Dearest e-votees-
One of my favorite quotes of St. Francis of Assisi is:
Preach the gospel, use word if necessary.
Today we see that borne out in Mary, the mother of our Lord.
Peace,
Karl
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Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-25, NRSV
We have been using the worship liturgy “Holden Evening Prayer” by Marty Haugen for our Wednesday worship services in Advent. The whole service is beautiful but I am particularly drawn to the Magnificat where Mary sings of her joy in response to what God has done through her. The source material for that song comes from the gospel of Luke.
As I was working on this e-vo I was wondering what Matthew recorded from Mary around the birth of Jesus. There are no words from Mary. We have no exchanges with the angels. No visit to Elizabeth with the accompanying conversation. In fact the only words I can find attributed to Mary, the mother of Jesus, throughout the entire gospel of Matthew is an indirect quote in Matthew 12:46-50 when Mary and Jesus’ brothers wanted to speak to him.
Mary seems to find little use for words in the gospel according to Matthew. Or Matthew didn’t seem to find it necessary to record the words she did utter. Words may not have been necessary but the gospel was certainly preached by Mary.
The word gospel literally means good news. It comes from the Greek compound word eu + angelos ( “good” + “news or message” ). It is the root of our word evangelical. Mary preaches good news. Mary preaches the gospel.
Through her participation in this holy virgin birth good news is brought into the world. Jesus comes and is connected with the name “Emmanuel” which means “God with us”. That is the good news for all. God has come to be with us. God has come to restore us. God has come to bear what we cannot. God has come to heal and to judge and to reconcile and to die and to rise again. None of that could have happened save for the gospel preaching of Mary through her willing and humble heart.
This good news is for all. God came to be with all. God came to restore all. God came to bear what all of us could not. None of that could have happened for anyone save for the gospel preaching of Mary through her willing and humble body.
There is a world that desperately needs to encounter the gospel. Some of us are more able to share that with words—thanks be to God. Some of us are more able to share that with humble and willing hearts—thanks be to God. All of us need to know that God is with us and that God wants all who would come to join us at the table of God’s mercy and grace and love.
Have a blessed Christmas. Savor the good news. Offer up a prayer of thanks for Mary. Be open to how God would speak through your life.
God, continue to preach the good news to us and through us. May our words and the meditations of our hearts and every act of service rendered in your name be pleasing in your sight. Amen.
One of my favorite quotes of St. Francis of Assisi is:
Today we see that borne out in Mary, the mother of our Lord.
Peace,
Karl
-----------
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
We have been using the worship liturgy “Holden Evening Prayer” by Marty Haugen for our Wednesday worship services in Advent. The whole service is beautiful but I am particularly drawn to the Magnificat where Mary sings of her joy in response to what God has done through her. The source material for that song comes from the gospel of Luke.
As I was working on this e-vo I was wondering what Matthew recorded from Mary around the birth of Jesus. There are no words from Mary. We have no exchanges with the angels. No visit to Elizabeth with the accompanying conversation. In fact the only words I can find attributed to Mary, the mother of Jesus, throughout the entire gospel of Matthew is an indirect quote in Matthew 12:46-50 when Mary and Jesus’ brothers wanted to speak to him.
Mary seems to find little use for words in the gospel according to Matthew. Or Matthew didn’t seem to find it necessary to record the words she did utter. Words may not have been necessary but the gospel was certainly preached by Mary.
The word gospel literally means good news. It comes from the Greek compound word eu + angelos ( “good” + “news or message” ). It is the root of our word evangelical. Mary preaches good news. Mary preaches the gospel.
Through her participation in this holy virgin birth good news is brought into the world. Jesus comes and is connected with the name “Emmanuel” which means “God with us”. That is the good news for all. God has come to be with us. God has come to restore us. God has come to bear what we cannot. God has come to heal and to judge and to reconcile and to die and to rise again. None of that could have happened save for the gospel preaching of Mary through her willing and humble heart.
This good news is for all. God came to be with all. God came to restore all. God came to bear what all of us could not. None of that could have happened for anyone save for the gospel preaching of Mary through her willing and humble body.
There is a world that desperately needs to encounter the gospel. Some of us are more able to share that with words—thanks be to God. Some of us are more able to share that with humble and willing hearts—thanks be to God. All of us need to know that God is with us and that God wants all who would come to join us at the table of God’s mercy and grace and love.
Have a blessed Christmas. Savor the good news. Offer up a prayer of thanks for Mary. Be open to how God would speak through your life.
God, continue to preach the good news to us and through us. May our words and the meditations of our hearts and every act of service rendered in your name be pleasing in your sight. Amen.
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