Another Prophetic Woman and A Prophet’s Prayer

308th Edition
Another Prophetic Woman and A Prophet’s Prayer
Luke 1: 43-54 The Magnificat
March 2025

Welcome to Stories Seldom Heard. Last month we met Anna, the eighty-four-year-old prophet, who was the first to publicly preach the arrival of the Messiah “to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem” (Lk 2:38).

On March 25th, we celebrate another faith-filled, prophetic woman, Mary of Nazareth. Mary’s life unfolds quickly in Luke’s Gospel. The Annunciation, Visitation, Dedication of Jesus in the temple, and the birth and naming of John the Baptist are all recounted in Chapter One. When Mary hears of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, she quickly travels to the hill country to be with Elizabeth. There Elizabeth prophetically proclaims, “Blessed is she who believed that the promise made to her by the Lord would be fulfilled” (Lk 1:45). In response to Elizabeth’s extraordinary proclamation and blessing, Mary’s response is profound. “My soul proclaims the greatness of God and my spirit exults in God my savior;” (LK 2:46). Many of us know The Magnificat by heart, but just in case.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior;
because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.
Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed,
For the Almighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name.
And his mercy reaches from age to age to those who fear him.
He has shown the power of his arm,
He has routed the arrogance of mind and heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones
but exalted the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants forever.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian who was killed by the Nazis, says, “This (Mary) is not a gentle, tender, dreamy Mary whom we sometimes see in paintings; this is a passionate, surrendered, proud, enthusiastic Mary who speaks out.” She sings a “hard, strong, inexorable song about collapsing thrones and humbled lords of this world, about the power of God and the powerlessness of humankind. These are the tones of the women prophets of the Old Testament that now come to life in Mary’s mouth” (1).

Over the years there have been many debates discussing the origin of Mary’s Magnificat. Some connect its origin with the “Song of Hannah” from the First Book of Samuel (1 Sam. 2: 1-10). Other scholars suggest that it was written by the early church in Jerusalem. Still, others argue that it was addressing the political struggle of the people of Palestine against their Roman oppressors. There is merit to all these ideas and certainly to the discussions they evoke. But for our purpose, we don’t have to choose sides in this debate. What comes through clearly is that all people in every society need to hear and trust, as Mary did, in God’s power dwelling in us so that justice might reign.

Mary’s Magnificat, her song of hope and joy, has echoed throughout every land and century. We in the US might not always recognize the revolutionary quality of this prayer, but in other countries, it has been heard and acknowledged. In the 1980s the Magnificat was banned from public worship in Guatemala because the government of Guatemala recognized its subversive message. The Peruvian theologian Gustavo Guiterrez, O.P. reminds us that this song of praise underlines God’s preferential love of the lowly and the abused. God is on the side of the poor and lowly not because they are holier than other people, but because no one else will stand with them or speak on their behalf. God is on the side of the poor because God desires everyone to be justly treated (2).

The Magnificat is a prayer for every person and for all seasons of our lives. It is a prayer that helps focus our attention on what is important and what God desires of us. I wonder what changes would take place in each of us if we were to pray The Magnificat each day? I wonder if we read it slowly, would it open the path to know what to do, the path of Wisdom? In other words, if we prayed it reflectively, would we find a way to respond to the injustices in our society today? I wonder if we believe God’s promise to all ages, would it stir within us the courage we need to face the small and large issues of injustice in our lives? Would praying this revolutionary prayer each day affirm our tenacity and encourage us to work for social and economic change, confident that our works are not in vain or too little to make a difference?

What if we prayed this prayer with others? Would it, could it, strengthen our faith and hope? Is there a power to be gained in collectively reflecting on this prayer? Is there power in collaborating with others? One of the ways to join with others is to use the website “5calls.org.” Check it out. They suggest making 5 calls a day that address critical issues of justice. They give you the information and a script that you can use if you would like. Another way to collaborate is to organize trustworthy faith communities with whom we could share your vision and work together to bring about God’s vision of justice. Would praying The Magnificat together help us feel the joy and power that Mary expresses? Perhaps we could pray this prayer every day in March.

There are many issues in our lives as American Catholics that need to be viewed and reviewed in light of our Catholic Social Teachings and scripture. The Magnificat reminds us that God works in ordinary people’s lives in mysterious ways. We know very little about Mary of Nazareth. She grew up in a territory far from the powers of Jerusalem. She was a woman of prayer and a profound trust in God. The prayer that comes from her heart and lips praises God who scatters the proud, brings down the haughty from their thrones, fills the hungry with good things and lifts the oppressed. Mary, in her life, experienced the God of reversals, the God of surprises. Her song encourages us to be as hopeful and trusting. God is a promise keeper.

Footnotes
1. Johnson, Elizabeth, Truly Our Sister, Continuum International Publishing Group Inc, New York, London, 2003. p 267

2. Gustavo Gutiérrez-Merino Díaz, OP was a Peruvian philosopher, Catholic theologian, and Dominican priest who was one of the founders of liberation theology in Latin America. His 1971 book A Theology of Liberation is considered pivotal to the formation of liberation theology. He died on October 22, 2024, at the age of ninety-six.

Photo credit: By Sandro Botticelli – GalleriX, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48052655