LK 1:46-56
Today’s Gospel is easily recognizable to any perennial mid-day prayer participant. In his Gospel, Luke offers a glimpse into the mind of the virgin mother, as she proclaims her Canticle of Mary. The Canticle of Mary is also known as the Magnificat because Mary’s soul “magnifies the Lord.” To magnify something is to offer a closer look. Mary proclaims her desire to act like a telescope enhancing or magnifying Christ. Under this lens (pardon the pun), the Marianist mantra, “To Jesus, through Mary,” takes on a whole new meaning. As the individual closest to Jesus during His lifetime, Mary offers a portrait on which we base our lives around. By following Mary’s example of openness and trust in God, we too can magnify the Lord through our own happiness and virtue. The first step could be the recognition that, as Mary put it, “the Almighty has done great things for me.” Gratitude is the gateway drug to happiness. Therefore, we must recognize God’s ultimate gift of life as an opportunity to say “yes” to His call as Mary so bravely did before us.