“Living and Rejoicing God’s Greatness” by
Beth DeCristofaro
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the
authority of his Anointed One." (Revelations 12:10)
Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised
from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death
came through man, the resurrection of the dead also came through man. (1 Corinthians
15:20-21)
Mary remained with (Elizabeth) about three
months and then returned to her home. (Luke 1:56)
Piety
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid’s
lowliness;
behold, from now on will all ages call me
blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is from age to age
to those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm,
dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
He has thrown down the rulers from their
thrones
but lifted up the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped Israel his servant,
remembering his mercy,
according to his promise to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.
(Luke 1:46-55)
Study
These readings today strike me with their
assertions of immense generosity, reclaiming kinship, gratefulness, identity as
Chosen, and triumphant good. God shared the momentous work of creation with human
beings who were given free will to accept, reject, or choose to misuse. Then
when free will led to sin and death, God again gifted humanity with the divine
presence in human form and resurrection from the dead, inviting all to partake.
Mary’s beautiful prayer is lifted in
gratitude not only for these gifts but in her awareness that through God’s
gifts she has come to live a new life beyond the humble expectations of a poor
Israelite girl. She freely acknowledges that it is from God and that she is
part of a greater whole – a child of God who holds, graces, frees those who
accept the covenant that her ancestors – her people – made with God. And then
she, in the model of her God, turns around and offers that beneficence to her
cousin. In spite of her own pregnancy, she comes to Elizabeth in celebration and
support.
Very soon after this domestic episode Mary is
warned that “And you yourself a sword will pierce” (Luke 2:35) when her
newborn son is presented at the temple. In the notes from the NAB: “Her blessedness
as mother of the Lord will be challenged by her son who describes true
blessedness as ‘hearing the word of God and observing it’” (Lk 11:27–28 and Lk
8:20–21).[i]
Her story goes on to illustrate that grace is conveyed through times of
gratitude and times of suffering
Action
As we pray with Mary the splendid Magnificat,
do we allow ourselves to assent to “give over” – to hear the word and observe
it, to be in solidarity with the lowly, hungry, pregnant and infirm? Do we
accept joy and suffering in the giving over, allowing Jesus to mature us into
closer union with him? Mary shows us that the road might be mortally fearful
but it is graced and blessed.
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