Annunciation and Magnificat

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Rev. Molly F. James, PhD
DFMS Noonday Prayer, via Zoom
Feast of the Annunciation, March 25, 2020

May God’s Word be spoken. May God’s Word be heard. May that point us to the living Word who is Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Today is the Feast of the Annunciation. It is the day we celebrate Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and her willingness to say yes to God. Along with the story of the Annunciation in our Gospel, we get Canticle 15, also known as the Magnificat in place of our psalm today. The Magnificat is one of my favorite pieces of Scripture. It is the song that Mary sings when she meets up with Elizabeth. Elizabeth tells her that she is blessed among women, and Mary responds with a song about what God has done and will do. And this song is not only beautiful and inspiring, it is a song that has a significant place in our tradition. If you pray Evening Prayer or attend Evensong on a regular basis, you will notice that the Magnificat is always said or sung. That tells us that basically the Magnificat always has something to say to us, no matter what day it is. No doubt that is true for us today as we struggle in the midst of a global pandemic.

What is it about the Magnificat that is so important, so meaningful for us as followers of Jesus?

I think it tells us three important things about God and about ourselves. It tells us about MERCY, CHANGE, and PROMISE.

First, we are reminded that God is merciful. That God loves us. That God cares for us. With so much fear and uncertainty in our hearts and our communities in these days, we could lose sight of that very important truth. We need that truth, and we need to remember what it means for Mary to have spoken the truth about who God is and how God cares for us. Mary was woman ostracized and possibly even shamed by her community. She was on the margins. She was a woman at a time when women were regarded as property. She had no rights, no power, no authority. And yet here she is in the Gospel of Luke, doing what men do, what prophets do, speaking truths about God with authority and conviction. Such important truths that they are written down and preserved for generations to come.

The fact that Mary is the one speaking of God’s favor, God’s love, and God’s mercy reminds us that our God is not just the God of the powerful. God’s mercy, God’s love are for all people, everywhere. Especially for those on the margins. Especially for those who feel unworthy of God’s love. And that my friends is an important reminder for each of us in this time when no doubt more and more people are feeling marginalized each day, as they face illness or death, as the unemployment numbers rise, as more and more people face a personally or communally unstable future. We, the Church, have a call to minister with, to serve, to care for those on the margins. The needs are great throughout our communities, and are going to be increasing in the coming weeks and months. May we remember that our God is a God of compassion and mercy. May we be generous with ourselves and with all those around us. May we be agents of mercy wherever we go.

Second, Mary talks about change. Aren’t we all learning a lot about change in these days. So much of what has been the status quo is changing. Mary and Jesus knew something about changing the status quo in their time too. Jesus’ whole life and ministry were about inviting people into a new way of being that was a transformation of the status quo. And as his followers, we too are invited to join in that transformation. It is worth remembering what an act of faith it is for Mary to say all these things about what God is doing and then to live into the path that has been set before her. Can you imagine it? Imagine knowing that your child would have an amazing impact on the world, would change the course of history and bring hope and salvation. Imagine knowing that before you have even held the child. And imagine knowing that would also it come with enormous cost. Imagine knowing all that and still saying yes? Mary had deep faith and profound courage. I think it is important to note here that my favorite definition of courage is being afraid and doing it anyway. I don’t doubt Mary was afraid. How could she not be? And yet she says yes to God. Yes to being Jesus’ mother, even though the road would be so very rough. What an inspiration for us in a time when we know the road ahead will be rough and full of uncertainty.

Mary’s courage also brings us to the third element of the Magnificat and why it matters for us. It matters because the Magnificat is about promises. It is about God’s promises and our promises. Mary reminds us that God keeps promises. God does not forget them. God is faithful, and we are called to be faithful as well. This does not mean that God’s promises will always be fulfilled in the time or manner in which WE would like. It is important to note that God does not promise us an easy road. God certainly did not promise Mary an easy road. What God does promise is to be faithful. God promises to be faithful to who we know God to be. God promises to be Emmanuel, God with us. And God invites us to be faithful to our promises, to be faithful followers of Jesus. We are called to be faithful and courageous like Mary. We are called to trust in God’s abiding presence, even when we feel afraid. This means stepping out and stepping up to do the right thing, even when we are not sure how it is all going to turn out.

So, I invite you to carry the Magnificat through the days and weeks ahead as we continue to live into the ever changing realities of this global pandemic. Carry the Magnificat with you each day. Carry its truth. Carry its hope. Carry its conviction. Carry the bold and comforting knowledge that God is merciful, that God is bringing about change in the world, and that God is faithful. May those gifts and truths in turn inspire us to be merciful, to join with God’s reconciling love at work in the world, and to have the courage to keep our promises, even when we feel afraid.

AMEN.