The Acts of the Apostles 1:12-14, 2:1-4:
After Jesus ascended to the Father, the disciples returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Ephesians 6:17:
The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ingrid and I saw this painting during our recent trip to the Netherlands and Belgium.
Few of the paintings depicting Pentecost show a tongue of fire on Mary— contrary to St. Luke's plain prose in the Acts of the Apostles.
While preparing to use this painting for this morning's Adult Forum on Pentecost, I also realized that Mary had a book in her lap.
I couldn't recall ever seeing Mary with a book— presumably a Bible— and I wondered whether the artist might have been a Protestant wishing to demonstrate that Mary was as Bible-friendly as she was Sacrament-friendly!
I have been unable to find this painter's name, and yesterday my search for painting of Mary with Bible in hand also came up empty— apparently because I searched for "Mary and Apostles on Pentecost," and omitted the word "Book."
This afternoon I found two such paintings— and their painters' names— and they appear, so far, to be Roman Catholic rather than Protestant.
At lunch, Ingrid suggested the Bible symbolizes that Mary bore the Word of God— aha! I think she may be right about that (on reflection, obvious though it completely escaped me!) reference.
More pictures tomorrow, and perhaps more illumination, too!
In the meantime, another prayer— one of my favorites— inviting the Holy Spirit to be powerful in our lives.
This prayer, which is the third of three mission prayers on pages 100-101 in the Book of Common Prayer for the Office [Duty; Business; Task] of Morning Prayer, was written by the turn-of-the-19th century missionary and bishop Charles Henry Brent.
Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.
Picture taken in The Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp, 4/14/2016
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