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| Image by Rennett Stowe |
The Celtic Mary
A GREETING
O send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me.
(Psalm 43:3a)
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, favored 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 favor 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. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
(Luke 1:26-38)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
The human spirit is the lamp of God, searching every inmost part.
(Proverbs 20:27)
A POEM
(Part 1)
We know the scene: the room, variously furnished,
almost always a lectern, a book; always
the tall lily.
Arrived on solemn grandeur of great wings,
the angelic ambassador, standing or hovering,
whom she acknowledges, a guest.
But we are told of meek obedience. No one mentions
courage.
The engendering Spirit
did not enter her without consent.
God waited.
She was free
to accept or to refuse, choice
integral to humanness.
- from "Annunciation," by Denise Levertov
found in "A Door in the Hive"
A PRAYER FOR THE DAY
God of all goodness and grace,
Let us learn to walk in the dark,
In places where light is dim,
And we cannot see.
Help us to move slowly
And not stumble,
Attentive to touch and sound and smell.
May we cherish the intimacy of your inner voice,
And the gentle love of your guiding presence.
from Celtic Advent: Following an Unfamiliar Path
by Christine Aroney-Sine.
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| Detail from the Annunciation Triptych (Merode alterpiece) by Robert Campin (1427-32) |
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 also conflated with St. Brigid, a figure we will visit another day. Mostly, she was associated with spring and new life, and the festival of Beltane on May 1st. 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.
This week we will explore Mary the mother of Jesus in the Celtic experience. We will also reflect on Mary through the poem "Anunciation" by Denise Levertov which will appear in six parts. The ancient world Mary (as we find her in Scripture) will meet the Celtic Mary of later centuries, as well as a 20th century poet's vision of her. Who is she for us now in the present day?
In today's art, we find Mary as she was painted in the early 15th century by Robert Campin, a Netherlandish painter. His figures have an earthy naturalness to them; he helped start the Northern Renaissance movement in art by creating people who were very anchored in the real world. Mary's kettle is on the hook, and Joseph's prayer shawl hangs nearby. She's been reading and the haphazard window shutters are half-opened and shut. Since Mary has not yet noticed Gabriel, it is the moment just before the news, but the rush of the angel's arrival has put out the candle. If you look closely, a little figure of Jesus on the Cross is sailing in on beams of light from the upper left.
Denise Levertov starts her poem by wanting us to see how Mary has been 'type cast,' assigned virtues and settings that never change. Who is Mary in your own imagination? How can we liberate her from our assumptions and rediscover the woman who is the mother of God?
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| Image by Ralph Rozema |
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Scripture passages are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition.
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LC† Vigil in Hope is a devotional series 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. 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 support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!
