“And Mary said: ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For he has regarded the humility of his maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For he who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is his name…’” (Lk 1: 46-49)
As those of us on the Older Calendar prepare to celebrate the great feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos tomorrow, I am thinking about the “Song of Mary.” It’s an outpouring of gratitude from the depths of a young woman’s soul, even though her life had just become extra-“complicated.” Having received news of the most problematic kind, – of an unexpected pregnancy, – the Holy Virgin ducks under the wave of humility and praises the “great things” of God.
Maybe I also can try to duck under the wave of humility, in gratitude for God’s greatness, when I’m confronted with unexpected change. When people and situations are not going my way, or the way I somehow envisioned or expected, let me get extra-mindful of God’s loving, abiding Presence in my life. I mustn’t get crippled by ingratitude or fear or resentment, all of which tend to cut me off from God and others, blocking me from growing as God intends me to grow, sometimes amidst new circumstances. So let me re-embrace faith today, in gratitude and humility, particularly if I’m confronted with unexpected change. “For he who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is his name.”!
