Mary and Joseph, Part IV

Scripture Luke 1:46-56
Luke 46: And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold , from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed .  49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. 51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. 53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.  54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; 55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever. 56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

I spent several years in Roman Catholic parochial schools.  My all-time favorite teacher was a nun who somehow acquired a stray cat and managed to keep it as a pet.  The cat was called Maggie, which, Sister Mary Clare explained, was short for Magnificat.

That was the first time I’d heard of this incredible piece of poetry. The Old Testament is full of psalms attributed to David and others.  Unlike these, so many of which are pleas for help, Mary sings of her joy at being able to render the greatest of all services to God…that of being His mother (or so the nuns told me.)

The concept of God having a mother was a little hard for me to grasp … when you are eight the concept of the Trinity is kind of hard to handle.

And Mary isn’t praising God for the privilege of changing diapers and wiping divine noses…she is in fact praising God for his love of and care for what her Son would later call “the least of these.”

What is so “magnificent” about God and the gift He gives at Christmas is that it is an ongoing gift of love and concern for all His creatures.

Prayer:  Thank You, Lord, for Love, the one great gift you have bestowed upon us…Your love poured out that also enables us to love one another.