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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.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he 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 has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
As we speed toward Christmas with all of its extraneous social demands, we do well to take a little time to observe Advent first. In Advent, we set time to remember both Jesus’ coming among us at the first Christmas, as well as to watch for his coming among us again to fulfill his Kingdom. In a way, Advent can be considered a time to bring Christ’s kingdom alive in ourselves as we await his return. It’s a sort of annual retreat for us to remember the lessons of Christ’s first coming, that we should love our God and our neighbor. The rest, as one Rabbi once opined, is commentary.
If that is so, then my favorite commentary on it is the Magnificat, the Song of Mary that is both prophetic and grateful. It’s her response to her cousin Elizabeth when they meet in joy over both of their improbable pregnancies: Mary with Our Lord and Elizabeth with John the Baptist.
Our forum series for the next three weeks, at 9am between Sunday services, will be a retreat considering the Magnificat and its prophetic call upon our lives. Mary’s song is not the words of “Tender Mary, Meek and Mild” as kitschy Christmas songs depict her, but a forceful prophecy of what the life of Jesus means for the world.
I invite you into a time of meditation for the next three weeks as we consider the words of Our Lady, the Prophet as she prepared to give birth to our Lord and King. Take a moment to consider them and prepare for your love of Jesus to be born anew in your heart, even as we await his return.
I’ll see you there. Have a blessed Advent. May it be the retreat you need.
Pax,
Tim+
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