Mary to the Ephesians 

- an act of faithful imagination

But there were standing by the cross of Jesus his mother
and his mother's sister
Mary the wife of Clopas
and Mary Magdalene. 

When Jesus, therefore, saw his mother
and, standing by, the disciple whom he loved,
he said to his mother
Woman, look, your son!
Then he said to the disciple
Look, your mother! 

And from that hour the disciple took her to his own.

John 19:25-27 

Mary and John form the first Church, or at least what Luther would have called the "little Church" - the family. 

Legend suggests that Mary might have died in Ephesus, and this is sufficient license for me to use my imagination in placing Mary and John there as the elders return from their leave taking of Paul at Miletus. (Acts 20.17-38)

This is a meditation written as if from Mary to the Ephesian elders. It is a paraphrase of the letter to the Ephesians from her imagined perspective. It was with the prophecy of the sword that Mary first heard the Song of Simeon. Now in her old old age she has learned to sing Nunc Dimittis for herself. 

Mystical theology and contemplative prayer grow with the ability to sing Nunc Dimittis. And vice versa. 

Mary has lived her "yes" to God and learned through the "sword that pierced her own soul" to live beyond tears. 

She has learned to lament, and to live the life of hope that lament inhabits. 

Mary, in whom Jesus had been formed, had long since learned to let herself be formed in Christ. 

and God put all things in subjection under Christ's feet
and gave him
to be head over all things
to the Church
which is his body
the fullness of him that fills all in all. 

Ephesians 1. 22-23 

Nunc Dimittis 

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace :
according to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation :
which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles :
and to be the glory of thy people Israel. 

Luke 2.29-31 Book of Common Prayer 

Nunc Dimittis is the last song we sing in this life.
Nunc Dimittis is a song of lament for mortality, dwelling in the hope of resurrection for all. 

Like Simeon and Anna it is possible to enter in to it only when the pennies have dropped, the lessons have been learned, suffering has been experienced and loss accepted. We start to see see the meaning of salvation in a way that includes everything. 

The Letter to the Ephesians is Paul's, or the Pauline school's. 

But perhaps, in my imagination at least, it is as much a letter from Mary as from Paul, and as much a letter from Ephesus as to it. 

Mary heard Nunc Dimittis sung over her infant, but it took a whole lifetime for her to learn it for herself. It will take us no less. We, like the Ephesians, must learn to leave Paul at Miletus and walk home without him.

FROM MARY TO THE EPHESIANS

They came back to us still dusty eyed and rhymed with grief,

- their news no shock to us -

but to them a topsy-turvying of the world
that would have made  Paul laugh. 

"He won’t be back, he'll die in Jerusalem", they said .

"Maybe", we said, "Maybe", content to let things be.

And then we began to move together
beyond the pain of that three days march -another Tridium -
and that farewell that had held them to the ground
more surely than any force of nature
with the gravity of its truth too heavy to put down.

"There is a last journey we all make
and now it's time for yours" we said. 

You have come half way,
now it's half way home,
(the interval is past in Ephesus' round theatre
that shouted defiance to the new God) -
that old moon now called to do obeisance
to the Sun of Righteousness.

Such is the last scene that always plays out.

"If you will, come with us",  John and I said.

(Both of us too old to walk to Miletus, never mind back again,
after the long haul from Judea, but still too young to finish the journey we continue day by day in this Asia of our end).

You are not who you were who left to bid him farewell.

We begin to sing Nunc Dimittis.

ONE 

You have been faithful
you have been called aside now
with grace and in peace:
the grace of my Son and the peace of our Saviour;

speak well of him
who is deep joy,
the Father of us all who has spoken well of us
and given us deep joy
and all that is well spoken and joyful in the heavenlies.

I was his mother, chosen
but he is mother of us all,
and he chose us like newborns
before the first gasp of 'me'.

He made us adopt each other
as he hung in the Making Place,
and now all of us are adopted into this same Ephesian family,
me with my sewing,
and John with his books that fill the world;

and you each of this proud place,
blacksmiths of a new forged faith
that fell - no, leaped - from heaven,
such is the one who leaped down into my womb.

