Modeling Mary's Magnificat

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others." -Marianne Williamson

When Mary was approached by the Archangel Gabriel and was greeted as a queen, she was troubled by his greeting. He told her not to be afraid – possibly of him, but also possibly of the status he just granted unto her. Who was she? She was just a young girl from Nazareth. She was betrothed to a carpenter. While she had a great faith and love of Our Lord, she also knew her littleness.

But when the Angel told her what God wanted her to do, even though she knew her littleness, even though she was troubled by the level of respect the Angel gave her, she accepted that it was God’s will, and she accepted it. She did not, like Moses, give excuses – that she was not respectful enough, not well liked enough, not good enough – instead, she accepted the greatness that came with the task given to her with her great fiat. When someone else, her cousin, recognized the honor she had been given, Mary didn’t hem and haw, blush, and try to make it sound less, instead she lifted her voice to embrace the greatness declaring that her soul magnified the Lord, that it proclaimed His greatness, and because of what He had done, all generations would call her blessed.

We each must imitate Mary, the first to receive Christ and the first to bring Him to another. We are all called in our own way to manifest the glory of God and to be the vessel that gives body to Christ. We are each given talents that we are to use, opportunities to embrace, and fiats to give. Each of our souls is to give glory to Our God, to magnify His greatness. The greatness does not come from you. It is God’s Light, and you are the lamp, the candle, the lighthouse. All of these are useless if not lit. So shine brightly as our Dear Mother so beautifully exemplified in her humble life and do not fear to allow your life to bring glory to Our God in this New Year.