Mary's visit to see her cousin, Elizabeth, the mother-to-be of John the Baptist, is only recorded in Luke's gospel [Luke 1:39-57] Given the accepted view that Luke wrote the last of the three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew-Mark-Luke), and that this story only appears in his gospel, it seems likely that this represents a tidbit of information that Luke picked up as he was gathering stories about Jesus and including some of them in his book [see Luke 1:1-4 for Luke's explanation of what he was trying to do in writing down his gospel].
It is important at this point to mention that a large number of stories about Jesus, and especially about events before the three years of his public ministry, were rejected as being "non-canonical." That is, they were not to be included in the official list of books - the canon - of the New Testament. The secular press likes to refer to these as "Lost Gospels," but they should more properly be called "books that were rejected because they weren't really gospels in the first place." Because of this, it is sometimes surprising to see which other stories somehow made it into the canon. That's a good topic for a future discussion, but today let's just accept that this story is canonical, and that it offers Luke the perfect setting for one of the most beautiful pieces of poetry in the entire NT: the Magnificat.
I grew up with the King James Version (in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer), which went like this:
The Song of Mary Magnificat
Luke 1:46‑55
My soul doth magnify the Lord, *
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
For he hath regarded *
the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold from henceforth *
all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me, *
and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him *
throughout all generations.
He hath showed strength with his arm; *
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, *
and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel, *
as he promised to our forefathers,
Abraham and his seed for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
[from Daily Evening Prayer, Rite One in the Book of Common Prayer, 1979 - page 65]
Of course, this "canticle" (holy song) was recited at Evening Prayer and chanted at Evensong, and it is still a frequently-chosen option for that time of prayer in our 1979 Prayer Book.
Regardless of the setting, we can join with Mary in "magnifying" the Lord, that is, giving God all of the glory and praise that our souls are capable of offering. And why? Mary answers that question: because God has raised up the lowly and fulfilled the promises that were made to Israel - especially the promise made to Abraham and his descendants - that of a Messiah to deliver God's people.
As the title of this sermon hints, there is something else that we observe today, and it does not conflict with our celebration of the Visitation.
There are four Rogation Days in the calendar. The first one, sometimes called the Major Rogation, is on April 25 (the same day that we celebrate Saint Mark). The other three come right in a row on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday immediately preceding the Feast of the Ascension (this Thursday).
Our word, rogation, comes from the Latin verb rogare, which means "to ask" or "to pray. This is tied to the Gospel reading that used to be read on the Sunday before the Ascension. It contained Jesus' promise, "ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find." [Matthew 7:7-8] Following through on Jesus command, we are encouraged to spend three days asking, all the while believing that we shall receive what we ask for in a good conscience and constitent with God's purpose for the world (i.e., praying for the Cubs to win the World Series probably won't be something that you receive, no matter how much you ask).
There used to be specific litanies for the Rogation Days - a set of prayers that were repeated each of the three days. I found a copy of what may be the last version of the Lesser Litanies (those for the three days before the Ascension) at this web page.
There used to be (and perhaps still are in some places) certain customs associated with these Rogation Days. Farmers would have a priest bless their crops in the field, praying for a bountiful harvest. Priests and churchwardens would walk all along the legal boundaries of their parishes in a ceremony known as "beating the bounds." The purpose was to pray for God's protection of the parish and its inhabitants. In the days when a priest was supported financially by the produce of the lands within his parish, it was probably also important once a year to re-establish what those boundaries were, so that there would be no dispute at harvest-time.
It's perhaps a good idea to ask why we need to set aside specific days of the year to remember certain people or events, or to remind ourselves to pray. After all, Jesus' advice was clear: "pray always." [Luke 21:36]
I think that the Church is being realistic. There are so many things going on in our lives that a gentle reminder to remember to pray is a good idea. We commemorate people like Mary and Elizabeth because they represent those who have gone before us in the faith - our spiritual ancestors. Just as we have fond memories of our grandparents and other family members, so we like to remember important events in the lives of Christians who came before us. In addition, the saints serve as examples. They show us that it really is possible to live a holy life, even when we fall into sin and seem to be helpless. The saints were no different - only Jesus lived a sinless life - and their struggles and triumphs inspire us to keep trying. God gives us the saints as living proof that God loves us, that God acts in people's lives, and that God rewards those who are faithful.
Likewise, setting aside certain days for certain types of prayers is a way that the Church shows us that we should be serious about living our faith. "Pray always" can be done by anyone, as long as we keep in mind that the majority of those "always" prayers will be a single thought or word. There is also a need for longer prayers, for prayers with a set structure and purpose, and rogation days help to encourage us to find the time for those prayers, too.
May you have a blessed Feast of the Visitation, remembering Mary and Elizabeth, and cherishing Mary's beautiful canticle of praise, the Magnificat. May you also take some extra time today and tomorrow to pray and praise God for all that we have received.
1 comments:
Thankyou Brother,Your sermons are always are inspireing and a blessing to me everytime I read them.
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