Image at the centre based on “Radiant Angel” by Edward P. Tadiello.
The Angel of Devotion
by Anselm Grün
Children can put their hearts completely into their games. They don’t allow anything to disturb them. They lose themselves to their games. They give themselves completely to their games. The artists of the era of the Baroque have often painted angels as children who are playing with complete devotion. The Christmas angel that Matthias Grünewald painted on the altar of Isenheim is completely absorbed by his play. According to the art historian Wilhelm Fraenger angels are for Grünewald “vessels of heavenly lust and joy… the epitome joyfully abounding beatitudeâ€. Thus angels in art are masters of devotion. They are totally here and now, they give themselves completely to what they are doing at the moment. After his death it was said about a Jewish rabbi: the most important thing for him was whatever he was doing at the moment. The Angel of Devotion obviously had let him in on the secret to devote himself completely to the moment.
A scientist can be completely devoted to his work. She does not let up in his efforts until she has found a solution. A crafts person can do his job with utter devotion. But ultimately devotion relates especially to two things: devotion in love, in sexuality, and the mystic devotion to God. Whatever else devotion may mean in my life, it is most poignant in the devotion of love. The sexual act is the climax of all devotion. The partners forget about themselves, they get completely involved with each other, into the other, they merge into one. An act of devotion means letting go of yourself completely. You don’t cling to yourself any more because you are afraid you could lose yourself. You cannot lose yourself, because you know that you will fall into loving arms.
What reaches its climax in sexuality, happens in every kind of love. If you love another person, you are devoted to them. You don’t want to stay within yourself. You want to be with the other person. You want to give yourself up to that person, because they mean everything to you. Devotion such as this affords us an experience of a new kind of wealth. Someone who gives herself to a loved one, will be rewarded by this love so that she feels richer and more alive and freer than ever before. Many people cannot give themselves up to anyone. They are full of mistrust that their devotion could be abused, that they could lose themselves that way. Especially people who want to stay in control of everything, who want to control their emotions, their relationships, their words and deeds, because they are afraid of making mistakes or showing any vulnerability, are unable to give themselves up to anyone or anything. They lack an essential aspect of a successful life. Who is not capable of giving herself to someone or something, will ultimately stay alone forever. She cannot truly encounter anyone else. Without devotion you cannot love and without devotion you cannot live.
It is said about saints how they gave themselves to God completely. They offered themselves up to Him. They prayed to God and asked Him to do with them what He would. Today we have difficulties with prayers of such all-out devotion. But the saints gained their freedom with this devotion. They could face the future full of confidence. They knew that every He planned for them would ultimately be good. This prayer by Klaus von der Flüe is famous: “O my God and my Lord, take me away from myself and give myself to You, wholly as Your own.†This prayer turned him into a mystic, completely transparent for the reality beyond our reality. And that way he could become a peacemaker for his contemporaries, an angel who showed them new ways, because he had kept away from the controversies and could look at every in relation to God.
Devotion does not mean to give yourself up, but to find yourself in a new way. Such devotion, says Jesus, is the prerequisite for a fruitful life. Sometimes pious people use their religious activities to cling to themselves, to their security and their salvation. But then their life becomes infertile. And they will never experience the wealth and vibrancy that result from devotion.
I wish that the Angel of Devotion may teach you the art to devote yourself to your work, to loved ones, and to the One Who is love itself. This kind of devotion will richly reward you. It will guide you to freedom and profound confidence that your life will be good. You can let yourself fall. The shields you have built up around you by clinging to yourself will break apart. You feel alive and free. Your life will be fruitful. Devotion will let you flower.
© by Anselm Grün, 50 Engel für das Jahr, 1997;
translation by JunoMagic.
Song for December 16:
(Click pic!)
Pegasus
by Hans-Jürgen Hufeisen,
album “Pegasus – Melodien der vier Winde”
(“Pegasus – Melodies of the Four Winds”)