The Magnificat
Throughout the season of
Advent above the main doors of our church hangs a large scroll with
the first words of the Magnificat. The
Magnificat is the song which, according to the gospel of Luke (1:44-55), Mary
sang to her cousin Elizabeth:
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.
The Magnificat echoes the song
of Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel, (found in 1 Samuel 2:1-10). Hannah, who is barren, cries out to God in
utter despair for the gift of a child.
God answers her prayer and in return, she offers God a prayer of
thanksgiving. Both the song of Hannah
and the Magnificat celebrate the immense goodness of God. The Magnificat casts a look backwards to the
mercy of God throughout salvation history:
the arrogant have been cast down, the lowly have been lifted high, and
the barren have become pregnant with new life.
The word mercy as it is used in
the Magnificat is translated from a Hebrew word meaning motherly longings. Though
generations have forgotten their covenant with God, God refuses to forget his
yearning for humanity. To magnify the Lord, in Mary’s words, gives
us a hint that God, who had remained largely hidden from sight, now wished to
become visible to humankind by taking flesh in the person of Jesus. The Magnificat, with its themes of hope and
expectation, is worth our prayer and reflection as we anticipate the
celebration of Christmas. Special thanks
to parishioner Lori Rausch whose calligraphy helps remind all who enter our church
to proclaim the greatness of the Lord!
