A short piece of liturgy inspired by Revelation 12:1-5 A great portent appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pangs, in the agony of giving birth. Then another portent appeared in heaven: a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule[a] all the nations with a rod of iron. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne.
The dragon wields its power through earthly rulers and authorities While the woman, clothed with the sun, prepares to birth the Messiah The dragon lies in wait, ready to destroy the Christ But he is snatched away and taken to the throne-room of God Although evil seems to triumph in our time God’s kingdom will prevail, by the power of the resurrection. Amen, come Lord JesusPrinciple and Foundation
Ignatius of Loyola wrote his Principle and Foundation in the 16th century. Here follows my riff on theme
God so longed to express her creativity and to share her love with conscious beings, that she created an astounding universe from the tiniest speck of nothing. As matter coalesced and planets began to form, she chose one at just the right distance from it’s closest star and through the Word breathed her spirit into its slowly accumulating atmosphere. The simple elements and minerals joyfully responded by producing life in all its bounteous variety.
After many aeons, God called forth human beings from the fertile earth and the flame of her spirit flickered within them. God showered them with love and invited them to love her back without reserve, to respond with joyful praise, humble appreciation and to serve her by serving their fellow creatures. We, like them, are to become so immersed in God’s love that we become transparent to each other, like beacons that light the way to God for others.
God calls us to keep returning to her, as only she can wash away the pain and confusion that block out her light. God is patient with our wounds and failings, which are so tightly bound together with our gifts and graces. God calls us to be discerning about the direction of our hearts, to be on guard for those things that pull us away from her healing love. To hold all things lightly, so that the only things that grip us are the tender arms of God.
God calls us into union with herself to the point that all our other desires pale into insignificance. God invites us to fully lean into her embrace, trusting that whatever life brings to us will be used to achieve God’s purposes.