MARY, OUR MOTHER

Meditation 38

THE MAGNIFICAT

1. He Has Protected His Servant Israel Keeping His Merciful Design in Remembrance.

Here Our Lady recalls the great mercy God showed Israel. They were a people enslaved by the Pharaohs, and God released them from that slavery, led them across the desert, fed them there with manna from Heaven and after having brought them out triumphant from their enemies, installed them in the rich Promised Land. Finally He made them His own possession, His chosen people, and with a touching affection and an admirable providence, looked after them as though they were members of His own family.

Now apply all this, point by point, to all the wonders that God has done to you, and you will see the shadow of reality.

He took you away from the slavery of the devil, who is infinitely worse than the Pharaohs. He constantly shelters you in the desert of this life, He feeds you on the truly divine Manna of His Body and Blood. He lovingly leads you by His hand to the promised land of Heaven.

Nay, there is still something more: to Israel He granted the title of servant and this was indeed a great distinction, since serving God is a privilege. But to you He gives the honor of being His own child. He calls you "brother of Christ," "heir of His throne." What a sublime reality! Do not doubt that although Mary speaks about the mercy of God towards Israel, yet She was also thinking of God's mercy towards you.

Our Lady does not mention how Israel corresponded to the Lord. But you know it well: hardness of heart, mistrust in Him in the Desert, total forgetfulness of God in the delights of the promised land, defection and idolatry, looking for other gods to adore, and finally rejection of the Son of God when He came down to save them, the cruel sentence of death on the Cross for their Redeemer. This is the return made to God by His people.

But is this not, also, perhaps, a figure of your own behavior? Have not you, also, perchance, imitated Israel in this enormous, black ingratitude? Could not God say also of you that from His chosen vineyard He harvested only sour and bitter fruit? On some occasions, at least, it was so. Acknowledge it with humility and shame. But promise that it will never be so again.

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