Tomorrow we celebrate the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is a contentious issue for many Christians and it is often misunderstood. For me, the St Mary, the mother of Christ is a fascinating character. As with many women in scripture (let's face it, throughout history) her life has attracted scrutiny and comment but she, in particular seems to attract more than most. Is she an impossible ideal for real women to attain, created by a male dominated church over centuries, to oppress women? Is she a feminist icon, a female voice and power in an almost all male tradition?
If you opened the bible at random and read a passage, it might become apparent after a while that it had been written by a man, for men and with no thought to a reader of any other gender. That's not a criticism, it's just the way things were. For me, Mary one of the few (allegedly) female voices that we hear in the bible. Miriam, Hannah, Deborah and Mary are directly quoted in song. And when they sing, the world needs to pay attention. These are women who don't hold back at calling out abuses of power, a vision for a future of justice, and God's strength and support of the underdog. In Mary's case, we have the most disadvantaged person imaginable, chose to be God's partner in his incarnation.
Prayers such as the Hail Mary and the Angelus are not prayers to Mary but they are requests to Mary to pray for us. She has a powerful voice in what is known as the Magnificat. Her own life must have been incredibly hard and for all we know, she lived into old age. If there is anyone who can empathise with us, it is her. I want her in my corner. So just as we might as a friend to keep us in their prayers, I ask Our Lady, The Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Heaven and Empress of Hell to give her some of her titles, pray for me.
Please pray especially today for residents of Shelley Drive and St Giles after a major incident there last night. A young man is in hospital.
Please also note a date for your diaries: Saturday 26th October for a parish Vision Day. Further details are in the bulletin. Timings to be confirmed.
Have a great week.
Best wishes,
Rachel