THE MAGNIFICAT (Olga Warnke IBVM)
My soul glorifies the Lord,
My Spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.
For he has blessed me lavishly,
and makes me ready to respond.
He shatters my little world
and lets me be poor before him.
He takes from me all my plans
and gives me more than I can hope for or ask.
He gives me opportunities, and the ability
to become free, and burst through my boundaries.
He gives the strength to be daring,
to build on him alone,
for he shows himself as the ever-greater one in my life.
He has made this known to me:
it is in my being servant that it becomes possible
for God’s Kingdom to break through, here and now.
MARY - “Every one of your visits is an invitation to conversion,
to live a more devoted love toward all,
but especially toward those who are suffering the most,
those for whom your Son asks us to love without calculation or conditions.”
(Pope Francis)
There is nothing more-embarrassing to the Church than the Canticle it loves so much, The Magnificat.
Those who are powerful within the Church – do they listen to Mary?
Those in the Church who have everything whilst others have need
- do they listen to Mary?
Those who look down on the lowly, the exalted people of God,
- do they listen to Mary?
“I have come” said her Son, “that they may have life, and may have it in abundance!”
That is no better expressed, than in The Magnificat!
Mary, the embarrassing revolutionary,
challenging and embarrassing people in every age……
Read her song.
Pray it.
Live it.
Today’s feast reminds us
to listen afresh with Mary
to the words of Gabriel,
“Do not afraid Mary, for nothing is impossible for God”…
…and when we take them to heart, and say our “yes”,
we shall find the reassurance
we need to hear
at this pandemic time.
Gracious God, you may not ask of us what you asked of Mary, but none-
-theless your challenge invariably comes, calling us to avenues of service
which we would never imagine possible.
Whoever we are, we all have a part to play in your purposes,
a unique role in making real the love of Christ here on earth,
here and now.
Help us never to underestimate your sovereign power.
Grant us the humility we need to hear your voice
and the faith we need to respond.
Like Mary, let us be ready to answer when you call:
‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord;
let it be to me according to your word.’
