Magnificat

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord. My spirit rejoices in God, my savior.”  Our Gospel today brings us the very beautiful Magnificat, the Canticle of Mary, words very familiar to all priests and deacons, and anyone else who regularly prays the Liturgy of the Hours, the Divine Office. It’s one of the “big two” canticles in our daily prayers, offered each day at Evening Prayer by all clergy, and indeed the whole Church, just as the Canticle of Zechariah is at Morning Prayer.

It’s Mary’s song of praise, of rejoicing in the good fortune God’s granted her. It echoes our responsorial from Samuel— “My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.” Let’s think about that a minute. A young, not-yet-married woman, maybe 14 or 15, a girl really, pregnant at a time when unwed mothers were ostracized, shamed, or even worse. And yet she feels truly blessed.

It’s a song proclaiming a world turned upside down—the mighty cast down, the lowly raised up; the hungry fed, the rich turned away hungry. A world of uncertainty and chaos, the world she knows turned on its head. But a world she embraces with joy, because she trusts in the promise of the God who brings it. She rejoices in God’s goodness, even while her plans and ordered world have just been turned upside down.

It’s a song of complete acceptanceand surrender, whatever may come her way. Not out of resignation, but with joyand anticipation she gives herself FULLY and FREELY to God’s plan, rejoicing in whatever is to come in her world forever changed.

The end of our time of preparation has come. Christmas is upon us. Christ comes to us to completely change our world, if only we’ll let go and let him in. Let us pray then that our hearts may be opened this Christmas to fully receive and embrace Him no matter what comes; // that our voices may truly join with Mary in proclaiming her Magnificat hymn of joy and praise.