Sing we of the Blessed Mother
Lyrics by GB Timms
As a fairly new Episcopalian, I admit that my personal relationship with Mary has been a passive one. But I recently was given a piece called “The Blessed Virgin’s Expostulation” to perform. In this very long and difficult aria, I am Mary, singing of her anxiety over Jesus not returning from the temple. Something you may not know about me is that I’m really serious about acting. Like Daniel Day Lewis serious. So I read and studied all I could, and honestly, I am kind of a stan (stan=superfan!) now. While this wasn’t the first time I had to “play” Mary, it was the first time I did it since becoming a mother. Reading the stories of Mary, as perfectly summed up in the hymn “Sing we of the blessed mother” I am amazed by her strength, and also her faithfulness. This hymn, written by Rev. George B Timms, with music by the famous Anglican composer Hubert Parry, describes Mary’s life from the annunciation to her death. The second verse “Sing we too of Mary’s sorrows, of the sword that pierced her through, when beneath the cross of Jesus she his weight of suffering knew”, describes perfectly a mother’s empathy. What she experienced that day is inconceivable to me, but through her sorrow, she had faith. Even though this poem is set in a very straightforward and almost “cute” way musically, don’t let that take away from the unyielding strength and faithfulness of the mother of our Lord.
As I reflect on this text, I am reminded to pray for mothers who are just trying to do the best for their kids. The moms who want to buy even one Christmas present but can’t afford it. Those who are seeking refuge from violence and carrying their children on foot across entire countries to give them peace. The mothers with illnesses, those who have lost children, those whose children are suffering. May they remain as faithful as Mary through this season, even in the darkest moments.
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