Why is this day unique in the annals of Lent Madness 2017? It is the ONLY non-weekday battle of the season. Yes, we're amazing at math. Thus the first Saturday of every season includes the one and only weekend battle of Lent Madness (trust us - we've done the math).
Yesterday Henry Beard Delany romped to a first round victory over Aelred of Rievaulx 78% to 22%. He'll go on to face the winner of Anselm of Canterbury vs. Florence Nightingale in the Saintly Sixteen.
Enjoy your Sunday devotions on the First Sunday in Lent (make sure to tell everybody at coffee hour just how much you love Lent Madness) and we'll get back to voting first thing Monday Morning as John Wycliffe takes on Moses the Black!
Isaac the Syrian
Isaac the Syrian, also know as Isaac of Nineveh, was born around 630 in eastern Arabia. At a young age he entered a monastery, where he dedicated himself to asceticism—a practice of withdrawing from the world in order to build a deeper spiritual life. Having spent countless hours studying in the monastery’s library, he became a renowned theologian.
After spending years as a monk, Isaac was consecrated Bishop of Nineveh, but he didn’t enjoy his new office and abdicated five months later. He then relocated to the wilderness of Mount Matout, where he lived as a hermit in solitude for many years. It is said that he ate only three loaves of bread and some uncooked vegetables each week. Old and blind, he eventually retired to the Assyrian monastery of Shabar in Mesopotamia, where he died and was buried.
Isaac was a prolific writer whose sermons about the inner spiritual life and the work of the Holy Spirit are considered key to understanding asceticism in the early church. His manuscripts in Syrian Arabic have survived for many centuries in Greek, Arabic, and Russian translations. His teachings about God’s providence, faith, prayer, obedience, and neighborly love have inspired generations of Christians and continue to be translated and published in many languages.
Because he avoided weighing in on the theological debates of his day, he is venerated and appreciated in many different Christian traditions, including the Assyrian Church of the East, the Syriac Orthodox Church, and the (non-Chalcedonian) Oriental churches. His feast is celebrated on January 28.
Collect for Isaac the Syrian
God of unsearchable wisdom, we thank you for the spirited life of our brother Isaac the Syrian, who wrote and prayed in companionship with you alone. Help us, like Isaac, relentlessly seek your wisdom and adore your face as you show it to us in the faces of our neighbors, family, friends, and all those who may be different from us. Amen.
Mechtild of Magdeburg
Born to a wealthy Saxon family around 1210, Mechtild of Magdeburg received the first of the daily visions that would come to her for the rest of her life at the tender age of 12. She called these her divine “greetings” from the Holy Spirit.
Leaving her family in 1230 “in order to dwell in the love of God,” she joined a Beguine community in Magdeburg, Germany. These intentional communities of the faithful stressed imitation of Christ’s life through religious devotion, voluntary poverty, and care of the poor and sick.
Dwelling in community in Magdeburg for forty years, Mechtild received spiritual instruction from the Dominicans. Mechtild’s confessor, Heinrich von Halle, encouraged her to write down her spiritual experiences and visions. From about 1250 until 1270, she wrote six of her seven volumes series, Das fließende Licht der Gottheit (The Flowing Light of the Godhead).
Mechtild’s descriptions of her daily visions are filled with passion. Besides being written by a woman when most women were neither literate nor educated, Mechtild composed her work in middle-low German while most religious literature was being written in Latin.
Mechtild’s devotional poetry is reminiscent of both love poetry and folk songs. Her books offer an account of the ecstatic, passionate experience of personal daily greetings from the Holy Spirit, in addition to her courageous condemnation of vices practiced by the clergy of her day. Mechtild’s writings were distributed widely during her lifetime and brought her much criticism— but her work was also deeply admired by and influential for other medieval mystics. Her writings indicate that Mechtild’s life was complicated by serious illnesses. In approximately 1270, blind and living alone, she was taken in by the convent of Helfta near Eisleben for the final years of her life. While in this community, the nuns cared for her, and she dictated her seventh book.
The exact date of her death in the late 1200s is unknown. Around 1290, Dominican friars of the Halle community translated the first six of her books into Latin. The feast of Mechtild of Magdeburg is November 19.
