Gospel of the Day
From the holy Gospel according to Saint Luke 1:46–56
And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked upon the humility of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is from generation to generation
to those who fear him.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”
Mary remained with her about three months
The Magnificat in Marriage:
In Mary’s song, we hear the voice of every true love that knows itself to be received as a gift. For spouses, the Magnificat reminds us that marriage is not born of self-sufficiency, but of shared humility: two spouses who recognise that their story is great because God dwells within it.
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord”: we have a sacrament, and God is present in our marriage. May every detail towards our spouse be a response to the Love He has for us. Let us ask ourselves in the small, daily things: does this glorify the Lord, or am I responding according to merely human logic, to the limited love of my spouse?
“He has looked upon the humility of his servant”: authentic conjugal love does not deny fragility — it welcomes it. God looks with special love upon spouses who do not hide behind pride, but present themselves as they truly are, in need of one another and of His grace. Where vulnerability is shared, there is fertile ground for the mercy of God.
“He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly”: God disarms power struggles. In marriage there are no thrones to defend nor victories to conquer, but a constant learning to yield, to serve, and to raise the other up. Love grows when neither seeks to impose themselves and both desire the other to flourish in the Spirit.
“He has filled the hungry with good things”: spouses are hungry — for affection, understanding, meaning. Let us seek to be filled by God and then offer those goods to the “hungry” heart of our spouse.
Applied to Married Life
Joseph: I’ve finally realised that our marriage is sustained more by Grace than by our own strength.
Anne: Me too. When I feel small or tired, I don’t know where it comes from — but I find myself looking at you with love instead of focusing on your limits. Before, I only saw limits; now I see Christ in need within you, and all I can do is praise Him and serve Him.
Joseph: Does that mean you’re no longer the one in charge of this house?
Anne: [laughs] You’re funny. It means that now I try not to let Anne or Joseph be in charge of this house, but God. So I seek His will, not ours.
Joseph: You’re right. Sometimes I feel we fight for little “thrones”: being right, deciding, not giving in. And without realising it, that pulls us apart. The Gospel always brings us back to the same place: going lower, serving, yielding, listening.
Anne: Yes. And sometimes, faced with your sin, God asks me to remain like Mary — trusting that God has His plan and is always at work, even when we don’t understand Him.
Joseph: Blessed are you. So then… who’s washing up today?
Anne: The hungry one who will be filled with good things. So that’s you.
Joseph: [laughs] You caught me there — because I really am very hungry.
Mother,
on the threshold of your Son’s birth, we ask you to help us imitate you by proclaiming His greatness and recognising our nothingness.
Praised be our God for ever.