Luke 1:46–55
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm,
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts,
he has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent empty away.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his posterity for ever.”
The Holy Spirit gave us this wonderful hymn of praise through the words of the one who bore the Savior of humanity. Mary sang it when she visited her cousin Elizabeth, who received her with great love and respect, as we reflected on yesterday.
Could there be a more beautiful response to Elizabeth’s words than the Magnificat? “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord” (Luke 1:45). Certainly not!
Elizabeth’s joy and jubilation at Mary’s arrival culminate in this hymn of praise, in which we can recognize Mary’s complete joy in God and her gratitude for her calling.
Thus, the Magnificat also begins with jubilation over God. The great and holy God has done things beyond comprehension. He has fulfilled His promises and sent the Savior of Israel to all humanity. Mary, who calls herself the “handmaid of the Lord” (Luke 1:38), has been chosen for this purpose.
What remains is the wonder of Mary, the angels, and the saints. What remains is the wonder of the faithful at the path God has chosen. No one could have imagined that the Holy One Himself would come to earth, become human, and seek out a human mother. Yet that is how it was! And the Virgin Mary foretells that the faithful will call her blessed.
And so it came to pass! Her praise resounds throughout the whole world, and how deeply she is loved by her countless children! When one utters the name of the Mother of God with reverence and love, a knowing smile lights up the faces of her devotees. She is the mother of Jesus and the Mother of all who follow the Lord.
The Mighty One has done great things for her. His name is holy and is to be hallowed throughout the world. It is precisely the gracious events in her life that allow the tender love of the heavenly Father for His creatures to shine forth brightly and invite people to join in Mary’s joy. God’s mercy has been revealed. It has never ceased, but remains like a sun of hope over human life, even when that life seems lost. It is precisely the coming of Jesus that makes this mercy visible.
Now the Virgin’s song of praise points to the Lord’s mighty deeds. A holy hierarchy becomes visible. God does not accept the proud or the self‑willed. This applies both to fallen angels and to people whose hearts are full of pride. They obscure God’s glory and seek to establish their own kingdom. They cannot stand before God. All people are called to repentance. Great is the one who loves. Great is the one who serves. Great is the one who imitates the Son of God, who knew how to humble Himself as God Himself did, as the Son of God Himself teaches us (cf. Mt 20:26).
But the humble will be exalted. God has special mercy on the disadvantaged to reveal His fatherly goodness to them. He bestows His gifts upon the hungry. This also refers to those who hunger for the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 5:6). However, the Lord does not bless the rich who do not share with or support those in need, and they cannot receive the fullness of His grace. They are blinded by their wealth, which imprisons them as if in a jail. They may be self‑sufficient, and thus, in God’s eyes, they are in danger of missing the hour of grace.
The Mother of God’s hymn of praise concludes with the words of a Jewish woman who has come to know the Lord. She knows that the promise to Israel has been fulfilled in her Son. It is the same God who revealed Himself to the patriarchs. The entire history of Israel’s salvation pointed toward the coming of the Messiah. Now He is here. Now is the hour of salvation (cf. 2 Cor 6:2). The waiting for His coming can cease, and the time to proclaim the Gospel to all nations has arrived. Mary’s Son has come to His people, who are now to carry the message of salvation to the ends of the earth. Sons from among their people will begin this work—and so it has come to pass.
But let us wait and pray that many sons and daughters of Israel may find their way to their Lord and Messiah, for the hour of grace for all humanity is still upon us. This is the deepest desire of the two holy women we encountered in our reflections yesterday and today, as well as the desire of all of us who follow the Son of God. Let us do our part.