The Blessed Virgin Mary

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!
Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice;
Tender to me the promise of his Word;
In God my Saviour shall my heart rejoice.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his name!
Make known his might, the deeds his arm has done;
His mercy sure, from age to age the same;
His holy Name, the Lord, the mighty One.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might!
Powers and dominions lay their glory by;
Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight;
The hungry fed, the humble lifted high.

Tell out, my soul, the glories of his Word!
Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure.
Tell out my soul, the greatness of the Lord
To children’s children and for evermore!

Let us pray.

Loving God,
who chose the blessed virgin Mary
to be the mother of your incarnate Son:
grant that we, who are redeemed by his blood,
may share with her in the glory of your eternal kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

For the word of the Lord,
thanks be to God.

℟.  Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.

1  Praise, O servants of the Lord;
praise the name of the Lord.
2   Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time on and forevermore. ℟.

3   From the rising of the sun to its setting
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
4   The Lord is high above all nations,
and his glory above the heavens. ℟.

5   Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
6   who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth? ℟.

7   The Lord raises the poor from the dust,
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8   to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people. ℟.

When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

For the word of the Lord,
thanks be to God.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Mary has been taken up into heaven;
all the choirs of angels are rejoicing.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

A decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.

While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

For the Gospel of the Lord,
praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

REFLECTION ON OUR LADY

Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary, is honoured and revered as the Mother of our Lord., and we now have her very prominently in our liturgical Calendar in the Anglican Church. It is helpful to identify why we think so highly of her, almost apart from the fact that she is such an important mother.

In the Gospels we can read only snippets of information about Mary. The Gospels are principally about Jesus and references to others in his earthly story are for interest. So the Gospels have no interest in Mary for her own sake but only in relation to Jesus.

The Visit to Cousin Elisabeth.  Mary does this to confirm the message she received form the Archangel, Gabriel is true. The fact that Elisabeth is expecting a child confirms for Mary that the Archangel was not a dream but Elisabeth is a sign to her that her own pregnancy is real and a birth will happen. Nevertheless we can also see in this visit an indication of Mary’s thoughtfulness and generosity in going to look after Elisabeth.

Barren Women Pregnant.  There is no suggestion that Mary is naturally incapable of giving birth to children. Elisabeth had never given birth previously and hers was an unexpected pregnancy. She belongs to a line of childless women who eventually gave birth to great biblical people who carried out God’s plans in history. The birth of Jesus is of a different order which is unique.

Jesus Praises Mary for Who and What She Is.  A woman in a crowd suddenly cries out to Jesus, “Happy the womb which bore you! ”and so on and Jesus responds “Still happier are they who hear the word of God and keep it!”Some take this as a put down of Mary but just as easilyit affirms Mary as a model disciple for reasons which matter. We might say to someone how wonderful they are because of something they have done and someone else might reply that people who do a number of things, all of which the person has done, are wonderful.

Mary is regarded as first among the disciples – not because she is the mother of Jesus but because she was attentive to the Jesus’ words and put them into action. If we are looking for an ideal follower of Christ to imitate, Mary is our example and in her entrance into the heavenly presence of God we can see the future glory which God has in store for those who try their best to follow the way of Jesus.

The beginning of spring is upon us. Every year I am in awe at the bursting forth of the daffodils you see before you. They remind me that in the earth, cradled in darkness, and dirt, the bulbs sit for nine months seemingly they die, but then life begins to open in them.

And from this core of brown, uninspiring clod, comes a brilliant, perfectly formed, beautifully arrayed yellow piece of wonder.

Pretty much every time this happens I am moved to pray that every person could see themselves in this wonder-filled act of life  -the bringing forth of beauty and light from dirt, dark, ordinariness even apparent death.

Id invite you today, if you feel so inclined to keep your eyes open and dwell in the beauty of this flower that I hope might represent our prayers for the world much more effectively than my words.

Let us pray:

In the winding around of so many difficulties at this time in the world’s history -of the pandemic, and its devastation in deaths, in illness, in fear, in social disarray, in human disconnection: that intertwined with the rising world unrest that seems to reflect both geopolitical and socio-racial distress, plus the incredible challenge of economic instability; capped by the continued alarm that is climate change; and all this straddled by the daily toll of life on our dear planet -Beiruit, a disaster that should never have happened but has, refugees, homelessness, and our personal garden varieties of distress and challenge…relational, physical emotional, so many needs.

In all that, creator God, we would want to see in the simple daffodil before us the hope and promise of a life that is lived under the  proposition of you in our lives -that there is a beauty and a hope so astounding that it can change everything for each human’ each creature, each piece of flora, the very earth herself.

And while we are blessed in such a way that we see that beauty and wonder in this simple flower and know it tells a greater story -we would pray now that every one comes to know that story too, and that in recognising it, they and we are transformed by it; that it might bring courage, wisdom, comfort, possibility, creativity and love.

We ask that you sustain this world with your power.

It might seem trite but this daffodil is the work of The Creator of our world, and of every one of us. If this daffodil is, then we can believe in the prayers of our hearts for every person, creature, plant, and rock on our planet today.

Because this daffodil is a miracle, then the miracles we ask for in the name of those most in need, are more than a hope, they are a wonder we can hold.

Lord hear our prayers.

As our Saviour Christ has taught us, we are confident to pray:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.

Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
graciously grant peace in our days,
that, by the help of your mercy,
we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress,
as we await the blessed hope
and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love you above all things and I desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come spiritually into my heart. I embrace you as if you were already there, and unite myself wholly to you. Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.