Intercessions ~ Feast of the Epiphany

 

Star of Bethlehem

A Savior is born for us!/ We ask for the Church to be a people of Good News to a world of sad news,/ offering an action-word of salvation,/ hope,/ joy,/ healing,/ confidence and relief./ We pray to the Lord.

In the Christmas carol we sing, "the weary world rejoices."/ We pray for those who are tired and feel no rejoicing,/ who are weary of war,/ weary of injustice/ tired of themselves and their failure./ We pray to the Lord.

Jesus was born into the world of the Roman Empire,/ a world often at war or preparing for war./ We pray for leaders to make decisions for peace that benefits others,/ not creating fear,/ but helping the world to be a more good,/ healthy and safe place./ We pray to the Lord.

At Bethlehem,/ the Infant Jesus sometimes cried,/ as babies do./ We pray for the world's children/ crying in pain,/ loneliness,/  terror,/ discomfort or need./ For the children who are lost,/ separated or grieving at Christmas./ We pray to the Lord. 

In another Christmas carol we sing of "comfort and joy."/ We ask comfort for parents who feel defeated or worried./ For expectant parents and those who are caregivers to the elderly,/ special needs folks,/ the weak ones,/ the dying./ We pray to the Lord. 

In the Christmas scene we see Joseph the dreamer./ Bless those who dream of safety,/ of being valued,/ employed,/ talked to and included./ We pray to the Lord.

We pray for those who do nothing to help during this time of covid spread - who only resist,/argue and deny./ For the many who continue to get sick,/ for those who die,/ for those who mourn./  May we not forget that covid is a global crisis./ We pray to the Lord.

The Virgin Galaktotrophousa ~ Mother of God Milk-Giver

This lovely icon was likely painted in Crete. In the 1200's Crete was the property of Venice and so the Cretan icon painters developed a mixed Byzantine-Western style. And while it was very common in the Middle Ages to see the Mother of God depicted holding the Christ Child, more rarely was she depicted as nursing her Infant. 

Sometimes a Christian can become a prude — here scandalized by the very non-sexual breast of the Virgin Mary. But let's remember, the Incarnation means that God became a human being and human beings come into the world as babies. Babies need to be washed, fed, burped, have their diapers changed and their noses wiped. For all their precious-ness, sometimes being a baby is an inglorious thing. And God became just that, a vulnerable, inglorious baby. With this as the starting point of our religion we might wonder how any Christian (or the Church itself) could ever become so closely identified with power. 

This icon has been battered a bit. We can see the nail heads that have been hammered around the icon. Most curiously we see that the tin frame originally covered the top of the Virgin's halo and that someone took a metal scissor and hacked away at it to free up the halo-light emanating from Mary's face.  God has come into our dangerous world. 

Oh Lady, free up the Christ-light entrusted to me at the font of Baptism — that I might also shine like the sun. 

"Let us go to Bethlehem" in the Christmas Octave

 

This is the large icon of the Mother of God found near the entrance to the cave in the Bethlehem Church of the Nativity where it is believed Jesus was born. It is a large icon and people stop to pray by the many thousands. But not this year again as the coronavirus has kept the pilgrims away.

Perhaps we can make a cyber visit to Bethlehem and stop here before the image. The red light above is burning. We can imagine no one is around so we can stay as long as we care to. But notice this, the Mother of God and the Holy Infant are smiling. Their eyes are wide awake to the world in all of its troubles. Wires are strung across the icon where people leave tokens of gratitude and praise. Some have fallen to the bottom of the icon's frame. But we don't have to do that. The only thing we need to leave behind is our prayer born of silence. Or the silence itself can be the prayer. Therese of Lisieux prayed with a sigh. Kateri Tekakwitha prayed with her eyes.