From Eva to Ave
“We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
In this 2003 crayon and pencil drawing (which has subsequently gone viral as a Christmas image) Sr Grace Remington, OCSO depicts Mary and Eve. The Mother of our Lord consoles the mother of humanity. The curse that fell upon our first mother Eve (=Eva) has been reversed by the angel’s “Ave.” The snake which has bitten the one and entangles her legs is crushed by the foot of the other; the first promise of our redemption is fulfilled. The woman clothed with shame is blessed and uplifted by the woman clothed with salvation, dignity and honor. The fruit of the womb extracts the poison of the fruit intemperately seized upon; indeed, she is the root of superabundant fruit, which fills our vision, as those who view the scene, with light and possibility.
He has looked on the humble estate of his servant, for behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed
—The Virgin Mary, the Mother of God (Luke 1:48)
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Texts for this Week
Prayer
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and as we are sorely hindered by our sins from running the race that is set before us, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever.
The Risk of Birth
Madeleine L’Engle
This is no time for a child to be born,
With the earth betrayed by war & hate
And a comet slashing the sky to warn
That time runs out & the sun burns late.
That was no time for a child to be born,
In a land in the crushing grip of Rome;
Honor & truth were trampled to scorn—
Yet here did the Savior make His home.
When is the time for love to be born?
The inn is full on the planet earth,
And by a comet the sky is torn—
Yet Love still takes the risk of birth.
My Soul Magnifies the Lord
Notwithstanding the palpable medievalism in this polyphonic Magnificat, the leaven of the Reformation is also apparent. Mary’s song here is rendered in the English tongue, the prayer escaping the bounds of the monastic Latin in which it had been ensconced for many a preceding century. It is a product of the English Renaissance composer Thomas Tallis, who, as a favored musician among the Tudors, wrote some of the finest settings to the (then brand new) English song-texts of the prayerbook.
Introitus
Rorate Coeli Desuper
The text for this week’s introit again draws from the Prophet Isaiah (45:8), with responding psalm verse lifting the up opening words of Coeli enarrat: Psalm 19:1. In English, the whole thing runs like this:
Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; Let the earth open, let it bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. I, the LORD, have created it. Ps. The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.
