Fra Angelico, OP, 1395-1455
Dear Friends,
The Lenten journey is one of Love, marked by the shifting shadows of the Cross. In the midst of this season emerges not only spring, but the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25) where the angel Gabriel comes to Mary, an ordinary young woman, with words of mystery and beauty.
Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!…Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus….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 called holy–the Son of God…
For nothing will be impossible with God. (Luke 1:28,30-32,35)
Mary’s empty womb will cloister Love’s Immensity as she is overshadowed by the Holy Presence.
Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to Thy Word. (Luke 1:38)
In a posture of humility and trust, Mary receives the mystery and the unexpected gift of grace that shifts the cosmos. The Infinite becomes finite. God becomes one of us. He wraps Mary (and us) in His holiness and His mercy.
Over 400 years ago, poet John Donne put it this way:
Thou hast light in dark, and shutt’st in a little room
Immensity, cloister’d in thy dear womb
It may seem strange to those of you who know me well, that The Annunciation is one of my favorite feast days of the Church. I can be rather direct and outspoken (or so I’m told!); Patience and trust do not come easily. But many years ago as I prepared to walk 500 miles through Spain on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, the words of Mary became my companion.
Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to Thy Word.
Camino de Santiago de Compostela.
Those words echoed in my mind as I trudged up steep, rocky mountain trails, walked through the blistering sun with endless mesas of wheat, or rainy afternoons with sunflowers bordering my paths. Mary’s words helped keep me going when I felt I’d lost my way and just wanted to quit. Her words of simple trust and humility continue to guide me, especially on this journey of mercy with Rehema Hospice and Clinic. Yes, there have been times when this particular path of mercy appeared impossible, and quitting seemed the best option. Thankfully, another voice would echo the words of the angel Gabriel, With God nothing is impossible.
Thank you for walking with us on this journey of mercy. Your support is bringing Love’s Immensity to those who are suffering in body and soul in Kenya.
And good news! Rehema Hospice has admitted her first patient. More on that story of mercy to come.
Always Mercy,
Pamela
