Strolling Through the Magnificat with Mary

Aug 14, 2021 filed under Gratitude, Humility.

Assumption of Mary

Today we’re celebrating the Solemnity of the Assumption — celebrating the unique glory the Blessed Mother enjoys by having been drawn up to heaven in her glorified body at the end of her earthly life.

Her unique life began with her Immaculate Conception, being conceived in her mother’s womb freed from original sin by Jesus’ blood ahead of time (because God is outside of time, he can do things like that!).

She sealed her commitment to live only on the will of God at the Annunciation with her “yes” to be the mother of Jesus, the Word made flesh.

Going with haste
You remember what she did right after that. Newly pregnant (with the Messiah — the Son of God!), she made a beeline to help her cousin Elizabeth. On Elizabeth’s greeting, Mary poured forth from her immaculate heart the ultimate song of gratitude, humility, and praise — the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).

This prayer-of-prayers of Mary is marvelous beyond words.

Oops
But, too often, I pray the Magnificat during Evening Prayer and finish it…only to realize that I wasn’t paying attention! Did something important pull my mind away? No, just the usual stuff—replaying conversations in my head or planning dinner.

But “God has looked on the poverty of his handmaid” and gave me a meditation on Mary’s Canticle. What a gift! And I want to share his gift with you. Let’s go on a walk together with Mary. :)

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My soul magnifies the Lord. My soul is not made to fully understand or ignore God. I am created to magnify God, who is love. That doesn’t mean I make him any larger. But if I proclaim him with my attitude and my choices, he appears larger than before to those around me. If the lens of my soul focuses on God, others can see his glory shining through me.

My spirit rejoices in God, my savior. Because I am aware of my sinfulness, I am aware of my nothingness outside of him. Everything outside of him is disaster and confusion. With him and him alone is a future with hope, which causes me to rejoice because he has saved me from hell, where my sins would have brought me without his loving intervention.

For he has looked with favor on his lowly handmaiden. There is nothing favorable in me to look at. He looks at me kindly because he is love. When he looks at me, he sees his Son in whose image I was made, and then he is able to shower me with more favor than I can even imagine.

Behold all generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name. All generations call Mary blessed because the Lord has accomplished in her his preeminent miracle in a creature, saving her from sin by the merits of his death and resurrection ahead of time. And inviting her to be his own mother!

He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. If we accept him as sovereign and strive to be his people, we are living in the truth. If we honor him, we are seeing him as he is—mercy itself—which opens our hearts to receive his mercy and shower it on everyone we meet.

He has shown the strength of his arm. He has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has scattered the proud in confusion because their hearts did not honor him. When I feel confused and overwhelmed, I know that I’ve partly refused the mercy that he desires to pour into me for my happiness.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up the lowly. He has cast down those who were mighty by the standards of Satan, prince of this world. He has lifted up to himself those who boast of no earthly power, who seem as nothing to worldly eyes.

He has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent empty away. Those who are hungry for his mercy, for heavenly food, for the Eucharistic Jesus—those who yearn for union with God, who yearn for heaven, who are hungry for what is eternal—will be filled with the Eternal God. But those who crave only temporal things that are passing away, they will be hungry again and again, never to be satisfied, always to be disappointed.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel, for he has remembered his promise of mercy. His Covenant is forever, regardless of our faithlessness. He has remembered our weakness and, like the “prodigal father,” takes us back the moment we look toward him.

The promise he made to our father Abraham and to his children forever. He will never forsake those who seek him, says Psalm 9A:11. He asks only that we seek him. Let us, with Mary, strive to empty ourselves so that God can fill us with his very self.

Love always,
Rose

19 Responses to “Strolling Through the Magnificat with Mary”

  1. Irma Garza-Anderson

    How beautiful 🥰 thank you and God bless you🙏🏼🙏🏼

  2. Agueda Williams

    Thank you for this manner of expanding the Magnificat to include me and aid me on my journey to Him.

  3. Marleen Lardieri

    Thank you for this beautiful and powerful piece…just what I needed to hear at this very moment in my life! God bless you Rose!
    Marleen

  6. JanetMarie

    Thank you for sharing this powerful teaching and for daily reminder. Mama Mary wraps us in her Mantle of Healing Love every moment of the day. Love you.🙏🏻🙏🏻🕊❤️❤️

  7. Sabine Paul

    Thank you for this insightful reflection on the Magnificat.

  8. Sal

    Rose,

    What a wonderful and splendid reflection to celebrate the Assumption of our Blessed Virgin Mary!! I recall once I learned of the Divine Mercy Chaplet I found myself drawn to this prayer. I quickly memorized it. For most of my entire life I never prayed the holy Rosary. I learned to pray it as well and to this does for years I pray both of them everyday. The Rosary through meditation of the mysteries helped me remain calm as I prepared to make the long distance move from MD to FL. I also pray the Angelus at least twice a day but am striving to pray it three times at the 6am, noon, & 6pm to celebrate the Incarnation—God becoming flesh!

  10. Leah

    Rose thank you so much what a wonderful reflection it is! I love the prayer. This adds so much to it for me.
    God Bless and thanks soo very much.

    Prayers
    Leah

  11. MARYALICE Ruiz

    Rose, Thank you for all the these words and also all others in the past. I am so blessed every time I read them. God Bless You Always. MaryAlice Ruiz

  12. Diane Upham

    So thankful 🙏 for your immense spiritual knowledge and powerful ability to set the stage for our deliverance from our personal sin.
    God has blessed you more than you know.
    Much love, Diane

  13. Etoile de France Hawkins

    Thank you Rose for letting God use you to give a spiritual message at a much needed tme in my life. God bless always.