Do We Really Want the Reign of God?

Do We Really Want the Reign of God?

 Deacon Matthew Simpson

December 2, 2018

               

So it is that time of year again.  The Christmas trees are going up all around, wreaths are being raised, soft holiday lights are hung and all aglow; the constant bombardment from advertisers promising holiday cheer at bargain prices is streaming from every media possible…and Christmas music is playing wherever you go…so it must be time for Jesus to talk about the Apocalypse again; dashing our hopes that Jesus will be participating with us in light-hearted holiday cheer.  As I said last year in my sermon on the first Sunday of Advent, I love preaching on the Apocalypse and 2^nd Coming, as I find that it typically gets a bad deal.  Most Episcopalians find it awkward to talk about…and the people who are eager to talk about it are awkward to talk to.  

              

  In our culture the mainstream thinking of the 2^nd Coming follows the traditional pathway of Medieval Christianity: Fear and Guilt.  Often associated with the 2^nd Coming come images of plague, terror, fire, and judgement.  Who will make it to the pearly gates, and who will be thrown into the lake of fire? Everything that has ever been built up will be torn asunder, as suddenly the God of Love and Mercy will become the Great Terminator in the sky.  And while I think the Apocalypse, or as I like to call it the “Great Revealing” will be terrifying, and for many it will be cataclysmic…I don’t think it will be terrifying for reasons we think.  So what do we do with this? What is the Good News of this 2^nd Coming?  What is the call to us as Christians to prepare for and participate in this Messianic Event?

               

 If we go to the text we are told that the world will be in turmoil: natural disasters; nations will be in conflict; there will be great distress in the world…so basically all of human history.  And these words of Jesus were said in a time of violence and angst, and were recorded in a time of conflict; Luke’s Gospel is written after the temple has been destroyed; Jerusalem is laid waste; the diaspora has begun; systematic persecutions of Christians are now underway.  The wisdom from this Scripture is not necessarily to foresee great doom coming ahead…but to recognize the turmoil here and now…the signs of the Coming of the Kingdom are all around us all the time.  Do we see them?

Next we see the response to these events…people fainting from fear and despair; people giving up.  The image is people falling all around us from distress…but what are we told to do?  Stand up; Raise your head, for your Redemption is near.  And so the people of Jesus’ time, and our time are being told to have a radical hope:  The world around us may seem like it is falling apart…but in faith, in holding to God’s promises we know it is temporary; something bigger than us is happening; something is coming that is just, merciful and eternal…so do not despair.  Act as though the Kingdom is already here…act in justice and mercy: despite the despair, horror and violence around.  Later we are told do not give into extravagance and drunkenness and excess that derives from despair.  Stand UP! Be ready!  The Beginning is Near.

So what does that mean for us today?  Well in true Episcopal fashion, I largely leave you to wrestle with that question on your own.  However, I do want to offer how this Scripture could guide us in our engagement with the world today spiritually and practically.  One of the things I like to remind the Church is that the 2^nd Coming might be scary for us who live mostly comfortable lives…but to those who suffer from injustice and oppression, the 2^nd Coming is Gospel; it is Good News.  The Coming Reign of God is one of Justice, one of peace, one of mercy.  And in this Kingdom no one is exploited, no one is victimized…and while this sounds like wonderful ideals, in reality they are actually hated by those in power, and demonized by those profiting off unjust systems, which includes at times us as Universal Church, and our own society.  The Powers of Religion and Empire, hate the Reign of God ideals in reality so much they crucified the Son of God over the whole ideal. And not just the Son of God, but prophets, martyrs, civil rights activists, union leaders, environmentalists, journalists…the list goes on.  Those who speak truth to power, and advocate for the dignity and respect of the downtrodden usually end up in an early grave.  And I think this Advent it is important to take time in the midst of our cultural urge and push for consumerism and profits, to reflect on what the coming of the Reign of God means for us, and do we really want it?

               

 In 2013 in Dhaka, Bangladesh an 8-story garment factory that produced clothes for major American, British and French retailers collapsed with workers trapped inside.  The workers had raised concerns about the safety of the structure.  But because of cost, and the demand from business partners the concerns were ignored.  Local officials also ignored safety protocols as the local government was making money from the business deals as well.  1,134 men, women, and children perished in the collapse, with another 2,500 injured and maimed.  When garment workers and families of those who perished protested for better working conditions, they were met with rubber bullets, batons, and tear gas.  And when Western Retailers and consumers found out…production was just moved to another factory, with same conditions.   And if we are all brutally honest, this same cruelty and reaction to injustice is found all over the world, including in our own nation.

