with scripture is to imagine yourself as one of the
characters in the story, in the scene, and to ponder what
you might say or do, what you might experience from that
character’s point of view as the story unfolds.
gospel for the feast of the Annunciation and imagines herself to be the angel, Gabriel, who comes
to tell Mary she’ll be the mother of Jesus.
close your eyes and imagine, for a few moments, that you are the angel
Gabriel, just about to enter Mary’s house…
Annunciation
I hesitated
on the threshold.
For the space
of a breath
I paused,
unwilling to disturb
her last ordinary moment,
knowing that the next step
would cleave her life:
that this day
would slice her story
in two,
dividing all the days before
from all the ones
to come.
later
depict the scene:
Mary dazzled
by the archangel,
her head bowed
in humble assent,
awed by the messenger
who condescended
to leave paradise
to bestow such an honor
upon a woman, and mortal.
it was I who was dazzled,
I who found myself agape
when I came upon her—
reading, at the loom, in the kitchen,
I cannot now recall;
only that the woman before me—
blessed and full of grace
long before I called her so—
shimmered with how completely
she inhabited herself,
inhabited the space around her,
inhabited the moment
that hung between u
her
from what I had been sent
to say.
when I had stammered
the invitation
(history would not record
the sweat on my brow,
the pounding of my heart;
would not note
that I said
Do not be afraid
to myself as much as
to her)
it was she
who saved me—
her first deliverance—
her Let it be
not just declaration
to the Divine
but a word of solace,
of soothing,
of benediction
in the doorway
who would hesitate
one last time—
just for the space
of a breath
torn from his chest—
before wrenching himself away
from her radiant consent,
her beautiful and
awful yes.
§ § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § §
reflection, isn’t it?
angels are messengers from God:
deliver a word, a warning
that God’s always messaging me.
to me in many ways
through an “angel in the doorway” –
moments of prayer,
carefully to what others say,
to my conscience,
scriptures at Mass,
dream, much more often in the shower,
or asleep,
offering me wise counsel
a deeper relationship with him.
same is true for every one of us!
not always tuned in. We’re often
preoccupied.
busy to listen or pay attention.
don’t even want to know
to us might be.
to use the season of Lent
through to each of us.
is for you
inkling of what it is for me.
pondering, listening for
the word, the warning,
invitation
us.
she was doing
moment,
yesterdays, not in her tomorrows
word to her,
of us will be different
busyness,
for an angel in the doorway…
For our musical reflection tonight, I share with you again Franz Biebl‘s exquisite Ave Maria, flawlessly performed by Chanticleer. Composed in 1964, Biebl intersperses the Ave with the three verses of the Angelus prayer, all of which captures the scene of Gabriel and Mary at the Annunciation. Scroll down for the lyrics in Latin and English. I hope you’ll take the time to listen and to pray…
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Here’s an image of Mary, inhabiting the moment…
Angelus Domini, nuntiavit Mariae,
et concepit de Spiritu Sancto.
The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary
and she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum;
benedicta tu in mulieribus
et benedictus fructus ventris tui Jesus.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Maria dixit, ecce ancilla Domini,
fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.
Mary said: behold the servant of the Lord,
let it be done to me according to your word.
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum;
benedicta tu in mulieribus
et benedictus fructus ventris tui Jesu.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Et verbum caro factum est,
et habitavit in nobis.
And the word became flesh
and dwelled among us.
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum;
benedicta tu in mulieribus
et benedictus fructus ventris tui Jesu.
Sancta Maria, mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus
nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God,
pray for us, sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.