Mary Heard The Angel's Message

 

"Then Mary said, "Behold I am the handmaiden of the Lord;
let it be done to me according to what you have said.
And the angel left her."
(Luke 1:38)

Mary heard the angel's message:

"Greetings, Mary favored one!

Do not fear, for God is with you;

You will one day bear God's Son."


Filled with questions, filled with wonder,

She proclaimed her faith in God:

"May it be as you have spoken;

I am the servant of the Lord!"

When she heard her cousin's greeting,

Mary's heart was filled with joy,

So she sang of God's great blessing

Promised in her baby boy:


"God has looked on me with favor,

So I sing this song of praise.

God has worked the proud to scatter...

Humble, hungry ones to raise."

Mary heard the shepherds' story,

Words she treasured with delight.

Then an angel gave the warning:

"Flee with Jesus in the night!"


Mary wondered in her anguish,

What would be the pain He'd know?

Fleeing then, she held Him closely...

One day she would let Him go.

Mary heard, "Who is My mother?

Who is My family?

All who do My Father's bidding-

All these ones belong to Me."

Later on the hill she heard Him,

"Woman, see your new son there!

You, my friend, behold your mother!"

So Christ formed new bonds of care.

When they learned the Lord had risen,

Christ's disciples met to pray.

Mary was among the faithful

Bound in love, on Jesus' Way.


God, we see her, Christ's disciple,

Loving, learning, serving, too.

Like her, may we hear and answer,

"We, your servants, live for You."

"Mary Heard The Angel's Message"
(1999)
Carolyn Winfrey Gillette
(1961-
American Presbyterian pastor
and hymn writer

"Kissing The Face Of God"
Morgan Weistling
(1964-
American artist
 Painting courtesy Morgan Weistling
via Google Images

The Story Behind The Painting

"Kissing The Face Of God"

This painting was first inspired by a song I heard one day.
Sometimes, hearing one phrase is all it takes, and then a flood 
 of inspiration follows.  The phrase, "kissing the face of God"
immediately struck me with this powerful image of
Mary and the Baby Jesus.

"It is an image that we have seen depicted many times, but
never simply as a mother and her child with real tenderness.
I started to contemplate the awesome privilege that Mary
was given, being able to hold God in her arms, but also
keeping in mind that He was still her baby.

This cute little child whom she bore was also God in the flesh.
And yet, she cuddled and kissed Him, just as all mothers do
with their babies.  This thought propelled me right into this painting
 which I wanted to be a very human representation of divinity.

My prayer is that the viewer will be struck, as I am, with the
amazing way that God chose to send His Son into the world-
in pure humility." -Morgan Weistling