 The Reign of God values humanity pretends to have and cherish are cast easily aside because in the end, we want cheap clothes, and our corporations and shareholders want profits even at the cost of human dignity and lives.  Do we think about and give thanks for the hands that make our clothes, food, cars, electronics that we purchase this holiday season?  Do we give thanks or care for them? Do we really believe those human beings are worth dignity and respect?  And would we be willing to pay higher prices to back those beliefs up? Behind the “cheap deals,” and profits we love so much, is often the exploitation of other human beings…are we ready and do we want the reign of God?  Do I, do we want to be more responsible consumers? I struggle with this question too.

                 

One small way that Kasey and I are trying to approach this issue, and I would like to suggest it for this community is that this Advent we are starting to buy more free trade, particularly coffee.   And we are trying in our prayers to consciously give thanks for all the hands involved in enjoying that delicious cup of joe in the morning.  It is a recognition that our lives depend upon our common toil, and a recognition of the humanity in persons that our consumer-based society passes over as resources, not children of God. I ask that we start buying free trade coffee here as well.  It might be small, but in this one area we are at least saying the unnamed and overlooked workers are worth it.

                 

This Church Year, I will also try to bring up unjust systems more in my preaching.  Often it is not people who are evil, but systems that we are a part of…I just mentioned the clothing industry, but there are other examples: take your average middle-age white guy in Central Bucks County.   If you asked most of us, do we believe white children and children of color should have the same funding and access for education, we would all say “Yes, absolutely.”  Yet we are all apart of and pay into a system that gives more State money to predominantly white school districts than districts with a majority of its students being children of color, such as Chester, who don’t even have access to textbooks in some classrooms.  Not one of us are evil, but we are in a racist system that is evil.  It is these systems that the Coming of the Son of Man will tear asunder: systems that exploit the poor, systems that separate families, systems that justify the bombing children…and while many of us have anger or feel helpless in the cold shadow of such systems; and others want to simply ignore these injustices are taking place, especially this time of year; a most inconvenient and uncomfortable and wonderful life-giving message and promise from Jesus is laid before us: Stand Up, Raise your Heads; The Reign of God is Coming…The Beginning is Near...are we ready and do we really want it?

               

Transfiguration as a Pit Stop in Ultimate Reality

Transfiguration as a Pit Stop in Ultimate Reality

Very often I am very thankful for our lectionary.  It gives us stories that left on our own we would not read or focus on.  As Nancy put it once, the lectionary prevents us from creating God in our own image.  However, sometimes the lectionary can be frustrating, this morning being an example for me. This morning we read the story of the Transfiguration for the second time in a year; it is a fantastic story a priest friend of mine calls, “The Story of the Glow-in-the-dark Jesus.”  And while it is an important story, it seems to be placed randomly, out of context in our lectionary at this time.  Last week we read from the Gospel of Mark about Jesus curing the sick and casting out demons, and wanting to spread the Good News to all of Galilee.  Next week we will read about Jesus’ baptism, and being called to the desert.  So this week’s Transfiguration story really doesn’t seem to quite fit in a cohesive narrative. 

               

I think if we are to really absorb some meaning from this story we are going to have to place it in the wider context of what is going on in the Gospel according to Mark.  So, trivia for this morning: the Transfiguration takes place in Chapter 9 of Mark’s Gospel, does anyone know what major event involving Peter takes place in Chapter 8 right before this gospel reading?  In Chapter 8 of Mark we have Jesus ask Peter “Who do you say I am?” and Peter answers, “You are the Messiah.” Before this story of Transfiguration, we have Peter’s confession of Christ, which is the Great Turning Point in this Gospel. Before Peter’s confession, we Jesus wandering around Galilee, healing sick, feeding people, casting out demons and warning them not to say a word about who he is.  Then, in Chapter 8, Peter recognizes and confesses Jesus to be the Messiah.  He has come to this belief on his own.  And after confessing Jesus to be the Christ, instantly the narrative switches.  The direction is no longer wandering around, but the direction is now towards Jerusalem and the cross. 

