Word to the Wise
Tuesday, December 22, 2015 -
[1 Samuel 1:24-28 and Luke 1:46-56]"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." [Luke]
In telling the story of Jesus' origins, and more particularly the scene of "the Visitation," the evangelist Luke reaches back into the Old Testament to the story of the birth of Samuel, the great Old Testament prophet. His mother, Hannah, sings a canticle which Luke seems to have borrowed from in composing Mary's canticle, which we know as "The Magnificat." I have included the citation for Hannah above." In both cases, a woman who became unexpectedly pregnant sings of her amazement and her praise of God in words that sum up God's plan of salvation for all humankind.
Although Hannah and her canticle don't get a lot of attention, Mary and her version surely fulfill the words, "From this day all generations will call me blessed." That is true, but it was a truth that brought with it much pain and suffering, as the prophet Simeon would predict later on in the temple. "Blessedness" comes at a price!
In contemplating the nativity scene, Mary appears like the carol "Silent Night" portrays her, but we should remember that "putting skin on Jesus" meant giving her own life to and for him. By our baptism, we are called to do the same and to make the birth of Jesus a reality with souls that proclaim the greatness of the Lord. AMEN
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