Luke 1:26-38
At that time the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace: the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of David His father; and He shall reign in the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end. And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man? And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren; because nothing shall be impossible with God. And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word.
My Joys,
I woke up thinking — I need to do a post on forgiveness and invite everyone to join me in releasing those old grudges which like old wounds continue to poke us in the eye, or give us a belly ache when we least expect it. But….When I discovered to my delight that it was the Feast Day of the Annunciation my heart began to soften and turn towards what is being “annunciated” means to us right now, today.
Sometimes my e-mail in box is like a trove of little prophesies. (Other times, I cannot believe we have come to this kind of communication when I just want to meet you at the cafe for croissants and lattes) But today, I received the announcement of the Annunciation, prayers and honor for our beloved Elizabeth Taylor, a call to fast and pray for Congress and their decisions in April (Sojourners has asked us to fast on Monday’s in April from lunch) because the budget cuts will hurt the poorest people, and finally a note that Eve Ensler is in the Congo and has set up a City of Joy to raise up women leaders to fight the rape and sexual violence. What does this have to do with annunciating? I haven’t figured it out yet…I am just following the little stones to the treasure trove so give me just a minute…be right back…
(I’m back, ok here we go.)
Eve Ensler in Congo
The Angel spoke to Mary and Mary spoke to the Angel. Elizabeth Taylor is speaking with God and we are speaking praises to her. Prayer folks are speaking to God about Congress. Eve is speaking to women in the Congo. These women in the Congo are speaking their truths and speaking to government and oppressors. These are all annunciations that have wonder, impossibility, magic, faith, hope, and unreasonable action. So my question is this…
What do you YOU WANT to ANNUNCIATE on this HOLY WHOLE DAY? Regardless of what is wrong or right, and I got plenty today, I call it a HOLY and WHOLE day. Annunciate is a verb that means to announce.
Will you join me today in announcing something important to you? Whether it is a twitter or a fb or a prayer to God or a blogpost – or like me, all four, what TODAY do you want to announce to the world. What truth? What idea? What hidden secret? If you want to — you can put your announcement RIGHT HERE and comment below. When we proclaim and make known our truths and wants and needs it helps us bring it closer to us, and also just plain feel better to speak it, and releases it to the universe. Sometimes we are shy and don’t even feel worthy of being heard. And sometimes, we *gulp* are afraid we aren’t ready to announce something because we are afeared we won’t be able to follow up. So today, I propose, let’s leave the “HOW” of how our annunciation happens, and just leave that to GOD/Creator/Divine/Great Spirit/Elohim/Yehushua/shall we?? And let’s just annunciate what needs to be said from our hearts. You will see my Annunciation below in comments.
And for the record, when I say GOD I mean the Holy Family, Elohim, Ma and Pa Divine. BUT today, this precious day…I want to annunciate something to Mama Mary.
I love you
thank you for walking by my side
for holding my heart in your hands
for rocking me to sleep
for not giving up on me
even when I lost my faith,
not in you or God, but
in life itself.
Thank you for all the good work
being done in the world
side by side with suffering.
Thank you for blessing my brush,
and my pen.
Thank you for being my Mama.
Help me to remember that nothing
is impossible with God.
love,
Shiloh
p.s. Now I have to go finish a painting that is DUE today – finishing touches, lip gloss, eye lashes, swirls and glitter…will show ya later this week.
p.p.s. if you look real close at my painting above you can see Mary is holding a Red Thread!
My annunciation: So…I have admittedly felt a loss of faith over the past nine months not knowing who or what I really believe. Still not sure but ready to take a leap of faith anyway. Here goes:
Dear Great Spirit, I am ready to have my faith back please. Help me to move and act and be from the space of faith, this is my Annunciation. Amen.
Shiloh
Greetings to all the Prayer Warriors:
Today, on the eve of the feast of the Annunciation I am going to share with you a story about Panayia. It is a story of faith, healing and love.
When I was twelve years old there was a man in our parish, a very devout man who was married with a son. This gentle man named John developed a horrific cancer in his eye where he needed to wear a plastic cover over his eye. I remember seeing him in church all the time and asking my mother what does Mr. Karaganis have over his eye and my mother explained to me he had a cancer. In those years if you had cancer you were doomed. Even at twelve years old I realized this kind, gentle man won’t live too long. In the spring of 1959 he was told by his doctors at Mass General Hospital that at the most he had maybe six months to live, go home and get your things in order. He thought about what the doctors said and decided that he would take his wife and child and go to a Greek island named Tinos where it was believed many people had been healed by the Panaghia. They went over to Tinos. One afternoon when he was having a siesta (Greek afternoon nap) the Panayia appeared to him in a dream and in that dream she told him, “John you will be healed.”
