Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat
46 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And 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 mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And 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 mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
This passage from Luke is one of the most reassuring testaments in the Bible. Mary is a young, unwed (engaged) woman who is called into the unbelievable task of carrying God incarnate - in a Virgin birth...most of us would run, debate and mock God for calling us from our lives to serve him in such sacrifice. Even Moses, a man of great faith, questioned God's will - Abraham cried out to the Lord - yet Mary accepts her mission - she is given a choice and joyfully ponders God's will and accepts it with a pure and willing heart. She views doing God's will as a blessing, not as a sacrifice but as a gift. She has to endure horrible pain - to witness your son crucified - but that sorrow is filled with joy.
God never gives us more than we can handle if we are willing to lean on HIS Spirit and Christ for understanding. God is willing to guide us...even when he is silent God is at work. God's seemingly abandonment of His Son, Jesus on the cross must have spurred people on the ground Jesus's crucifixion to dismiss God, yet God used suffering to heal the world and to glorify HIS name. The world calls us to jealousy, selfishness, anxiety, prejudice and hate. God calls us to faith, hope, love, compassion, giving ourselves for the selfless love of other.The world is the material world, not in sync with God - I do not refer to the natural scenery and the earth - God is present in creation and even the roughest ground belongs to God. When God calls us to HIS work, it is not easy, it is not being crowned with jewels and living high on the hog for the sake of the world...God's call is hard, but it is hardship that joyfully transforms us and helps to heal the world. The Holy Spirit is God's vessel within our soul - if we pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance and learn to trust in the Spirit of God as Mary did and not the clatter of the world we will find peace and be active citizens of Christ on earth and in heaven.
Salvation is a prize, a grace bestowed through Christ's suffering. Remember being a Christian is not an easy road, but it is not a sacrifice for the ego, but one of love and understanding in the macro picture The Holy Trinity provides.
Mary had hardship - carrying a child as a Virgin and being judged by the community, called a liar, forced to have a child anointed as the Messiah in a barn...she loved her son as flesh - caring for Jesus not in sole adoration as God, but as a child - as a mother who loves a son - that is a powerful thing, because Mary did this out of glory for God - a mother's love is said to be the greatest love on earth...Mary's love is a reflection of her faith and character. She worried when Jesus disappeared, later found in the temple, she fretted over wine at the wedding - reminding us that she is human and had fears and worries - yet her faith provided her the perspective to see a way forward. Even when she witnessed the most excruciating pain of humanity - seeing her son be crucified, rejected and hated by men - Mary did not lose faith - she wept - but her love remained strong. Love revealed in Mary is a reflection of the bridge of divine love and human love - the love that bears us to weep and hope - God is close to our hearts - his spirit fills us.
I am an Episcopalian but I admire Mary as Mother of Christ, her human element and love beyond measure is an example for us to follow. Jesus loved his mother dearly. Mary had Joseph and emphasizes the importance of family, but when Joseph died, Mary also had to trust in faith in difficult circumstances as a single mother. Mary is someone we can relate to and someone we can mold our faith around. I pray the Magnificat often - The Song of Mary speaks to Christian faith and our hope and fears as we humbly approach God. Christ is our advocate and Mary as his mother helps to guide us in example of faith as a vision of hope and reassurance that hardship is not cause to doubt, but an open door to seeing God at work in the world, for God suffered to heal...joy is found in unexpected circumstances...we must always be ready to heed God's call...God calls the weak to his strength. Don't deny the call because of fear...God binds our wounds and Christ strengthens us
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