This is the final week in our Advent journey. We have reached the Meditation for the Fourth Sunday, bringing together Scriptural reflection with art and words and music from Ireland. This week we are invited to come close, to come right to the heart of the Christmas story. It is the story in which God breaks from eternity into time as a little baby. It is the rising of the Sun of righteousness, as foretold by the prophet Malachi, with healing in His wings.
This is a story of great joy, but also of sorrow. For Mary’s beautiful child would grow up and give his life on a cross. His suffering is God’s answer to our brokenness. Right from the start, Mary seemed to know something of the darkness her child would face. Yet, right from the start, she lived in acceptance and faith, knowing that ultimately, even though she couldn’t understand it, God would exalt Him as King forever. For God had remembered to be merciful, just as he had promised long, long ago.
There was so much to take in. It was God who had sent the angel. Right to Nazareth, right to the place where Mary was standing. To tell her the news.
Oils on board
by Northern Irish artist Jonathan Aiken
It was troubling.
But the angel said to her not to be afraid. God had sent the angel. To tell her the news.
She was highly favoured.
She would have a baby. A baby boy. The angel told her the news. And God had sent the angel. She would call Him Jesus. Not an ordinary child, but a Saviour. He would be called Son of the Most High.
How could it be?
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. His kingdom will never end. ‘No word from God will ever fail,’ the angel said.
God had sent the angel. To tell her the news. There was so much to take in.
‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ she said. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’
And Mary sang the most beautiful song. Her soul glorified the Lord. Her spirit rejoiced in God her Saviour. For God had remembered to be merciful, just as he had promised long, long ago.
With Joseph, a journey. A long and lonely road and no compassion. Then, suddenly, the birth. All the pain and all the joy: her baby, the Promised One. So small. And it was cold outside. But God had sent the angel to tell her the news. For God had remembered to be merciful, just as he had promised long, long ago.
The beautiful painting featured in this fourth Advent Meditation depicting the Annunciation to Mary by Gabriel, is the work of Jonathan Aiken who lives in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
‘Unspeakable Gift’ is one of my own short poems, written last Christmas. It was inspired by Mary’s story, and especially the words spoken to her by Simeon about a sword piercing her soul. You can hear me reading this poem by clicking on the play button.
Unspeakable Gift
The leaves from the trees
have kissed the earth with gold.
There is singing in the skies.
In the starlight
she holds Him close.
The night is cold.
Can there be hope again?
Blessed among women,
Mary ponders.
With the rising of incense
the prophets’ dreams unfold:
at her breast the Joy of Nations,
in her heart, the shadow
of a sword. Anointed
with myrrh, her little child
lifted up and broken:
flow of love and sorrow
mingled, for the healing
of the world.
The wonder of the birth of Jesus is that He is Emmanuel, meaning ‘God with us’. As the words of carol remind us: He feeleth for our sadness … He shareth in our gladness.
God cares for each one of us. He cares so much that He has come to heal our broken hearts, to mend our broken world. He has come as Saviour.
St Paul explained it like this: ‘God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’
This is great news for all the people everywhere! The promise of healing, of ‘a full and holy cure’ as the wonderful Christmas hymn puts it, sung here by the Belfast Cathedral Choir. Christ’s coming is truly ‘A great and mighty wonder’. May we know His peace this Christmas as we think on these things.
A great and mighty wonder,
A full and holy cure!
The virgin bears the Infant
With virgin honour pure!
Repeat the hymn again:
“To God on high be glory
And peace on earth to men!”
The Word becomes incarnate
And yet remains on high,
And cherubim sing anthems
To shepherds from the sky.
Repeat the hymn again:
“To God on high be glory
And peace on earth to men!”
And idol forms shall perish,
And error shall decay,
And Christ shall wield His scepter,
Our Lord and God for aye.
Repeat the hymn again:
“To God on high be glory
And peace on earth to men!”
Advent Meditation First Sunday
