Magnificat – Lk 1:46-56
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior" (Lk 1:46). No human being had the opportunity to be as close to God as Mary - there was no barrier of sin between her and God. She, full of grace, came to know what love is and, inspired by this miracle, glorified God for the gifts given to her and through her to all people. She rejoices in the gifts, but most of all she rejoices in the Giver. The whole space between her and God is filled with love, the fruit of which is her Son. The joy that comes from this must be shouted out, because one heart cannot hold it. And this joyful song of gratitude, sung in Elizabeth's house, will embrace the whole world and will never be silent - and we all will sing it beautifully together with our Mother in our Father's house.
Joy and thanksgiving, enthusiasm and praise to God are the central themes of the hymn sung by Mary, who was pregnant with the Son of God.
In Old Testament times, a similar hymn was sung to God by Hannah, Samuel's mother, when she was blessed with a child despite her barrenness. But Mary's hymn expresses the joy and thanksgiving of all of us who rejoice in the gift of Christmas. The love of the Eternal Father for us is so inconceivable that he deigned to give us his own Son!
Mary especially praises the three attributes of God in her hymn - Omnipotence, Holiness, and Mercy. Not only did the Almighty do great things for Mary by choosing her to be the mother of His Son, but He also did great things for all of us who believed in Him, believed in Jesus Christ, and, through His grace, go to eternal life. And God showed His mercy not only to Mary but "His mercy from age to age for those who fear Him." With His mercy, God, who gives us His own Son, wants to embrace each of us, even the greatest sinners.
The only limit to God's mercy is our pride, which makes us despise Him. For this reason, He, whose name is holy, gave us His Son, that we too might become partakers of His holiness.
Almighty, Holy, and Merciful God gives His Son to all people without exception, but not all accept this gift. In her hymn of thanksgiving, the Blessed Mother says that proud people, closed to the very need of salvation, will be thrown from their thrones and sent away with nothing. Only hungry, humble, and God-fearing people can accept salvation. So let us examine ourselves to see whether we have these three qualities necessary for a person to accept the Savior and the salvation He brings. First: are we hungry - hungry for ultimate truth, hungry for justice, hungry for God, who is love? Second: do we cultivate humility in ourselves - this attitude, thanks to which a person seeks all his worth and dignity not in himself, but in God who created us (and therefore created us because He loved selflessly)? And thirdly: is there the fear of God in us, that is, this fear that comes from love, so that there is nothing in us that does not please God who loves us.
Let us repeat: only those who are hungry for salvation, humble, and who fear God can receive the Savior and truly enjoy Him.
The Magnificat is personal. It touches deeply the heart that is so poignantly ours. It hits the spot - where I am. The Magnificat is an experience of my own uniqueness, the discovery that God "did great things" for me.
The Magnificat is also personal in the sense that we must express it ourselves, with our own voice and in our own way, to say what is between God and us. The words of the prophets and saints, the words of Mary - we can draw from them, but we must make these words our own. Finally, to feel like Abraham's seed - to experience this bond, this community, to experience the Church, to be at home. We know the story of the Mother of Jesus - just as her fate has been woven into the history of salvation, the same is true for us.
Behold, our God is great and does whatever He wants, and He wants only this: to come closer to the humble, to us. While singing the Magnificat, I stand before the whole world to announce, say, and live it. Because the Magnificat has an Addressee, it also has listeners. Can you feel their eyes on you? They look carefully; sometimes they come close, within reach of the voice. They hear you.
Singing the Magnificat is like reminding God and myself of his promises, of what he "promised our fathers". Tell God: I know that you know that I know. I know about your promises, about your love; You know what is in my heart, what is happening to me, you know me. And I know what great things the Almighty has done for me. Everything that I have and everything that I am is Your Gift and Your Grace. Today and for all eternity, my soul will proclaim the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
fr. george