MARY, OUR MOTHER

Meditation 37

THE MAGNIFICAT

1. He Has Put Down the Mighty from their Seat and Exalted the Lowly.

Just as in the previous verse Our Lady states how God behaves with the proud of mind and heart, so in like manner She now tells us how that pride is manifested by way of vanity, haughtiness, craving for power, ambition, reluctance to obey. This is why obedience is the inseparable sister of humility. Both agree in this spirit of submission and simplicity, which is so pleasing to God. How many of these mighty ones were there on earth! Through an inspiration from Heaven Our Lady could see them in their places, issuing orders to their kneeling servants and slaves as if they were gods.

But now listen to the forceful expression of Mary: God will put down those mighty men from their seat of vanity . . . and will put them aside with contempt. How unexpected do those hard expressions sound on the sweet and compassionate lips of Mary! But the fact is that we cannot fathom the hatred that God has for pride. God does not deign to glance on the hollow vanities of this earth. When God is looking for a mother, He does not seek Her among the proud of the earth but among the humble. When He is born in Bethlehem He sends His angels to announce the great tidings to simple shepherds. He disregards the proud and mighty. How terrible must be God's contempt, how frightful His punishments which merit the forcible words of Mary.

Examine whether you also have any such worldly spirit no matter in how small a degree. Look at your soul and by your readiness to obey, from the degree of your submission and humility, gauge your abhorrence for pride and vanity. Thus you will see if you deserve, or not, the great reward that Mary announces for the humble. For them exaltation, glorification, a lofty throne in Heaven. Check and compare these two expressions of Mary: the one threatening with the punishment of contempt the proud ones of earth, the other, glorification for the humble and simple.

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