22nd December Advent
“And Mary said ’My soul proclaims the lord and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour ; for He has looked upon the humility of his servant and from now on all generations shall call me Blessed. For the Mighty has done marvels for me, and Holy is His name.” His mercy extends from age to age to those who fear Him."
The Magnificent is the song of the victory of Love that comes from God. Could God find anyone else more humble and disarmed to welcome Him other than Mary? Aware of her ’lowliness’ the Virgin of Nazareth recognises before Elizabeth the marvels that have been accomplished in her! This Mystery of God is given and can be lived out within each of us, thanks to this space that is cleared in the most intimate part of the heart so that God can thus make his way into it.
Mary commits herself wholly to the salvation announced within herself. God is going to shine in her encounter with Elizabeth. Mary is the first disciple, and she will bear witness by her life, she is the companion who will follow Jesus right to the end ; she is the Mother of compassion. Jesus makes of us children of God, he is in the process of being born within each one of us. The One who has already come is always there, we believe this by faith. He is the One whom we contemplate and is our happiness : ’Jesus comes.’ It is again an event to come : ’He will come back and we wait for his coming in glory.“This is what we sing at the heart of the Paschal Mystery.”He has used the power of his arm, he has routed the arrogant of heart. He has pulled down the mighty from their thrones and raised the lowly. He has filled the starving with good things sent the rich away empty. The Mighty has done marvels for me-Holy is His name!"
Mary permits us to understand that still today the Lord God with his Grace, and with our consent, can bring about marvels for ’nothing is impossible for God!’ Mary of Nazareth believed in the ’unthinkable ,’ with her whole heart. By her ’Yes’ she permitted Heaven to ’touch’ her. All ages will call her ’Blessed!’ This is the power of the Infinite Love of God that raises the humble,
who fills the hungry with good things. It is the Marvel that Mary proclaims by deeply uniting herself to the work of God, by co operating with Him. ’The Almighty has done great things for me.“Each one of us is invited to participate in his work of Salvation.He wants us to rest entirely on Him, in the power of his Infinite Love. It is the same Lord who comes to find a home in us, in the heart of our lives, in the form of a small piece of bread , so that we widen out tents so God can take his place amongst us. When we receive him in communion, he will lean towards us and will melt in the intimacy of our heart’s so as to transform our lives. We want to live this Coming with Mary, within her.”He has come to the help of Israel his servant mindful of his faithful Love-according to the promise he made to our ancestors-of his Mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’ Mary stayed with Elizabeth for some three months and then went home."
In her canticle of thanksgiving, Mary proclaims that ’the Mercy of the Lord extends age after age’. This Mercy that we all benefit from and which we all have to spread around us! The time of Advent and of Christmas are propitious moments for times of reconciliation amongst us; time also to pacify our relationships that are often tumultuous.A time also to organise a programme of charity that will make us more cordial, benevolent, less aggressive and superficial : in short, more loving and merciful!
Humility is the remedy for all our ills. To fear God is a gift of the Holy Spirit who is given to us so that we allow God to do his work. His love extends from age to age ! As the sea attacks the cliff and ends up wearing it down, His Love comes to the aid of our weaknesses and our misery. Fatigue can set in, routine can take up a big place we can be tempted to grow weary – Mary’s Magnificat comes to our aid. The Church has made of the Magnificat her evening canticle to raise us up to God so that we give thanks to Him in all things. It is the song of little ones and the poor ones who are on the move for the Living God.