Third
Sunday of Advent
Canticle: Magnificat (see Luke 1.46-56) Luc 1.46-56 Lukas 1.46-56
The Virgin Mary
One of
the first highly influential women in the Bible - a very young peasant girl,
who was engaged to be married. On the surface of it, she was just a normal
woman, doing her domestic duties, helping her husband, a modest carpenter and
possibly doing some exceptional weaving, as seen in the handwoven covering of
Jesus at the crucifixion.
But Mary
was one heck of a woman – a true role model for us women out in the world. She was plucky, bold and forthright.
Mary was
visited by an angel and gave birth to a child without having conceived naturally.
I wonder
if these days, we talk to angels without knowing it too?
Luke 1.
38. Wow!! We don’t even know if she blinked!!!! We see here a woman who had the
spiritual energy to trust in God without question. Don’t you just love that?
The
truly magnificent song of Mary. Have a
look in your Bible and imagine her saying or singing it.
We then
see her again, giving birth to the Messiah, in a stable since there was no room
in the inn. I wonder how many of us can
identify with being in the wrong place sometimes too??? Knocking at doors
that…….don’t open to us, or don’t make us welcome either??? Or….. starting out
with really humble beginnings and not knowing the end??? Or being rejected like
Christ, right from the start, and indeed, right through his life.
Wasn’t
Mary just a bit surprised that a future King would be born in such humility,
with the company of animals?? Look at our kings nowadays and all the fuss made
of them and all the media hype and consumerism.
She also
had some visitors. First, a group of
shepherds arrive. Next, came the three wise men. According to my Bible, it had taken them two
years to arrive. They must have really
wanted to be there. How many women have
visitors like that???
Isn’t it
interesting that they talk about “opening their treasures”, and then they
presented gifts to him? Is there a
difference then between, opening their parcels of gold, frankincense and myrrh,
and opening their treasures?? What other treasures could they have revealed to
Mary??? They were three wise men, right?
Luke
2.19. You have to admit that Mary had pretty diverse visitors, angels,
shepherds and astrologers. What I found
particularly beautiful is that in comparison to the rather expensive and rare
gifts that her son had been offered (gold, frankincense and myrrh), here was a
woman who kept these thoughts in her heart.
Perhaps
someone has noticed that…………..she kept quiet about her thoughts and the gifts
too. Silence is often gold(en).
Hazel Collier
Mary's
Song
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