the purifications that are customary among the Jews. Each one held twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water," and they filled them to the brim. "Draw some out now," he told them, "and take it to the chief steward." They did so. The chief steward tasted the water and it had turned into wine. Having no idea where it had come from (only the servants who had drawn the water knew), the chief steward called the bridegroom and said, "Most people serve the best wine first and keep the cheaper wine until the guests have had plenty to drink, but you have kept the best wine until now!"

    This was the first of the signs given by Jesus. It was given at Cana in Galilee. He let his glory be seen and his disciples believed in him. 
[John 2:1 - 12]
Gospel of Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Epiphany, as the celebration of the marriage of the Son of God with human nature, reveals the deepest significance of the Eternal Word becoming a human being. Furthermore, it is our personal call not only to the surrender of faith, but to transformation into divine life and love. The marriage feast, taking place in a tiny out-of-the-way town, becomes the symbol of the most fantastic event in human history, the most striking example of how eternal time enters into chronological time and transforms it. What happens when the wine begins to run out and the bridal couple are in danger of embarrassment, becomes a cosmic event. What Jesus does at the marriage feast is the symbol of what he will later accomplish through his passion, death and resurrection. The water stored in the jars is the symbol of the old Adam, of solidarity in human incompletion and sin. Jesus takes this water and transforms it into wine--not just into new water, but into something totally new! The sparkling, heady character of wine is the symbol of the experience of refreshment, enthusiasm and exhilaration that characterize the fruits of the Spirit.

    The jars of water were required for purification according to Jewish custom, before, during and after the meal. Notice that each jar contained twenty to thirty gallons when filled to the brim. That is about a thousand quarts. After the miracle, there was wine enough to satisfy an army! The implication is that there is no limit to the new wine of the Gospel.

    Who are the guests? You and I, of course. We see in this miracle the revelation of Christ's union with the human family, a marriage that is consummated in the Eucharist and that transports the guests into the New Creation. The corporate personality of the new humanity is called the Body of Christ. The body of Christ grows through the process of our personal awakening to the divine life. Thus, everyone is invited to this wedding banquet. If we consent to participate, we receive the gift of the Spirit without measure, like the enormous superfluity of wine that Jesus provided for the embarrassed couple.

    The three historical events singled out by the liturgy of Epiphany express this movement of incorporation into Christ and of transformation of consciousness.

1. The manifestation of the Babe's divine nature to the Magi signifies the call to divine union extended to every person--past, present and to come--in virtue of Christ's becoming a member of our race.

2. The manifestation of Jesus' divine nature to the Jews by the voice from heaven after his baptism in the Jordan signifies our proximate call to divine union. The human family and each of us is purified by the waters of baptism and prepared for spiritual marriage with the Son of God.

3. Finally, the manifestation of Jesus' divine nature to the apostles through the transformation of water into wine at the marriage feast of Cana signifies the consummation of the spiritual marriage of Christ with human nature and with each of us in particular.

    Each of these three ascending invitations depends, of course, on our consent. As living cells in the Body of Christ, we are caught up in the process that is moving toward the pleroma. This term describes the ripening development of Christ-consciousness shared by each of the individual cells in the corporate Body of Christ. This transcendent movement is like leaven in the dough, raising us out of our separate-self sense into the life of the Spirit, symbolized by the new wine.

    We can cling to the old Adam and solidarity with him, or we can accept the Spirit inviting us to unlimited personal and corporate growth in Christ, the new Adam. This incredible invitation is signified by a joke.

    Mary, the Mother of Jesus, takes note of the impending embarrassment of the couple and says to him, "They have no wine." Jesus replied, "My hour (kairos) has not yet come." As if to say, "My self-awareness as the Son of God has not yet come to term, and this act would anticipate it."

    She says to the waiters, "Do whatever he tells you." Jesus acquiesces and tells the waiters to fill the jars with water and then to take some of it to the chief steward to taste. When the steward tasted the water now become wine, he was astonished. It was by far the best wine yet. He was so impressed that he went to the bridal couple and said, "Everybody serves the good wine first and then, when the guests are well satisfied, serves the wine they would like to get rid of. But you have saved the best wine until now!"

    The joke is more than funny. It should keep us in joyful laughter for the rest of our lives and indeed, for all eternity. We should be doing cartwheels, jumping up and down, standing on our heads! Not even a liturgical dance meets the requirements of this feast. Divine Love is ours in superabundance. This is the light that is revealed as the gifts of the Magi, symbolizing the inner treasures of the Christ, are opened up. All these gifts are ours, right now, in the Eucharistic liturgy. The new wine of the Spirit is being served.

More information can be obtained by reading the book The Mystery of Christ by Fr. Thomas Keating.  It is offered in our Book Store.