22nd of December

Gospel text

(Lk 1,46-56): 

Mary said: «My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God my savior! He has looked upon his servant in her lowliness, and people forever will call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, Holy is his Name! From age to age his mercy extends to those who live in his presence. He has acted with power and done wonders, and scattered the proud with their plans. He has put down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up those who are downtrodden. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He held out his hand to Israel, his servant, for he remembered his mercy, even as he promised our fathers, Abraham and his descendants forever».

Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned home.

The Application

It is no longer a young girl who speaks, not even the mother of God, as Elizabeth praised, but humanity that gives glory to God for his wonders. Mary represents that humanity saved by the Lord, a humanity that has listened to the Word of God and has put that Word into practice. Thus by her deeds and words she glorifies, Almighty God. This is exactly the Kingdom that God wishes to establish on this earth and Mary has already started to cooperate with her would be born Holy Child.

Through this glorification (magnificat), Mary participates in the history of salvation, both actively and passively, becoming herself a history of great value that the world will recall and remember for all eternity. Bringing back to life a history, a history filled with hope, she will lead our humanity, in her humanity, towards her son, the divinity, which God desires for us all. We be one as He Himself with the Father.

She reveals to us, through her recognition of the divine presence throughout the history of salvation, the God of love and mercy who was at the same time a God of justice. She tells us that He will always be the same, even today. This God is a God of covenant, a God who fulfills his promises, a God who walks with us and in us.  To better live our humanity, we must know how to imitate Mary's humanity, how to glorify God all the time.

Action of the day : Remember the salvation history, which is your own history.

Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers:

Mary preaches the new kingdom,

by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD)

"[Mary] revealed to Elizabeth what the angel spoke to her in secret, and that he called her blessed because she believed in the realization of the prophecy and the teaching that she heard (Luke 146-55). Then Mary gently brought forth the fruit of what she heard from the angel and Elizabeth: 'My soul bless the Lord.' Elizabeth had said, 'Blessed is she who has believed,' and Mary replied, 'From henceforth all generations will call me blessed.' It was then that Mary began to preach the new kingdom. 'She returned home after three months,' so that the Lord whom she was carrying would not begin service before his servant. She returned to her husband to clarify the matter, for if she had become pregnant through human fruit, it would have been appropriate for her to flee from her husband." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 1.28)