Greetings, friends! Thank you for your patience in the midst of this long period of radio silence. I have a lot to report — and a lot of half-finished drafts on here — and I hope to fill in the last few months’ gaps soon. Today, I just want to start back by sharing a service that I led for the Community today.
In this new version of life, we do not meet for prayers in Lambeth Palace’s Crypt or Chapel. Instead, we Zoom with the Palace staff for morning and evening prayer and have our own midday prayer in the gardens. Starting this week, my community task is coordinating these services, which usually consist of a few readings, some Taize songs, fifteen minutes in which we disperse and meditate on the passages, and the Lord’s Prayer.
Today, we gathered at 11:00, instead of 12:30, to pray the Lord’s Prayer in solidarity with Pope Francis. Mrs. Welby and her daughter joined us, which was lovely. We then celebrated the Feast of the Annunciation of Our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary! In the Middle Ages, it was one of the big feasts of the liturgical (and calendar) year, and the only day in the midst of Lent when we bring out gold and white in celebration. Today, banks of daffodils provided our paraments, and we celebrated with Luke’s Gospel, poetry, and song. Personally, I even had two lovely slices of toast with raspberry jam (I gave up bread for Lent, but you can’t fast on a feast!) in celebration of Our Lady, Our Lord, and the Incarnation.
For some reason, this Feast means a lot to me this year. I think in the midst of panic, confusion, stress, and feelings of help- and hopelessness, I needed to spend some time rejoicing and remembering the presence of Christ on earth. Mary may be the Theotokos, but we are all blessed with the Spirit Christ within us. Yes, even in the midst of isolation…
The Lord be with you!
And also with you!
Let us pray.
The Gospel according to St. Luke
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Annunciation, Denise Levertov
We know the scene: the room, variously furnished, almost always a lectern, a book; always the tall lily. Arrived on solemn grandeur of great wings, the angelic ambassador, standing or hovering, whom she acknowledges, a guest. But we are told of meek obedience. No one mentions courage. The engendering Spirit did not enter her without consent. God waited. She was free to accept or to refuse, choice integral to humanness. ____________________ Aren’t there annunciations of one sort or another in most lives? Some unwillingly undertake great destinies, enact them in sullen pride, uncomprehending. More often those moments when roads of light and storm open from darkness in a man or woman, are turned away from in dread, in a wave of weakness, in despair and with relief. Ordinary lives continue. God does not smite them. But the gates close, the pathway vanishes. ____________________ She had been a child who played, ate, slept like any other child–but unlike others, wept only for pity, laughed in joy not triumph. Compassion and intelligence fused in her, indivisible. Called to a destiny more momentous than any in all of Time, she did not quail, only asked a simple, ‘How can this be?’ and gravely, courteously, took to heart the angel’s reply, the astounding ministry she was offered: to bear in her womb Infinite weight and lightness; to carry in hidden, finite inwardness, nine months of Eternity; to contain in slender vase of being, the sum of power– in narrow flesh, the sum of light. Then bring to birth, push out into air, a Man-child needing, like any other, milk and love– but who was God. This was the moment no one speaks of, when she could still refuse. A breath unbreathed, Spirit, suspended, waiting. ____________________ She did not cry, ‘I cannot. I am not worthy,’ Nor, ‘I have not the strength.’ She did not submit with gritted teeth, raging, coerced. Bravest of all humans, consent illumined her. The room filled with its light, the lily glowed in it, and the iridescent wings. Consent, courage unparalleled, opened her utterly.
Meditation
Participants spread throughout the garden for fifteen minutes, to meditate on the Gospel, “Annunciation,” or other materials provided (in a group chat at the time, and here, below.)
Akathist Hymn (four readers)
Reader 1:
The following are portions of the Akathist Hymn of the Greek Orthodox Church, which details the story of the Annunciation and Mary’s life and encourages her to rejoice in her calling, her mission, and her relationship with Christ with verses like these:
Rejoice, O Lady, sweet-smelling lily that sends forth its fragrant scent to the faithful.
Rejoice, unfading rose.
Rejoice, aromatic incense and precious oil of myrrh.
Rejoice, birth-giver of the aromatic balm of the King of all.
As we implore the Blessed Virgin to rejoice, slowly but surely, we begin to do the same, and we see that all her love and beauty and goodness is really a reflection of God, the source of glory and life.
O godly-minded people, as we perform this divine and all-honorable feast in honor of the Mother of our God, let us clap our hands and give glory to God who was born of her.
