Never before, perhaps, has the relationship to death been so impoverished as in this time of spiritual desolation when men, in their rush to exist, seem to avoid all mystery.
François Mitterrand
Rhythms of Habit
St. Alphonsus on Uniformity with God's Will
9/22/24
I stumbled upon this brief text at church today, written by the 18th century Italian St. Alphonsus de Liguori. His distinction between conformity with God’s will and uniformity is helpfully described in the definitions below. And in the illustration that follows he excellently explains why it matters—what is to be gained through the pursuit of uniformity. Conformity is bending our will to the will of God. Uniformity is making one will of God’s will and ours, so that we will only what God wills; that God’s will alone is our will.
Pentecost
5/30/23
Nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. The opening eleven chapters of the book of Genesis seek to explain why the world is the way it is. And though these stories were first told thousands of years ago, they offer a surprisingly accurate vision of our world, even today. The final story of this opening section of our Scriptures is none other than the Tower of Babel.
Good Friday
4/7/23
All this he did for you.In a cold, dark, room somewhere abroad a small group of naked, tired, hungry, and defeated captives are huddled in the corner. They’ve lost count of the hours, days, weeks, and years since they've experienced anything close to a normal life. One night, in the middle of a monsoon, an explosion sends a wooden door, now shattered to pieces, across the room. Light floods the room in the form of half a dozen headlamps.
Maundy Thursday
4/6/23
Learning from Jesus “on the night in which he was betrayed.”In first-century Galatia, a small but powerful group of teachers insisted that anyone who wanted to become a Christian must show that they are truly Christian through some outward sign. A very specific outward sign, in fact: circumcision. After dismantling this argument throughout his letter to the Galatians, St. Paul proposes his own outward sign of the Christian faith. In what has since been dubbed the “Fruit of the Spirit,” he lists several outward signs (fruit) of a life indwelled by the Spirit.
Holy Week
4/3/23
This is no ordinary week.A quick note before this edition of the newsletter: Holy Week culminates in a final service on Saturday Evening: The Easter Vigil. If you happen to be in the Dallas area this Easter, come see us at Church of the Incarnation for what I find to be the most moving of all services of the Christian Year. I will be teaching a History & Traditions class at 7pm ahead of the service, which begins at 8pm.
St. Joseph, March 19 (Usually)
3/20/23
St. Joseph is a model of quiet, often thankless work that paves the way for Jesus to be known and loved. The Feast of St. Joseph is usually celebrated on March 19th. When specific Feasts fall on a Sunday, their observance is usually transferred to the following weekday. This is because every Sunday is a Feast of our Lord’s Resurrection—and in that sense—the celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection is not shared with any other celebration.
Lent as an Exercise in Dependence
3/6/23
Becoming more human in an age of informationIn 1948, Claude Shannon published a paper on the Theory of Information and Communication that set the stage for an understanding of Information as data - bits of sound that are capable of being transmitted in an orderly fashion across great distances. Eventually this work led to the creation of what we call the internet and the dawning of the Information Age. Today, we know more than we ever have, and we can share that knowledge with just about anybody anywhere at any time.
Lent: Effort and Grace in Action
2/20/23
One of my favorite bits of dialogue in Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring presents us with an age-old debate about spiritual disciplines in general, and the Christian season of Lent in particular. Before embarking on their Journey to Mordor, Elrond—the Lord of Rivendale—shares a final message with the Company that is to join Frodo on his quest. Frodo himself is bound to complete the journey, while the members of the Company are “free companions” that may “come back, or turn aside into other paths, as chance allows.
O Emmanuel
12/24/22
Come, O God with usFriends, The final O Antiphon of Advent is below—in its Latin and English forms. Subscribers can keep reading below the image for a short reflection and another response poem by the brilliant Fr. Malcolm Guite. I hope these brief moments of reading and reflection have helped you capture the heart of Advent in this busy final week before Christmas. O EmmanuelText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedLatin Text Veni, veni Emmanuel, Captivum solve Israel, Qui gemit in exilio Privatus Dei Filio.
O Rex Gentium
12/23/22
Come, O King of NationsFriends, Today’s O Antiphon is below—in its Latin, English, and adapted forms. Subscribers can keep reading below the image for a short reflection and another response poem by the brilliant Fr. Malcolm Guite. I hope these brief moments of reading and reflection help you capture the heart of Advent in this busy final week before Christmas. O Rex GentiumText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedLatin Text O rex gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum, (veni, et) salva hominem quem de limo formasti English Translation O King of the nations, and their desire, the cornerstone making both one: Come and save the human race, which you fashioned from clay.
O Oriens
12/22/22
Come, O DayspringFriends, Today’s O Antiphon is below—in its Latin, English, and adapted forms. Subscribers can keep reading below the image for a short reflection and another response poem by the brilliant Fr. Malcolm Guite. I hope these brief moments of reading and reflection help you capture the heart of Advent in this busy final week before Christmas. O Oriens Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedLatin Text O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis English Translation O Dayspring, splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness: Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
O Clavis David
12/21/22
Come, O Key of DavidFriends, Today’s O Antiphon is below—in its Latin, English, and adapted forms. Subscribers can keep reading below the image for a short reflection and another response poem by the brilliant Fr. Malcolm Guite. I hope these brief moments of reading and reflection help you capture the heart of Advent in this busy final week before Christmas. Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedLatin Text O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel; qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
O Radix Jesse
12/20/22
Come, O Root of JesseFriends, Today’s O Antiphon is below—in its Latin, English, and adapted forms. Subscribers can keep reading below the image for a short reflection and another response poem by the brilliant Fr. Malcolm Guite. I hope these brief moments of reading and reflection help you capture the heart of Advent in this busy final week before Christmas. O Radix JesseText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedLatin Text O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem Gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.
