Henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me

 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.  And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."

And Mary said:

"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever."

And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

- Luke 1:39-48a, 48b-56

Yesterday, we read that in the sixth month (of Elizabeth's pregnancy) the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  The virgin's name was Mary.  And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"  But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.  Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."  Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"  And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is not the sixth month for her who was called barren.  For with God nothing will be impossible."  Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word."  And the angel departed from her.

  Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.  And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.   Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."   The leaping of the babe, John the Baptist, in Elizabeth's womb is considered to be a sign of the return of prophecy to Israel.  We remember no prophet had been seen in Israel since the time of Malachi; it was considered a kind of reproach, marking the longing for the Messiah.  Then Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, speaks words of spiritual truth -- venerating Mary as one blessed among women just as Gabriel had in yesterday's reading.   She calls Mary by a rightful title in the Church, the mother of My Lord.  This is seen as a confession; the babe just formed in Mary's womb is already understood as both fully human and fully divine:  the Lord was another title for God.  This image of new life being fully recognized as incarnate Christ, and Mary as mother of My Lord, gives us a picture of the Person already present in the womb, and informs the Church's point of view on the sanctity of life from earliest inception.

And Mary said:  "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.   For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.  For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.  And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.  He has shown strength with His arm;  He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.  He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.  He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy,  As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever."  And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.  Mary's song is called the "Magnificat," after its first word in the Latin version.  My study bible says it comes from the heart of Mary, inspired by the song of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-10).   The song prophesies that all generations will call me blessed -- as the Church continues to venerate Mary today.  Mary gives credit fully to God for the Incarnation, and not to herself, expressing, as my study bible puts it, "both deep humility and the knowledge that God is the source of all grace."   Through the Incarnation, Mary's song declares, God reigns over all, from generation to generation.

Mary's song gives us a big clue about Christ and about the power of God present in Him.  It is a statement, a prophesy, about a power that turns things upside down, stands worldly power on its head, and that is properly represented in Mary, who as a figure is entirely humble and yet remains a source of strength for millions, called throughout Church history a refuge and a strong tower, considered to be the one who overturned the sin of Eve her ancestor.  As such, she's the ultimate expression of what a human being can be; it's her "Yes" that makes way for everything else.  God's power, she reveals (as did Hannah), has scattered those proud in the imagination of their hearts,  put down the mighty from their thrones, exalted the lowly, filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.  All these things are made possible, glorified, via the Incarnation, through her role, her "Yes" to the grace presented to her.  God works through the humble, but humble does not mean lacking in strength, or confidence, or faith:  Mary has all of these.  It's the power of her faith and of her discernment that teaches us something about where strength really is, and what is possible for a human being.  We shouldn't forget also that Jesus' human nature will be taken from this woman, and it seems to me that His powerful respect for and inclusion of women in His ministry speaks very strongly for her influence, and the kindness of His male guardian, Joseph.  It is Mary who shows a true understanding of God's power at work in her song which we read today, Mary who prompts her Son at the wedding at Cana, the first sign in John's Gospel, and teaches the servants present also, "Whatever He says to you, do it."  She said "Yes," and she teaches us all to do the same; in that sense, she is the tower of strength, the fortress of faith, the image of human being for all of us, men and women, from generation to generation.  What is important is that we understand her great blessing; that she is the "highly favored one" precisely because of all of these qualities that come from spiritual depth, a wealth open to each of us, even (or perhaps, especially) the most humble.  What is the power of faith?  That is what she shows us, an image for each of us to consider and to venerate.

My soul magnifies the Lord

Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."

And Mary said:

"My soul magnifies the Lord,

And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;

For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

For He who is mighty has done great things for me,

And holy is His name.

And His mercy is on those who fear Him

From generation to generation.

He has shown strength with His arm;

He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones,

And exalted the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

And the rich He has sent away empty.

He has helped His servant Israel,

In remembrance of His mercy,

As He spoke to our fathers,

To Abraham and to his seed forever."

