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. (Luke 1:46-56)
We read the Magnificat today – the Song of Mary. It resembles the Song of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-10) that reads:
And Hannah prayed: “My heart exults in the LORD, my horn is exalted by my God. I have swallowed up my enemies; I rejoice in your victory. There is no Holy One like the LORD; there is no Rock like our God.
Speak boastfully no longer. Do not let arrogance issue from your mouths. For an all-knowing God is the LORD, a God who weighs actions. “The bows of the mighty are broken, while the tottering gird on strength. The well-fed hire themselves out for bread, while the hungry no longer have to toil. The barren wife bears seven sons, while the mother of many languishes. “The LORD puts to death and gives life, casts down to Sheol and brings up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich, humbles, and also exalts. He raises the needy from the dust; from the ash heap lifts up the poor, to seat them with nobles and make a glorious throne their heritage. “For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and he has set the world upon them. He guards the footsteps of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall perish in the darkness; for not by strength does one prevail.
The LORD’s foes shall be shattered; the Most High in heaven thunders; the LORD judges the ends of the earth. May he give strength to his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed!”
2 Samuel was written late 7th century B.C. Gospel writers had great source material on which to fashion their story of Mary. Can we honestly say about ourselves and our relationship with God: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior?” Do we appreciate that the “Almighty has done great things for us?” Just look around us.
Have the proud in their conceit been scattered? Have the mighty been cast down from their thrones with the lowly being lifted up? Actually, that’s our job, not God’s. Moreover, we must “raise the needy from the dust; from the ash heap we must lift up the poor.” This is especially so during our Christmas season.
Finally, have we done enough to protect our planet Earth. No! We all must try harder if for no other reason than the “pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and he has set the world upon them.” Like Hercules unchained, we are pulling down those pillars through neglect and misuse and pretending that climate change is a hoax. The joke will be on us and our children and grandchildren if we treat it so. We hope our new Administration through worldwide partnerships will strengthen the pillars before it is too late, if it isn’t already.
Deacon David Pierce
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