Women of the Bible No. 11 Mary Queen of Heaven

Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia
For He whom you were worthy to bear, alleluia,
Has risen, as He said, alleluia,
Pray for us to God, alleluia.

Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia:
Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia,
Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia
Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.


This twelfth century prayer is substituted for the Angelus throughout the Easter season in the church calendar. The author is not known, but one legend is that Pope St Gregory 1, known as St Gregory the Great, heard angels chanting the first three lines while he was walking barefoot one Easter morning in religious procession, carrying an icon of the Virgin Mary. He was inspired to write the fourth line.
Jesus Christ is Risen Today, we sing in the Anglican Church on Easter Sunday, a hymn which has its origin in this prayer.

Day 4 of Week of Guided Prayer

Time was not on my side during my week of guided prayer and it is only now that I find the opportunity to report, albeit briefly, on Day 4!

Before meeting with my prayer companion on Day 4 he suggested that I tried a physical meditation/imagery method of prayer. This particular one he gave me was based on the Trinity, and the Sign of the Cross, adapted from Praying With Our Bodies, by Beckman et al, St Anthony Messenger Press.

Briefly, it goes something like this:

In the name of the Father: plant both feet firmly on the ground – hang hands down loosely at side, relax knees and breathe deeply of the Lord’s Love. Take in all the strength and goodness you need. Then with each exhalation let go of all the worries and cares of the day. Place right hand in centre of forehead as we pray: “In the name of the Father,” in the name of our loving creator who loves us more tenderly, compassionately, completely than any earthly mother or father can. In eastern traditions the forehead is the centre of creativity, very apt for me at the moment.

The prayer meditation/imagery continues in a similar fashion through the name of the Son and the Holy Spirit. 

The session ends with Amen – Amen to the God beyond us, to the God who lives among us and to the God who dwells within us.

It is in the name of this God, the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that we sign ourselves this and everyday.

This type of meditation with the power of imagery in breathing is familiar to yogis, albeit of course with Hindu rather than Christian links. It helps to have a companion who can read the instructions. To try to do this on my own I found too distracting and difficult to really enter into, in a meaningful and spiritual way. I guess once the format is learnt, the distractions will disappear and the method will become more effective. But of course it won't work for everyone.

I was lucky enough the other day to visit Walsingham, and see the Anglican and Roman Catholic Shrines to Our Lady of Walsingham. The first image reproduced above is from the Anglican Shrine depicting the Coronation of the Virgin Mary taking her rightful place in heaven with Jesus. The second image is of our own Easter Garden in our local parish church. Walsingham is truly a wonderful experience - half a day was really not long enough to find and fully savour all its treasures and I shall surely return one day soon for a deeper spiritual experience.

Day 3 of the Week of Accompanied Prayer

Give God a Chance.

My half hour with my prayer companion on day 3 was really difficult to prepare for. All my early good intentions seem to have evaporated. The trouble was that  I was jolly tired after spending much of the previous day at the Christian Resources Exhibition. I always find these events exhausting. They're hard on the feet, and after a while I get information overload and don't feel I want to be given any more freebies or sales pitches! And then there are never enough seats - even the snack bars only had a few of those dreadful small circular tables that you have to stand at, and they were always full up. Next time I go I shall do what those in the know were doing - take a picnic and eat it outside.

So anyway I was so tired by the time I arrived home that I found it hard to even find energy to feed myself and post a blog, let alone find a quiet time for prayer and meditation.

But I did manage to gather a few thoughts together as a basis for some prayer. This was set around some texts on the image of God, ranking these images according to my own favourites. I was then required to pray around those at the top of the list and those at the bottom. This is what I found:

Top of my list came God as Healer, Consoler, Comforter, being images that I relate to, draw support from. Texts such as "Peace I give to you," "Let not you heart be troubled,""The peace of God that passes all understanding," all come from the same mould, set the same pattern. I guess this reflects where I am right now, fighting low self esteem, anxieties, lack of confidence..... Bottom of the list I put God as liberator from fear - seen in Isaiah 43, vv. 1-3. I had not thought along these lines before, but actually reading the text; "I have called you by your name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you..." this actually did help me, especially as I read that 'waters' in the Old Testament is not necessarily to be taken literally, and can be used as a metaphor for the raging heathen, (!), the chaotic stormy seas at creation, and vast nations, or seas of people, and doubtless for other meanings also.The word mayim (waters) also speaks of life, sustenance, refreshing, and other positive life supports.
I then thought of the hymn I learnt many years ago as a child at church: "Through all the changing scenes of life, In trouble and in joy, The praises of my God shall still my heart and tongue employ..........when in distress to him I called, He to my rescue came........"
This all gave me plenty of inspiration for prayer!
I could write much more on this, and days 3 and 4 are still to write about, but time is overtaking me and I shall return to these later, hopefully.

Just for now I leave you with a few more images of the beauty in God's Creation:

UK General Election, the Christian Faith and my own prayer journey

What an extraordinary and exciting week this is proving to be, for the UK in this election roller coaster and at a faith level both national and personal. Whilst the various elements of the media have been falling over each other to be the first in breaking any news at all during the shinanickins that is the aftermath of our General Election last week,  (and what an exciting climax today as I write this!) I am on a spiritual prayer journey that is proving to be hugely rewarding, and I have also witnessed the biggest evidence one could possibly find in one place of the enormous relevance of the Christian Faith to so very many people in this country. God and His Son are most certainly and definitely not dead!

First my prayer journey.
This morning I met my Prayer Companion again to see where my scripture text I had chosen from Paul's Letter to the Philippians had taken me. In preparation, I first  meditated on verses 8 and 9:

...v.8 whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things. v.9 The things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me: do these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

What a lovely way of starting a day with thinking on these things - and where better than where I start most days - again at the allotment!

