Love's Power Magnified in Mary

 The theme for Advent this week is Love. I have been struck in my life by the power of love, especially the power of a mother’s love. I saw it in my grandmother who with only a grade school education, who never was able to drive a car, but was a mere bus girl in a restaurant, yet managed to support her children.


One of the greatest examples of love in the Bible that we celebrate this Christmas season is that of Mary, the mother of Jesus. In her Magnificat she talks about how her soul magnifies the Lord. Magnify here means to enlarge, like that of a magnifying glass. Mary in her acceptance of God’s call magnifies what true love of God looks like. She definitely has the fruit of the spirit of humility when she talks about having God’s favor bestowed on her “lowly spirit.”


She also resembles the qualities of love spoken of in I Corinthians 13. Contrasted to love in this passage are the proud and arrogant, who Mary says in her Magnificat will be scattered. The powerful will be brought low while the lowly will be lifted up. The hungry are filled while the rich turn away empty.


Mary is considered low in society’s status  - a poor Jewish girl, but she is rich in being filled with the love of God and in her faith that God can and will do what God says. She rejoices that God will help Israel as promised. The trait of love bearing all things will be experienced by Mary, who like Hannah who lost her son to the priesthood, will lose her son to his earthly mission. She will endure all things from those who judge her for being pregnant before marriage, to watching her son be crucified.


As it says in I Corinthians 13, “Love never fails,” and this enlarged heart of love shown in Mary fulfills God’s plan for her bringing us the baby Jesus - the Savior of the world. What more can be said of a mother’s love.

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