2000 years of patriarchy have undoubtedly diminished the powerful words of the two women in our readings. Today we will centre one, a voice that comes to us in the form of a song.
“Magnificat anima mea Dominum.”
It sure sounds better in Latin. Mary’s Song, or the Magnificat as it is traditionally known, is the poetic reflection penned in Luke 1:46-55. In it, Mary provides a vision—the world will be transformed by and through the coming Messiah. Read the passage again and note the features.
The Lord will show mercy to everyone who honours him as God. He will scatter the arrogant and proud. He will pull the powerful down and lift the lowly. He feeds the hungry and will send the rich away empty. Mary is foretelling Jesus by outlining the way of Jesus before he arrives. This isn’t the first time either. Her words are echoed throughout Scripture. Prophets continuously demand a return to God’s best picture for our world. A kingdom that Jesus invites us to share and fulfill. What does this kingdom look like? The last shall be first. The hungry will be fed. The rich will be turned away. Justice will be realized, and the oppressor trampled. The opposite of how our culture and world looks in many ways.
The lingering impact of Mary’s words puts the church on notice, snapping our attention back towards the things that truly make us church. For many, this will require a re-imagination of sorts. Curiously, now is as good of a time as ever to make a change.
Read the rest of this post here: https://www.rohadi.com/2020/faith-you/advent-voices-of-the-marginalized/