I was reminded of this prayer reflection by my friend Jo who sent it to me. It was originally written by Barbara Glasson, President of the Methodist Conference.
Given the negative news we have received today (12th September) about the spike in Coronavirus infections, and the importance of social distancing and wearing face masks, we need to also hold on to a bigger and more hopeful focus.
In whatever way you can, may you ponder what the words say and, despite everything, become a beacon of hope to those you have contact with.
The photo is by Piers Northam of flowers in my garden
Anne and Joachim knew you were gift, precious, a blessing to be blessed. Gifted back to God, waiting for the opportune time.
God waited for you, readying you, shaping your womb, carefully. You would carry not only His child but His dreams: vision for a world He formed, brooded over, loved and despaired of. You would bring into the world not just a child but a hope. ‘I’m counting on you’, breathed God expectantly, apprehensively, scarily.
God waited, knowing the power of rejection, knowing what He was asking: well aware that your child would be destined for the rising and falling of many and would know the power of rejection. He too would burden some with His hope and love and they would turn as we might turn. ‘It is too hard for us.’
It was hard for you too. Prophecy sent a sword straight into your heart. Yet you bore it as you bore everything because you were God-bearer – Theotokos – carrying the child of God into the world. Your ‘Yes’ always ‘Yes’.
And gently, beautifully, as you looked on Jesus, you look on us: on each theotokos bearing God today.
Today the church keeps the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, her birthday! So a friend of mine, Gill Henwood, has sent me a Rose. I thought it churlish to keep it to myself so I’m sharing it.
Gill wrapped her rose in a quotation by St John Henry Newman: Holy Mary, Mystical Rose, you are the most beautiful flower created by God, in venerating you we praise God for his holiness and beauty.
In the hymn, Crown Him with many Crowns the second verse reads:
Crown him the Virgin’s Son, the God incarnate born, whose arm those crimson trophies won which now his brow adorn: fruit of that mystic Rose, as of that Rose the Stem; the Root whence mercy ever flows, the Babe of Bethlehem.
The ‘mystic Rose’ referred to here is Mary but Jesus is the ‘fruit’ of that Rose and its stem and root – from whence all mercy flows.
The link is that Jesus and Mary are both engaged in the salvation of the world . Her‘ Yes’ to the Angel Gabriel, and thus to God the Father, opens the way for the Incarnation as she gives birth to Jesus. The ‘Babe of Bethlehem’ becomes the way God chooses to save us and free us and love us into His Kingdom, by the way of Cross. The Babe of Bethlehem is the instrument of that salvation Jesus is the God Incarnate born, who’s brow is now adorned with the potent symbol of the Crucifixion, the Crown of Thorns. Through this suffering and self-giving on the Cross the love of God, poured into Mary at the birth of Jesus, is poured out from Jesus Himself upon and for us all.
We are reminded that the Manger and the Cross are linked together in Jesus, or as T S Eliot puts it in The Four Quartets (Little Gidding) –The Rose and the Crown are one – Incarnation and Crucifixion totally intertwined in God’s plan for us and for our salvation and for the redeeming and re-creation of the world.
The result as Eliot puts it, echoing Julian of Norwich, ‘All Shall be Well’ All manner of things shall be well. We shall be well and though it is not always obvious, the world and all creation shall be well.
Enjoy the Rose. By quite a process it can be a sign of God’s inexpressible and unconditional Love for you – for all.
Thank you Gill. Thank you God!!!
Gill served as my colleague when she was our curate at Whitechapel and Admarsh-in-Bleasdale in Lancashire . She is a great joy to me.
Mr G's Ponderings 