Blessing of The Waters

The liturgical year moves in tides, currents, arcs. And right now, at our Island’s Russian Orthodox monastery, a tide that had swept up to the Feast of the Nativity and through Christ’s early life is awash with the arrival of Theophany, the Baptism of Jesus Christ. From the Royal Hours last week through Vespers this evening, water imagery prevails.

Andy and I attended the ceremony of the Blessing of the Waters tonight. In the candlelight, scripture readings chronicled the waters and their relationship to Christ. It was incredibly moving, and I wish I could quote some of it to you. But the prayers and readings and chanting and the arc of the blessing were like the waters themselves, plunging in and pulling away, and leaving us finally to walk out of the temple into a night bright with the winter stars.

And hadn’t there been some language tonight about Christ being the sun, the moon, the stars? As we walked away, blessed, the evening had the feel of a dream.

Perhaps next year, I’ll be better versed in what takes place on the Eve of the Theophany, and will be able to describe it with more clarity!

In any case, after Royal Hours last Friday morning, I left the monastery to head to another part of the Island, where I teach children in nature. I marveled at the water imagery even then. And, synchronicity, we had a beach day planned!

Such a beautiful, sweet day with the children on the beach! Jesus calls us to become like little children, and on the sand by the sea on a clear, sunny, almost warm winter day, I once again understood why. The following poem is one I wrote last May, after a similar beach day. The dolphin art is something I painted last August, during our nature teaching staff training. Enjoy!“

“But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.’” – Matthew 19:14

I AM,
I almost understand how
your heaven works.
How breaking open is ever the key.
The deer reveal your movement,
and you bring us close and away,
in a natural music like that of
children digging waterworks
on the beach.

Captivated, intent, dreaming, and shaping -
Despite the encroaching waves,
your nature moves us
to create in ways
all children do
when they are in
peace and joy
expansive as the sands.

The seal observes from a little off-shore,
Our eyes meet and we agree:
Surrender and see,
the grace, the glory.

Christ with us.
in the channeling of the waters
in the quick settling of
differences
in the sculpting of walls and gardens
that disappear with the tide
only to be made new
the next time we
gather like foxes
or a flock of gulls
or the otter

in this place
under his sun,
in the curve of his hand.

Where else could we possibly be?
Heaven,
with the saints