Mary’s Magnificat and the Intersection of Faith and Social Justice (Part 1)
Our reading this final weekend of Advent is from the gospel of Luke:
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
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And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.” (Luke 1:39-55)
Few stories in the gospels’ narratives of Jesus’ birth demonstrate the intersection of faith and social justice as much as Mary’s Magnificat does. This story from a patriarchal culture is packed with encouragement for us today in our struggle for justice. The story’s central figure is an unwed girl, as yet. Jesus is born to poor parents on the margins of their society, and the announcement of his birth is delivered to the working class shepherds out in the fields at night. While Jesus is still a child, his parents become migrant refugees escaping the violence of their country by fleeing across the border. For those with the awareness to notice these themes, where liberation and social salvation is emerging in this story is inspiring.
But before any of these events, our reading this week begins with Mary’s magnificat. We’ll begin unpack her magnificat, next.
(Read Part 2)
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