TASTE & SEE
Behold the handmaid of the Lord | Be it unto me according to thy word
I began my curacy (the first two years following my ordination to the priesthood working in a supervised setting) 22 years ago at St. James', the flagship anglo-catholic parish in western Canada in the heart of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Fresh from 3 years of seminary in an evangelical setting (Wycliffe College, Toronto) and 2 years of living with people with disabilities in L'Arche, my heart was ready to expand beyond the safety of the evangelical tradition and St. James' turned out to be just the place I needed to be.
One of many catholic devotional practices that were drilled into me during my St. James' years was the Angelus Prayer, a set of prayers centred on the joy of incarnation prayed three times a day at dawn, midday and dusk. I would get up at 5:30 am, open the chapel door at 5:30, lead Morning Prayer at 5:45, followed by tolling the Angelus bells to invite the whole community to join in the devotion. The drill repeats at noon and after evening prayer. The devotion centred on the experience of Mary, Mother of our Lord. Its second vesicle draws us to Mary's response to Gabriel the Archangel:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord | Be it unto me according to thy word
Every time I say these words, I ponder on what things I am invited to surrender so that the Word-made-flesh may be brought forth into the world here and now.
The late Archbishop Desmond Tutu was once asked what sustained him in fighting apartheid in South Africa for all those long years. Tutu cited his spiritual practice of praying the Angelus at noon daily which reminded him that he was floating in this great river of God's active grace and liberating love rooted in the incarnation of Christ.
This Sunday, the Rev. April Stanley, our preacher will lead us on reflecting on the Magnificat and the story of two women of promises changing the history of the world forever because the Word became flesh through their participation of God's continued liberation of the oppressive structures and forces in God's creation.
The Parish Council met this past Tuesday to deliberate on the proposed 15-bed Extreme Weather Response (EWR) shelter at St. Dunstan's. All the feedback received from parishioners was shared and prayerfully discussed. Towards the end of the discussion, Council felt that more time was needed to consider the full range of possible impacts this proposed program may have on other parish ministries and other user groups. Council struck a Task Force to prepare a proposal with a full risk analysis and mitigating strategies for the Vestry to consider at the Annual Vestry Meeting on February 23, 2025. I have since written to the Township of Langley and community partners to inform them that St. Dunstan's needed more time to thoroughly consider the proposal and will not be offering space for EWR during the current cold-wet season (October through March).
I applauded the wisdom of the Council in not rushing into a new outreach ministry and applying a faith-seeking understanding in evaluating this proposal. Pondering with Mary, I wonder how she managed to reframe the question "Why me?" to "Why not me?". Mary is inviting the people of St. Dunstan's to wrestle with our re-framing of the tough choices of our days likewise.
This is the irrational season
When love blooms bright and wild
For if Mary had been filled with reason
There’d have been no room for the child
~ lyrics from The Irrational Season by Carolyn Arends