The Problem of Mary
This sermon can be heard here:
Gate Pa – Advent 4 2014
Readings:
First Reading:
2 Sam 7:1-11, 16
Second Reading: Rom 16:25-27
Gospel:
Luke 1:26-38
What I want to say:
I want to
explore the role Mary plays helping us enter into the mystery of Christmas, and
living out God’s faith, hope, peace and hope for all people the rest of the
year.
What I want to happen:
Who is Mary for me? How does she
help or hinder my life in Christ?
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
Focus of 4th
Sunday is traditionally Mary
Nice
I wonder –
who is this Mary?
-
how we understand
her?
-
what way does she help or hinder our life in Christ?
2. Mary the enigma
Mary has
been an enigma, even a problem since very beginning
see it in
way NT treats her
Mark – most memorable appearance
–with Jesus’ brothers and sisters and try take him home – think off his rocker
Matthew not much better –
although at empty tomb
John – not mentioned by name
Paul – not mentioned at all
Luke presented positive and
important light
not
in ways usually portrayed since writing NT
– model of womenhood or of
motherhood
but
model of Christians discipleship
– i.e. one who all people, men
and women should emulate
3. The Church – one extreme
Church
also struggled over centuries – whole range responses to her
-
some in medieval thought
– elevate her to Goddess
o
quartenity –
putting her par and including her in Trinity
Most Christians
– Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Anglo Catholic, some Lutherans (vast majority Christians
world wide) –very significant figure
Mother of God
which some – just under level of
God
2 friend
in Israel over last couple weeks doing course @ St. Georges College– photo of
tomb of Mary
-
Orthodox tomb
-
RC – no tomb
o
Believe she was bodily assumed into heaven
Because of
our Protestant heritage –
-
mother of God can
make us feel very uncomfortable
Miss that in these traditions she is one leads
us into the mystery of Incarnation
God most holy came among us as
one of us in person of Jesus
Angelus – prayed
by Catholics, Anglicans and Lutherans up to 3 times a day
-
Hear again words
Angel heard today,
-
invited to reflect
on what that might mean for us
within
Orthodox tradition known as theotokis
-
literally means bringing
forth of God, God bearer
-
acts as model for
us all – that we become God bearers here and now
Franciscans
– she is our patron saint
-
lot of prayers
addressed to her
4. The church - other extreme
other extreme
-
Protestant church
-
who in reaction
to above
o
work hard almost
write her out of story
except at
Christmas – hard to ignore
one commentaries
read pointed out
-
in America very
few protestant churches named after Mary
-
many more Andrew,
Mark, Stephen – play relatively less important roles
same true
here I suspect
5. The real Mary
Maybe
place start is with real Mary
- What comes to mind when hear about Mary?
- When look for image of Mary
- Amazed so many wealthy young woman
- Far from truth
- Peasant girl, (peasant girl)
- Lived in cave with family (Mary’s cave)
- Small poor village Nazareth – not thought highly of
- No say in her life
- Done what mother commanded
- Learning what meant to be wife
- So that when father arranged marriage, (as he had) she could honour family name being good dutiful wife
- fulfil her duty well
To this young peasant girl Matthew and Luke tell us comes Archangel
Gabriel
We often talk about Mary's being willing - assumes choice
o
Unsure if she even has a choice,
o
Lived without choice
o
No choice in angles words
o
Mary's question is not one of choice, just
confusion, how can this be
o
She does as she. is expected
o
More than accept
o
In Luke at least – she understands that something
significant is happening here
o
I am not sure that Mary said Magnficat where
Luke has it
o
can’t even know if she said it
o
I wonder
o
this is
just me here, not read this in commentaries
o
just me speculating
o
wonder if Luke had met, even knew Mary
o
which is
why he gives her more prominence
o
Mary’s Song - the Magnificat something that she
said at end of her life
o
placed in here in her pregnancy
o
No longer just 12 year old peasant girl
betrothed to carpenter
o
She is
agent of God’s liberation, God's sign of hope for her people
liberation now
6. The Song of Mary
Why are there poor?
a lot of different understandings about why there are poor people
will of God
some (those deserve
it) are rich powerful, many poor
how it should be
theology at work in
All Things Bright and Beautiful
lazy
uneducated
needed keep businesses going
sure many other reasons
all which either say
how ti should be
their fault
if we keep all those in mind when read Magnificat
Mary counters every single one of those arguments
offers an alternative
o
in Luke, these words link coming of Jesus directly into hopes Mary and family
and village for an end roman rule and restoration of David's kingdom. (picture of a young girl)
o
Coming Christ is not just about future, but in Luke is about reign of God's
justice now
o
Mary is to be the sign of that
·
Luke at
least, Christmas is coming of Gods hope
·
Cry
poor has been heard
·
Gods
reign justice and peace has begun
·
as
heard last week:
good news is
brought to the poor.
release to the
captives is proclaimed
the blind recover
their sight,
the oppressed go
free,
“the year of the Lord's favour is proclaimed!”[1]
7. Who then is Mary for us?
how what
role does she play in our life in Christ?
talk to neighbour
report back
Say
Angelus
The Angelus (1857–59)
by Jean-François Millet
|
You can pray the prayer on your
own, or in a group.
If praying in a group, the leader
prays the part marked V, and the group responds with the part in italics marked
R.
The Angelus
V. The angel of the Lord brought tidings to Mary.
R. And she conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.
V. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
R. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
The Angelus
V. The angel of the Lord brought tidings to Mary.
R. And she conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.
V. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
R. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done unto me according to your Word.
V. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
R. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
V. And the Word was made flesh.
R. And dwelt among us.
V. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
R. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
V. Let us pray: Pour your grace into our hearts, O Lord, that we who have known the incarnation of your Son, Jesus Christ, announced by an angel to the Virgin Mary, may by his cross and passion be brought to the glory of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
R. Amen
The Angelus (1857–59)
by Jean-François Millet
|
You can pray the prayer on your
own, or in a group.
If praying in a group, the leader
prays the part marked V, and the group responds with the part in italics marked
R.
The Angelus
V. The angel of the Lord brought tidings to Mary.
R. And she conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.
V. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
R. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
The Angelus
V. The angel of the Lord brought tidings to Mary.
R. And she conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.
V. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
R. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done unto me according to your Word.
V. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
R. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
V. And the Word was made flesh.
R. And dwelt among us.
V. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
R. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
V. Let us pray: Pour your grace into our hearts, O Lord, that we who have known the incarnation of your Son, Jesus Christ, announced by an angel to the Virgin Mary, may by his cross and passion be brought to the glory of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
R. Amen
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