Collect for Mechtild of Magdeburg
Almighty God, we praise you for your servant, Mechtild of Magdeburg, through whom you have called the church to its tasks and renewed its life. Raise up in our own day teachers and prophets inspired by your Spirit, whose voices will give strength to your church and proclaim the reality of your reign, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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252 comments on “Isaac the Syrian vs. Mechtild of Magdeburg”
I love that Mechtild called her visions " greetings" from God. She got my vote!
Voting again for the underdog. I voted for Isaac as his hermit ways appeal to my introvert personality.
Another toss up for me, like yesterday. At times like this I filled out my bracket with who I guess people will go for. With some exceptions it is a safe bet in ties like this to go with the female or non-European person. Hence my vote for Mechtild today!
Thank you Diana for this delightful song! I voted for Mechtild because it is Women's History Month. I wish I had her saintly courage: "And I mean to be one, too."
wonderful
You have a gift, Diana.
I suspect that most, if not all, of the men of the medieval period could be construed as anti-woman; that period placed each person into a specific role and had little or no tolerance for those who didn't accept the place that society felt God had ordained for that person. (Joan of Arc, who's on the bracket this year, is a prime example of those who bucked the "natural order".) I agree that Mechtild is worthy of advancement, but wouldn't vote against Isaac or his contemporaries because of a bias against women.
For Isaac the Syrian and Mechtild of Magdeburg
We sing a song of two faithful saints,
Mechtild and Isaac, too.
Their mystic insights bless us still!
Between them who can choose?
And one was a Syrian whose land is now torn
And one was a woman whom men dared scorn
And their love and their faithfulness calls us today
To seek God in silence too.
To choose one of them is mighty tough;
It’s cruel of the SEC!
Was Isaac right to leave his call
And live in hermitry?
Or was Mechtild’s the way; for she faithfully stayed
In the midst of the challenge of people each day?
And to choose between them is hard to do!
And I want to vote twice too!
Bless you, Diana! You voiced my dilemma so poetically! I will probably 'cast lots' to make a decision on this one. The arguments on both sides are part of my own indecision; I'm such a fence sitter!
Delightful ....a difficult choice today, reflected in this song.
Perfect!
I voted for Isaac after checking the tally and seeing how badly he's behind. They're both wonderful examples - I want them to tie
Since Isaac is a hermit I like him because much of what I do is hermit like, but Mechtilde gave a representation that we all can follow through action in the social world so I voted for her. Her writings in Europe have greatly influenced my ideas on what it means to be human because I have a disability. Writing about and translating spirituality and the Bible is what I think will win Lent Madness because much of what we know about is shared with others whether through the internet or in books. I also like the fact she was a Dominican sister. Isaac is who I worship for and Mechtilde is who I learn from.
Here's another reason to vote for Isaac. He was a soul brother of Julian of Norwich in his optimism and prioritization of God's mercy and love:
Just because (the terms) wrath, anger, hatred, and the rest are used of the Creator, we should not imagine that He (actually) does anything in anger or hatred or zeal. Many figurative terms are employed in the Scriptures of God, terms which are far removed from His (true) nature.
It is not (the way of) the compassionate Maker to create rational beings in order to deliver them over mercilessly to unending affliction (in punishment) for things of which He knew even before they were fashioned, (aware) how they would turn out when He created them – and whom (nonetheless) He created.
That we should imagine that anger, wrath, jealousy or such like have anything to do with the divine Nature is something utterly abhorrent for us: no one in their right mind, no one who has any understanding (at all) can possibly come to such madness as to think anything of the sort about God. Nor again can we possibly say that He acts thus out of retribution, even though the Scriptures may on the outer surface posit this. Even to think this of God and to suppose that retribution for evil acts is to be found with Him is abominable.
"God's recompense to sinners is that, instead of a just recompense, God rewards them with resurrection.
I hate how we often set up a false dualism between the active and the contemplative here. Another quote from Isaac:
Let yourself be persecuted, but do not persecute others.
Be crucified, but do not crucify others.
Be slandered, but do not slander others.
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep: such is the sign of purity.
Suffer with the sick.
Be afflicted with sinners.
Exult with those who repent.
Be the friend of all, but in your spirit remain alone.
Be a partaker of the sufferings of all, but keep your body distant from all.
Rebuke no one, revile no one, not even those who live very wickedly.
Spread your cloak over those who fall into sin, each and every one, and shield them.
And if you cannot take the fault on yourself and accept punishment in their place,
do not destroy their character.
Think I'm leaning toward Isaac. . . Thank you, Freeman, for the gentle shove off my 'fence.'
