Mary of Egypt, Pray for Us

1st April, 2010 - Posted by nwilsonadmin - No Comments

Mary of Egypt, Pray for Us

April 1, 2010, Holy Thursday

Rev. Nancy Wilson

Hebrews 2: 14-15

The Celtic Daily Prayer Book (Prayers and Readings from the Northumbria Community), celebrates the feast day of Mary of Egypt (5^th Century) on April 1^st:

“One of the many Ammas (or ‘mothers’) of the desert. She ran away from her home in Egypt, and from the age of 12 she was a prostitute in Alexandria. Then aged 29, just out of curiosity she joined a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, paying her passage by offering herself to sailors. An invisible force kept her from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre with other pilgrims, so she crossed the Jordan and lived for 47 years as a penitent. . .”

Mary of Egypt was a 12 year old who ran away from something terrible enough to make prostitution on the streets of Alexandria a better option. Saying that she went on her pilgrimage at age 29 “just out of curiosity,” is inadequate:  Mary had a calling, and God called to her to leave everything, and she followed. Though costly, it gave her back her life. Her penance was never just for herself, but, I am sure, for those who cruelly abused and exploited her, who turned away when she needed help. That probably took 47 years. . .

Today, Mary of Egypt makes me think of all the vulnerable children who have few if any options. Children sold into slavery today, because of poverty, or abuse. Children whose lives and dreams and callings have been damaged or challenged by their suffering.  Children in Haiti who are even more at risk with the coming rains, and so few solutions.

Sometimes I give (unsolicited) advice to the Pope. Even though I did not grow up Roman Catholic, I yearn for the Pope to turn to Mary of Egypt, go barefoot among the people, to take on the wardrobe of a penitent, and to beg the forgiveness of thousands of children. Many of those children, though not all, survived into adulthood — who were molested, shamed, beaten, raped and heartbroken by priests, Bishops, and, yes the Vatican.

The Vatican must turn and repent, stop seeing this as a risk-management and public relations issue.  This is not the time for cheap grace, or excuses of any kind. There are many, many reasons for the negligent supervision, the blindness to the gravity of this problem over a long period of time. Serious attention must be paid to the causes and the cures (dealing with sexism and homophobia, for example).

But for now, this Holy Week, this time of remembering Jesus betrayal and death of a cross, the Vicar of Christ can start to restore trust by engaging in deep, real, heartfelt, serious penance. He doesn’t have 47 years, but his remaining years could be devoted to this in a way that could shock and change the world. Nothing else can turn this around in this generation as well as a non-defensive spiritual leader who takes total responsibility for the pain the shepherds have caused to children over generations.

The children of the world, whom Jesus’ loved, and who he said where nearer to the kingdom of God than anyone, need this. They need a Roman Catholic church that will be trustworthy and a strong advocate not just for the unborn, but for those who are born, and live in horrific conditions of vulnerability – because of poverty, disease, neglect and abuse.

I do not have a lot of hope that this Pope will embrace that kind of humble, simple action.  But, I can visualize it – the radical, simple act of being deeply, sorry to the bone, to the marrow, and righting the wrongs that can still be righted. Bringing some modicum of justice and restoration. Visualize it with me.

And, this is not just a Catholic issue. I have heard the tragic stories of those sexually abused by Protestant clergy and deacons as well. All of us who see ourselves as spiritual leaders, in any way, need to humble ourselves, and ask forgiveness, and open our hearts and lives and ministries to healing those who were so hurt, and helping children today who are in danger and being hurt even as we speak. Children who have no vote, no voice, no power in the world today, but to whom we will all be entrusting our future, one day.

These children need the rest of us, including those who claim to be Christian, to stand up for them. The young lesbian who just wants to go to her prom and not lie. The kids who cannot withstand the terribly bullying, and chose to die rather than keep trying. The kids, such as the ones in Haiti or in gang-invested neighborhoods who wonder if they even have a future. Or those who have no safety or protection even in their own homes and churches, and end up on the streets, like Mary of Egypt so long ago. 

Mary of Egypt, the world has not changed enough since you gave your heart to Jesus, crossed the Jordan and turned it over. Pray for us today, and for Pope Benedict XVI, and for every child who needs someone to trust. Make us worthy of that holy task.