Henry James wrote in Ivan Turgenieff, "Life is, in fact, a battle. Evil is insolent and strong; beauty enchanting but rare; goodness very apt to e weak; folly very apt to be defiant; wickedness to carry the day; imbeciles to be in great places; people of sense in small (a comforting thought); and mankind generally unhappy."
That is why the world needs to hear the Gospel in the Magnificat. The soul of every human being can glorify the Lord and rejoice in God when an individual, no matter what her status and circumstance, discovers that God is her Savior; that God has done great things for her; that the Holy and Mighty One extends to her his mercy: and to all who believe that what the Lord said to her will be accomplished.
We need to hear the song of Mary so as to drown out the beguiling sirens of the world, who would entrance us into steering our ship of life onto the rocks where we would perish. Like Odysseus we sometimes have to close our ears so that we are deaf to their entreaties - the temptation to find our salvation in material goods and temporal gain. Instead, like Mary, we need to get away to the hills, and find time and companions who will affirm that what the Lord is saying to us, will be accomplished.
20th Century Hymnwriter Fred Kann:
SING we a song of high revolt;
Make great the Lord, God’s name exalt:
Sing we the words of Mary’s song
Of God at war with human wrong.
Sing we of God who deeply cares
And still with us our burden shares;
God, who with strength the proud disowns,
Brings down the mighty from their thrones.
By God the poor are lifted up;
God satisfies with bread and cup
The hungry folk of many lands:
The rich are left with empty hands.
God calls us to revolt and fight,
To seek for what is just and right.
To sing and live Magnificat
To ease all people’s sorry lot.
**That is why the world needs to hear the Gospel in the Magnificat. The soul of every human being can glorify the Lord and rejoice in God when an individual, no matter what her status and circumstance, discovers that God is her Savior; that God has done great things for her; that the Holy and Mighty One extends to her his mercy: and to all who believe that what the Lord said to her will be accomplished.**
Amen!