"Because he avoided weighing in on the theological debates of his day..." Nope. Not the time.
Saint Mechtild of Magdeburg for me. I love this passionate, spiritual lady. Nice write up, Beth!
I admire both of them. I like Isaac but the girl gets my vote. I have to give the nod to a female that can take that kind of criticism and not go into hiding.
Mechtild won out for me because of her "speaking truth to power" efforts by criticizing "vices practiced by the clergy" of the day.
Although my first inclination was to vote for Mechtild, I voted for Isaac. We are called to love one another as Christ loved us, and we are encouraged to give of our time and talents. We all have different God-given talents and I believe Isaac and Mechtild certainly shared theirs. In the end, I just identified more with Isaac.
Today's vote was a no-brainer. This feminist theologian voted for her foremother, Mechtild.
The choice was hard, two renown voices as described. I would like to have seen some of their own words of faith to help me know them better. I chose Issac just because I thought not many would. I hope to find both of them in their words.
"I hope to find both of them in their worlds". Wow, thanks for the wonderful thought !
There is a balance here today, which has me come down on the side of Mechtild... the balance of personal wisdom, and interaction with the world. Isaac's withdrawal approach, while a valid tradition, speaks less to our age, than Mechtild's daily contemplation and expression... especially in poetry... of the encounters with the Holy Spirit that continue to feed and guide for work and life in the world.
Blessings for Mechtild... whom I'd never heard of before, but who reminds me of Hildegard of Bingen.... another voice from the Germanic communities that sings still.
Today was a tough one but I chose Michtild. I guess the reason was her visions.
After visiting the Begjjenhof in Amsterdam many years ago and reading more about the history of these "homes" for women and the work done by those who lived there, I was impressed. The garden was truly a place for meditation .
Am not familiar with the area now ..is it still Scottish Presbyterian ..after Roman Catholic ?
When we were in Amsterdam in 2007, we worshipped with the Scottish Church one Sunday. It is still located in the Bejinhof.
Yes, the Amsterdam Beguinage is very, with garden and English Reformed Church. We saw the Bruges Beguinage too but only from canal boat ride. Such a wonderful tradition and example.
I voted for Issac because without his showing another way, Mechthild could not have been who she was. Reading all the comments helped me come to that thought.
I wanted to vote for Isaac because I am Assyrian but I loved that Mechtild was a literate women who wrote of her Holy Spirit visions so everyday people could read.
Voted for Isaac today in recognition of the much put upon Syrian church, his willingness to walk away from the office of bishop in response to the integrity of his calling in Christ, and his ecumenicism related to the various ecclesial controversies of his day.
The description of Isaac is sadly lacking in that it provides no quotes from his writings that show his keen awareness of the human condition and how we are one. To those of you in the Disunited States he has a currently relevant message many need to hear even though it might be quite discomfiting.
I find this to be one of the very best matchups. Very difficult to choose, but both choices inspire me - as both the visions and the asceticism are fascinating. Now I plan to read more about each of them. Thank you for such good choices, no matter who wins!
I voted for Isaac because his feast day is the birthday of my youngest daughter!
I voted for Mechtild because I believe anyone who can write 6 books by hand in German deserves some recognition. And because her writings are inspiring.
It's Mechtild for me. She is both contemplative and activist, mystic and caregiver, and left behind plentiful writings for our inspiration and edification. Oliver, it's so good to be hearing from you again!
This was a very tough choice indeed, but finally voted for Isaac because he had the sense to resign as bishop.
Saturday saintly match-up! Tough choice. I'm voting for Isaac because I grieve what's happening to the place where he made contemplative contact with God.
My vote went to Isaac because he spoke to many, was humble in giving up his position. However it was a very difficult decision. Both are deserving.
I'm going to lose this one bigly - after having been on the winning side in the first two! I almost voted for Mechtild because of her prolific writing, but Isaac won me over because he resigned as bishop when he found it not a good fit. Would that more who wear the purple follow his example!
The more comments I read, the harder the choice becomes. At first I thought it was an easy selection for Mechtild. What courage, what passion, what perseverance! However, the more I learn about Isaac, the more I am drawn to him. I suspect he will not continue the race. I wish to acknowledge his remarkable grace, compassion and fortitude in leaving the world so we may have the benefit of his writing. My vote goes to Isaac and I will happily vote for Mechtild in future rounds.