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Gospel: Luke 1:46-56
Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”
Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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This is the longest set of words ever spoken by a woman in the New Testament – words spoken by Mary shortly after conceiving Christ in her womb.
What do they reveal about her?
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Mary is often depicted as a young girl – humble, her eyes cast down, a peasant living on the fringe of society.
While there’s truth in that, there is something else about Mary that’s rarely depicted, something we discover in today’s Gospel.
Mary’s prophetic role.
All of the words she speaks are in the past tense. God, “has cast down the mighty from their thrones; he has filled the hungry with good things; the rich he has sent away empty.”
For a moment, Mary sees as God sees, into a new world being ushered in by Jesus – a world of justice, love, and peace.
For this reason, she becomes like figures from the Old Testament, playing the role of prophet.
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Perhaps we could take a moment today to imagine the world Mary envisioned – a world where swords are beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks, not only in distant lands or faraway times, but even now in our own lives.
Then, in some small way, work to achieve it.
Mary, prophetess and Mother of God, pray for us.
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Image credits: (1) Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Church (2) Conventual Franciscan Friars (3) QuoteFancy
Excellent. I like this picture of Mary as prophetess. She is the Cornerstone of the Holy Family and deserves a larger role than what is sometimes portrayed. Thanks Fr. Kevin. Hope all is well with you and yours. God bless.
Thanks, Lucille! Yes, all is well, thank God. Wishing you a Merry Christmas!