The Manificat: Mary’s Song, God’s Song, Our Song

Luke 1.46-56

Tuesday, December 1, 2015 

            A close reading of what has been called “The Magnificat: Mary’s Song” reveals much about God’s message as well as what human beings are to be about.  Thus, it is not just Mary’s Song, but also God’s to us, and it provides the guidelines for those people who fear the Divine.  We will examine these aspects of the Magnificat.

            Mary’s Song praises God; in fact, it has been characterized as a hymn of praise (Arthur A. Just, Jr.); I feel that it is akin to some of the hymns of praise that the faithful wrote in the biblical book by that name.  It has a profound message that really surprised me: Mary sings “God has looked with favor on the lowliness of God’s servant.  Surely, from now on all nations will call me blessed.”  What I have learned is that it is okay, even praiseworthy to recognize and admit your own humility…as long as God’s holiness is acknowledged! (Arthur J. Just, Jr.)  With that caveat, it is not pride to admit (probably to yourself most often) your humility, but to recognize also that God can use people such as these people for the furtherance of the work of the Holy reign!

            Regarding God: the Gospel both begins and closes its important nurturance of the Gospel with women.  (This is not to say that men do not also play very important roles in the furtherance of God’s new reign on earth!)  Elizabeth and Mary begin the New Covenant with the birth of the two key personages: John the Baptist and Jesus.  Furthermore, all four gospels acknowledge that women were the ones who were present for Jesus while he was on the cross and / or were the first to go to the his tomb.

            The Magnificat can also be our song today.  We, too, are called to “magnify[y] the Lord” and “rejoice in God as our savior,” too (Luke 1.46).  God’s mercy “is for those who fear God from generation to generation” (Luke 1.48).  Moreover, as Peter proclaimed in Acts 10.34-35, “God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears the Divine and does what is right is acceptable to God!”  We are called to accept all people, not just those who believe in Jesus, but all people who also work for justice. 

            There are so many more wonderful points of insight that can be found in Mary’s Song, God’s Song, and Our Song; why not read it carefully sometime today and reflect that Mary sang the Magnificat as a reflection of God’s message to all who fear the Almighty and who do works of justice that please the Holy One.