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| Image by Horia Varlan |
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A GREETING
I will praise the name of God with a song;
I will magnify God with thanksgiving.
(Psalm 69:30)
A READING
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.
(Luke 1:26-32)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
By my speaking with all boldness,
Christ will be exalted now as always in my body.
(Philippians 1:20b)
A POEM
To bear in her womb
Infinite weight and lightness; to carry
in hidden, finite inwardness,
nine months of Eternity; to contain
in slender vase of being,
the sum of power–
in narrow flesh,
the sum of light...
This was the moment no one speaks of,
when she could still refuse.
A breath unbreathed,
Spirit,
suspended,
waiting.
- from "Annunciation" by Denise Levertov
VERSE OF THE DAY
The human spirit is the lamp of God, searching every inmost part.
(Proverbs 20:27)
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| "The Annunciation" by Mary Alexandra Bell Eastlake |
The veneration of Mary among Celtic Christians may have begun as early as the sixth century. At that time, Mary became fused with Celtic goddess figures whom she seemed to resemble. In those early middle ages, she was sometimes conflated with St. Brigit, a figure we will visit another day. Mostly, she was associated with spring and new life, and the festival of Beltane on May 1st (see Day 8). For the Celtic people, all good things emerge from Creation and from the earth. Mary was therefore imagined to be a goddess and the earth mother, an eternal figure of bountiful abundance.
In the painting above by Canadian 19th/20th century artist Mary Alexandra Bell Eastlake, the youth of Mary is emphasized. The red cape carries the sense of divine energy that is also found in the red of the angel’s wings. The nature surrounding her seems to shimmer with that energy. The prayer of Mary, that we read later in Luke 1 and called the Magnificat, expresses her capacity to transform her agitation into joy, simply by being able to fully experience the presence of God within her, and willingly respond to God’s call. We think of the Annunciation as the message from Gabriel to Mary, but Mary herself becomes an embodied annunciation of Jesus to the world. She is alive and vibrant with the creativity of God. Her action of saying ‘yes’ to God is a faithful leap of imagination, commitment and courage. It is bold and active.
The annunciation to Mary is often portrayed as taking place at night, despite that there is nothing in the text to say so. We are at our most vulnerable at night, and therefore perhaps more open to hearing and feeling God with us. The visit of Gabriel to Mary in this imagination occupies holy darkness with holy presence. This kind of darkness is like the darkness of a womb or the deepest part of the earth. It is a darkness that holds the mysterious seeds of new life.
How can the stirring, vibrant, powerful response of Mary guide us in the next days as we pass through the deepest heart of Advent? When have you said ‘yes’ to God in ways that led to transformation?
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| Image by Dave Sutherland |
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LC† Come Holy Darkness is a project of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook, and on Twitter. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help to support extended offerings throughout the year.
Thank you and peace be with you!