And Mary said,
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed.” Luke 1:46-48
So begins the beautiful and beloved Magnificat—the bulk of today’s gospel reading—chanted by Catholic and Orthodox monks and others around the world every day. Mary’s point that she is a lowly servant is not just humility—it’s a familiar theme in Scripture. God appears to, and works through, not necessarily the priests, rabbis and other leaders, but the lowly—those with no standing in society to warrant attention, let alone special treatment. Jesus’ mother is a young peasant woman. Jesus’ friends will be manual laborers, civil servants and the needy. These lowly, says the Magnificat, Jesus will “lift up” (verse 52), while diminishing the arrogant, the rulers and the rich. The Magnificat is a peek at the kingdom of God, where your dignity and worth are based not on material success or status, but on what is in your mind and heart. May that kingdom come. Amen.
Phil Fox Rose
Originally published May 31, 2018
