Weekly for 13 August (Feast of Mary, Mother of the Lord)

Dear People of God

Grace and Peace to you all

Today we commemorate the Blessed Virgin Mary. Some traditions observe it as the Feast of the Assumption (that Mary did not die as other mortals, but was taken bodily to heaven): the Orthodox observe it as “The Dormition” ie the “Falling Asleep”. Anglican breadth has room for many interpretations, as we content ourselves with the general title “The Feast of Mary, Mother of our Lord”.

Relaxation and Meditation

Well, the first precedes the second and although my daughters always thought it was a joke that the most up-tight person they knew was teaching other people to relax, learning to do the first is a great aid to entering fully into the second. In the meantime, here’s a focus series you may find useful: sit quietly, breathe gently and focus with the prayer one phrase at a time:

Holy God,

Holy and mighty,

Holy and immortal

Hear my prayer

Tell me what you want me to hear

Show me what you want me to see

Teach me what you want me to learn

Lead me where you want me to go

Take me and make me one of your own

Holy God

Holy and mighty

Holy and immortal

Hear my prayer

Do NOT rush it. You may want to go over it several times, slowly, pausing after each line. Then take up your Prayer Book or Bible or some other spiritual work and entering into a prayer or passage you have chosen in advance, repeating the central portion of the focus prayer as you go.

Don’t expect answers to leap out at you instantly, but be open to hearing, seeing, learning and journeying in your developing surrender to God. It may take days, it may take hours, it may take a lifetime.

I’ll be sourcing some prayer beads through the Cathedral Shop which will help you in the prayer focus: it can be repeating over and over and over, just like breathing, and just like breathing, it sustains life.

The Lord be with you

Fr George

gmainprize@bigpond.com 0410 586 119

Propers for the Feast Day of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Sentence

When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, so that we might receive adoptions as God’s children (Galatians 4:4-5)

Collect

Loving God, who chose the blessed virgin Mary to be the mother of your incarnate Son: grant that we, who are redeemed by his blood, may share in the glory of your eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

Alternative Collect

Heavenly Father, who chose the virgin Mary, by your grace, to be the mother of our Lord and Saviour, full us with your grace, that in all things we may accept your holy will and with her rejoice in your salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Readings

Isaiah 61:10-62:3 The Good News of deliverance

Psalm 113 Let God be praised

Galatians 4:4-7 We are God’s children by adoption and grace

Luke 2:1-7 The birth of Jesus

Sermon (Fr George)

In the Name of God, Amen

No matter whether we think of the Feast which we celebrate today (actually, it’s on the 15th of the month, but we move it to suit our liturgical purposes) as “The Assumption”, “The Bodily Assumption”, “The Dormition”, or “Mary, the Mother of Our Lord” or “The Blessed Virgin Mary”, it’s all about the Blessed Mother. Likewise, there is a site in Ephesus which is “authenticated” (by Pope John Paul II) as the place of her death (alongside the other two “authenticated” places), our focus today is rightly on the person chosen by God to be the vehicle of the Incarnation, the enfleshment of God in Jesus the Christ.

Let’s start with today’s first Reading, from Isaiah. The Prophet is talking about restored Jerusalem, after the Exile in Babylon, and how God’s glory is revealed: the “unknowing” people remain cloaked in darkness but God’s glory is again being “unfolded” among his people and nations will be drawn to it. It doesn’t take much of a mental leap for the community with the experience of the risen and glorified Lord to see all this as being manifested in the person and work of this person who is understood as God Incarnate, the manifestation of the glory of God. Both of the Evangelists writing about the birth of Jesus, Luke and Matthew, pick up on this theme and Matthew describes the Magi coming with gold and frankincense. Isaiah, like all of the prophets, is speaking to his own time but it echoes throughout the salvation history of God’s people who, by the time of the formation of the gospels, is being seen that all of those, Jewish and Gentile, are the Chosen People.

Our Gospel portion speaks of the Nativity of Jesus, but the prelude to it all is of fundamental importance in establishing who and what Jesus is. Luke tells us of the promise of John the Baptist to Zechariah and Elizabeth, likening him to Elijah, the great Prophet and who according to legend, would reappear to herald the coming of the Messiah. He follows this up with one of the best-known stories of Christendom, when the Archangel Gabriel is sent out again, having been once to Zechariah with the promise of John the Baptist, and now to Mary of Nazareth, with the greeting that has echoed throughout Christendom….”Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you” and continues with God’s promise that she will bear the Incarnate Word. We might well ask what would have happened if Mary had said “No way!” but we have Mary’s reply “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word”

Luke goes on to describe Mary’s meeting with her kinswoman Elizabeth and that great hymn ascribed to Mary which we know as the Magnificat “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord” which has strong echoes of Hannah’s song at the promise of Samuel, the greatest of the Judges of Israel.

