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| Image by Nicholas Raymond |
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A GREETING
I will praise the name of God with a song;
I will magnify God with thanksgiving.
(Psalm 69:30)
A READING
My soul [magnifies] your greatness, O God,
and my spirit rejoices in you, my Saviour.
For you have looked with favour
upon your lowly servant,
and from this day forward
all generations will call me blessed.
For you, the Almighty, have done great things for me,
and holy is your Name.
Your mercy reaches from age to age
for those who fear you.
You have shown strength with your arm;
you have scattered the proud in their conceit;
you have deposed the mighty from their thrones
and raised the lowly to high places.
You have filled the hungry with good things,
while you have sent the rich away empty.
(Luke 1:46-53)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
And as sure as the sun rises in the morning,
God will come,
and will return to us like the rains of winter,
like the rains of spring that water the earth.'
(Hosea 6:3)
A SONG LYRIC
Now they spring forth in fullest green! Because of you, the heavens give dew to the grass, The whole Earth rejoices; Abundance of grain comes from Earth's womb And on its stalks and branches the birds nest. And, because of you, nourishment is given to the human family And great rejoicing to those gathered round the table.
- from Hildegard of Bingen's Book by Divine Works with Letters and Songs. Edited by Matthew Fox
VERSE OF THE DAY
The human spirit is the lamp of God, searching every inmost part.
(Proverbs 20:27)
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| Image by Sathish J |
On the last of these ten days of reflecting on Hildegard, we return to her passion for Mary, the 'greenest branch,' the "Viridissima Virga" (Greenest Virgin) of today's song title.
The Magnificat was a favourite text of Hildegard's and in its song, she hears the intention Mary expresses in ‘magnifying’ God with the meaning of ‘to enlarge.’ “My soul enlarges God.”
Hildegard believes that when Mary says ‘my soul magnifies God,’ she is speaking of the creativity of God. And from her 12th century abbey on the banks of the Rhine in Germany, Hildegard might ask us today, “How does each of us in our own solemn bodies enlarge the creativity of God, in our own lives and in our loves and in our work?’
Mary's desire, her conviction that her soul enlarges the God within her, finds a comparison in Hildegard’s greening. A few months from now, Jesus, the Green Man, arrives in a birth that (as we tell it) is surrounded by creatures and nature.
Hildegard of Bingen lived exactly half way in time between those events and our lives today. How much are we ready to embody her wisdom, greening our loves as much as our lives, so that all created life may flourish?
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Scripture passages are taken from The Inclusive Bible.
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Today marks the end of the LC† Radiant Earth, Sacred Calling devotional project. As always, thank you for participating and for sharing the project with others. Peace be with you. See you in Advent!
Prayers are extended to National Bishop Larry Kochendorfer as he is ordained in Winnipeg tomorrow!
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LC† Radiant Earth, Sacred Calling is a devotional series of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!
