Romans 12:9-16; Isaiah 12; Luke 1:39-56
Of such high importance, that we celebrate this feast of the visitation every evening (by reciting Mary's words in evening prayer), today is rightly a feast day. This year falling on a Friday, we can forget about fasting and abstinence, as the feast is compulsory!
The Magnificat can be seen as a poem with three messages:
A song of Praise - and about the best we have! This outstanding poem has become the lyric to many of our best loved hymns and sacred musical moments.
Acknowledgement of God's Plan - Mary quotes from a variety of scripture that all point to this moment, when God's plan to send his Son to save us all, is fullfilled
The Fiat - no not the small Italian car, Fiat means 'Yes'. Without Mary's yes to God, his plan could not continue. Humanity needs to accept God's plan - God made himself vulnerable to us. Can you imagine that? Our God is powerless with our Fiat? Mary could very easily have said 'no' and none of us would blame her, because when we think about it - would we accept public humiliation, rejection by her Fiancé, and a life of isolation and poverty by accepting the child out of wedlock? How tough was Mary's decision to say her 'Fiat' ?
If you only have time to pray briefly today: Pray the Magnificat.