The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - 8th September 2026
St Anne holding the Blessed Virgin Mary: icon painted at Malling Abbey
Just three weeks ago we were celebrating the falling asleep of the Blessed Virgin Mary, now we come to the celebration of her birth. Then we celebrated her life brought to fulfilment, now we celebrate in anticipation of all that is to come to pass in the life of this girl child. Time becomes strange as we sing of the joy of creation at her birth, when she had not yet given her ‘yes’ to God. We believe she had a real choice to make when the angel came to her but somehow it was also prefigured in all that went before.
As we sing at Vespers for the Annunciation: “Of old fore-shown, Flesh-taking of the Word; Yet God awaits His creature’s free consent.”1 That word ‘consent’ seems important – not ‘submission’ or ‘surrender’, God demanding and Mary simply capitulating. ‘Consent’ is something much richer than a passive giving in to God’s will, it speaks to me of the importance of relationship. It matters that Mary is a free human being in relationship with God, and within that relationship she offered something positive, her free consent, to God. In different words we will sing at Vespers for this feast “Ready in will and silent and free, you shall bring forth Christ our eternal salvation.”2
Last time I spoke of God desiring ‘commerce’ with the universe, of God’s desiring it to come into relationship with himself. We human beings have a particular calling to respond consciously to God’s presence, we are the universe ‘knowing itself’ in a way that other creatures, as far as we know, do not. We also seem to be uniquely violent and destructive towards our own kind and the rest of creation. The life force in us drives us to compete and dominate, and the weak are exploited and trampled under foot. I believe our vocation as human beings is to transform that raw energy of eros into agape, to move from self-preservation to an offering of ourselves in love for others.
This becomes possible as we consent to God’s presence in our hearts and come to experience his love for us. No longer do we need to assert ourselves over against others but rather can embrace them as much loved fellow members of God’s creation. We can let go our desire to control our lives and instead allow our lives to flow with God’s will. In Mary this vocation is brought to its ultimate intensity in her ‘yes’ that gave flesh to God’s eternal Word.
I have always been struck by the phrase we sing of Mary – “you have made answer for the creation to the redeeming will of God”.3 Mary in a unique way represents all of us, making answer for the wider creation to God’s redeeming will. The antiphon continues “Light, fire and life, Divine and immortal, joined to our nature you have brought forth”. In her consent to God’s presence within her the divine and immortal energy was given flesh in her womb and brought to birth as the child Jesus.
Her answer to God was unique and unrepeatable but each one of us is also called to answer to the redeeming will of God. Through the life, death and resurrection of her son we too are empowered to bring Christ to birth. We do this in our own consent to what life brings to us, most especially when life is tough.
We have it easy here, no need to worry about food or shelter, living in peace rather than a war zone. Our living space is beautiful, spacious and quiet. We are privileged to live a deep rhythm of silence and prayer and it is important that we respond wholeheartedly to that privilege. Even within this environment we have our own difficulties to deal with, those of ageing and infirmity of mind and body and times when God seems far away. Circumstances are imposing change upon us that can be difficult to navigate. Our gift to the world is to consent with good grace to these challenges and hold the rhythm of prayer that transcends our individual lives and welcomes others in to encounter God.
I believe that in a mysterious way this work changes the energy field of humanity and enables others in much more challenging circumstances to be encouraged and upheld by God’s love. We contribute our own energy to the unfolding of God’s will for all of creation, the vision of a world made new where all will live together in peace.
Amen.
This reflection draws heavily on the writings of Cynthia Bourgeault, who has given shape and focus for my intuitions.
Mother Anne - 8th September 2026
1From our Vespers hymn for the Annunciation – my emphasis
2From our Vespers hymn for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – my emphasis
3From our antiphon for the Blessed Virgin Mary “Into his Joy”