Christmas is many things. That is its power and its invitation. It opens up avenues for archetypes galore to seize us and transform ourselves and society itself.
For example, we have been meditating during Advent on the damaged and toxic and unholy masculine that has permeated culture and history for centuries. This has proven to be a very important and useful practice. Advent is meant to be sort of a mini-Lent where we give up things, let go of things, in order to purify our souls and their intentions after all.
Wouldn’t it be a wonderful grace if each of us and all of humanity were to fast from patriarchal mind sets during advent and beyond in preparation for some Good News about another way to live in the world?
Meister Eckhart, himself a very balanced man who entertained both the divine feminine and the sacred masculine in his consciousness, is a special guide to understanding deeper layers of meaning to Christmas.
Consider, for example, what he tells us of Christ’s birth. Referring to John’s Gospel, he comments that John’s statement that the Word of God was ‘in the beginning’ tells us that “it is always ‘in the beginning,’” and
…if it is always ‘in the beginning’ it is always in the process of being born, of being begotten….And so it comes about that the Son in the Godhead, the word ‘in the beginning,’ is always being born, is always already born.
Indeed, “In God the Son is constantly born and will constantly be born.” When we undergo our many births and rebirths and breakthroughs, the birth “does not take place once a year or once a month or once a day but all the time….” And as often as this birth takes place [in us], so does “the Son of God become born.”
Adapted from Matthew Fox, Passion for Creation: The Earth-Honoring Spirituality of Meister Eckhart, pp. 330f.
To read the transcript of Matthew Fox’s video teaching, click HERE.
Banner Image: We give birth. Photo by Isaac Quesada on Unsplash.
Queries for Contemplation
Do you experience the Christ being born in you “all the time” as Eckhart proposes? Is this a different way of living and working in the world than following paths of distorted masculinity? How so? What follows from that?
Recommended Reading
Passion for Creation: The Earth-Honoring Spirituality of Meister Eckhart
Matthew Fox’s comprehensive translation of Meister Eckhart’s sermons is a meeting of true prophets across centuries, resulting in a spirituality for the new millennium. The holiness of creation, the divine life in each person and the divine power of our creativity, our call to do justice and practice compassion–these are among Eckhart’s themes, brilliantly interpreted and explained for today’s reader.
“The most important book on mysticism in 500 years.” — Madonna Kolbenschlag, author of Kissing Sleeping Beauty Goodbye.
8 thoughts on “Christmas Eve, 2021: Eckhart on Our Birthing the Christ”
I find the opening lines in today’s DM, especially “Christmas opens up avenues for archetypes galore to seize us and transform ourselves and society itself”, to be a powerful invitation that I desire to respond to. There are two books, by David Richo, that I have found to be particularly helpful in responding not only to this inner desire, but which also assists us in discovering creative ways to respond to this invitation offered to all. The first book is titled “The Sacred Heart of the World… Restoring Mystical Devotion To Our Spiritual Life”, and the second book is titled “When Mary Becomes Cosmic… A Jungian And Mystical Path To The Divine Feminine.”
I wish all of you, a wonderful Christmas. May you be seized and transformed by the many expressions, essence and presence of the archetypes of the Sacred Masculine and the Divine Feminine, throughout this coming new year, bearing forth and creatively birthing the inherent goodness and beauty of your true self. May you surrender and respond in trust, to the many ways in which these archetypes invite you into a personal, intimate relationship of friendship, companionship, sacred communion and union; and the spiritually reality of this mystical pathway offered you to follow, in your own unique way. May you be open in heart, receptive in mind, and surrendering in soul; to the many blessings they give and share of themselves with you… so that you may discover, claim and give the gift of your highest and true self to this world, as only you can, for there is no one quite like you. Amen, let this heartfelt prayer be so for all.
Jeanette, Thank you sooo much, and Merry Christmas to you too !!!
Thank you for your beautiful writing.
Thank you, as always, for your beautiful and inspiring words.
Thank you, Matthew, for the reminder to go deeper into the story beyond hagiography. It is indeed full of messages of faith, and fear, and pain, and glory. We need to feel the power of the spirit, let it grow within, and then release its love power to others–to be love radiators, as the Rev. Dr. Jacqi Lewis puts it. She also says that we must “love the hell” out of those who radiate toxic masculinity and practice all the forms of injustice.
Sue, I’ve found myself say as much, “that we must ‘love the hell’ out of those who radiate toxic masculinity and practice all the forms of injustice.” Rev. Dr. Jacqi’s words at first glance might seem like just a clever expression, but in reality it is the only way to change the present situation–“love the hell out of them!” Love is the answer!
Giving birth to Christ is being open to God’s Spirit of Love~Light~Life healing, loving, and transforming us towards Loving Oneness within ourselves, with one another, all living beings and things, nature, Mother Earth, and All our ongoing Creation/Cosmos…. in the Sacred Process of the Eternal Present Moment….ohhhh
Damian, My favorite quote on giving birth to Christ is another by Meister Eckhart. It goes like this: “What good is it to me if Mary is full of grace and if I am not also full of grace? What good is it to me for the Creator to give birth to his/her Son if I do not also give birth to him in my time and my culture? This, then, is the fullness of times: when the Son of God is begotten in us.”