A Magnificat kind of Christmas, which understands Christmas as about God\u2019s acts to redeem through the incarnation, is also about the poor. Here are the words of the Magnificat, and I\u2019d like you to observe words connected to poverty and the ending of the injustice of poverty: A Magnificat kind of Christmas, which understands Christmas as about God\u2019s acts to redeem through the incarnation, is also about the poor. Here are the words of the Magnificat, and I\u2019d like you to observe words connected to poverty and the ending of the injustice of poverty:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":197,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1749,1708],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1953","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-advent","category-mary"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n46<\/span>And Mary said:
\n\u201cMy soul glorifies the Lord
\n47<\/span>and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
\n48<\/span>for he has been mindful
\nof the humble state<\/strong> of his servant.
\nFrom now on all generations will call me blessed,
\n49<\/span>for the Mighty One has done great things for me\u2014
\nholy is his name.
\n50<\/span>His mercy extends to those who fear him<\/strong>,
\nfrom generation to generation.
\n51<\/span>He has performed mighty deeds<\/strong> with his arm;
\nhe has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
\n52<\/span>He has brought down rulers from their thrones
\nbut has lifted up the humble.<\/strong>
\n53<\/span>He has filled the hungry with good things
\nbut has sent the rich away empty.<\/strong>
\n54<\/span>He has helped his servant Israel,
\nremembering to be merciful
\n55<\/span>to Abraham and his descendants forever,
\neven as he said to our fathers.\u201d
\nI suspect that Mary understood the conception of the Messiah in her womb as the first act of God to establish justice through her son \u2014 he would scatter the proud and bring down rulers and send the rich away empty and he would also lift the humble and fill the hungry with good things.
\nAnd it seems obvious to me that Mary thinks this kind of thing \u2014 the disestablishment of unjust powers and the establishment of just powers \u2014 is how God is being faithful to the Abrahamic promises. I\u2019m not sure Genesis 12 etc connects the covenant promises with justice, but by the time of Mary God\u2019s faithfulness to that covenant \u2014 God being their God and they being God\u2019s people \u2014 meant protection from unjust rulers.
\nThis was especially true for the poor. Above all, they experienced the rough side of Herod\u2019s (and Caesar\u2019s) tongue and and the sharp side of their swords.
\nMary\u2019s friends undoubtedly lifted a toast when Mary sang this song. \u201cIt\u2019s about time!,\u201d they all said when their jugs hit the table.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"