January 13, 2023
The happy holidays are over for another year. I’m hoping that your holidays were filled with love and laughter – enough to last til we have the holidays in 2023. I hope you have been blessed.
The Lectionary in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer has separate New Testament readings for the days from after Christmas and through New Year, which is what we have been following here. There is now a break in the readings until we get to Sunday, when we go back to the regular readings with the heading First Sunday after Epiphany. I know – I get confused, too.
But this break gives me an opportunity to share a couple of favorites with you.
I am not ashamed to say that this video brings me to tears every time I watch it. It brings me such peace and yet stirs my heart in a way I can’t describe. People of ‘a certain age’ will recognize the actress Spring Byington, in a yellow dress in the front pew. When she bows her head at the end of the prayer, I’m almost overwhelmed with humility before the Lord because I recognize in her simple gesture the fullness of what is in my heart.
The sublime …
I was so moved by this the first time I watched it, I studied the Latin so I could (all alone with no one around, of course!) sing along with him. “Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.” In case your Latin is a little rusty … Hail Mary, Full of grace, The Lord is with thee;
Blessed art thou among women, And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
I can think of no more peaceful way to start each day.
Words on the Word 