I recall a conversation with a medical friend, well-versed in reproductive biology, who scoffs at the idea of parthenogenesis, a flash word meaning “virgin born”, saying that there must be an X chromosome in the mix otherwise any child would be female, or words to that effect. I asked him if he believed in “creation ex nihilo”, that is, creation out of nothing: he gave me a dubious “yes”. So, if you believe that God brings all of Creation out of nothing, the virgin birth is a piece of cake!

Mary’s story is one of perfect obedience and in that she is the model for all who would follow Christ. Truly, as old Simeon saw when Jesus was brought to the Temple to be presented to God and for Mary to be purified, “a sword shall pierce you own heart also”: she is concerned for her Son when he goes off on the preaching trips, she is the one who draws his attention to the shortage of wine at the wedding in Cana, she stands at the foot of the cross to watch him die, and she is there as a witness to the Resurrection and at the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Her constancy, even in the middle of grief and doubt, is a template for all Christian believers. And if we believe that we pray in concert with all of the redeemed beyond the boundaries of this life we can then truly pray “Hail Mary, full of grace, blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of the Incarnate Word, pray for us now and in the hour of our death”.

Amen

Intercessions (Dawn Holland)

RESPONSE: Loving Father God in your mercy HEAR OUR PRAYER

We give you thanks for the Bible telling us the story of your human birth and how Mary trusted you in overwhelming odds to carry and bear your blessed Son Jesus. May we like Mary trust you in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.

We bring our prayers to you for our world. You have given us this beautiful planet with bountiful supplies for all to share. We ask forgiveness in the careless ways we have neglected this responsibility and ask we may be more careful in ensuring all people have enough food and protection that they need to survive and enjoy the beauty of your creation.

We pray for world leaders and those who are responsible for the task you have given humanity to preserve this wonderful world. We ask for wisdom for the leaders throughout each country being aware of the damage people do causing climate change and destruction of habitat for other creatures living on our planet. We pray for our own country and for our Prime Minister Anthony, for our Premier Chris and for all leaders of local government in their role as leaders.

We pray for people worldwide who are suffering through the effects of war, famine, greed, and desire to overtake other countries, especially Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, Sudan and wherever takeovers are happening. We pray for those suffering from domestic violence and other forms of injustice to others.

RESPONSE: Loving Father God in your mercy HEAR OUR PRAYER

We pray for your worldwide church and especially in countries where people are suffering for their beliefs in you. Strengthen their faith and encourage them that you are with them.

In our cycle of prayer we pray for our sister Diocese of Guadalcanal, the churches of the Province of the Indian Ocean and the Church of the Province of the West Indies and in Australia the Diocese of Northern Territory.

In our own Diocese we pray for our Bishops Peter, Charlie and Sonia; Manning Valley Anglican School, and the Parishes of Southlakes and Swansea.

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In our own Parish we pray for our Priest-in-Charge George, our Deacon Gail and their families; our, Altar Servers and Sacristans and for H2O Church.

RESPONSE: Loving Father God in your mercy HEAR OUR PRAYER

We pray for our community and in our cycle of prayer we pray for Beresfield Discount Store and Laverty Pathology.

We especially pray for those in need, For the sick in body or mind; for the homeless, for people who live with violence or deprivation; for those who are approaching the end of their mortal lives and those who care for them; for those who seek the Sacrament of Unction at our services today; for those victim of domestic violence or coercive control; for those who have sought our prayers: Jenny, Indi, Barbara D, Val Fraser, Lynn, Betty, Les, Ann, Daphne, Bruce Debbie M, Samuel, John J, Nicole M, Jenny H, Didi, Peter McC, Susan, Elizabeth, Dawn A, Heidi, Wendy F, Peter, Vicki L, Jenny M, Val D, Ben, Keith, Sammy Jo and Noah, Stuart McInnes, Sue T, Derek, Zoe, Janet R, Paul and Katrina, Levi, Arlo, Grace, Roslyn, Lisa; and for those whom we name in our hearts

RESPONSE: Loving Father God in your mercy HEAR OUR PRAYER

We give you thanks for those who have gone before us into your nearer presence, who have influenced our lives for the better good, especially Mary, Mother of our Lord, and the Martyrs of the 20th Century: we remember Margaret McColm, Tom Walsh and George Crethary whose anniversary of death is at this time and for all those whom we have loved and see no more. Rest eternal grant to them dear Lord and may light perpetual shine upon them.

Almighty God, you have promised to hear our prayer. Grant that what we have asked in faith we might by grace receive, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Saints and Commemorations of the Week 13-19 August

14 Blessed Virgin Mary (transferred to Sunday)

Twentieth Century Martyrs including Grand Duchess Elizabeth of Russia (1918), Maximilian Kolbe, friar (1941), Dietrich Bonhoeffer, theologian (1945), Maria Skobtsova, abbess in Russia (1945), Martin Luther King, worker for civil liberties (1968), Janani Luwum, archbishop of Uganda (1977), Oscar Romero, archbishop of San Salvador (1945)