The Magnificat

“And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
  and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
  for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
  for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
  and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
  from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
  he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
  and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
  and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
  in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
  to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’”
    (Luke 1:46–55 nrsv)

The words of the Magnificat can bring comfort and peace to many people—comfort in the knowledge of God’s goodness. But I have recently found myself amazed at the sentiments Mary expresses in her song. In first century Galilee, Mary was an outcast for becoming pregnant out of wedlock. Joseph was ready to quietly end their engagement to spare Mary the embarrassment of her situation. She would have been denied all dignity from society for being an unwed teenage mother. And yet, she proclaims her unwavering faith in God because God “has looked with favor on the lowliness of God’s servant.” Mary has confidence that God will provide for her and her unborn child because God fills the hungry with good things and lifts up the lowly.

I often wonder if I would respond with the same joy and energy with which Mary responds if I was in her position. If I was about to be ostracized from my community and most likely even family, I doubt I would proclaim God’s praise. But that is exactly the miracle of Advent. God incarnate comes into the world to turn my expectations upside down, entering our society and hearts as a helpless baby born to an unwed teenage mother. Mary’s life was completely changed as she welcomed God not only into her womb but into her heart. And so our lives change as well as we welcome Jesus into our hearts.

When we welcome Jesus into our hearts, we are invited to participate in the actions Mary describes in her song. We are invited to fill the hungry with good things and to reach out to the lowly. In this advent season, let us remember the teenage mothers, the GLBT youth cast away from their families, the immigrants, the poor, the mentally ill, and all those labeled outcasts. For just as God chose someone whom society would have called an outcast 2,000 years ago to prepare a home for God’s son, so too should we welcome those outcast by our own society into our hearts and homes this season.

Contributed by Jennifer
Monday December 12, 2011
Liturgical Year B: Week 3
Liturgical Color: Blue
Sunday Gospel reading:
Third Sunday of Advent