Then Mary said,
“Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
(Luke 1:38, NRSVUE)
This was the moment no one speaks of, when she could still refuse.
A breath unbreathed, Spirit, suspended, waiting.
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She did not cry, ‘I cannot. I am not worthy,’ Nor, ‘I have not the strength.’ She did not submit with gritted teeth, raging, coerced. Bravest of all humans, consent illumined her. The room filled with its light, the lily glowed in it, and the iridescent wings. Consent, courage unparalleled, opened her utterly.
(Denise Levertov, from "Annunciation")
In the past, I have needed to learn how to set strong, clear boundaries and it continues to be wise and self-caring to do have wise boundaries. However, my spirit is also beginning to feel unsettled, a bit restless, ready to stretch and grow.
It's as if the vessel of Love within me longs to expand, widen out to hold more Love, BE more love. My deep desire is to consent -- like Mary's "Yes" -- to the transcendence of Love in me; to let it "illumine" me and to be "opened utterly" in my love for my family, my neighborhood, creation, and the world.
As Mary asks the angel, "How can this be?" I also wonder how this might happen in me, and what it might look like? I trust that this is God's dream for me and God's work. It's not my job to make it happen. Like Mary, I am invited to consent, but then wait, and ponder... "May it be done in me, according to God's Word."
Prayer Practice Suggestion: Wrapped in Love
As we considered on Sunday, Mary was a vessel, holding within the promise of God's Love for the world, and at the same time, she was held in the greater vessel of God's Love. We, too, are held in the Love of God, and are, simultaneously, vessels of Love for the world.
Below is a simple way you might like to pray with this mutual holding and being held:
1) Set aside some quiet time (maybe 10-15 minutes) each day in the coming week or so to sit with God. Wrap yourself in a favorite soft blanket or throw. Let your blanket remind you of being embraced in God's Love.
Also have a mug of warm tea, coffee, cider or other beverage, holding it between your hands, as a symbol for what you are carrying in your life right now.
Breathe in and out slowly several times.
2) Notice the feel of the blanket wrapped around you. Try to sense God's presence around you, enveloping you. You are safe - and held in great love.
Breathe in the Love that is wrapping you.
3) Slowly drink your tea or coffee. With each sip, allow an image of a loved one or situation where your heart is drawn, to rise up and be seen. You might ask God to bring to mind those people and things that need prayer. Simply allow the person or situation to emerge in your heart and mind, and know that as you acknowledge them -- perhaps saying a gentle "Welcome" -- that they too are being held, along with you, within the blanket of God's Love. Continue to do this as long as you wish: sipping slowly, and inviting people/situations to come sit with you.
You don't need to fix any person or situation, you don't need to struggle to understand it, or find solutions. The purpose of this time of prayer is to sense your oneness with God and the things you hold close in your heart.
The following exercise is offered by Lilly Lewin and Christine Sine:
"Be wrapped in God’s love this Christmas. As Mary wrapped Jesus in bands of cloth, let the love of Jesus wrap around you and remove the stress and fear, the anxiety and expectations others . Allow God to hold you close, like a mother holds her child. Breathe in Love Breathe out fear. Breathe in Belovedness. Breathe out self doubt. Breathe in love for the unique creation you are. Breathe out comparison.
Breathe in Love. Breathe out stress. Breathe in Love. Rest in this great Love. Be wrapped in it!
For reflection:
As you go into the week, take some time to reflect on the impact that the love of God has had in your life. How has it transformed you and your ways of interacting with the world?
What do you desire now? Allow God to speak to you of new aspects of that Love that God wants to birth in you this Christmas."
Sources:
The painting above is called "The Annunciation" by Henry Ossawa Tanner. Painted in 1898. The painting can be viewed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Levertov, Denise. "Annunciation" (this is a long poem but beautiful - here is a link to the entire poem:
Lewin, Lilly and Sine, Christine. Godspace blog, 12/2o/2019: found at godspacelight.com.
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