Reading
Lk 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 forever.”
Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home.
Comment
Known since ancient times as "Canticle of Mary" and probably used in the liturgy of the early church, this composition is modeled on the "Canticle of Anna" (1 Sam 2:10), to which "the Lord had closed the womb", but which for his prolonged prayer in the temple obtained the birth of Samuel, consecrated to the Lord.
Luke chooses this hymn probably because he considers it to be in harmony with other motifs found in his Gospel: the joy in the Lord, the election of the poor by God, the reversed fate of human fortune, the fulfillment of the messianic promises.
Mercy is a characteristic theme of Luke's Gospel: God, through the Son, puts himself at the service of man. God's love saves the sinner by asking him only to let himself be loved. The humble of the canticle are the poor in goods and the last for the social position, who place their trust in the Lord; those whom Jesus proclaims blessed in his sermon on the mountain (Mt 5: 3).
Paul too affirms that "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong" (1 Cor 1:27). Elizabeth proclaimed Mary blessed on the occasion of her visitation; but here Mary, aware of the extraordinary favor that has been granted to her, that is, of virginally conceiving the savior of humanity, proclaims that all generations, Jews and gentiles, will call her "blessed".
The Canticle of Mary, "blessed among women" (Lk 1:42) for the virginal conception of the Messiah of Israel, expresses the gratitude towards God that springs from a careful and prolonged meditation on the Scriptures.
The Magnficat presents Mary in her humble creatural nature, but at the same time also as the one who gave her flesh to the Son of God; she is the temple of God and the new Ark of the Covenant. For this reason Mary assumes a prominent role in the human race: she is the "new Eve" who, giving her life to the Savior, redeemed us from sin, repairing with her total openness to God's grace and his will, the disobedience of her progenitor seduced by the serpent.
Mary rejoices in God, recognizing herself not only as the Savior's mother, but herself saved by God, our sister in faith, through which she was touched by grace.
God is glorified in the Magnificat for his promises as if these had already been fulfilled. He show the power of his arm not to subjugate humanity but to reach her with his love. We can trust in God's firm hold, that helps us with her mercy.
Prayer
O God, we rejoice in your salvation; as a shadow your mercy covers our sins and your hand comes to our aid. Glorified be your Son, who comes to fulfill the ancient promises. Amen.
- Rev. Dr. Luca Vona