               

However, after this wonderful moment, Jesus makes things awkward, as he usually does. Right after Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah, the one to save his people, Jesus starts talking about how he will suffer, and will be executed by the religious authority.  Jesus tells how if we want to follow him, we too must take up our crosses and be willing to suffer.  Once we declare Jesus as Savior, a new path is laid out before us.  And it is one that we, particularly us in American Christianity, do not want to hear.  We too like Peter implore Jesus to stop all this talk about suffering and death…we are more than happy to worship Jesus, and have Jesus save us, but we cannot comprehend or wish to hear of our Messiah suffering, or Jesus’s invitation for us to suffer alongside him.  Yet, for whatever reason it is a high priority on Jesus’ “To Do” List.  He will mention it three more times in successive chapters that he will suffer death, and be raised again from the dead.  Once Jesus is confessed as Lord, Mark drives home the reality that suffering will be a part of this path of redemption. 

It is in this context we get our Gospel today, the Transfiguration.  Peter has confessed Jesus as Lord.  Jesus shifts the entire direction of his ministry towards Jerusalem to the cross…he tells us he will suffer, die and be resurrected, and that if we want to follow him, we too will need to participate.  But, our first pit stop is the mountain top to witness the Transfiguration.  In this event we see Moses, the one who brought the Old Covenant to God’s people, Elijah the son of the prophets, and the one foretold to precede the Day of the Lord with Jesus.  They are bright and dazzling.  We see Jesus is linked with the salvation history of God’s people throughout time, in fact he is the fulfillment of it.  The Transfiguration is a life-giving event, as it is a reminder of the Ultimate Reality of who Jesus is, and where he comes from.  When we confess Jesus as Lord, Transfiguration is just as much a part of our story as the promise of suffering.  So how does this apply to our life in the Church today?

Well, I like to compare the Transfiguration to our worship in Church.  Here, we experience Jesus as Christ in Word and Sacrament.  Here we are safe, and we can bask in the glory…we can find comfort, solace, hope, faith, fellowship.  We can experience here, if we allow ourselves, a taste of that mountain top experience.  But, like Peter, we want to make shelters here, we want to stay here.  I mean if I were Peter and I was given the option of glory with Glow-in-the-dark Jesus or suffering and death, I will choose to stay.  But, here on this mountaintop we are commanded to Listen to Jesus, God’s well beloved Son, and then to follow him down to Jerusalem. 

In our church I find that we are called and invited to the mountaintop of Transfiguration…to be refreshed, renewed, to experience our Lord in Word and Sacrament.  The church is also to call her members to follow Jesus down the mountain; this is particularly where Deacons prove useful.  The Deacon’s call to the church is for the church to take up her cross and to head into the suffering of the world alongside our Lord.  A real life example of this is one of our Deacons in this Diocese Deacon Phil Gilibeter is a Philadelphia cop, and he, along with other lay persons in ministry head into the streets and abandoned buildings of Kensington armed with nothing more than a Bible and some Narcan. And with their faith and love, they go to pray and communicate with those who are in the deepest darkness of addiction, and to administer life-saving medication if it is needed.  Once I get my RN license in March, it is my hope to join them in this mission.

         

Deacons remind us that after the vital and life-giving pit stop of Transfiguration, we are called to follow Jesus to the suffering of this world.   And while the Deacon’s call to the suffering of the world is good and vital, it is not complete without the call of the priest to worship in Word and Sacrament.  The events of Transfiguration and Resurrection informs us of an ultimate reality: a reality of life, of victory, of peace, of promise…and like the disciples, if we are going to take up our cross with Jesus and bring Good News to the broken, the poor, the oppressed, and those who mourn we must see and know the Glory from which we are being sent out. So for me, Transfiguration is not simply a random fantastic story…it is a reminder that when I experience the pain of the sick and dying as a nursing student or chaplain, that there is a deeper reality of which we are all apart. Transfiguration is a pit stop in the ultimate reality that arms me with hope and faith and love to walk in those dark places where Jesus leads me.

So on this Sunday before Lent, before we begin our desert journeys to Jerusalem and the cross, let us rest and be content on the Mountain-top.  Let us be with Jesus, our Lord in peace.  And let us prepare to take up our cross and follow our Lord down the mountain to meet and heal the pain of this world with the Love of God.  AMEN.

