The Magnificat
"My soul magnifies the Lord, and
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."
That is what these words of Mary are called (it has to do with how it is rendered in Latin). This is wonderful poetry for which much beautiful music has been written. Evening Prayer includes them in the liturgy.
They are also a call to justice. Mary is not solely concerned with this miraculous pregnancy simply for her own sake. Oh no, Mary is announcing the long awaited coming of God's justice: where the proud are scattered; the powerful are brought down, the hungry are filled with good things and the rich are sent away empty. (Luke 1.46-56)
If you have any experience with justice in the real world, you know it is never an easy road. When you are toppling the powerful and lifting up the lowly there is going to be a lot of push back, a few deaths and a great deal of suffering. Yet, this is Mary's song and Mary's hope: that God's justice will prevail in this world and in her time.
If you just thought she was a pretty little thing on the Christmas cards, well, I guess you'll just have to re-think that one.
No comments:
Post a Comment