It was an amazing thing – he got up and told his wife Van and the two of them with their young son George went to the church of the Annunciation in Tinos to venerate the icon of healing and thank Panayia. After a summer of prayers of thanksgiving to our Panayia he returned to the states and went to his doctors at MGH and they confirmed that his cancer was gone. For me it was a grace filled moment. I saw at such a young age a miracle that stayed with me all my life. May God’s healing hand be on all of us and our loved ones who are in need of healing be it physical, emotional or spiritual. May our Panayia our mother keep us close to her and to her Son as we continue our Lenten journey.
God bless and keep you all!!
With a grateful heart,
nikki
Until very recently it had never occurred to me that Our Lady was a real image of the Great Mother. She was an image for others, of other beliefs. But lately, a number of experiences have offered me a different perspective, and I am filled with wonder and openness and ready to turn toward. . .
Oh Holy Lady,
If you are truly meant for me, please come to me and fill my heart with your love and understanding; allow me to know your Grace.
With a tender heart,
Isabella
I ANNOUNCE the fulfillment of my impossible dream for the world: Next semester, I will be going to Sweden for a year to write my thesis on cross-cultural philosophy and practice in breastfeeding and maternal/child nutrition between the U.S. and Scandinavia. I do not speak Swedish, or currently have the money to do this. I speak Spanish and French, and always believed that I would go to Africa or Latin America to change the world and heal the lives of women and infants. The trouble is, this culture has left me with nothing (beyond my hope and idealism) to give to those I want to help. Last week, this possibility emerged out of nowhere and has fully captured my heart. Imagine! A year in a world with some of the best legal gender equity, the world’s highest breastfeeding rates and lowest infant mortality rates, where poverty is uncommon and where birth is known to be sacred~~it brings me to tears that the Universe would think me worthy of such an opportunity! I claim my willingness to live this sacred dream and my worthiness to receive all resources and blessings to make it so—so mote it be!
Oh you gave me chills. and you know what I just finished a painting called Lady Grace. so happy to be in your presence and life. Blessed Lady hear her prayers…
Your announcement is heard Dear One Amber!
well I am thinking of you dear Jena Ship
March 2011 will always be an unforgettable month. As I was standing at the sink washing dishes a song came to mind, stopped what I was doing and just let pour fourth. “spending my time watching, the days go by, feeling so small, I stare at the wall, thinking of you, hoping you think of me too”
okay, I said this morning that this is a day blessed with Gabriels’s energy and, faith, trust, surrender and miracles. I’ve been watching the tributes to Eliz. and announced today to various folks that since I am turning 60 soon, I am embracing Eliz’s baudy, beautiful, mother earth,broad energy that so many of her friends have commented on. I am that anyway…yet turning 60 means kicking it up a notch or ten!!! Among other wonderfulnesses she was/is.
I also am embracing AGAIN, a new expanse of John Denver energy into my life…I just bought a dvd of an event he did in 1995 that i was not at. He started a new song called Let the Mountains Talk, Let the Rivers Run from the title of David Brower’s book, at the time. Song wasn’t even complete and it is quintessential JD prayer/song….and has me filled with inspiration again after all these years without him here.
Blessings to all on this holy day of mary’s, holy yes…and my holy yes renewed. Amen
quite without warning i dreamt last night that my son was healed. and then tonight i realized how interesting that i would have this dream just a day before his 27th birthday.
i announce to the depths of the earth and the infinite expanse of all universes my prayers for my son’s healed embrace of love and life. and so it is.
thank you wholeheartedly shiloh for this opportunity.
you are heard Sharon
how sweet to follow the work on this painting in (near) realtime through your blog. can’t wait to see it! i love your heart and the prayers within and without it.
I am barely living,
but still alive…
washed up on the shore of my life,
through the storms,
the clinging seaweed,
exhausted and spent–
but still alive…
the pit of fear in my stomach gone,
the desire to stand,
to move on,
barely there,
but still alive…
the sea air fills my lungs,
the cool wind touches my wet, cold limbs–
waiting for the sun,
still alive…
Oh Bonnie Bluebird…I am glad you are still alive…may that sun long in coming touch your limbs and bring gentle vitality…I don’t know the story of your washing up…but I have had days where our mermaid selves would have been side by side on that cold shore. with warm love in sisterhood, shiloh
Thank you, Shiloh…since my legs are weak, I think I’ll grow back my mermaid tail, and dive back into the Sea of Life, the great Mother…Aloha, Bonnie