A reading of the holy Gospel according to Lk 1:46-56
Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. for he has looked upon 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, 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 for ever.”Mary remained with Elizabeth about three monthsand then returned to her home.
REFLECTION
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior."
Praising God always brings joy.
Mother Mary is a beautiful role model. She is full of joy upon greeting Elizabeth. And every evening, at Vespers in the Liturgy of the Hours, we recount her love, her purity and graciousness in thanking and blessing God. She is to be the Mother of God and through her humility she continues to show us the best way to His heart.
Many times we wait to hear from God before we give thanks and praise. We wait for the answer to our prayer, and if not yet received, we persevere in our prayer life. But do we thank and praise Him even if our prayers are not answered? Do we proclaim His goodness and His greatness even when we are carrying a heavy cross? The answer should be a resounding " yes", every day, every circumstance, no matter what.
God alone is worthy of praise because He is God. Praising Him in good times and in bad will lead to joy. Rejoice and love while serving God in spite of our circumstances. And one day we will discover the sweetest and deepest cause of joy: God Himself. He bends an ear toward us to better hear us. Whisper in His ear how much you love Him and thank Him for all He has done for you.
Our Mother Mary will show us how to make the Magnificat ours as well. We merely have to ask her.
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