It pleased his will
and he freely gave because we are his family,
my Son our mother. 

My own mother carried me
and in carrying me she carried him in my forming foetus; 

such are we all grandchildren in the faith.
Him too,
secret and hidden,
curiously knit in the depths,
mystery from before time meant anything to anyone. 

In this way was conception immaculate
such are we whose lives are his praise,
who are his inheritance,
who inherit in the asymmetry of love,
the imbalance of God's steps of grace towards us. 

Tell them of this, Ephesians,
as Paul taught you,
so now teach the world.

For God first believed in you and so you came to faith,
the Breath of the Holy One alive in person ,
alive in you and me,
ensuring our place,
we are held safe. 

And so we give thanks for our being,
for our love which is his love,
and the great family of which we are a small display. 

We hold them all before God,
that they may know themselves to be the inheritance,
that inherits,

wise in all that is uncovered
and rich in the light of glory. 

We are empowered by the resurrection
that raised the Anointed,
who by death and brokenness,
now stands above all things,
in all things, 

the Body's own head ,
the Body that draws into itself
all that is the very ground of being,
the air of life,
the space of time:

we sing Nunc Dimittis.

TWO 

Who are we who travel this earth from birth to death? 

Too often enthralled with the lies of the world,
the powers of evil ,
the winds of convenience.

Our natural inclination is to do each other down and win. 

The dreadful love of God,
the very thought of it a terror too much to consider. 

But it is that very love which has brought us to where we are,
a gracious love that we could not resist,
a mercy beyond our deserving. 

Just as Jesus was made in me,
I was made in Christ by original blessing,
and original intention,
and my good deeds are simply to reflect God's love
as I walk the dusty road.

And you too are the same,
whether Jew or Gentile,
the difference is now without distinction,
skin or no skin,
we are one in Christ.

Peace has broken out amongst us. 

We are the New Humanity,
for what is true of Christ is true of us.
This peace is a busy peace
full of drawing from near and far,
making strangers friends,
and building on the scandal of the New Human
a new Temple Body of the Living God,
on the prophets,
on the Magdalene the towering apostle,
on Peter and and Paul those outrageous twins
whose heads needed banging,
on John my son our brother here in this no-abiding-city,
on me, Theotokos, the Mother of God,
God's own womb and dwelling.

And so we can sing Nunc Dimittis 

THREE 

We are here in Gentile Ephesus,
Jews both, John and me,
because now there is no need for difference or distinction,
this is the mysterious secret Paul preached
and you received the gift of grace,
he said,
and so it was.

Humanity in its egotistical desire to win
and have power and control,
could not see the secret hidden in God's own self;
for in God are all things
how could they be elsewhere?
So that in this Body
you and me,
the Church,
this good news,
should be lived out for all to see and participate in union.

The way to this is suffering
as you elders suffer now in your bereavement;
but this is the way of freedom
of unity with God.

So do not lose heart.

The God of love is building a building
of length and height and depth immeasurable,
an infinite space for
the love of God.
Bury yourselves in these foundations,
then you will be strong in the Spirit
in your deepest you,
Christ dwelling in you.
For you are full of God
for this is family, from which all families derive.
For you are in God's own self:
this is the treasure of grace 

To this God be glory
who beyond our access and asking does more.
To our God be glory in us his Church,
in all that God generates in the eternity of love. 

Immah! Amen!

Let it be so!
God our mother,
mother this,
nurse this,
so that it is so! 

So we may sing Nunc Dimittis.

FOUR 

As Paul travels to an uncertain end
he is already the Lord's prisoner,
and to this we are all called if only we respond.

And thus each of us in the same bondage
can now treat each other peaceably, lovingly. 

We are one Body,
Christ's Body,
the Prisoner in whom we are all enthralled in,
the oneness that our Baptism celebrates,
the oneness of a God who parents us into one. 

Yet we are singular in our gifts given by the Captive Maker,
who ascended high,
who receives us as his gift,
as the Psalmist says.

