Luke 1: 46-56
And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
A Rightly Ordered Life
We see in this passage a record of what Mary and her relatives must have shared with Jesus many times throughout his life: how to rightly order a life.
We see, first and foremost, the foundation of prayer in Mary’s life. We see evidence of how she must have frequently pondered the abundance of God’s action in her life and how, as a result, she joyously acknowledged the placement of her Self (her soul and her spirit) within the very greatness of God.
Upon this foundation she, with both humility and power, spoke of God’s persistent and surprising action throughout all time and with all peoples. She noted the fullness of truth - the comforting reassurance of God’s consistent mercy throughout all generations and the unsettling upending of expectations because God always works to center the marginalized and strengthen the vulnerable.
Finally, Mary took action. First she supported Elizabeth during a late-in-life pregnancy and then went home. She was ready for the action of birth… and of raising her son. Clearly he internalized the right ordering of life.
Mary is Jesus’ Mother.
Mary is our Mother as well.
May we learn from her, as Jesus did, how to rightly order our life.
—Laura Gilmartin H. facilitates Urban Plunge immersion retreats through Casa Romero: A Jesuit Renewal Center, serves on the leadership team of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps of Milwaukee, and maintains a private spiritual care practice for monthly spiritual direction as well as the accompaniment of people through The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. She completed her formation to serve in this capacity through the Seminars in Ignatian Formation with the Midwest Province.
Prayer
Mother Mary, in your mercy, pray for us.
—Lyrics to “Mother Mary, Pray for Us” by Sarah Hart
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