“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
Luke 1:46-55
Can you imagine what it would be like to receive the news that the child in your womb is the Savior of the world? The the baby you're about to carry for nine months, give birth to, nurse, wean and teach to walk will also grow up to save men from death? I can't. In fact it boggles my mind so much that I can't even begin to imagine what Mary must have felt those many months of carrying Jesus.
After receiving the news from an angel, Mary hurried off to see her relative Elizabeth who was then carrying John the Baptist. This is when we come across Mary's Magnificat. It gives us a glimpse of what Mary was feeling after hearing that indeed she was with child by the power of the Holy Spirit and carrying our Savior.
Her words are laced with hope, joy and reverence. She can't help but feel God in every inch of her being. To know that God saw her and chose her for this great honor must have been thrilling. She knew all too well that her people were in desperate need of a Savior. (And to think that God chose to come and save them by becoming human!) He saw their need and responded in such an amazing way that Mary had no choice but to revere God and sing praise. Her outburst of praise shows just how much she was filled to overflowing!
His mercy is towards those that fear Him and His love endures from generation to generation. Mary knew that the child in her womb was living proof of that! Jesus still is living proof of that today too.
This advent season I encourage you to take the time to read Mary's Magnificat and meditate on God's love. Listen to the grace filled words of our Lord's mother and let your heart meditate on the message of this song. God's love truly is everlasting and His faithfulness to us is never failing.
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