Feast of St. Mary ... "Magnificat! We Sing Our Praise!"

Each year we transfer our celebration of the Feast of St. Mary into September so that more of the parish is in attendance to honour and give thanks for our patron Saint.

As I reflected on Mary, I was particularly drawn to how vulnerable she must have felt. She was young and on the cusp of a new life engaged to Joseph. Life was going along as expected. But God had other plans for her than what she had chosen or what others had chosen for her. She would be thrust into a life situation that would bring judgement, shame and possibly even death. And yet she was called, and in the end she would gladly accept the invitation into this vocation made known to her.

Think about how she must have felt in that first moment when the angel appeared to her and told her God's plan and the part she was to play. No doubt she felt daunted, overwhelmed, afraid, insecure and any other myriad of emotions. There were real risks in accepting this invitation before her.

She went to Elizabeth her cousin and in that relationship experienced a profound support and affirmation that this indeed was the ministry God was calling her to. Out of her conversations with Elizabeth, Mary accepted with joy the vocation that lay before her, to give birth to God's Son. There was so much excitement within her that she couldn't contain herself and proclaimed that wonderful and spirit filled song of joy we know as the Magnificat. She praised God for her relationship with Him and for the faith to embark on this journey that lay before her.

Now to be sure all of the other emotions didn't just go away. She still had to return home to her family, to Joseph and to the community she came from. Their reception of her was still to be filled with questions; her reputation would undoubtedly be tarnished; she might even be stoned as an obvious adulterous. Even feeling the security from God wouldn't take away her underlying anxiety and fear.

And yet she went back; she faced the potential consequences of her vocation. Not on her own, though. Rather, empowered and upheld by the Holy Spirit who had led her into this path in the first place. God was with her; God gave her the courage to go forward; God gave her the faith to sing and live that joyous song of praise. This is who Mary was created by God to be. And by God's grace that vocation she was called to would be lived out to the fullest.

Isn't the same true for us as well. Sometimes the ministries God places in front of us are daunting, overwhelming and cause anxiety in our hearts and souls. And yet there can be a real excitement too as we await with faith and trust the promised kingdom God is building. I know for me personally there is often a sense of anticipation and joy as much as there is fear and stress.

Out of our joy we like Mary are called to sing our own songs of praise; we're called to sing Magnificat too, and to trust that in so doing we will see through whatever ministry and vocation God invites us to participate in. Wherever God calls us to go; whatever God calls us to do; even in the midst of uncertainty and possibly even chaos, may our hymn to God be one of praise and thanksgiving as we claim our ministry as servants of the Lord.

These reflections led me to write these words to a hymn we'll sing this Sunday as we celebrate Mary and pray that we like her may sing our own Magnificat. The tune is the familiar "Old 100th".

Magnificat! We Sing Our Praise!

Tune: Old 100th
Metre: LM

Magnificat! We sing our praise;
lifting our voice with faithful trust.
God’s grace abundant helps us know
led by the Spirit, called to go.

Stresses can sometimes overwhelm;
daunted in what we’re called to do.
God’s promise, it’s within our realm
Magnificat helps get us through!

We question how we’ll meet the task
but know God’s blessing as we act.
Depending if and how we ask
removing barriers that distract.

Magnificat! May God be praised
Knowing God’s favor as we serve.
Despite the challenge, we’re amazed
God’s kingdom here on earth preserved.

Prophetic messages to raise
God’s voice proclaimed; we know it’s true!.
With confidence, we live God’s ways.
Magnificat! Brings life anew!
 
Text: copyright, The Rev. Mark Kinghan, 2012. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.