Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the
Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. The
Lord has exalted me by a gift so great, so unheard of, that language is useless
to describe it, and the depths of love in my heart can scarcely grasp it. I
offer then all the powers of my soul in praise and thanksgiving. As I
contemplate his greatness, which knows no limits, I joyfully surrender my whole
life, my senses, my judgment, for my spirit rejoices in the eternal Godhead of
that Jesus, that Savior, whom I have conceived in this world of time.
The Almighty has done great things for me, and
holy is his name.
Mary looks back to the beginning of her song,
where she said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord. Only that
soul for whom the Lord in his love does great things can proclaim his greatness
with fitting praise and encourage those who share her desire and purpose,
saying: Join with me in proclaiming the greatness of the Lord; let us extol
his name together.
Those who know the Lord, yet refuse to proclaim
his greatness and sanctify his name to the limit of their power, will be
called least in the kingdom of heaven. His name is called holy because in
the sublimity of his unique power he surpasses every creature and is far
removed from all that he had made. He has come to the help of his servant
Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy. In a beautiful phrase
Mary calls Israel the servant of the Lord. The Lord came to his aid to save
him. Israel is an obedient and humble servant, in the words of Hosea: Israel
was a servant, and I loved him.
Those who refuse to be humble cannot be saved.
They cannot say with the prophet: See, God comes to my aid; the Lord is the
helper of my soul. But anyone who makes himself humble like a little
child is greater in the kingdom of heaven.
The promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham
and his children for ever. This does not refer to
the physical descendants of Abraham, but to his spiritual children. These are
his descendants, sprung not from the flesh only, but who, whether circumcised
or not, have followed him in faith. Circumcised as he was, Abraham believed,
and this was credited to him as an act of righteousness.
The coming of the Savior was promised to Abraham
and to his descendants for ever. These are the children of promise, to whom it
is said: If you belong to Christ, then you are descendants of Abraham, heirs
in accordance with the promise.
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