O Adonai
12/19/22
Come, O LordFriends, Today’s O Antiphon is below—in its Latin, English, and adapted forms. Subscribers can keep reading below the image for a short reflection and another response poem by the brilliant Fr. Malcolm Guite. I hope these brief moments of reading and reflection help you capture the heart of Advent in this busy final week before Christmas. O AdonaiText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedLatin Text O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento English Translation O Adonai, and leader of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm
O Sapientia
12/18/22
Come, O WisdomChristians throughout the ages have spent the final week of Advent singing, praying, and reflecting upon the seven great O Antiphons. These ancient verses have been captured in the lyrics of the great hymn O Come, O Come Emmanuel, but existed far before the hymn itself. These O Antiphons describe to us more fully who it is that we anticipate during Advent. Yes, “God with Us” is coming afresh on Christmas this year; but Jesus is always far more than we imagine him to be.
Fourth Week of Advent: Salvation
12/18/22
Jesus is EmmanuelWe all already follow a wide variety of calendars. Sometimes those calendars conflict with one another. (I am serving this morning at Church while the World Cup final is being played, for example. Two of my favorite calendars are not playing well together…) Of all the Church seasons, it may be Advent that is most often at odds with our other cultural calendars. While we celebrate Advent, a season of reflection, penitence, and anticipation, our other calendars tend to increasingly fill up with business and festivities.
Third Week of Advent (Rejoice!)
12/11/22
The One With the Pink CandleLiturgical colors—those featured in various Holy Days and Holy Seasons—do more than remind us of what season we are in. (Though that is always helpful.) In a future post we’ll explore the ins and outs of these colors—what they signify and what they do to us. But I mention colors this week because you have likely noticed that Advent candles are not uniform in color: most of the candles are purple (the color of the season), and there is sometimes a white or gold candle in the center to be lit on Christmas Day.
Second Week of Advent
12/4/22
Advent as a call to joy through repentance.There are some things that are very real, and yet very invisible. We often see the result of these things, but the thing itself remains unseen. Wind may be a good example. Wind is very real—nobody would argue with that. But it is also very invisible. There are no wind particles that make up “wind.” We can see trees or dust or debris being moved by the wind, but we cannot see wind itself.
First Week of Advent
11/27/22
Advent as preparation for judgement.What is the theme of each week of Advent? and What do each of the Advent candles represent? are the sort of questions that illicit a wide range of answers. It is probably most common today for the themes of Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy to be linked to each of the four weeks of Advent. An older tradition asks us to focus on the four last things during this season: death, judgement, heaven, and hell.
Advent is Coming: Set your Intentions
11/26/22
A Holy New YearThe Church Year begins afresh tomorrow with the First Sunday of Advent! Some of you recently began intentionally following the Church Calendar and are looking for ways to be more formally shaped by this ancient practice. Others of you have followed the calendar for years, and have a fairly seasoned set of traditions for each major season. Regardless of where you are on your journey with the Church Calendar, Advent offers not just an opportunity to prepare for the season of Christmas, but a fresh start—a new year—of Christian discipleship.
All Saints Day and All Souls Day
11/1/22
November 1 and November 2Thank you for subscribing to Rhythms of Habit! As we enter the month of November, it is worth noting that Advent—the beginning of the Church Year—is quickly approaching. If you know someone who may enjoy these emails as we enter a new Christian year together, please encourage them to subscribe or consider purchasing a gift subscription on their behalf. Give a gift subscription Share Rhythms of Habit by Jon Jordan
St. James of Jerusalem
10/24/22
October 23While this is not your standard Rhythms of Habit email, I wanted to send out a quick note today about St. James of Jerusalem, along with a request. The RequestPlease send me your questions about the Church Calendar! It has been a joy hearing from many of you as you enter more deeply into following the church calendar, and I would love to know what questions you have along the way.
Every Friday is Good Friday
10/4/22
The seven day week as a microcosm of the Church Calendar.The Church Calendar, beginning with the first Sunday of Advent and concluding with the Feast of Christ the King, is an intentional re-living of the life of Christ year after year. In Advent we anticipate his Incarnation that we celebrate throughout Christmas. In Epiphany we recognize the many ways he revealed his true nature throughout the Gospels. In Lent we enter with him into the period of fasting in the wilderness.
St. Michael and All Angels
9/28/22
September 29: A celebration of heavenly beings in an overly-materialistic world. The monastery Mont Saint-Michel off the coast of normandy. | Peter Visser (Flickr)In the preface to his infamous Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis notes the following about our attitudes towards heavenly beings. There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.
Why celebrate Saints?
9/19/22
The church calendar trains us to honor most those people most worthy of being honored.Different Christian Traditions have various official and unofficial ways of canonizing or otherwise recognizing the faithful departed whose lives of holiness have made a profound impact on the Body of Christ. Some of these Saints even have Feast Days on the Church Calendar in recognition of their life and work. Some of these Feast Days have remained culturally relevant long after the religious significance of the holy day has been lost.
Holy Cross Day
9/13/22
September 14Calendars, by their very nature, are reminders of important things we already know but that we risk forgetting in the business of life. One of the benefits of adopting the practice of following the Church calendar is the nearly constant reminders that come along with it. Holy Cross Day, celebrated on September 14, is a perfect example of this. On a day that falls squarely on the other side of the calendar from Good Friday, we are reminded again of the centrality of the Cross.