Category: Mary

Prayer to Mary

In the beginning, God did shape
the sun, the moon, the stars,
and in the end he'll recreate
this weary world of ours,
but now the one who made all things
stares wide-eyed as he he hears you sing.

O Mary, here you hold the word
that makes creation new,
and holding him you hold the world—
Let us draw near to you
to shelter with him in your cloak,
for he is all our life and hope.

The son of heaven has come down
to bear with us the hurt:
The one who sleeps in your arms now
has joined us in the dirt,
then in the strength of your embrace
enfold us, too, into his grace.

And here beneath the stars he made,
teach us the song you sing
that waits for his eternal day
and trusts him in all things.
And pray for us, that we might be
his own in bright eternity.

Mary nursing the Infant Jesus. Early image from the Catacomb of Priscilla, Rome, c. 2nd century By Unknown author – adapted from the quoted page., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=507221

The Song of Elizabeth

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb, 
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, 
cried out in a loud voice and said, 
“Blessed are you among women, 
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me, 
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, 
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
–-Luke 1:39-45

Behold, my love comes o'er the hills
as softly as the deer steps forth,
as sweetly as the trickling rills
come bless the winter-laden earth.

As yet he hides behind the wall,
but love is coming to the door
to bring me to his banquet hall—
So comes the mother of my Lord.

And now I hear the true dove's voice
that says the winter days are past,
and this within me leaps for joy 
to recognize its spring at last.

Who am I, that this love should come
when God has done such things for me?
And she who said,“Let it be done,”
oh, blest is she who has believed!

And now he grows within her womb.
The barren fig tree puts forth buds;
the desert wakes and greens and blooms
when he tells me, “Arise, my love!”

These leaves survive from what must have been an extraordinarily rich book of hours. Stylistically, the illuminations relate to the workshop of Henri d’Orquevaulx, a documented Metz manuscript painter. Little is known about d’Orquevaulx’s life or career. Compositionally, structurally, and stylistically, the miniatures suggest strong links to Netherlandish illumination. By Henri d’Orquevaulx – https://clevelandart.org/art/2003.172, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77719154

If You Meet the Virgin

Based on a snippet I found in a book of prayers and poems about Mary, this one by St. John of the Cross, translated by Kathleen Jones:

If you meet the Virgin
Coming down the road,
Ask her into your house:
She bears the Word of God.

If, by chance, you meet the Virgin,
heavy-footed on her journey,
take her in beneath your roof.
Let her rest, and give her shelter
though your home's a helter-skelter—
See, her time is almost due.

She will come when nothing's ready.
Let her get out of the weather—
She'll make do with what you've got,
lives askew and human frailty,
dust on every inch of realty—
This shall be the home of God.

Others, then, will come behind her—
king and shepherd come to find her—
Better leave the porch light on,
for it is a light they're seeking,
they who've heard the night sky speaking
of a new and radiant dawn.

Even now the shepherds wander
far from where the burning stars were,
far from hillsides shining strange.
They have come down through the valleys,
searching avenues and alleys
for a king in manger laid.

Open doors and bow before him—
shepherds, kings, and you adore him
as on Mary's breast he sleeps.
Where you are, he makes his stable.
Where he is, he makes his table:
Welcome, welcome to the feast.


More details

Cornelis Massijs – Arrival of the Holy Family in Bethlehem – WGA14256 – Web Gallery of Art:   Image  Info about artwork, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15497722

The Message of the Angel

And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
—Luke 1:26-38

Rejoice, O greatly troubled,
uncertain and afraid:
Though mountains shake to rubble,
the Lord is on his way.

Rejoice through every sadness,
O highly favored one:
Though oceans rise in anguish,
yet you shall bear a son.

Now you both trust and tremble
and ask how this can be;
though David's throne stands empty,
his son shall set you free.

Recall the prophets' tellings:
Rejoice amid your fear,
for God comes to his dwelling
and even now draws near.

Rejoice in what was promised;
remember what was done.
The Lord has not forgotten,
and mercy still shall come.

Though now you sit in darkness,
for joy you shall yet sing:
This shadow now upon you
is God the Most High's wings.

Annunciation by Armenian manuscript illuminator Toros Roslin, 13th century By uploader Koperczak (talk) 08:52, 26 March 2009 (UTC), Toros Roslin – Miniatures Armeniennes, Ayastan, Erevan 1967, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6341938

Mantle

To those who stand on corners
or walk the highways out,
to those who sleep in doorways,
reach out your mantle now
and drape it as a shelter
across the unkind earth,
a tent of finest velvet
for those who sleep on dirt.

Reach out to them, O Mary
apparelled in the sun,
the hounded and the harried,
and hide them from the guns.
See those in need of rescue
and spread for them your cloak
to be a sky-blue refuge
that screens them from the foe.

O Mother, now behold them,
the weary and the poor,
and in your arms enfold them 
where once you held the Lord,
to shield them from the Herods—
O, bear them safe away
beyond the reach of terror
to live another day.

The Ravensburger Schutzmantelmadonna, c. 1480, attributed to Michel Erhart, painted limewood, Bode Museum, Berlin. Attributed to Michel Erhart – Self-photographed, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2293730