22 December 2020
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent
“My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.”
Today’s Gospel is Mary’s Magnificat, the Latin title of the first words of her song of Joy and praise in response to God’s invitation to be the mother of Jesus. Mary teaches us three things about Joy in her great canticle today.
The first aspect of Joy that Mary teaches us is that her Joy is a mirror of God’s joy and glory, and thus is a gift and fruit of a relationship with the Lord: “my soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.” Christian Joy is a fruit of charity and is a gift of the Spirit. It is a mark and reflection of God’s joy and flows from Mary’s heart that ponders and contemplates God as we hear so much about in the Scriptures.
The second lesson Mary teaches us is that her joy is the fruit of love and gratitude for who God is and what God does in her life. “My spirit rejoices in God my savior…he has done great things for me…holy is his name…he has remembered his promise of mercy.” Her joy is tied to a recognition that her God is her savior who is both holy and faithful. She is joyful at God’s fidelity which manifests in surprising ways in her life and the life of her people as an act of mercy, love, and salvation.
The final thing Mary’s canticle teaches us about Joy is that while Joy is always personal, it is never private nor individualistic. Christian joy is always fused with a communal aspect. “He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation… He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered…the promise he made to our fathers to Abraham and his children forever.” Mary’s Joy is joined with all those whom God has mercy upon and is rooted in God’s ancient promise now coming to fulfillment. Mary’s joy is tied to and increased by the joy of the family of God.
Let us reflect today upon these characteristics of joy that Mary’s song reveals and let us pray that our souls might grow in magnifying this divine Joy at the gift of so good a God, who is our savior, and who gifts his salvation and joy not to us alone but to his entire family.