Daily Reflection Friday of the Third Week of Advent

The Magnificat (from the first word in the Vulgate’s Latin translation of this hymn which means literally, “It magnifies”) of Mary that we hear in today’s gospel reading is one of the three great canticles from the first two chapters of Luke’s gospel account, the other two being the Benedictus (“Blessed be” in Latin) of John the Baptist’s father Zechariah and the Nunc Dimitis (“Now let me depart” in Latin) spoken by Simeon in the temple at the Presentation. The Magnificat is spoken by Mary during the Visitation in Luke 1:46-55 (the Visitation and all the “Joyful Mysteries” come from Luke) immediately after Elizabeth greeted Mary (“Blessed are you among women!”). All three are chanted every day in the Church’s liturgy of the hours. We give thanks to God for St. Luke who alone reveals to us these things and many others.

We need to understand and not be bothered by the probability that all three of these canticles were simply put into the mouths of Mary, Zechariah and Simeon by the evangelist known as Luke. The gospel accounts are not a dictation such as what is transcribed during our court proceedings. There was no one present during these events literally taking down what people said. The gospels were never intended as a “history” in that sense, or any sense of that word that we carry today. Nevertheless, they are something that possess the single most immense authority, importance, and power for us all, for they contain, together, the most inspired understanding of the central mystery that is Jesus Christ. The gospels possess the singularly most profound theological and spiritual insight given to the Church by the Holy Spirit through the four evangelists so that we may better understand and believe that great central mystery of Christ Jesus himself. No mere history or even actual transcript of events (the way, say, a reporter would give today) could ever convey this great mystery of our salvation the way the gospels do. They transcend all the events that we might say actually happened that are behind them. For what “actually happened” is a mystery even in our own lives. Ask anyone who has ever tried to get to the bottom (what “actually happened”) of say a traffic accident or even a meeting. How much deeper is the mystery that the gospels relate to us?

Both an incredibly beautiful poem as well as a profound reflection on the Blessed Mother and her role in salvation history, the Magnificat has its roots in Hannah’s prayer in 1Sam 1-10, which is also a beautiful poem. Mary’s song is a song to the poor of the earth, that God’s eyes are very much always upon them (“Woe to the one who causes these little ones to stumble!”), that God very much hears the cry of the poor. Mary acknowledges her lowliness and says, “The Lord has done great things for me!” because he is so holy, and that “All generations shall call me blessed” because of what God has done for her in her lowliness. Jesus told us, “And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them?” Yet he asked immediately after that if there would still be faith on earth after he comes again. We must strive to believe and trust in God no matter what. Mary tells us that God has mercy on all who call on him in any way. That God will overcome the proud, the rich, the arrogant. Not in any vengeful way but in love. That God is always close to the poor, so close to the broken hearted, despite what seems to be all evidence to the contrary. We are asked to simply believe that, no matter what!

We must pray unceasingly to be brought to humility and meekness, which is the truth. We must pray to feel deeply how truly small we all are and that all pride and vanity, all seeming difference is like smoke. We must pray that like the infant Jesus born in a manger in a barn, we will be small and as small as we can be, so completely dependent. It is the only truth, that we are nothing without God’s love and mercy. We have nothing to bring before the Lord but our sinful selves. But that is precisely who God loves completely. Everything else is God’s gift to us, impossible to be earned yet poured out. St. Thérèse of Lisieux is said to have exclaimed, “Strive to be the last in line. Because no one will ever try to take that away from you!”