Gospel – Luke 1:46-56
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb.
And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’
And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
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 powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
And Mary remained with her for about three months and then returned to her home.
The Gospel of the Lord
The Mass intention is for Thomas Martin RIP
Reflection:
Today’s Gospel is a continuation of yesterday’s reading. In the opening words of his Gospel Saint Luke tells us, Mary proclaims the goodness and greatness of God. Despite the highly unusual circumstances of her call to be the mother of Jesus, Mary rejoices and proclaims that God has looked upon her with great favour. She is not overwhelmed by fear or panic.
Is this how you or I would react?
Mary’s immediate and heartfelt response to God’s call makes it clear that Mary had a deep, personal relationship with God. She must have been somewhat confused by this call, yet Mary trusted the God who called her. Mary believed that God would guide her and grace her. While Mary was very young when God called her, she had a depth of faith and trust in God that many people never develop. What a wonderful gift!
- Have you ever written your own Magnificat? If not, give it a go?
