Gratitude Reflection Day 17

We are approaching the final days of Advent, a time when we reflect on Mary, the mother of Jesus. In her book, Meditations on Mary, Kathleen Norris reflects on the story. Mary, pregnant with the Messiah, has gone to visit her cousin Elizabeth who is about to give birth to John the Baptist. Elizabeth recognizes that Mary bears the Messiah, and greets her as so. Mary responds to Elizabeth with this

The Magnificat, The Song of Mary: Luke 1:46-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
he has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
he has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel,

Norris' reflection reminds us that Mary offers up this song of praise to God who has blessed two insignificant women in an insignificant region of ancient Judea and in so doing has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly, has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. She says, "I later learned that these words echo the song of Hannah in First Samuel, as well as the anguish of the prophets. They are a poetic rendering of a theme that pervades the entire biblical narrative - when God comes into our midst, it is to upset the status quo."

"The Magnificat's message is so subversive that for a period of time during the 1980's the government of Guatemala banned its public recitation...But when I came to its words knowing so little about them, I found that all too often they were words I could sing with ease at evening prayer, with a facile (and sometimes sleepy) acceptance. On other nights, however, they were a mother's words, probing uncomfortably into my life. How rich had I been that day, how full of myself? Too full to recognize need and hunger, my own or anyone else's? So powerfully providing for myself that I couldn't admit my need for the help of others? Too busy to know a blessing with it came to me?"

Today let us take some time to recognize the blessing of our lives. To see the places we are too full, places we can empty ourselves a little and make room for others - for God, for family, for friends, for strangers in need. Let us give thanks to the God who loves us deeply just for being who we are.