In our Time, in our Midst
“Send out your light and your truth, let them lead me.”
In Marc Chagall's "White Crucifixion" (1938) we see Christ bearing the weight of human suffering. Though he himself is innocent, almost floating above the scene, we see him crucified in a chaotic pastiche that somehow draws together God's ancient people, and the persecuted Jews of 20th C Europe. In this powerful image, we see our Lord identified fully with the modern Jewish people in their affliction.
Jesus here is clearly depicted as Jewish -- and as a recognizably modern Jew. But this image is not specifically about his Jewishness. "White Crucifixion" is a sobering reminder of how many still face hatred and violence in our world. When God's children suffer, Christ suffers alongside them. He knows their pain. As Micah warns of leaders who oppress the vulnerable, this painting protests injustice against the innocent. It stands as an indictment of the corruption of power and domination.
Yet despite the devastation depicted, hope shines through. A thick, bright beam pierces the chaos. The Cross stands as the axis mundi: representing the God's overcoming of evil by good in Christ. By willingly humbling himself even to death, Jesus conquers the powers of darkness and opens the way to eternal life. His supreme act of sacrificial love and obedience becomes the instrument of our salvation. As we contemplate Chagall's image, let us be drawn to worship our crucified Lord, who gave everything and gives it still for the redemption of a dark world that so often seems hopelessly broken.
All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.
— Matthew 23:12
Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost
Texts for This Week
Prayer
Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, as we live among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Give Peace in our time, O Lord
Liturgical scholars identify the simple Gregorian introit Da Pacem Domine as being woven together out of three Scripture passages:
2 Kings 20:19: "Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, 'The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.' For he thought, 'Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?'"
2 Chronicles 20:12, 15: "12 O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you... 15 And he said, 'Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, "Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's."
Psalms 72:6-7: "6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth! 7 In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more!"
The full text runs like this:
Da pacem Domine in diebus nostris,
quia non est alius,
qui pugnet pro bonis,
nisi tu Deus noster.
Hallelujah.
Give peace in our days, O Lord, for we have no other helper, none other who fights for the good, but only you, our God.
Arvo Pärt's setting is a lament composed in the aftermath of terror: the Madrid bombings of 2004. As the unadorned voices unite in humble prayer, the simple harmonies evoke monastic plainsong, but with the depth of modern sonorities. Despite being written in a time of violence, the music flows with serene trust, resting in the promise of salvation. Like the psalmist crying out amidst torment, it appeals to heavenly mercy.
"Da pacem Domine" carries the burdens of the poor and oppressed, laying them at Christ's feet. In the midst of a cry for peace, the voices beg God to rain down justice, break chains of affliction, and bind up wounds of hatred. As the readings for this Sunday reflect on Christ's sacrifice reconciling humanity, this holy music soothes and uplifts the soul weighed down by suffering. It whispers of the peace that passes understanding.
As the liturgy contemplates the cross, "Da pacem Domine" calls the faithful to join in praying for the reconciliation of all nations. The sacrifice of the Prince of Peace on Calvary enables humanity to be one in Him. We plead for God to shepherd His people, to bring comfort to those who mourn, and to hasten the advent of divine justice. Like the voices intertwined in Pärt's chant, may our petitions rise together for the promised realm of righteousness and eternal life.
