Advent 4
Here is a meditation on the Annunciation written by St Bernard about 850 years ago.
From St Bernard:
The whole world waits for Mary’s answer
You have heard that you shall conceive and bear a Son; you have heard that you shall conceive, not of man, but of the Holy Spirit. The angel is waiting for your answer: it is time for him to return to the God who sent him. We too are waiting, O Lady, for the word of pity, even we who are overwhelmed in wretchedness by the sentence of damnation.
And behold, to you the price of our salvation is offered. If you consent, straightway we shall be freed. In the eternal Word of God were we all made, and lo! we die; by one little word of yours in answer shall we all be made alive.
Adam asks this of you, O loving Virgin, poor Adam, exiled as he is from paradise with all his poor wretched children. Abraham begs this of you, and David; this all the holy fathers implore, even your fathers, who themselves are dwelling in the valley of the shadow of death; this the whole world is waiting for, kneeling at your feet.
And rightly so, for on your lips is hanging the consolation of the wretched, the redemption of the captive, the speedy deliverance of all who otherwise are lost; in a word, the salvation of all Adam’s children, of all your race.
Answer, O Virgin, answer the angel speedily; rather, through the angel, answer your Lord. Speak the word and receive the Word; offer what is yours, and conceive what is of God; give what is temporal, and embrace what is eternal.
Why delay? Why tremble? Believe, speak, receive! Let your humility put on boldness, and your modesty be clothed with trust. Not now should your virginal simplicity forget prudence! In this one thing alone, O prudent Virgin, fear not presumption; for although modesty that is silent is pleasing, more needful now is the loving-kindness of your word.
Open, O Blessed Virgin, your heart to faith’ open your lips to speak; open your bosom to your maker. Behold! The Desired of all nations is outside, knocking at your door. Oh! If by your delay he should pass by, and again in sorrow you should have to begin to seek for him for whom your soul longs! Arise, then, run and open. Arise by faith, run by the devotion of your heart, open by your word.
And Mary said: “Behold the hand maid of the Lord: be it done to me according to your word”.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
Advent/Christmass Letter
End of Year / Christmass Letter
It’s been a busy year. For meetings, retreats, schools, etc, I travelled to Bloemfontein and or Modderpoort many times. Totalling over 10,000 km (about 6,500 miles). Travelling around the parish was very much easier. (I can walk to most places.)
My Cluster (archdeaconry) is just 6 full-blown parishes and a multitude of small worship centres scattered all over the Eastern Free State. From Villiers in the north-east to Arlington in the West (if you’re looking at a map.) It includes the whole of the previously “independent” homeland of Qwa Qwa. 3 of our congregations have no building at all, but we hope to do something about this in 2009.
My church of St John the Baptist is a traditional stone building which could have been transplanted from anywhere in the UK. It has a pipe organ (one of only 2 in the whole diocese). I have a small chapelry in a distant township – Resurrection Church – which we have extended during the year. It will now hold about 70 people instead of the previous 30 odd. It still needs a ceiling and some furniture but, with a bit of luck, we shall achieve this in the next 6 months or so.
As well as services in our church, I am also chaplain to the hospital staff which involves visiting them at the hospital every Monday morning to start the week with prayer. We have a little service in each ward and in the kitchen. I also have a weekly Eucharist at the old aged home for about 12 people who can’t get to church. For the 1st time, I’ve been asked to go to the post office to pray with the staff next week. When I was a teenager, I worked in a post office for a couple of years so that should be interesting.
My health is good. I managed to break a toe on a supermarket trolley last month. It was entirely my fault and carelessness so I can’t even sue the shop for millions of bucks as if I was in the USA. My diabetes is fully under control – to the point where the diabetes clinic at the University Hospital now only want to see me once a year instead of every 6 months.
When I got back from my last visit to Bloemfontein, I found that my home had been broken into and the computer stolen. A terrible nuisance. I soon got a replacement and am now trying to get the insurance to pay for it. I can do nothing about the lost work except back-up more often than I did.
We had a great spit braai (bar-b-q) last Sunday. Roasted whole a sheep and a pig. A bouncy castle and water slide kept the smaller children happy. Lots of booze kept the older ones even happier! Our singing at the church service was accompanied by a lady ringing Swiss cow bells. This may sound odd but was magnificent.
Our Carols by candlelight is on the 14th and soon after it will be Christmass.
I turned 65 a week ago and am now officially an old-age pensioner. I applied for a pension but don’t know when or if I shall get it. But I have no intention of retiring and hope to go on for as long as my church is happy to have me.
Please visit my website: vicspencer.blogspot.com for pictures, etc. I’ll get it up to date soon.
I wish you all much love, a very blessed Christmass and a happy (I won’t say prosperous, given the world’s economic woes) year in 2009.
It’s been a busy year. For meetings, retreats, schools, etc, I travelled to Bloemfontein and or Modderpoort many times. Totalling over 10,000 km (about 6,500 miles). Travelling around the parish was very much easier. (I can walk to most places.)
My Cluster (archdeaconry) is just 6 full-blown parishes and a multitude of small worship centres scattered all over the Eastern Free State. From Villiers in the north-east to Arlington in the West (if you’re looking at a map.) It includes the whole of the previously “independent” homeland of Qwa Qwa. 3 of our congregations have no building at all, but we hope to do something about this in 2009.
My church of St John the Baptist is a traditional stone building which could have been transplanted from anywhere in the UK. It has a pipe organ (one of only 2 in the whole diocese). I have a small chapelry in a distant township – Resurrection Church – which we have extended during the year. It will now hold about 70 people instead of the previous 30 odd. It still needs a ceiling and some furniture but, with a bit of luck, we shall achieve this in the next 6 months or so.
As well as services in our church, I am also chaplain to the hospital staff which involves visiting them at the hospital every Monday morning to start the week with prayer. We have a little service in each ward and in the kitchen. I also have a weekly Eucharist at the old aged home for about 12 people who can’t get to church. For the 1st time, I’ve been asked to go to the post office to pray with the staff next week. When I was a teenager, I worked in a post office for a couple of years so that should be interesting.
My health is good. I managed to break a toe on a supermarket trolley last month. It was entirely my fault and carelessness so I can’t even sue the shop for millions of bucks as if I was in the USA. My diabetes is fully under control – to the point where the diabetes clinic at the University Hospital now only want to see me once a year instead of every 6 months.
When I got back from my last visit to Bloemfontein, I found that my home had been broken into and the computer stolen. A terrible nuisance. I soon got a replacement and am now trying to get the insurance to pay for it. I can do nothing about the lost work except back-up more often than I did.
We had a great spit braai (bar-b-q) last Sunday. Roasted whole a sheep and a pig. A bouncy castle and water slide kept the smaller children happy. Lots of booze kept the older ones even happier! Our singing at the church service was accompanied by a lady ringing Swiss cow bells. This may sound odd but was magnificent.
Our Carols by candlelight is on the 14th and soon after it will be Christmass.
I turned 65 a week ago and am now officially an old-age pensioner. I applied for a pension but don’t know when or if I shall get it. But I have no intention of retiring and hope to go on for as long as my church is happy to have me.
Please visit my website: vicspencer.blogspot.com for pictures, etc. I’ll get it up to date soon.
I wish you all much love, a very blessed Christmass and a happy (I won’t say prosperous, given the world’s economic woes) year in 2009.
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