The Song of Mary

The Song of Mary
August 15, 2018  Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – (ABC)
by Dcn. Bob Bonomi

Each year for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary we listen to this passage from St. Luke’s Gospel which contains the prayer known as Mary’s Magnificat.   Latin for "[My soul] magnifies [the Lord]"), it is a canticle, or a hymn or other song of praise taken from scriptures or other holy texts.  It is also known as the Song of Mary, the Canticle of Mary or the Ode of the Theotokos – the Mother of God.  It is recited daily by all who pray Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, especially by clergy and religious. 

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: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name…”

Why would Mary respond to Elizabeth’s greeting with this song?  I think the answer in part lies in the question that Elizabeth asked her: “And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

There is so much that comes to us through Elizabeth’s one simple question which can be summed up as “why me?”  Elizabeth knows that something extraordinary is happening to her again – the first time was when she conceived her son, St. John the future Baptist, and the prophecies that were associated with his conception.  This time she recognizes that through Mary, her cousin, God is once again at work in her – Elizabeth’s – life.  She feels the movement of the child within her womb in response to the presence of Jesus in Mary’s womb.

And the song which Mary sings in response to that question is an explosion of joy which comes from the glory and grace which fills her womb.  Mary isn’t bragging about the fact she was chosen from all possible mothers for Jesus; rather, she is excited that God is fulfilling the promises made to ALL of Israel throughout the generations by God through the prophets.  Just like Hannah when she prayed with Eli after the birth of Samuel, both mothers know that God is alive and active in the world by what He will do through them, not just for them. 

The Magnificat is more than just a prayer by a blessed and holy young mother-to-be.  We too are called to proclaim this prayer every day of our lives.  Each line reminds us that we are also blessed by God beyond all measure.  As we look at each line, we should substitute ourselves as the proclaimer:

"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.

We are all lowly servants for God.  While Mary is, as stated by St. Augustine, the first disciple and a model for us all, we too are His disciples and should rejoice that He favors us with His love and mercy.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name.

We recognize in the lives of all the holy men and women we call “saints” that we too have the opportunity to be a blessing to those around us.  From the moment of our birth we have been blessed with the gift of life and the freedom to choose to serve Him in glory.

He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation.

While we may face trials and tribulations in this short span of our earthly existence, we know that His Mercy is there to support us and strengthen us if we just call upon Him.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever."

His Mercy is not just for a select few.  It is for all of us, for those who came before us, and for our children and those who come after us.  God is alive and active in the world even today, and for all eternity.

The Assumption, which we celebrate today, confirms this pledge to us. As Mary, through the Assumption, gives us a glimpse of our own future of hope, her continued presence in the world today also shows us that we too can expect wonderful things from God when the time comes for us to join Mary in Heaven.