The world is letting us down this year. Its version of Christmas will far short of expectations. Many families will not gather this year, and those that do will be careful to keep a distance from one another. Only a handful of people will show up at Church, and those who do will have their voices muffled by mandatory masks. We are more likely to see protestors in the streets rather than carolers.
Though the world’s version of Christmas will be disappointing, God’s version will be better than ever. In fact with our attention not diverted by Christmas celebrations, it is easier to turn our eyes to the gift that God has to give us. And, yes, his gift is already wrapped and is on its way.
What is inside the present that God has for you? It is the greatest of all gifts, the one that we need most. What is it? The gift of his mercy. We may recall that mercy is defined as “God’s love as it encounters human suffering.” Isn’t our whole world in the grip of suffering right now? Never has our need for mercy been more acute.
Mary takes the lead today in celebrating God’s mercy by singing for us her “Magnificat” (Luke 1:46-56).
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for he has looked upon his lowly servant…”
Mary was lowly, not in dignity, but in her circumstances. Yes, she was poor, and beyond that she did the unthinkable—became pregnant before marriage. Certainly she had and would experience the rejection of others. It was into her lowly spirit that God poured his richest blessing.
“…the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation.”
God did his greatest work in Mary because she, among all people, feared him most. That means she revered and honored him above all else. And, she reminds us that God’s mercy is not just for her or even the people of Jesus’ time, but extends to every generation. That means ours as well! In our generation God scans the planet looking for those who honor and revere him above all else. That makes everyone of us a candidate for God’s mercy.
“…he has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things.”
The lowly are bent down with grief and the burdens of life. The hungry are those who are lonely and feel unloved. Those let down by this world have the capacity to be filled with God’s mercy. When showered with his mercy, they are lifted up and their hunger for love is filled. Are we ready to admit our lowliness and seek God’s love to fill our hunger?
“He has come to the help of Israel his servant mindful of his promise of mercy…”
Even when the world does not deliver, God always delivers on his promises. Though Israel had a long wait and was desperate in hunger, God showed up with his pitcher full of mercy. For those who accepted Jesus, their hearts were filled to capacity.
What the world cannot do for us this season, God can. Our hearts hunger for his merciful love and that is exactly the gift that he gives us, just as he did with Mary. Let us line up our hearts with Mary’s heart and pray her Magnficat as a way of opening God’s amazing gift for us this year.
“He raises the needy from the dust” (1 Samuel 2:8).