 Then I continued the theme from yesterday that I find prayer in hymns. This was brought to the fore convincingly in the service last night for the induction of our new priest as Team Rector and the licensing of our new team vicar. There were wonderful hymns - full of prayerful jewels:

Jesu, Thou art all compassion...
Pure unbounded love thou art;

As the deer pants for the water,
so my soul longs after you...

You alone are my strength and shield,
To you alone may my spirit yield...

Christ triumphant, ever reigning...

Oh Lord my God, when I, in awesome wonder... Then sings my soul....

I could go on and on - our hymn writers have left us a wonderful poetic legacy, and continue to do so in wonderful hymns such as ...

You shall go out with joy
and be led forth in peace.... a really joyful way to end any service.

Finally as I  looked at the Order of Service again I was drawn to the prayer for parish priests by Frank Colquhoun printed out for us to use in praying for these two priests in their vital new ministries ... and I realised that in reciting or reading a prayer such as this there is a real danger, at least for me, that there is no spiritual connection - that it does not become a prayer. For me to be really spiritually prayerful I need to make my prayers from within my mind, my soul, not restricted by the printed word. Does this make sense I wonder? I always fear that too many people read from their service sheets without that real prayerful connection. Am I being too harsh? Perhaps. But I for one know that a service becomes very much more spiritual for me if I am not bogged down in words I do not know or are not familiar with. Surely this is the joy of Taize chants - simple to learn and spiritually meaningful.

Before tomorrow's meeting I have to consider images of God - how I understand Him, what images appeal, which don't, whether I see Him as Healer, Consoler, Saviour, Father, Creator etc...The list is quite long. So hopefully tomorrow I will be able to report back! 

After my prayer session I went over to the International Christian Resources Exhibition being held at Sandown Race Course, near Esher, for the rest of the week. I don't know why I have never been before. So much inspiration, so many wonderful people to meet and chat with, such a strong witness to the relevance of Christianity in this world today.

And while there I called in to the Association of Christian Writers at stand P55. I am after all a member and they had given me my free ticket! It's a wonderful source of encouragement, information, conferences and courses, and  prayer support through the prayer encouragers. If you are Christian and write, whether your work is secular or religious, then the ACW is for you. These photos show our chair Lin Ball and Vicki Howie manning the stand. Plenty of visitors came up whilst I was there - hopefully to convert into members - to be strongly recommended.


More on my prayer journey tomorrow!

Guided Week of Prayer - Give God a Chance

Yesterday morning I had my first half hour session with my Prayer Companion on this Week of Guided Prayer. We shall meet each day during this week to talk about my experiences of prayer and for me to receive support and suggestions which I hope will enrich my spiritual journey.
I started the day as I often do, up at the allotment at 7am. It is beautiful at that time of morning - very peaceful. I am often joined by the handsome male pheasants who strut their stuff around the plots and squawk at their females as they chase them around the field. Last year I startled a hen pheasant on a nest with several eggs in it, well hidden in the middle of my strawberry patch. Sadly I think the eggs must have been found by rats, as I found some of them scattered around the plot a few days later, some broken and half eaten away, and the nest was abandoned.
I was due to meet my Companion at 9.30 so my time at the allotment was shorter than usual as I had to fit in half an hour of prayer before the meeting. To settle me down I started with some yoga postures. These were originally designed to prepare the yogi for meditation, and so this seemed appropriate. I then spent half an hour in contemplation, meditation and prayer.
My first experiences I found fascinating.
I chose a text from those given to me at the introductory service, from Psalm 131:
My heart is not proud, O LORD,
       my eyes are not haughty;
       I do not concern myself with great matters
       or things too wonderful for me.
 But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
       like a weaned child with its mother,
       like a weaned child is my soul within me.
 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD
       both now and forevermore.
Isn't that lovely? 

That my soul can be quieted and calmed like the weaned child, no longer fully dependent, but still supported, seems a lovely idea. My soul cries for this world, and is often disquieted. I find sustenance in the quiet times before services when all has been prepared ready for the priest and I can then calm and prepare myself. And I definitely find meaningful prayer in the many beautiful and poetic hymns that we sing each week. To me the hymn very often then becomes my very own personal prayer and connection between my own soul and God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This can be very soul healing.

At the end of our discussions around these thoughts, my Companion gave me a list of suggested scripture passages on God's love and on our trust in God. I had to choose one that is especially meaningful to me and see where that takes me on this journey. I chose a passage from Paul's Letter to the Philippians, chapter 4 vv 8-13:

4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things. 4:9 The things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me: do these things, and the God of peace will be with you. 4:10 But I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at length you have revived your thought for me; in which you did indeed take thought, but you lacked opportunity. 4:11 Not that I speak in respect to lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. 4:12 I know how to be humbled, and I know also how to abound. In everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need. 4:13 I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

Isn't that passage lovely? I am reminded of Mary treasuring all she has heard about the events surrounding  the birth of the Christ Child and pondering them in her heart. (Luke 2:19) What a lovely passage to meditate on.
I will post my thoughts on this when I have met my Companion again.

Spring really is here and My Week of Guided Prayer

Visited a really lovely garden today, open under the UK National Garden Scheme. Just time to post a few photos of glorious spring flowers. Tomorrow I embark upon a week of guided prayer. We had an introductory service this afternoon but I still have absolutely no idea what to expect - watch on this blog for more about this and different ways in prayer as I learn and experience more during the week.


and some alpacas for good measure - these two clearly were not talking to one another!