Advent Week 4

Advent Candles Week 4

Today all I share with you is this truly amazing and powerful poem. This is one of my favorite Sunday's of the year - I love Mary! What an amazing decision Mary made to say "yes" to God. Dean Louise preached at church this morning reminding us: If we dismiss the story of the Annunciation (Luke 1:26) as inconceivable, it will be: and then we risk the loss of God being conceived in us. Powerful words. It's been a day of powerful words.

Before Jesus 

was his mother. 

Before supper

in the upper room,

breakfast in the barn. 

Before the Passover Feast,

a feeding trough.

And here, the altar

of Earth, fair linens

of hay and seed. 

Before his cry,

her cry. 

Before his sweat 

of blood,

her bleeding 

and tears.

Before his offering,

hers.

Before the breaking

of bread and death, 

the breaking of her

body in birth. 

Before the offering

of the cup, 

the offering of her 

breast.

Before his blood,

her blood.

And by her body and blood

alone, his body and blood

and whole human being. 

The wise ones knelt

to hear the woman's word

in wonder. 

Holding up her sacred child,

her God in the form of a babe,

she said: "receive and let

your hearts be healed

and your lives be filled

with love, for

This is my body, 

This is my blood."

- Alla Renee Bozarth

from: Life Prayers from Around the World