And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’” (Luke 1:38).
The very first lighthouse constructed was built on Eddystone Rocks. In 1698, Henry Winstanley built an octagonal wooden structure and was so proud of his work that he engraved him name on the base of the lighthouse. Though the structure survived its first winter, it constantly needed repairs. Five years after it was completed, Henry Winstanley was inside the lighthouse when it was obliterated by a massive storm in 1703.
Some years later John Smeaton was commissioned to construct another lighthouse. He changed the foundations and built them deeper into the earth. On the bottom of this lighthouse (which became the blueprint to be used in the years to come, Smeaton wrote the words of Psalm 127, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain.”
And I have been reflecting on that today, because there is such great humility in recognising that God has the entire plan in hand and without His Holy Will there is nothing at all…
“The angel said to Mary, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’” (Luke 1:26-38).
And Here in this story God worked a miracle for Saint Elizabeth, mother of Saint John the Baptist. And it is a wonder to behold and consider…
In December 2015, National Geographic placed the Blessed Virgin on the front cover of the magazine with the title of the edition being, “Mary: The Most Powerful Woman in the World”.
And the wonder of the Blessed Virgin is the same as the reason that the second lighthouse became the blueprint for all the other lighthouses that came afterwards… The reason is the foundations. While the foundations of the first lighthouse constructed were shallow and weak and their weakness weakened the entire building, ultimately leading to its destruction and the death of its builder, the foundations of the second were deep and strong. And this is like the Blessed Virgin. Her strength and power comes from God. And it is those foundations that make the Blessed Virgin the strongest and most powerful woman in the world…
And I have been thinking about that today. Because I have the SAME foundations as the Blessed Virgin – I just do not rely on them as She did… And this means that instead of making everything better – as a reflection of God’s power in me – I am constantly fighting against it. And THAT is the difference between us. And reflecting on that today, I am overcome with shame. For I have so much more to do…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.