FRIDAY, DEC 22
Luke 1:46-56
Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.
Grace: I ask for the grace to know Jesus in a deeper way that I may abundantly love and follow him.
Jesus taught us to pray when he gave us the Lord’s Prayer. Mary taught us to pray when she proclaimed the Magnificat. Looking closely at this poetic offering, we see seven stanzas, two in which she expresses her joy and gratitude, and five that name the divine qualities of the Mighty One. In some translations, Mary *magnifies* the Lord, praising his greatness: his mercy, his strength, his putting down the rulers while lifting the lowly, his feeding, and his help for Israel.
The Mighty One looked upon his handmaiden’s lowliness and blessed her to be the mother of the Word Incarnate. God elevated her to greatness by her response to God’s call without reservation. Zechariah and Elizabeth were the first to hear Mary’s song of praise, her canticle.
Ignatius of Loyola uses the term “Magis” to speak of the greatness of God, from which “Magnificat” comes. Ignatius encouraged his followers toward magnanimity, or the “Magis” – all for the Greater honor and glory of God. Mary gives us an example for living in magnanimity by her attribution of all her gifts to God, the gracious giver: “The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”
When we pray, how do we express our joy and gratitude to God? Do we recount the great things the Mighty One has done for us? Might we do an Ignatian Examen of Consciousness to help focus on the great things that come our way daily from the Mighty One?
For Reflection and Prayer:
If I would proclaim my Magnificat, how would it sound?
If I were Zechariah and Elizabeth, what emotions arise in me, hearing Mary’s song of praise?
What are the great things the Mighty One has done for me?
The Contributor:
Jan Davis, D.Min., spiritual director and author, writes on various spiritualties including Ignatian, Theresian, and Benedictine. Her articles appear in spiritual journals and elsewhere. She and her husband are Benedictine Oblates and publish a twice-monthly newsletter, Soul Windows – Reflection.
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Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner.