The Magnificat
WRITTEN BY DREW MATZ
How Mary teaches us to Pray
Advent is a perfect time for prayer as we spend our days in anticipation and repentance as we await the Church’s celebration of the coming of our Lord. Many of us want modify our devotional life during this period in the church year but are unsure how or what to pray. Fortunately, there is a certain prayer of the Virgin Mary that can assist us in our advent devotions and help us to understand the deep spiritual richness of Advent and the many blessings it can provide in our lives.
The Annunciation
Luke tells us that in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent to Nazareth to a betrothed virgin named Mary. Gabriel approached Mary and told her that she would bear a great son and that he would be named Jesus (1:31). Perplexed, Mary asked how this was possible as she had never known a man (1:34). Gabriel comforts Mary by telling her that the child will be conceived by the Holy Spirit (1:35).
Mary Visits Elizabeth
Immediately, Mary leaves to visit her cousin Elizabeth in the hill country of Judah. Elizabeth is enthralled by Mary’s story, for she too is pregnant with a man named John whom we know today as John the Baptist. Elizabeth knew that something incredible had happened. As soon as Mary approached, the baby John leapt for joy in Elizabeth’s womb.
Mary’s Prayer
Upon hearing Elizabeth’s testament of faith, Mary bursts into a song known as the Magnificat. This song is still sung in many churches to this day and contains many themes that are wonderful devotions for the advent season. A closer look at her prayer can help us:
And Mary said,
My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
Mary’s spirit was filled with awe and wonder. She tells us that her soul magnifies or amplifies the Lord. She acknowledges her favor before God as an act of grace in calling God her savior and by describing herself as his humble servant. It is this unmerited favor that has filled her soul with gladness.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
In keeping with the advent theme of looking both forward and back, Mary does so by noting that all future generations will call her blessed. This is not because of anything in herself, but because of God’s loving favor that he has bestowed upon her. She also looks back on her own life, acknowledging the great things God has done for her, and continues to do.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
Mary tells us that God is merciful to those who fear and respect him. Because God does not change, this mercy extends from generation to generation. His mercy is truly without end. We also see that Mary is already beginning to channel Jesus’ kingdom ethic. For Mary, God has brought down those who are in high places and as exalted those who are low. As Jesus teaches us, those who are least will be first in his kingdom (Matthew 20:16). All the Earth’s kings are being dethroned. Herod, Caesar, even Satan himself must abdicate the throne. David’s true heir has arrived to reign forever.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.
Just as was promised to Adam, and then Abraham, the world is being blessed through the seed of the woman. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has entered into our world. Mary has clung to these promises of God and is now a participant in their unfolding. She has become a vessel through whom God is to bless Israel and all nations.
Advent Blessings
Mary’s song of prayer testifies to the radical faithfulness of God. We might say that she sang the Church’s first advent hymn. She is constantly recalling his promises and his love for his people. She acknowledges her present place as a grace-filled participant in God’s redemptive plan, and she looks forward to the day where creation is filled with the radiance and glory of God. While we cannot claim Mary’s unique experience as our own, we can look to her prayer as a guide for our own.