Imagine the joy of the Blessed Mother at the moment of her Assumption.
There she is as a unified human being with both her body and soul brought into Heaven to stand face to face with God. The One she loves, the One for Whom she lived and breathed every moment has drawn her wholly into the communion of Heaven. Her long wait on Earth is over. Her faithfulness has been rewarded. She is with her King, her Love, her Son for eternity.
We glimpse this hoped-for joy in the Gospel passage for today’s feast day when Saint Elizabeth cries out at Saint John the Baptist’s leap within her womb, "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled" (Luke 1:45).
The Blessed Mother epitomized this hope and faithfulness from the moment of the Annunciation when she accepted God’s mission for her, through the agony of her Son’s Passion, and after His Ascension during the years she lived on Earth accompanying the early Church. Only after she faithfully lived out the fullness of her life was she drawn into Heaven and made Queen of Heaven and Earth.
Then perhaps these same words of joy and humility rang out in her heart as she stood before her Lord and her Love:
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant" (Luke 1:46-48).
The Blessed Mother received a unique, beautiful call from the Lord, and He is also calling each and every one of us in our uniqueness.
In my own life I often struggle to embrace His call to me as I fumble difficult moments of parenting, take the easy way out with homeschooling my children, and put off a writing project. Yet, when I delve into her Magnificat prayer, Our Lady’s faithfulness and joy models for me the trust I should have in God as I embrace His call to me.
Her words help me believe His will for me will be fulfilled.
Today let us mediate over the words of the Magnificat.
Susanna Spencer is the Theological Editor for Blessed is She who studied theology and philosophy in her earlier life. She happily cares for her three adorable little girls, toddler boy, and her dear husband in Saint Paul when not writing and editing. She loves beautiful liturgies, cooking delicious meals, baking amazing sweets, reading good books, raising her children, casually following baseball, and talking to her philosopher husband. She is a contributing author to our children's devotional prayer book, Rise Up and Theological Editor of the Catechism Studies, the Mystery Studies, and the Works of Mercy study. You can find out more about her here.
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