In Sacred Scripture Mary speaks seven
times. Can you name them? The most extended
set of words that we have from Mary is her “Magnificat”. This word “”Magnificat” comes from Latin and
means, “Magnify”. To accentuate, to make big. Remember, using a “magnify glass”
to magnify the size of the small letters on the page. Mary’s greatest desire was to magnify the
Lord in all her words, prayers, actions, silence, sufferings--- in a word with
all of her being!
Mary’s “Magnificat” can be found in
Lk. 1: 46-56, in the contest of Mary’s “Visitation” to her cousin St.
Elizabeth.
This beautiful hymn/canticle of
praise that explodes from the most pure and Immaculate Heart of Mary, can serve
as a model for us in our own personal prayer-lives and teach us to truly praise
God with our whole being!
Below are some simple but hopefully
helpful reflections on Mary’s Magnficat!
1.
Mary’s soul proclaims the greatness
of the Lord. Mary desired to live out
Principle and Foundation which is precisely this—the call to praise God. The highest form of prayer is that of praise.
The highest choirs of angels have been doing this, are doing this and will be
doing this--- praising the Trinity in heaven.
May Mary inspire us to praise the Lord.
2.
JOY IN GOD! Mary rejoices in God! True, authentic, joy can only be found in
God! All of humanity honestly desires joy, but many experience sadness because
they are pursuing joy in a false, illusory god, an idol, a mere mirage. The devil can easily present counterfeit
happiness! Mary rejoices in God and so should we!
3.
HUMILITY. God has looked upon the lowliness(humility)
of his handmaid. The Catechism of the
Catholic Church underlines the fact that pride damages prayer. Mary’s humility was her greatness in the eyes
of God. A humble person recognizes that
all the good he can do comes from God and all the evil is his own doing. May Mary attain for us a humble heart!
4.
CALL ME BLESSED! True!
Every time we pray the Hail Mary we are calling Mary the “Blessed
one”. “Blessed are you among women… and
blessed is the fruit of your womb JESUS!
Pray the DIVINE PRAISES, to glorify and praise God as well as Mary, the
Mother of God
5.
HOLY IS HIS NAME. Mary lives out the 2nd
Commandment—to keep the Lord’s name holy. In reparation for the many who
profane the name of the Lord, with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, let us praise
the HOLY NAME OF THE LORD. (Pray the
Divine Praises).
6.
MERCY. The greatest attribute of Jesus is praised by
Mary: HIS MERCY! Both Blessed John Paul
II and Saint Faustina Kowalska praise
the MERCY of God as His greatest attribute.
But mercy is related to one of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: FEAR OF THE
LORD. “Fear of the Lord is the
beginning of Wisdom.”
7.
God casts down the proud and the
arrogant. In the Parable of the Pharisee
and the Publican, the proud Pharisee was rejected by Jesus, whereas the humble
and contrite Publican was exalted. At all times we should be examining our
consciences and our lives to prevent the insidious dust of pride from souring and contaminating our spiritual
lives. Mary our Lady intercede for us!
8.
God feeds the hungry, especially those who hunger
for the Word of God and hunger for the Bread of life. Our Lady of Guadalupe,
Our Lady of Fatima, and Our Lady of Lourdes asked for a church to be built.
Why? So that Jesus might heal us there through the Sacramento of Reconciliation,
but also to feed us in Mass through the reception of Holy Communion, the “bread
of Life”. Mary teaches us to live out
the Beatitude: “Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for holiness, they will be filled.” (Mt.5: 6). May Our Lady
of the Eucharist, help us to hunger for what really matters: prayer, holiness,
the Eucharist, (The Bread of Life) and our heavenly home!
9.
God helps Israel his servant! True followers of Jesus must be true
servants. Jesus said with great clarity: “The Son of man has not come to be served,
but to serve and to give His life in ransom for many.” At the Last Supper,
Jesus modeled the role of servant as he poured water on the feet of His
disciples and told them to love. The
greatest commandment is to love one another as I have loved you!
10. Abraham. Is the Father of faith. Mary is the woman of
faith. Even as Mary stood beneath the cross of her suffering, and dying Son,
her faith never wavered. Mary teaches us
to be thankful for the faith we have received freely as a gift, but to
cultivate the faith, but also to grow in our faith. One of the most efficacious ways to grow in
our faith is to share our faith with others.
The mystery of the Visitation, teaches us through Mary’s example that
our faith must be shared by word and by example of active charity!
In sum, the Magnificat of Mary is a
model prayer for all of us. St. Louis de Montfort also suggests that this
prayer can serve as an excellent means to give thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ
after receiving Him in Holy Communion!
What better way to praise the Eucharistic Lord than through the
Immaculate Heart of Mary!