In that ascent across curving space
and descent to the curving strings of energy
God fills the creation
and makes it cosmos and complete.

In our oneness we are different.

Some carry in themselves the message of life,
some speak the meaning of now,
some proclaim the good news,
some tend and teach,
so that together each can be servants,
building up the Body in our common work. 

Thus we grow into the New Human,
the full grown mature human that is Christ.

Youthful whims makes us rush round in gangs
grabbing the latest trend
conned by the memes of deceit.

Speaking the truth is hard
even when we do so out of love
but that's how we grow up.

We do this together
religiously our ligaments bonded and healed
in one strong frame,
each part healthy
and lovingly adding to the Body's growth.

Look around how the pagan world has nothing to do
but fritter life away.
Unable to avoid death
they cannot find life. 

That is not what Jesus was about
not what Christ means for us.

Let Christ be your new thinking
in your very soul.
This is the new nature
the New Human,
and the truth of it will bring a righteousness
and deep devotion.

Let anger not con you -it never helps -
sleep only when you've let it go,

so truth is spoken in a Body that is honest with itself.

Don't take what is not yours to take
but contribute by your effort
so that's there is plenty and to share.

When you are overflowing with practical love for each other
when you forgive and are forgiven,
as Jesus taught us to pray,
there will be no place for raised voices
hurtful words.

And the character that stamped you - the Holy Spirit -
will be without grief in our midst,
having sealed us for liberty 

and our speaking well
will call down a blessing on all who hear it.

We will sing Nunc Dimittis.

FIVE 

Christ's sacrifice achieved
what we could not
but still entices us to copy,
so that we more and more become Christ
like a sweet smell in the nostrils of God!

Stop revelling in the things that devalue our physical bodies
things that turn the goodness of laughing with
into the evil of laughing at,
which appear to give us power and control.
Don't even think about them,
don't mention them,
just give them no place.

It's time for askesis - spiritual combat.

So avoid the pseudo philosophers.
It's not about being right or wrong
but being in the Body.

Get exercising your faculties
- askesis -
waking up from sleep walking,
waking up to the shining Christ-light.

In this way we learn God's will,
not by the dullness of strong drink,
but the inspiration of the Holy Spirit breathing in us.

And we'll sing,
write poems,
and make music with thankful hearts,
day by day,
as we dwell in Christ
the living God.

Now in families we have a new way of living.

Men are no more to lord it over women
but to love them as they love their own bodies.

Think what that means:  it is how Christ loves us his Church. 

His is the only headship,
not that of men over women,
otherwise how can women ever respect men? 

So learn to sing Nunc Dimittis.

SIX 

Otherwise why should children be obedient
and bring long life into the world? 

Otherwise
fathers just annoy their children with their arrogance
and can't give them a role model in Christ. 

Slaves, slavery is how it is for you now
so do better than the rules
obey as if your Master was Christ
because he is! 

Slave owners
treat your slaves as brothers and sisters in Christ
for that is what they are! 

Christ doesn't threaten,
Christ has no favourites. 

From now on learn askesis,
practice the spiritual combat of love over hate,
faith over fear. 

The real enemy is not your neighbour in Christ,
or your neighbour in the world,
but the false desires that corrupt the universe,
demanding power and control.
These are stronger than us
until we reckon with the grace of God.

So we have all the equipment we need to stand our ground
as we combat these things in our very hearts.

Truth in your belly,
integrity on your back,
forgiveness on your feet,
holding up faith to put out the fire of lies,
your head safe in the knowledge of salvation.

Your offensive weapon only this: the Word of God
empowered by the Holy Spirit.

This askesis is above all the waking from sleepwalking
to be wide awake and free,
to pray holding up everyone and everything before God.

Paul, especially, needs to be bold in his speech
as he acts as ambassador for the reign of God.

Pray, too, for those who will bring us news of him. 

And as I began, so I will end:
peace and grace,
peace to the Body,
peace,
love,
faith. 

It is all by grace,
the grace of the infinite love of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Then all shall sing Nunc Dimittis. 

Mary to the Ephesians © Wyn Beynon 2017/2025