MARY, OUR MOTHER

Meditation 34

THE MAGNIFICAT

1. Because He has Looked Graciously upon the Lowliness of His Handmaid.

How marvelous and practical is the lesson of humility which Our Lady thus gives us. She has just been greeted by the Angel on behalf of God. she has just been raised to the dignity of God's Mother. she has just been blessed among all women by St. Elizabeth, and yet She pledges to lower Herself in the depths of humility, stating that She is just a mere handmaid of the Lord.

Thereby She tells us that whatever can be found in Her is God's gift, since everything in Her comes from that God Who has looked upon Her. And "to look upon," in Biblical language, means "to watch with satisfaction," "to look with good eyes," "to be pleased with and to love." So everything for Her springs from that look of love which God bestowed upon Her, otherwise She would be merely one of so many daughters of Eve.

Think deeply over all these words; imbibe this truth, because if it is correct when applied to Mary, it is much more so when applied to you. What are you, indeed, and, above all, what are you in the presence of God? In whatever you have, what is yours and what is God's? Were God to demand back all that He has given you and that belongs to Him in the order of nature and of grace, of earthly and spiritual things, of internal and external gifts, what would be left you? One thing, and one thing only; sin. That is exclusively yours. The rest is God's. Cannot you, therefore, say, that God has looked also upon you with good eyes and has therefore filled you with good things and has given you all that you possess?

Learn then that much more rightly than Our Blessed Lady, you must not only know but practice humility, since this is the only just and rational attitude that you can take.

Consider also how Our Lady shows us that the foundation of all the heavenly blessings and graces of God lies precisely in humility. That is why Mary says that She praises God and rejoices in Her Savior because He has looked graciously upon the lowliness of His handmaid.

If you do so, far from praising yourself for any virtue or achievement, as did the Pharisee of the Gospel who claimed so many merits for all his works in front of God, you will, on the contrary, at every instant acknowledge that it is the bounty and mercy of God which tries to raise you from dust and misery to the height of sanctity. In proportion to your lowering yourself by an acknowledgement of your misery and by a hidden life of humility God will lift you up.

[Excerpted from 'MARIAN MEDITATIONS' Book by Rev. Dr. Ildefonso R. Villar, Salesian Philippine Province, Nihil Obstat; Imprimatur]