On Calling (From the 2nd Sunday after The Epiphany)

1 Samuel 3:1-10(11-20)

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

John 1:43-51

Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17

This morning we read of very intimate passages regarding the phenomenon of God calling individuals.  In Samuel we read of Samuel being called alone in the dark, quiet watches of the night. In the Gospel of John we read of Nathaniel being called by a friend in the brightness of day.  We see in Scripture and in the lives of the saints that callings from God take on many different forms.  We know that there can be collective callings and individual callings.  Collective callings being what a people are being called to, individual callings of course pertain to the individual.  While, I think it is important to remember collective callings, it appears the Scriptures today focus more on individual calling, so that is what I will focus on today.  And when we talk about individual callings in our faith tradition, we have a wide assortment of how those come to take place: We have the callings that take place when persons are young and innocent, such as Samuel, and St. Mary, the mother of Jesus.  We have calling take place when people are old and wise such as Elizabeth and Zechariah in being parents of John the Baptist.  We have callings in the cynicism of middle age, such as Nathaniel (“Can anything good come from Nazareth?).  We see callings come to the wealthy or established, such as Isaiah and Solomon; calling come to the poor, such as Amos, the Holy Family; calling comes to those who seem to be lost in life such as Abraham and Moses.  Calling even comes to people who have little faith, such as Sarah.  Calling is unpredictable, it is out of control, because, much to the disdain of theologians and religious authorities, the Holy Spirit is out of control.  We have no way of knowing, when and how calling comes, but we do know that it happens at God’s will.

If I were to define an individual calling, it would be this: I understand a calling from God to be, a salvific and redemptive initiative by God alone, into the life of the individual, with the intention of bringing one back and moving one forward to that state for which the person was created. In other words, a calling is God’s way of saving us from the world and from ourselves.  I don’t believe we are ever called to great tasks per se, we are called to be ourselves, the way God created and intended us to be; it just so happens that in doing that we do great things! 

In study and experience, I know callings from God to take on many different forms, but I am most intimately familiar with how calling took place in my life, and I will use my experience as a way of talking about this spiritual phenomenon.  First, I want to say that as Episcopalians, I love the fact that fundamental to our tradition is the practice of having Scripture show us every Sunday the experiences our ancestors had with our God and their faith throughout time.  We read every Sunday, how God acted in their collective and individual lives.  And I think we get a lot out of it because we can relate to it most of the time; because we believe God is still very active today.  While Scriptures teach us how God acted in the past, as Episcopalians, we believe God is still active in this world; we expect God to act, and we expect God to continue to speak to His People.  I want to say that because while my story might be unique to me, it is not unique to our Church.  Stories abound in our communities of faith of God calling, of God acting, of God saving, and I think we benefit sometimes from hearing those stories.

My calling to be a Deacon has been an unexpected one.  Mainly because until four years ago, I did not even know what a Deacon was.  But, also because the life I would be called into was so different from the one I was living.  In my previous life, I was an international flight attendant for 10 years, and I was based out of Newark, NJ.  Most of my flying was to Europe, but occasionally I would fly to Asia, either through business or for vacation.  While starting out flight attendants don’t make much money, by the time I left I was making a very good wage, and I know of some 20-year flight attendants who, if they worked hard, could make 6-figures.  I was financially stable, I got to see the world…to which I can say I recommend sunsets in Rome, taking a bike when travelling in Amsterdam, seeing West End Shows in London, and I can recommend a very great baked potato place in Edinburgh if you want to eat cheap for a night.  From all accounts on the outside I had it together, however there was this “tug.”  And it was a tug that went beyond a mere existential angst.  It was this unsettling longing that I could not shake; it would not go away, and I sat doing nothing for a couple of years with it.  Luckily after those years, I moved to New Hope, and my priest at St. Philip’s, Michael hooked me up with Holy Cross Monastery.  And while there in silence, and in talking with the Brothers, I started moving in a direction toward ordained ministry, even though I was pretty sure I did not want to be a priest; it just was not me.  Michael talked to me about being a Deacon, and then he had me meet with Archdeacon Pam about the Diaconate, and the rest is history.

From my experience of calling, I can say this…it doesn’t go away; it may take on different forms, but if we are being called to our completion in God, and I believe we are, then calling does not really ever go away. A calling is not a temporary wish or whim, which can explain why the Church makes the process to be ordained such a long one.  I also want to say that through the discernment process and through this process of formation as a whole, I never was alone.  I had The Brothers at Holy Cross; Michael, my priest; Archdeacon Pam; I got a spiritual director who I have had now for three years.  After almost dying in a motorcycle accident, the Bishop ensured that I saw a therapist to process that; I have had Nancy as a mentor.  What I want to convey is that in calling, while the specifics might be individual, the process of living that out is communal. 

