Christmas ViewpointSample

Mary’s Song

'And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors."'

This portion of scripture is called 'Mary’s Song' for these words come from an impassioned heart. In these verses, we get a good picture of the character of this young woman—Mary’s reverence for her Lord as she speaks of her desire to glorify him. We also learn of her genuine humility and her unpretentious, unassuming nature. Her heart’s song is the personification of humility, best described as 'strength under control'. The Almighty endowed her with an unshakeable depth to handle the hurdles ahead of her as the mother to the Son of God. She had no idea of the demands ahead of her…but the God who called her did!

Mary’s call was unique, but we all have a unique call in our lives. Decades following the life of Mary, Paul wrote words that speak to how God equipped her - and all of us - for our unique mission in life – '…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.' (Philippians 1:6)

Whom God calls, he prepares.

Viewpoint Reflection

Mary had no clue what was ahead of her. Can you identify? Think of a task that you felt was beyond your ability and spend some time recalling the hand of God in that task. What have you discovered about yourself? About God?