December 21, 2018

Remembering The Women


~ A GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST ~

A genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of Miriam, the daughter of Anna:
Sarah was the mother of Isaac,
And Rebekah was the mother of Jacob,
Leah was the mother of Judah,
Tamar was the mother of Perez.
The names of the mothers of Hezron, Ram, Amminadab, 
     Nahshon and Salmon have been lost.
Rahab was the mother of Boaz,
     and Ruth was the mother of Obed.
Obed’s wife, whose name is unknown, bore Jesse.
The wife of Jesse was the mother of David.
Bathsheba was the mother of Solomon,
Naamah, the Ammonite, was the mother of Rehoboam.
Maacah was the mother of Abijam and the grandmother of Asa.
Azubah was the mother of Jehoshaphat.
The name of Jehoram’s mother is unknown.
Athaliah was the mother of Ahaziah,
Zibiah of Beersheba, the mother of Joash.
Jecoliah of Jerusalem bore Uzziah,
Jerusha bore Jotham; Ahaz’s mother is unknown.
Abi was the mother of Hezekiah,
Hephzibah was the mother of Manasseh,
Meshullemeth was the mother of Amon,
Jedidah was the mother of Josiah.
Zebidah was the mother of Jehoiakim,
     Nehushta was the mother of Jehoiachin,
Hamutal was the mother of Zedekiah.
The the deportation to Babylon took place.
After the deportation to Babylon
the names of the mothers go unrecorded.
These are their sons:
Jechoniah, Shealtiel, Zerubbabel,
Abiud, Eliakim, Azor and Zadok,
Achim, Eliud, Eleazar,
Matthew, Jacob and Joseph, the husband of Miriam.
Of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.
The sum of generations is therefore: fourteen from Sarah to David’s mother;
     fourteen from Bathshebba to the Babylonian deportation;
     and fourteen from the Babylonian deportation 
          to Miriam, the mother of Christ.
-Genealogy compiled by Ann Patrick Ware

This genealogy tracing Jesus’ great grandmothers was taken from Remembering the Women, a book of scripture readings that include women, compiled by J. Frank Henderson. ““A Genealogy  of Jesus Christ” was compiled by Ann Patrick Ware of the Women’s Liturgy Group of New York, who has graciously put this text in the public domain for all to use.” 
---------
During Advent, when many preach and reflect on the few women named in Matthew’s lineage, let’s also remember the many other mothers, both named and unnamed, both Hebrew and not, who were great grandmothers of Jesus. There are precious lessons to ponder here as well. Remembered here, of course, are mothers in Christ's paternal line. Mothers of the mothers are not recorded. -JoMae

December 11, 2018

May It Be Unto Me



~ May It Be Unto Me ~

Mary’s acceptance of the Angel’s pronouncement
of a circumstance beyond her control becomes
an example stretching beyond her own story
burrowing deep into individual experience.
Her life divided sharply with those words
her days will be forever split between
before and after. No going back.
There is no going back.

With only memories of the past
her sole vista now is forward
stumbling, pondering the
heart pounding news
she looks ahead.

Who was this messenger, this Gabriel?
Did Mary think of Sarai and of
Samson’s Mom, whose
angelic messengers
turned out to be
God’s Self?

Soon going to Elizabeth
she begins a journey
that will bring her
through the fear
and pain of
childbirth

and to the joy!

Young Mary sheds her blood to 
 bring new life into the world.
New hope.Then continues
on her journey mothering
her little one through to
the pride of who he’s
grown to be (“what
he says, do it”!)
and on to her
bitter grief,
the cross

<><><><><><><>

All are not called to shed our blood
but most will one day face worlds
beyond our own control - lives
changed even unto death.

Let Mary’s words remind us to accept,
to trust our selves, the future - and
most of all the ONE holding our
future cradled in holy hands

Almighty Godde
FatherMother
El Shaddai

Please mold us, grant us wisdom
that we too may accept all
that has been given
or taken away
with grace

JoMae
3/14/18

Luke 1:26
Gen 18:13
Judges 13:20-22
John 2:5
During the past two years, since the death of John, my husband and soul mate for 57 years, much of my work has been focused on learning about loss and how to accept it.  As I pondered and reflected, I came to see Mary’s acceptance to be a model for myself and all who journey through the joys and sorrows of life, praying for and finding the grace to move on.

December 07, 2018

A New Song


Photo: Lily Flower by Dreamstime

~ A New Song ~

I waited patiently upon you, YHWH;
You stooped to me and heard my cry,
 lifted me out of the desolate pit,
out of the mire and clay.

You set my feet upon a high cliff
and made my footing sure.
You put a new song in my mouth,
A song of praise to our Godde;
May many see, and stand in awe,
and put their trust in you.

Psalm 40:1-3
adapted

An echo of Psalm 40:1-3 becomes my offering of praise today

JoMae
12/7/18

Icy Morning Sunshine



~ Icy Morning Sunshine ~

Icy morning sunshine is pouring through my windows
reflecting iridescent off the white landscape beyond
yet amber leaves still cling to the old oak, its limbs
all etched in snow. Many inches already fallen 
and it's not even winter on the calendar yet

JoMae
12/7/18