As we come to the final days of Advent, the readings from today’s Mass guide us in our reflection of Mary and her response to the Lord. When She realized that the Lord had chosen her to be the Mother of God, she knew it would be a difficult road, yet She accepted her role and used her small life as a way to magnify the greatness of the Lord. It is called the Magnificat. It is from the Gospel of Luke 1:46-56.

Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon 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,
and 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
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”

Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.

In order that we should grow in a closer union with our Lord..the God Who made us, we should meditate upon this beautiful prayer…the response of the Blessed Virgin to God. In it she recognizes that she is but ‘a handmaid of the Lord’…a lowly creature put here to proclaim God’s goodness… As Christians, we should remember that God often chooses the weak and the lowly to carry out His plans. We cannot live our lives under a blanket of excuses, shunning our obligations to God simply because we are not rich…or have no worldly power…If we look through the pages of history…we see that God has chosen those without worldly esteem throughout the history of the world…we must accept the fact that He could be choosing us…that He is choosing us…

The Blessed Mother accepted Her role in the history of man’s salvation, even though it was foretold to Her by Simeon that her heart would be pierced…and that She would suffer much pain…. She still filled her heart with nothing but praises for God, and as per Her example, we should strive also to fill our hearts with this same love. We need to understand that God’s love for us is a constant call….it is the quiet that beckons in our souls to do His Will in all things. As we finish up our advent season…and finish our final preparations both physically and spiritually…..for the coming birth of Christ, ask yourself…Are you making room for Him in  your soul? Are you ready to respond to whatever He desires? It is a difficult promise….but one that must be made.

As we pause in the chaos of the world…and meditate upon this prayer, it should help us understand that no matter what befalls us while we are making our journey here on earth…as long as we fill our hearts with praises for the Lord, that we too will be able to maintain our focus…maintain our calm. Our souls will then able to release all that is troubling….the worries and regrets…our fears..and pains…everything will fall into it’s place, as long as we place God first.

We have all heard it said before, so much so that it often sounds so cheesy as it hits our ears, but we must remember…as the Church here upon the earth…we are the Church  Militant… the soldiers for Christ…for the Church. We are in fact the hands and feet of Christ…. And with our yes to the Lord….He empties us….taking our sinfulness from us…and replacing it with what is good…what is pure. With our yes…much like Mary’s … Christ enters in… He breaths in us….when we allow Him His rightful place...we can do all things….because He is our heart…And our lives…however small and lowly, can Magnify the goodness of the Lord.