And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

- Luke 1:39-56

In yesterday's reading, Luke's gospel told us the story of Gabriel's visit to Mary, the Annunciation. He told her: "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women!" She was troubled, and he continued: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS." Mary asked, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" Gabriel answered: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest will overshadow you, therefore, also that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord." We remember that Mary has been told by Gabriel that Elizabeth is in her sixth month of pregnancy. John the Baptist leaps in the womb of Elizabeth his mother, because Jesus has come near. Elizabeth responds in the Spirit, and calls Mary "blessed," just as Gabriel did in yesterday's reading. She realizes her child has leaped for joy in the presence of "my Lord." In the phrase, "Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord," Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, repeats a theme running through these first readings in Luke. Through faith, we are aware of what is to unfold in relationship to God, an active fulfillment of promise. Acceptance of this relationship has meant an awareness and acceptance of things unfolding, being fulfilled, moving forward, things revealed in the visitation of the messenger: first to Zacharias (who hesitated) and then to Mary.

And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed." Here, Mary begins her own prayer from her heart, known in the West as the Magnificat, after its first word in its Latin form. This prayer is similar to the inspired prayer of Hannah found in 1 Samuel 2:1-10, which my study bible notes had been prayed by expectant Jewish mothers for centuries. "Henceforth all generations will call me blessed" is an inspired understanding of what to this day is true. What we read in the first words of this prayer is a clear sense of her depth of faith - a kind of oneness of Mary's own soul and spirit with Lord, God her Savior. Both titles will also be used for Christ, the son she bears. In the Eastern churches, she is known as "God-bearer."

"For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation." Again, we look to the future in this inspired prayer, and in that unfolding future is a story of faith, from generation to generation. It is a promise of mercy, a mercy that will unfold from generation to generation.

"He has shown strength with His arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever." Here the promise refers back in time, to the thread of God's mercy running through the whole history of Israel, the people of God, from Abraham their ancestor. God's mercy unfolds through time, God's promise is fulfilled "in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his seed forever." What we have, then, is a sense of God's unfolding promises through time, the patient witness even of the whole people, Israel, the fulfillment in the present moment in which this young woman has become "God-bearer" for all. My study bible adds, "The reign of God is over (a) our hearts, (b) kings and rulers, (c) the poor and the rich, and (d) the faithful of God."

So, in these unfolding stories from the first chapter of Luke, we begin to get a sense of time, the unfolding of God's promises and their fulfillment, and the necessary requirement of faith that we be prepared to keep God's promise in mind, to accept and abide, even with patience, as God's promises are fulfilled. In this case, Mary's pregnancy is an unfolding of a promise made centuries before, even to Abraham, and it will unfold as a promise of generations to come: henceforth all generations will call me blessed. When we think of faith, and of examples of our faith, this is what we must bear in mind. It is a kind of abiding, a trust, a knowledge that the promise that we await unfolds, through time, becomes fulfilled. The faith and hope we hold in our hearts is that of a trust in God's love, and a sense in which God uses time as a part of that mercy, to unfold, build and grow a relationship of faith in us, and with us. What we keep in our hearts becomes a sense of God's love, God's help with us, not an immediate demand for fulfillment of what we may expect or desire. It is rather an unfolding blessing, a deepening of relationship, a promise fulfilled in and through time. Can we hold on to that love in our hearts? Can we consider ourselves blessed, as she did? These two women, in their great love for one another, hold fast to that promise in the Spirit -- in Gabriel's words, "for with God nothing will be impossible." Let the love of the Spirit fill us, and give us love and strength and hope, as the promise is from generation to generation. May our souls, likewise, magnify the Lord, as our spirits have rejoiced in God our Savior.

My soul magnifies the Lord

Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."

And Mary said:

"My soul magnifies the Lord,

And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;

For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

For He who is mighty has done great things for me,

And holy is His name.

And His mercy is on those who fear Him

From generation to generation.

He has shown strength with His arm;

He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones,

And exalted the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

And the rich He has sent away empty.

He has helped His servant Israel,

In remembrance of His mercy,

As He spoke to our fathers,

To Abraham and to his seed forever."

And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

- Luke 1:39-56

In yesterday's reading, we read of the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary, the kinswoman of Elizabeth. Gabriel tells Mary: "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" And he goes on to tell her that she will bear a son, who shall be called Jesus ("God is salvation"). Mary wonders how this can be, and Gabriel tells her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible."

Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth is in the sixth month of her pregnancy, and Mary has just been made aware of what is to come - her own pregnancy. My study bible says here: "The babe, John the Baptist in his sixth month of gestation, leaped in her womb (see v. 15) as a joyous response to the presence of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, in Mary's womb." In the Eastern church, there is a traditional perspective on Mary during her pregnancy with Jesus, that she contained the whole universe in her womb, as she carried the incarnation of its Creator. This scene teaches us of relatedness and ties - these are kinswomen, but at the same time the Holy Spirit works to unite them all in understanding and purpose and spiritual truth. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit by the very greeting of Mary.

Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!" A note in my study bible says, "Mary receives veneration from both angels and humans. For as did Gabriel (v. 28), Elizabeth also calls Mary blessed. Mary is the model of womanhood. None other has ever received the glory given to her, either in Scripture or in Church history." The "filling of the Holy Spirit" gives Elizabeth an immediate understanding. There is a palpable sense here of touch, of contact, and by that contact the gifts of the Holy Spirit of wisdom and knowledge that fills both women and contains their relationship with one another, and in the great drama for the whole world that is to come, in which each of their sons will play a part.

"But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" A note here reads: "Mary is confessed as the mother of my Lord by Elizabeth. This was no mere man Mary carried. The title 'Theotokos' (the mother of God), given to the Virgin Mary by the Church, was derived from the truth of this confession. For unless that One in her womb was God, the world is still enslaved to sin." Mary's understanding - given to her by Gabriel - is echoed here in the words of Elizabeth, who perceives according to the Holy Spirit. The amazing contact, touch, extension and illumination of the Spirit in this scene is a model of our understanding of the power of this Spirit and how He works with us, among us.

"For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord." Elizabeth confirms what Mary has been told by Gabriel. Filled with the Holy Spirit, she communicates to Mary and shares with her the good news from God. The Holy Spirit creates this connectedness between us, works this way among us -- these two women, bearing two babes, show us the way.

And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever." And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house. My study bible has a long note which I will quote on this passage: "This passage (called the Magnificat, the first word of this song in Latin) is a remarkable hymn of praise to God. It comes from the heart of Mary, who was probably only 16 or 17 years old at the time, but also from Hannah, advanced in years, who first uttered this inspired prayer (1 Sam. 2:1-10), which had been prayed by expectant Jewish mothers for centuries. From this New Testament passage we learn: (1) Christian believers for all time will honor or venerate the Virgin, for all generations will call me blessed (v. 48). . . . (2) Identity between Mary and Israel is implicit here as the Israel of God, the Church, receives His mercy (v. 54). (3) The reign of God is over (a) our hearts (v. 51), (b) kings and rulers (v. 52), (3) the poor (v. 52) and the rich (v. 55), and (d) the faithful of God (v. 54)."

I see in this wonderful prayer the connection to the whole history of Israel, the people of God, as it echoes the prayer of Hannah. The Holy Spirit creates ties not only among those who share their lives as contemporaries, but extends through time to connect us even to others through experience, meaning, learning, understanding. And it extends not only through the past and those who have come before, but into the future: "henceforth all generations will call me blessed." For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. There is an action of mercy, a lifting up of the state of the humble who serve - and an extension: this mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. This mercy overturns the order of things: the arrogant and conceited are knocked from their places, while the lowly are lifted up. God's strength becomes the strength of the meek and humble; in God's mercy His power is shared with those who love Him. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. God fills those who are empty, and sends away those who do not and cannot share that mercy themselves. It is an overturning of the order - and those who hunger and thirst for this righteousness and mercy are filled, just as Elizabeth and Mary are filled with the Holy Spirit. He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever. Again, the story of these women is reflected in the whole of the people of Israel, those who serve God, and the Spirit extends its connection throughout the whole of this history, as it is connected throughout all of the Scripture and the Good News. Mary's connection, then, is not merely with her kinswoman Elizabeth and not merely through the ties that will bind their sons in this central historical drama of the Scriptures, but it is with all of us, and all of history. The Holy Spirit does His work in all of us, for each of us, and this story is truly for each of us as well. When we seek to pray and enter in dialogue with our Creator, this story is for all of us, for each of us, and the ties that this Spirit builds extend through each of us, and throughout our spiritual history, and into the future and those who are to come and choose also to be a part of this reality, to be filled with the good things of this Spirit. We are all the "living stones" who fill the earth with the connectedness of this Spirit and the communion and communication He creates among us, within us. All contained in Mary's womb is this universe of creativity and power, that will shake up our world, and fill us with good things. How do you contain that magnitude of gift within yourself? How do you share it with the world, with others? With whom do you make that connection, as did Mary and Elizabeth? Let prayer be the action of the Spirit for you today, and take notice of what happens, and how you feel connected in His work. "My soul magnifies the Lord," Mary said. Truly, so may we all.