Advent IV

46 And Mary^* said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷ and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
⁴⁸for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
⁵⁰His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
⁵¹He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
⁵²He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
⁵³he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
⁵⁵according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

I tend to think more of Mary during this time of the year. Reading this passage, I am reminded that she wasn’t just a mousy teenager meekly carrying out her role in history. Beyond her initial response, we see a young woman with vision. She has gone beyond the point of “Let it be to me according to your word” and embraced God’s promise. (If you read it right, she’s making a political statement. Don’t believe me? What would you call bringing down the powerful from their thrones?) She couldn’t really be a mousy teenager and do this anyway. She was taking God at his word and trusting him with her life. Anyone with any sense would have said no. Thank God she didn’t.