Dec. 20: Mary: The Christ Bearer

On the Eve of the Birth of Christ, Michael Rieser, c. 1869. Oil on canvas, 92 x 95 cm. Private Collection. Public domain.

“Today the Virgin” from the album Christmas with Chanticleer. Performed by: Chanticleer. Lyrics: Mother Thekla, Music: John Tavener.

Poetry:

“The Messenger”
by Thomas Merton

There is some sentry at the rim of winter
Fed with the speech the wind makes
In the grand belfries of the sleepless timber.
He understands the lasting strife of tears,
And the way the world is strung;
He waits to warn all life with the tongue of March's bugle,
Of the coming of the warrior sun.
When spring has garrisoned up her army of water,
A million grasses leave their tents, and stand in rows
To see their invincible brother.
Mending the winter's ruins with their laughter,
The flowers go out to their undestructive wars.

Walk in the woods and be witnesses,
You, the best of these poor children.

When Gabriel hit the bright shore of the world,
Yours were the eyes saw some
Star-sandalled stranger walk like lightning down the air,
The morning the Mother of God
Loved and dreaded the message of an angel.

THE PREGNANT VIRGIN AND HER BETROTHED, THE JUST MAN

At the rim of winter…
…the coming of the warrior sun.

Our great stories have these moments when the challenges feel insurmountable, the darkness seems impenetrable, the evil unstoppable. And then, there is the faintest glimmer of hope: rumor that the hero is on the move, the forever winter is beginning to thaw. Thomas Merton’s poem creates such a lovely parallel between today’s passage and the coming of spring.

I’d like to borrow Merton’s “warrior sun” and place it in the lamp of Joseph, the Messiah’s stepdad-to-be, in Michael Reiser’s painting. Joseph carried a small light into a shadowed stable, but God selected him to be the steward of so much more.

Joseph was “just” (NKJV), “righteous” (CSB), “noble” (The Message). As we read yesterday, Joseph was the protector of this new and vulnerable Holy Family. Today, we read of him as one who was confused yet devoted to doing what was right.

He and his fiancée had a complicated image problem, one that couldn’t be easily explained away. He was mulling over secretive options, how to somehow cover up an unexpected pregnancy. I wonder if this may be why the angel greeted him as “Joseph, son of David” (possibly referring to 2 Sam 11). Thankfully for Joseph, he and Mary were above reproach.

Today’s art pieces give us such rich angles to consider this miraculous moment with Mary and Joseph.

Merton’s poem invites us to watch as the ruin of winter is overrun by the joyful, beautiful, life-giving armies of spring. Then he lifts the veil to give us a glimpse of how nature’s miracle reflects the cosmic miracle of the virgin birth.

Sir John Tavener’s song gives us the joyful energy of new birth, and even the feeling of eager tension in the midst of waiting. It’s written with a rhythm that continually moves forward, but it never settles into a steady pattern. This is especially present even in the refrain, which serves as an anchor point throughout the song. The alleluia is extended with each repetition, increasing the sense of anticipation.

Reiser’s painting is a beautiful scene, and at the same time a remarkable study in opposites: Bright evening sky contrasted with shadowed stable; Pale crescent moon contrasted with warm, intense lamp flame; Well-shaped bricks next to rough stone. And the most significant opposites: Mary is still, calm, and reflective, while Joseph is as a man on the move. He is focused, looking at their options and ready to solve some problems. His halo is painted at a traditional angle given his physical position, but I chuckled when, in this context, it reminded me of a man pushing back his ball cap to scratch his head in thought. He has his light held high, heading into the gloom, preparing a place for the arrival of the Light of the World, coming into our darkness.

I don’t want you to miss Reiser’s hints of what’s to come: The streaming Bethlehem star is already in the sky, the shepherds are off in the distance, and on the stable gate, a twisted vine that may be shaped like a crown.

To finish, I’d like to highlight Mother Thekla’s song lyrics, celebrating this amazing meeting of opposites, and Joseph’s wonder in the midst.

“Mary, my Bride, O Mary, my Bride! What do I see? You, a virgin giving birth. Strange mystery!”

Prayer:
Father, praise you and thank you for your love, shown in this strange mystery.
Jesus, praise you and thank you for taking on human flesh, for being the light in our darkness.
Spirit, praise you and thank you for filling us and enlightening us. We pray that you will shape us to be more like Christ each day as we open ourselves to scripture and to your work in our lives.
To God be the glory!
Amen

Chuck Koontz, MLIS
Librarian for Systems and Special Collections
Adjunct faculty for School of Fine Arts & Communications
Biola University

For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, please visit our website via the link in our bio.