Festival of Mary, Mother of Our Lord
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 lowly state 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 indeed, 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 imagination 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 come to the aid of his child Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
“My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…
Throughout scripture, when something monumental happens, someone marks the occasion with a song of praise. Miriam sings after God brings the Israelites through the Red Sea, Hannah sings when God gives her a child, David sings all the time, Mary sings when she visits Elizabeth, Zechariah sings when God gives him his voice back at John’s Bris, etc… When God does something amazing, people break into song. As one who was raised in the theater, that sound perfectly normal to me!
Each of these songs of praise has similar format. The singer praises God for God’s general goodness and favor and then goes on to describe ways in which God shows that goodness. Those examples are unique to each singer and their situation.
Mary’s song wells up from the depth of her spirit when she sees that Elizabeth is also pregnant, just as the angel told her. In that moment of clarity, the Holy Spirit guides Mary in a stunning explanation of the reversal of fortune that God will bring into the world with the birth of Jesus.
As you read through each verse of the Magnificat, take a moment to connect that image with something from Jesus’ life, teaching, and ministry. It will become abundantly clear that Mary was deeply connected with Jesus’ mission from the very beginning.
Prayer: Lord Jesus: Hasten the day when all the world will let Mary out of her alabaster statues and join her in living the Magnificat. AMEN