Luke 1:46-55
46 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
“… Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; …”
The emphasis on Mary, the Mother of our Lord, is powerful during this season. After all, she is the one called by the Father to carry and give birth to the Son. Her openness to the will of the Lord – “I am the servant of the Lord. Do with me as you will.” is iconic in the annals of faith. It’s no wonder generations have called her blessed.
But Mary’s blessedness does not end with the birth of Jesus. She remains His mother. Even after Joseph’s apparent death somewhere along the line, she continues to raise, nurture, and care for her son. Obviously, her support and encouragement helped Jesus along the way. Even when He began to separate himself from her watchfulness, she remained devoted.
Perhaps, that is the reason the cult of Mary is so strong. She is the example to us of faithfulness, obedience, servanthood, and caring. She sticks with Jesus, even showing up at the cross and being part of the church’s ministry after His ascension. In other words, generations call Mary blessed not just because she gave birth to our Lord. Her whole life is a faithful witness to the work and will of God.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the witness of Mary and her faithfulness. May she serve as an inspiration to me of obedience, servanthood, and caring. Amen.