December 27, 2022. Doxa, Moxa, and Christmas, continued.
In this meditation, we reflect on the concepts of moxa (moxie of the rebel Jesus) and doxa, which means “glory.” Mystics and the Scriptures speak about the divine glory or radiance that can emanate from all creatures. Hildegard of Bingen said “there is no creature that lacks a radiance.” Meanwhile Thomas Merton had a mystical experience walking through Louisville in the middle of the day when he saw pedestrians beaming light. He asked, “How is it possible to tell everyone they are all walking around shining like the sun?” Matthew tells us that this is the Cosmic Christ, or the Christ within us.
December 28, 2022. Meister Eckhart on Our Becoming Mothers of God.
Matthew begins today’s meditation with this important statement: Advent, as we considered a few weeks ago, is not just about humanity waiting to celebrate the birth of Jesus around 2000 years ago. It is also about Divinity waiting for the birth of the Christ in all of us. He continues with these words: If Christmas season is about the Cosmic Christ being born in us and from us, we are invited to imitate Mary by becoming birthers of the Christ ourselves. As Meister Eckhart said in one Christmas sermon: “What good is it to me if Mary gave birth to Christ 1400 years ago and I do not do the same?”
December 29, 2022. Our Giving Birth to the Christ, continued.
Meister Eckhart tells us that “God is always needing to be born.” He also asks us, “When do we give birth to Christ?” Borrowing from Eckhart, Matthew answers this question with “Whenever we create from the depths of ourselves.” Eckhart asks, “What help is it to me that the Father gives birth to his Son unless I too give birth to him?” Matthew reminds us: Now is the hour and this is the place for birthing the Son as Mary once did. And birthing the Cosmic Christ.
December 30, 2022. The Transfiguration and Birthing of the Cosmic Christ.
Thomas Merton said that God speaks to us gently in ten thousand things….He shines not on them but from within them. Meanwhile, one obvious instance when Christ shone from within was the Transfiguration. We, too, can be full of light. We, too, can be a Christ. Matthew tells us: One of the many universal meanings and archetypes of Christmas is that we ourselves are born or reborn as other Christs. That we come alive as sons and daughters of the Divine.
rays of Jesus’ glory touching his apostles.
Russian Orthodox icon by Dionisius, 15th century, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
Photo by Jim Forest on Flickr.
December 31, 2022. New Year’s Eve, 2023, Cosmic Christ & Transfiguration of the World.
In this meditation, we continue to explore the theme of Christ’s transfiguration, which the Eastern Orthodox Church considers to be the pivotal point of the liturgical year. Russian theologian Nicolas Berdyaev explained it this way: The central idea of the Eastern Fathers was that of theosis, the divination of all creatures, the transfiguration of the world, the idea of the cosmos and not the idea of personal salvation…. Only later Christian consciousness began to value the idea of hell more than the idea of the transfiguration and divinization of the world…. The kingdom of God is the transfiguration of the world, universal resurrection, a new heaven and a new earth. What a powerful thought to take into the new year!
Banner image: The radiance in all things. Photo by Johannes Plenio in Pexels.
Recommended Reading
The Coming of the Cosmic Christ: The Healing of Mother Earth and the Birth of a Global Renaissance
In what may be considered the most comprehensive outline of the Christian paradigm shift of our Age, Matthew Fox eloquently foreshadows the manner in which the spirit of Christ resurrects in terms of the return to an earth-based mysticism, the expression of creativity, mystical sexuality, the respect due the young, the rebirth of effective forms of worship—all of these mirroring the ongoing blessings of Mother Earth and the recovery of Eros, the feminine aspect of the Divine.
“The eighth wonder of the world…convincing proof that our Western religious tradition does indeed have the depth of imagination to reinvent its faith.” — Brian Swimme, author of The Universe Story and Journey of the Universe.
“This book is a classic.” Thomas Berry, author of The Great Work and The Dream of the Earth.
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.
6 thoughts on “Week of 12/27-12/31: Doxa, Giving Birth to Christ in Ourselves and in the Transfiguration of the World”
In Matthew’s reflection on the concepts of moxa (moxie of the rebel Jesus) and doxa, which means “glory.” Mystics and the Scriptures speak about the divine glory or radiance that can emanate from all creatures. Hildegard of Bingen said “there is no creature that lacks a radiance.” But for me the moxa and the doxa can be the human Jesus and the Divine Cosmic Christ, or the mystic and the prophet, or the contemplative and the social activist. But as Eckhart said, Advent, is not just about humanity waiting to celebrate the birth of Jesus some 2,000 years ago, for he says, “What good is 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?” So Matthew asks us, “When do we give birth to Christ?” Borrowing from Eckhart, Matthew answers this question with “Whenever we create from the depths of ourselves.” And he also says that, “Now is the hour and this is the place for birthing the Son as Mary once did. And birthing the Cosmic Christ. And so Advent and Christmas are also about Divinity waiting for the birth of the Christ in all of us. This is the idea of “theosis” (Greek: θέωσις), or deification or divinization, and may also refer to a transformative process whose aim is likeness to or union with God, as taught by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. And I along with Matthew and our whole team: Dennis Edwards, Phila Hoopes, Ellen Kennedy, Rev. Jerry Maynard and Cynthia Greb–wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!
Thank you to Matthew and the team for bringing us these informative and inspiring DM’s with all the beautiful images and videos to accompany and to enrich them.
(Creation, again):
Last week, Deepak Chopra was quoted: “Our minds are not equipped to perceive the infinite. We perceive what we are prepared to see and know.”
I disagree. We know, and have always known, infinity at a visceral level, regardless of whether we were “prepared to see it.” Intuition carries us beyond intellect-defined boundaries.
Ancient Egyptian myth said (god-made) creation arose out of, and conquered, chaos.
My interpretation of chaos:
Infinity All Around
Dread, uncertain,
Time removed,
Blank compass spinning perpetual.
Eternity in mid-fall panic.
Fogblind, lost
alone
in sandblizzard confusion.
There are no maps for this location in infinity.
Proud-fools damned to eternal begging
for water-stop salvation
with penitent sieves
and motionless mercy
from self-crushing boulders.
Sisyphus, keep pushing.
You are not forgiven.
Chaos, we name you, sly-lurk fiend,
enemy of divine-planned form
and all goodness,
in your gnashing and tearing at universe’s golden fabric.
You will never win.
Your fear-power exposed
illusion,
a mirage of endless mirrors
shattered by truth.
———
It’s worth noting that Zen’s wisdom lessons call for learning to open up into this unavoidable aspect of existence rather than running away from it. The ego-self fights against this with its well-defined (dualistic) boundaries of self vs. other.
Melinda, First of all I agree with you that: “We know, and have always known, infinity at a visceral level, regardless of whether we were “prepared to see it.” Intuition carries us beyond intellect-defined boundaries.” But the fact that we may experience infinity at a “visceral level” doesn’t mean that in our everyday mind we are able–and our intellect is usually not “prepared to see it.” I remember as a young boy having my first experience of the infinite. I was lying in my bed and I thought to myself, “If I could fly up there would be no end, because if I came to an end–a wall or something–there would have to be more beyond the wall.” This was my first thought of the infinite, and it was visceral! Also, I love your poem !!! Have a Happy New Year !!!
Blessed New Year of 2023 to Matthew and the DM team!
🔥💜🌎🙏
Thank you, Matthew, for introducing us to Natalie Lennard’s stunning depiction of Jesus’ birth.