Jesus, as a mother you gather your people to you.
You are gentle with us as a mother with her children.
Often you weep over our sins and our pride;
you tenderly draw us from hatred and judgement;
you comfort us in sorrow and bind up our wounds;
you nurse us in sickness and feed us with pure milk.
Jesus, by your dying, we are born to new life;
by your anguish and labour, we come forth in joy.
Through your sweet goodness, despair turns to hope;
through your gentleness, we find comfort in fear;
through your warmth, life comes to the dead;
through your touch, sinners become righteous.
Jesus, in your mercy, heal us.
Jesus, in your love and tenderness, remake us.
Jesus, in your compassion, bring grace and forgiveness.
Prepare us for the beauty of heaven by your love.
Amen. (St Anselm (1033-1109))
Did you know that the early church understood Jesus to be the incarnation of Wisdom, also known as Sophia? Yes, that’s a woman’s name: and he was thought to reflect the feminine face of God. And how beautiful is this ancient prayer from St Anselm which reflects on the mothering face of Jesus.
I love this picture of a mother walking with an infant and a toddler. To me it embodies the images in St Anselm’s prayer of a mother gently parenting at different stages; plus of course it captures the metaphor of Jesus walking alongside us on the road of life. Have you ever imagined Jesus as a young mum feeding an infant, or sticking a band aid on a toddler’s knee, or walking and holding a young child’s hand? How does this image make you feel? (And why is it so rarely mentioned in the church?! It’s certainly in the Biblical witness.)
Peace,
Alison
Emailed to Sanctuary 20 March 2019 © Alison Sampson, 2019. Photo by James Wheeler on Unsplash.
Alison and the whale 