Mary van Balen

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus... Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow... ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.
Luke 1:26-38

A friend of mine, poet Kilian McDonnell OSB, wrote a poem titled "In the Kitchen." Here are a few lines:

Bellini has it wrong.
I was not kneeling
on my satin cushion
quietly at prayer,
head slightly bent.

Painters always
skew the scene,
as though my life
were wrapped in silks,
in temple smells.

Actually I had just
come back from the well,
placing the pitcher on the table
I bumped against the edge,
spilling water on the floor.

As I bent to wipe
it up, there was a light
against the kitchen wall
as though someone had opened
the door to the sun...


Hearing the story in Luke, or reflecting on some of the many paintings made of the Annunciation, we might be tempted, like the painters, to forget that Mary was a young girl, busy with ordinary chores of life in Nazareth. Was she frightened when she saw the light and realized what was being asked of her? Was she tempted to say "no" to the invitation to become a pregnant, unmarried, betrothed maiden? Did images of implications flash through her mind? Read More 

IMAGE: Theotokos "Eleusa-Kiska" by Simon Ushakov 1668

The shepherds hurried away to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; it was exactly as they had been told. Lk 2, 16-20

On this feast of Mary, Mother of God, I imagine Mary pondering not only the birth of Jesus and what immediately followed, but also the countless mysteries of her life. This icon conveys closeness and warmth between Mary and her son. Both appear to look beyond what is immediately visible to some deeper reality. Perhaps what they see is Love, God's desire for intimacy with us. The ability to perceive such grace comes from their relationship. Read More 

PAINTING: The Annunciation by Henry Ossawa Tanner

Before the world was made, he chose us: he chose us in Christ, to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence.
Ephesians 1,4


In the Roman Catholic calender, today is the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Sometimes confused with the virgin birth of Jesus, it celebrates Mary's conception without original sin, the human condition that inclines us to do what we know we shouldn't and not do what we know we should. I admit that I have never found this particular feast compelling; the explanation of "being free from the stain of original sin" sounds esoteric and, well, odd. I never could get into the "stain of original sin" language. I read something on the Universalis website that helped me begin thinking about this feast in a new way. Read More