So if you feel a tug in your soul, but you don’t know what to do with it, I want to remind us all that we have an invaluable asset here, Nancy, our priest.  In the day to day of parish life, we can sometimes forget she is a trained spiritual director; she is trained to help persons in their faith journeys.  Also, if you feel you have a calling that involves outreach, but you don’t know how to live that out, I am available.  Helping the Church: helping bishops, priests, and laity go out to be Christ in this broken world is precisely what I am being ordained to do, so please talk to me to see if we can flesh out ideas and vision that you might have.

But Calling is not easy. From our Scriptures today we see Nathaniel, who is thought to be St. Bartholomew, accepts the calling, and is made one of the apostles.  He goes through the journey with Jesus with its ups and downs, and eventually he is martyred for the faith by being flayed alive.  There is actually a pretty gruesome sculpture in Milan with St. Bartholomew as just bone, muscle and sinew, holding his skin around him like a sash.  It is rather disgusting…but fascinating.  In Samuel’s story, one of his first tasks in his calling is to prophesy against his mentor Eli, foretelling the destruction of Eli’s family.  I am quite thankful my calling has been a bit less dramatic, as I am sure Nancy is too.

In going back to talking about my calling, I also want to say it has not been easy, not to the extent of the saints, but it has been difficult.  I had to give up financial security, I had to give up my career…deacons don’t get paid by the Church, so we need a secular job to pay the bills.   And to be honest there is the difficulty of growing into a Church structure that can be dysfunctional at times.  At times, I, along with my family and friends and acquaintances have questioned why I would give up picnics under the Eiffel Tower for being with persons at Code Blue or caring for patients with a diagnosis of “Intractable Diarrhea.”  I can say, I don’t have a rational explanation, only this: Finally, it is not a matter of reason, but one of love.  It just so happens I very much enjoy spending time and building relationships with persons at Code Blue, homeless and those with a home.  And it just so happens, I get fulfillment from caring for patients with all sorts of diagnoses.  The one in particular with GI problems, was very thankful how I treated her with respect and dignity when she was in such a vulnerable condition; for every procedure and test that day, she wanted me there holding her hand.  In calling me to change my life, God knew what she was doing.

And so I would like to add an encouragement to Trust God, to have faith.  Sometimes the life we were created for, is different from the life we expect and plan for ourselves.  God never calls people to remain stagnant…God never calls us to remain the same.  God seems to always call His people into risk, into uncomfortable situations, often into suffering, but always, always into life, and life to the full.

One last, but very important note on calling I want to say is this: in my experience, some people have what I term, “blind calling,” meaning they live faithful lives to God and the Church, and they never particularly “feel” anything such as calling.  One of the wise women I know, who helped me a lot at St. Philip’s had such an experience.  She told me, she never really felt called to anything in particular, or had an experience of calling.  And yet, she brings joy to everyone around her, she helps when she can, and she is a pillar of the Church.  The Holy Spirit acts how the Holy Spirit acts…sometimes faithfulness does not have the phenomenon of “calling” with it.  It reminds me of a sermon I heard when I was going to Holy Cross Monastery a lot.  There was a priest there, her name was Shane, and she was a Sister.  She was giving a sermon on Calling, which I thought was very fitting for the purpose of me being there.  She said that for those of us who experience the phenomenon of calling, if we are honest, it is born not out of our spiritual accomplishments or enlightenment, rather calling is born out of our brokenness and need for God.  And that if she was a Good Teacher, she too would be calling all her trouble students to the front of the classroom.  That sermon has been invaluable to me…it has always kept me from having a big head when it comes to calling and this process.

So to bring it all together: if you have a tug in your heart, or if you feel you have a calling, or you are not sure what you have, please know you are not alone; Nancy and I are here, we also have a network of people in the Diocese if you have a particular ministry you are interested in exploring.  Also, we have each other…we should feel comfortable talking with each other about our experiences with the Divine.  And lastly, a calling will upend your life, but it is a gift…and not having a calling is also a gift.  In all things, and in all places, let us give thanks to God, who is saving us all despite ourselves.

I always like to close in a prayer…so here we go:

A Prayer for Self-Dedication found in our Book of Common Prayer:

Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours; utterly dedicated unto you.  And then use us, we pray, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people, through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. AMEN

"Hail Mary Full of Grace" a Sermon from Advent IV

“Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.”  Well, this is not exactly what is said in the Gospel reading today, but it is pretty close.  Today for Advent 4 we read of the Annunciation to Mary that she will bear a son, Jesus, who will be the Son of the Most High, and will reign on the throne of David.  It is quite a profound reading, but I am sure not quite as profound and perplexing as the experience would have been for a young Mary.  Out of all the women throughout time, this young poor woman in an occupied land, this nobody is chosen to be the vessel for which God will be born into the world.  She says “yes” and human history is changed forever. 

