Ave Maria—An Advent Poem For Divine Revolution

Last updated on: December 20, 2023 at 3:16 pm by Matt Schur

0 Comments

Ave Maria—An Advent Poem For Divine Revolution 2023-12-20T15:16:30-05:00 Matt Schur

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Mary joyfully sings the revolutionary words of the Magnificat

Photo Credit: Nathan Clendenin

Ave Maria is a selection from Cross Sections, a book of progressive poetry I wrote in 2021. It asks what I think are some interesting questions: when Mary was pregnant and sang the revolutionary words of the Magnificat in Luke 1:46-55, was Jesus listening in the womb? Did he echo his mother when in Luke 4:14-30 he read from the Isaiah scroll at the synagogue in Nazareth? Did Mary’s revolutionary voice resonate throughout his earthly teaching and ministry?

Ave Maria

He was cradled in her womb
A mass of cells fueled by a divine spark
Growing, developing, moving, listening
When his mother sang a revelation—
A song of divine revolution

Bringing down the powerful and lifting the lowly
(the last will be first and the first will be last)
Filling the hungry
(blessed are those who hunger for they shall be filled)
And sending away the rich
(Camels travel through needles more easily than the rich enter heaven)
A song of divine mercy
(blessed are the merciful)
And fulfilled divine promises
(I came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it)

The babe who suckled at the breast
Of this bearer of God and singer of justice
He who played on her lap
Who listened to her lessons
Who increased in wisdom and in years
Under her roof—
Is it any coincidence
That his words echoed hers?

At his homecoming,
the son
Of the woman who with full-throated joy
Sang the Magnificat
When he came back
This boy who had begun to make a name for himself
When he showed up at the synagogue
There in Nazareth
are we really surprised
When he selects the Isaiah scroll?
Are we taken aback by the words he reads
Of bringing good news to the poor
Release to the captives
Sight to the blind
Setting the oppressed free
And proclaiming jubilee?

He may have prayed
to the one he called Father
But I’m pretty sure
Jesus was a mama’s boy.

General Christian

Women in Religion

Religious Art

Christmas

Progressive Christianity

About Matt Schur

After graduating with a B.A. in English from Truman State and an M.A. in Systematic Theology from Luther Seminary, Matt Schur spent years wandering in a vocational wilderness before finally discovering his calling— assisting and advocating for the marginalized and vulnerable. He currently lives out that call as a case manager and housing specialist for people experiencing homelessness. He also serves an ELCA campus ministry part-time as its music director and pianist, and has published two books of progressive Christian poetry: “Cross Sections” (2021) and “Imperfectly Perfect” (2023). His writing has been featured in “Valiant Scribe Literary Journal,” “Unlikely Stories,” and “Cathexis Northwest Press.” You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

December 20, 2023

Why I’m a Pagan for a Day