Befriending Mary in Advent

I’m certainly not the first pregnant woman during Advent that has found herself pondering a new connection to Mama Mary. And perhaps it’s not just the time of year, but the act of carrying life inside of me that has sparked those feelings and reflections. Maybe I would feel similarly if I were pregnant in June or July . . . or maybe there’s something special about this overlap of seasons where we wait in joyful hope.

I’ve written about my love for Advent before. I like to shout from the rooftops the wonder I feel anticipating Emmanuel, my favorite name for Christ. A normally impatient person, this season annually calms my urgency and allows my heart to settle and wait for what I know is coming and miraculously has already come – “ever ancient, ever new”. 

This year I find myself leaning into this mysterious paradox in a new way. A baby is coming and is already here. 

I sense this with every flutter of movement I feel in my belly. I can see it quite literally as my abdomen wiggles and moves when our little love dances around inside of me. 

Newness is coming. 

And while that is good news, it's not always easy. It's painful and exhausting and can surface fears you thought had already been rooted out of your heart. But it's also exciting and good and altogether ineffable. 

The hope Mary knew amidst all of this change surpassed all fear.  She actively accepted Gabriel's announcement and proceeded to carry the Light of the World knowing full well the hardship that was to come - both in the immediate and in the future. 

As we move closer to Christmas, the repeated question of, “Mary, did you know?”  is sung beautifully on the radio and holiday playlists in various harmonies and instrumentations. With an understanding of her upbringing as a devout Jewish woman, we can say with certainty that Mary would have known the answers to the questions posed in the lyrics of this sweet song. But does that mean she knew everything that was to come with pregnancy and childbirth and mothering too?

I don’t think so.

I sense Mary underwent some of the same fears and anxieties of motherhood that I currently am and I find deep comfort and consolation reflecting on that possibility. A woman who often feels too far off and out of reach in her perfection is slowly becoming personable and relatable to my new mother’s heart in this season of preparation.

Could not Mary have also felt nervous about the pain of labor and delivery? Even with solid examples of motherhood around her, might she have questioned her own ability to be a good mom?

Surely she, too, wondered and even worried about her new life as wife and mother and Theotokos on top of it all.

And therein lies the beauty of her perpetual fiat, her yes to God. She knew, despite not knowing, that He would provide and be with her every step of the way.

So there it is again, that beautiful paradox that I love to lean into this time of year. Knowing, yet not knowing. Seeing, yet not seeing. Trusting fully in God’s presence and provision – that which has already happened and yet is continuing to unfold.

God is with us, and yet we still wait in joyful hope for deeper understanding of our Emmanuel.

Peace,
Sarah

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2019 Advent-ures

I. Love. Advent.

I've probably shared it before (if not here than definitely on Instagram) that Advent is my favorite liturgical season and possibly my favorite time of the year.

(Wreath DIY can be found HERE in the Advent-ure post from 2015.)

There is something so incredible about preparing for Christ's birth while already knowing that Jesus has come. That beautiful tension of the already, but not yet, is a mystery that I love leaning into and journeying with as I anticipate the coming of Emmanuel - my favorite name for Jesus.

God is with us, friends. Maybe not always in the flashiest, most clear of ways, but God is here and what a gift the Incarnation is to the world.

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This year, to prepare for Christmas (cue Godspell music), my plan is to do the following:

1) Read and journal through this year's Blessed is She Advent AND Christmas Devotional. 

I had the privilege of contributing to this year's book with the rest of the team and am so excited to dive into stories of family as we reflect on "All the Generations - From Genesis to You".

If you haven't gotten a copy yet, you can still purchase one from the Blessed is She shop. The digital download might be the way to go if you want to start right away, but you could wait for a hard copy too.

(Cyber Monday there will be a site-wide sale of 25% off!)

2) Read the Gospel of Luke.

The book club I am a part of decided to read this book of Scripture for December with the intention of reading a chapter each day from Dec 1 - 24 (Christmas Eve) since there are 24 chapters. I also ordered two commentaries on Luke from Amazon ( 1 | 2 ) in hopes of digging a little deeper because I'm a Theology nerd lol

3) Recite the St. Andrew Christmas Novena with Michael each day. 

I've done this for the past 3 years or so and always find helpful in prayerfully entering into the season. Here's a post Blessed is She shared last year about it if you're interested. It's never too late to start!

Erica from Be A Heart designed this gorgeous print of the prayer. It's sold out now, but there are a ton of other beautiful pieces in her shop, and maybe it will be restocked in the future :)

4) Do a sort of "Reverse Advent Calendar" with Michael.

Each day of Advent, M and I plan to choose something from our closet to donate to a local charity. So often the Christmas/Advent season focuses on getting and we are looking for small ways to remind us of our call to give. Our hope is that this will just be a starting point. There are so many other ways to support our brothers and sisters in need, but we need to begin somewhere.

(I'm not sure if this is even how you are supposed to do one, but this is our plan.)

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As with most of my planning, I am flexible and open to changes and adjustments. Sometimes multiple to-do's shrink to one solid one. Other times I have found something else I like and decide to add it partly through the season.

No matter how this particular Advent turns out, my one hope is to remain focused on the reason for the season (as absolutely cheesy as that sounds).

God is with us friends.

I pray we all are able to notice this more during this season of Advent and the rest of the year too.

Peace,
Sarah

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