Canticle 15 – The Song of Mary Magnificat – Luke 1:46-55
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on 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, *
he 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 has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children forever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Advent Message
In the Gospel reading, a pregnant Mary goes to visit her relative Elizabeth who is also pregnant. A bond of great love and affection is displayed between the two (2) women who take the center stage in this important role of salvation. It is a meeting and greeting which ends in the beautiful song of praise from Mary known as the Magnificat.
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on 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…”
Love was the focus of God’s plan of Salvation. Ephesians 1:3-5 states, ‘… For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will…’
God’s plan for salvation was inclusive, no cultural ostracism. Elizabeth becoming pregnant in her old age, said ‘The Lord has done this for me…In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people’, and Mary an unmarried pregnant woman, ‘…for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant’. It was God’s love at work even among those whom society rejected and excluded.
- It was out of love for mankind, that God did what for man is impossible or inconceivable – the mystery of the Incarnation.
- It was out of love, faith and obedience to God that Joseph did not consider Mary’s pregnancy a betrayal
- It was out of her love for, and her faith and obedience to God, that led Mary to say, ‘let it be according to your will’.
- It was joyful love that led to Elizabeth’s prophesy – not jealousy – that Mary’s son would be the Saviour of the world.
It was a love that knew no bounds when God gave His unmatchable gift of love. As recorded in John 3: 16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”.
Let us pray:
Lord, we thank you for the gift of love so freely given. We thank you for the hope, peace, joy, and love given for our salvation. We pray that like Mary we will be open to your plan of salvation, by responding in humble obedience to your bidding.
Amen.
Advent 4 Collect
Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Message Contributed by Sister Claudette Marshall
Psalm & Collect read by Tracy Ann Mahoney of Crofts Hill All Saints Anglican -Clarendon