Words of Light and Hope from Tony Hawes

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.

For he has looked with favour on his lowly servant,

From this day all generations will call me blessed.

The Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

 

There were safer places, more comfortable places,

palaces and wealthy places.

Yet you chose a daughter of the soil who would have

otherwise lived a good and honest life, grown and

harvested crops, cooked and washed and cared for

others and been forgotten, to be your temporary home,

to be exalted for all time.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.

 

When does an ordinary life become extraordinary?

A mundane day become revolutionary?

A moment in time, change history?

When God enters in, forgives sin, allows us to

begin again, when we repeat those words of Mary:

Let it be to me according to your word.

 

Silence.

 

Into the daily cycle of our lives,

when all seems well with us, and with the world.

When our yoke is easy and the burden light,

you break in and scatter our complacency.

 

Into the daily cycle of our lives

When we are comfortable and at our ease.

When the fire is lit, but our eyes are closed,

you break in and challenge our dependency.

 

You break in when defences are down.

With an Angel’s shout, or the quietest sound,

you break in, you break in.

 

And we change, and all things change,

when you break in.

 

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

shall come again and with us ever dwell.

 

(John Birch, A Celtic Advent Celebration.)