Most-holy Theotokos, our Christ-bearer, rejoice.
Reader 2: An Angel of the first rank was sent from heaven to say to the Theotokos: Rejoice! And perceiving You, O Lord, taking bodily form, he stood in awe and with his bodiless voice cried aloud to her as follows: Rejoice, through whom joy shall shine forth; Rejoice, through whom the curse shall vanish. Rejoice, fallen Adam's restoration; Rejoice, redemption of Eve's tears. Rejoice, height that is too difficult for human thought to ascend; Rejoice, depth that is too strenuous for Angels' eyes to perceive Rejoice, for you are the throne of the King; Rejoice, for you hold him Who sustains everything. Rejoice, star that shows forth the Sun; Rejoice, womb in which God became incarnate. Rejoice, through whom creation is renewed; Rejoice, through whom the Creator becomes an infant. Rejoice, O Bride unwedded.
Reader 1: Lady, you truly gave birth to the divine Giver of the law who washes clean the lawlessness of all. O incomprehensible depth and ineffable height, Maiden unwedded, through whom we are deified, we sing to you. Rejoice, initiate of ineffable counsel; Rejoice, faith of silent beseechers. Rejoice, introduction to Christ's miracles; Rejoice, consummation of his doctrinal articles. Rejoice, heavenly ladder by which God came down; Rejoice, bridge leading those from earth to heaven. Rejoice, marvel greatly renowned among the Angels; Rejoice, wound bitterly lamented by demons. Rejoice, for you gave birth to the light ineffably; Rejoice, for the "how" you taught to no one. Rejoice, surpassing the knowledge of scholars; Rejoice, dawn that illumines the minds of believers. Rejoice, O Bride unwedded.
Reader 3: Rejoice, mother of the Lamb and Shepherd; Rejoice, sheepfold of spiritual sheep. Rejoice, defense against invisible enemies; Rejoice, key to the doors of Paradise. Rejoice, for heavenly things are exulting with the earth; Rejoice, earthly things that are dancing with the heavenly ones. Rejoice, never-silent voice of the Apostles; Rejoice, unconquered courage of the Martyrs. Rejoice, faith's unshakable foundation; Rejoice, shining revelation of grace. Rejoice, through whom Hades is divested; Rejoice, through whom we have been vested in glory. Rejoice, minister of sacred joy. Rejoice, O Bride unwedded.
Reader 4: Seeing the strange childbirth, let us be estranged from the mundane, transporting our mind to heaven. For this purpose the most high God appeared on earth as a lowly man, wishing to attract to heaven those who cry to Him: Rejoice, uncontainable land of God; Rejoice, doorway of sacred mystery. Rejoice, vessel of God's wisdom; Rejoice, storehouse of God's providence. Rejoice, rich mountain flowing with the milk of the Spirit. Rejoice, golden jar containing the manna which sweetens the senses of the devout. Rejoice, unbelievable myth for the unfaithful; Rejoice, bringer of opposites to harmony; Rejoice, joiner of virginity -and childbirth. Rejoice, through whom sin was nullified; Rejoice, through whom Paradise was opened. Rejoice, key of Christ's kingdom; Rejoice bridge that truly conveys from death to life all those who sing your praises. Rejoice, the hope of eternal blessings. Rejoice, O Bride unwedded.
Reader 1: Awe-inspiring message and report, habitation of the One who is Lord of all creation, rejoice!.Fiery chariot of God the Word and risen Son, rejoice! Delight of the angels, rejoice! Rejoice, for you carried in your womb the Way of life. You have woven for the world a crown unwoven by human hands and we praise you saying: Rejoice, O Virgin, the fortress and citadel and protective wall and refuge of all. Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice! O godly-minded people, as we perform this divine and all-honorable feast in honor of the Mother of our God, let us clap our hands and give glory to God who was born of her. Most-holy Theotokos, our Christ-bearer, rejoice.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord!
In the name of Christ, Amen!
A Collection of depictions of Mary from around London and from Community trips to Cornwall, Worcestershire, and Savoie.
Notes: Denise Levertov originally published “Annunciation” in A Door in the Hive (1990,) and this translation of the Akathist Hymn is from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The Akathist Hymn is split into sections of call and response. I changed very few of the words in the passages I included, but I did re-order some verses and stick in some stray verses from sections I didn’t choose, and only pulled from less than about a quarter of the total Hymn. Meditation images are from Pinterest and Samuel Menashe. Photos are all my own.
Franklin of Anselm: Updates from Living in God's Time 