I find the topic of Mary an interesting topic for us in the Episcopal Church.  Because the church is so diverse, there are a variety of positions on Mary, which range from persons believing in the Immaculate Conception, Assumption into heaven, and the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven to Mary simply being a role you want your daughter to play in the yearly nativity pageants.  I have also found that because of the variety of beliefs in the Church regarding Mary, talking about Mary can be a theological minefield sometimes.  I don’t want to enter that controversy here. In true Episcopal fashion I encourage us all to pray, reflect, and come to our own belief.  But, what I do want to talk about today is an aspect of Mary I think can be neglected, particularly in those paintings of angelic Mary meek and mild with gloss and glitter around her along with a team of dedicated fat cherubs.  I want to talk about some of the difficulties of Mary’s life briefly as we enter this festive season and sing of heavenly Mary.

This week we had the Longest Night service, and while I was preparing for that service and thinking about this sermon a series of thoughts blended. One of the things that came to mind was a mediation on this day before the birth.  For us, we are excited: family has arrived, dinners are planned, music rehearsed.  We are ready to have that magical and spiritual experience that Christmas can be.  However, for the Holy Family the experience of today would have been quite different.  After a long journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem there is now the anxiety of trying to find a place to stay for the night.  Mary is nine months pregnant, which I imagine is not the most comfortable of states.  Bethlehem is busy, and there is no place to stay.  Mary and Joseph have both had experiences where they know, they have faith this baby is going to special, but if it is from God, why can’t they even find a decent place to stay?  If this baby is the Son of the Most High, why are they relegated to a humiliating stable?  Mary and Joseph, particularly Mary go through a time of uncertainty and struggle in their faith. If God is with us, then why this struggle?  If God favors us, why this uncertainty, pain, and humiliation? 

And we know that this was not the first time they as a couple faced this: there was the question of whether the marriage should even happen after Mary is found to be with child...for both Mary and Joseph there was the uncertainty, the struggle of what to do, how to act faithfully in response to God’s action and this faith in a bigger plan.  This theme will continue in the Holy Family’s life: we know after Jesus’ birth, there is the vision to Joseph to get up, take his family and flee to Egypt to escape the Slaughter of the Innocence, the killing of male babies by King Herod.  Mary and Joseph who probably just wanted to go home to Nazareth are now refugees...and they are the lucky ones. 

Later, in the Gospel according to Luke, we hear after they return to Israel, they take Jesus to Jerusalem for Passover when he is twelve.  As we know, Jesus goes missing.  They think they lost him; in a panic they look for him...the same panic any parent would have.  Again we see an incidence of panic, fear, uncertainty in the context of a faith that this child is special.  And we have these examples of anxiety for Mary and Joseph...and we haven’t even got to Jesus’ public ministry yet.

I think it is worth mentioning too that Mary was most likely a marked woman throughout her life.  I imagine for most people of her time, a virgin birth was about as believable as it is today, and the scandal of Jesus’ birth would have followed her and Joseph throughout their lives.  In the Gospel according to Mark, Jesus is referred to as “son of Mary” by a crowd, which was not an endearing term.  Men were named after fathers, so Jesus should be “son of Joseph.”  And I wonder if this mark on Mary did not influence Jesus growing up...it could explain Jesus’ particular care and consideration of women in his ministry. 

And if all that were not enough, we know that Mary bore witness to her son’s ministry.   She would have seen the triumphs, the dangers, and ultimately bear witness to the public mocking, torture and execution of her son.  “Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee...blessed are you among women.”

On the flip side, to her great joy and honor, Mary is one of the first to witness the resurrection of her son, our Lord, and she is there at Pentecost when the Church receives the Holy Spirit.  Mary’s life is a tumultuous one, and I honestly think it was a rough one, with more pain and uncertainty than we give her credit.  But, what I find most profound about Mary is this: with all the anxiety, with all the uncertainty, with all the agony and sorrow, when the Gospel of Luke is being compiled, what is remembered about her?  What is her theme?  What is her song?  “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”  In the end, Mary’s song is a song of victory, of justice; it is a song of profound faith.

So regardless of where one is in their understanding or belief about Mary, I think as Christians we can echo the words of the Archangel Gabriel, with a reverent respect and adoration: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus.”

AMEN.