SERMON “Mary’s song and ours.”
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God.”
This Song is Mary’s song. Known in the tradition as the Magnificat where the words from Luke have been transformed into a liturgical canticle of faith and prayer, or into the beautiful Hymn we will sing after the Sermon from Holden Evening Song.
Mary’s song is one of the most beautiful songs of the Bible. This song by the young girl Mary is a song lifted by faith and sung with conviction.
The Magnificat is a strong, powerful song that resonates with me and many, especially here in Advent, as it gives voice to the mother and to the woman.
Mary is often portrayed and celebrated for her meekness and faith, but Mary was also powerful, confident, intense and grew from a young girl to a confident mother.
We can easily imagine her moaning on the donkey and scolding Joseph for not ensuring a better transportation than a bumpy donkey. And as she was literary going into labor and struggling to breathe and endure the pain (as any woman who has given birth knows are comparable to no other pain and not to a man’s cold), - as Mary was preparing herself and her body for birth she might have said, shouted or whispered a few words that was not suitable for the Bible.
There are many powerful women in the Bible, yet the most prominent two are Eve and Mary.
The mother of man and the mother of the son of Man. In traditional Mary is often called the new Eve, as Christ was the new Adam reversing Adam’s sin, so Mary displayed her complete commitment and reversed the sin of Eve.
From Adam and Eve came sin and law. Through Mary Grace and Gospel came.
In Genesis one of the consequences of sin and humanity outside the Garden of Eden, is the pain Eve had to feel in childbirth. Mary also felt that pain. We felt that pain.
Eve and Mary and all other women experienced the messiness, anxiety as well as the life changing joy of motherhood. Mary and Eve also lived what is identified as the worst loss imaginable: a child’s death.
So, Mary and Eve are bonded in glory as well as in suffering. Sisters they are and sisters we are. Bonded, blessed and beautiful.
Mary’s song is beautiful bold and blessed. As she feels blessed and her cousin Elizabeth also calls her blessed among woman, Mary is a blessing to us as a source of faith, and courage.
Last year on this 4th of Sunday, I also preached about Mary. And I quoted one of the other beautiful songs about Mary.
“Let it be.” By the Beatles
One of the greatest songs ever written in modern time, is The Beatles “Let it be.”
When Gabriel first visited Mary with a “Hail Mary, full of Grace.” And told that young, frightened girl that she had indeed been chosen to bear the Son of God, the Savior of the World, - Mary accepts and speaks her words of wisdom: “Let it be….,” words that are echoed in Beatles beautiful song.
When I find myself in times of trouble?
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
Oh, how I love that song!
Oh, how this song resonates with me today listening to Mary’s song and Mary’s words of wisdom.
It is an enduring classic with a soothing, praying, simple and almost cathartic quality. Written by Paul McCartney (and loved by millions but according to Beatles Legends hated by John Lennon!)
And when the broken-hearted people
Living in the world agree
There will be an answer, let it be
For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Yeah, there will be an answer, let it be
And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine on until tomorrow, let it be
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Paul McCarthy might have had his own biological mother Mary in mind when he wrote the song, based on a dream about his late mother coming to him, - I have always had the biblical Mary in mind when I was singing about “Mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be.”
These words of wisdom could be our way into Christmas. As Mary was led by the words of Gabriel to leave her questions and concerns of “how can this be” behind her and embrace her life, her pregnancy, her fate and her life with the wise words: “Here am I, servant of the Lord: let it be with me according to your word.”
Let it be! Let it be Christmas! Let there be light, hope and joy! Let it be Christmas despite all our questions, concerns and challenges. Let it be Light and Hope that conquer Darkness and despair.
We are praying that God will be with us – Emmanuel – that he will meet us with tenderness and tenacity just as Gabriel met Mary. Just an Elisabeth womb jumped of joy. Just as Mary sang her song.
Mary’s song is a song of much hope. Mary whispers to us the words of wisdom: Let it be!
Let there be joy, let there be light, let there be hope. And let us share it with a world in need of
joy, light and hope more than ever.
And when the broken-hearted people
Living in the world agree
There will be an answer, let it be
For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be
And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine on until tomorrow, let it be
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Mary’s song, the Magnificat, is a song of hope to make our world a different place, a better place, a place where we might even catch a glimpse of the kingdom of God.
It is a song that trusts in God’s future, and it is sung to insist on making God’s future present for all people.
And so, Mary’s hope is an honest one. She hopes in the endless possibility of God, but she also knew the truth of the cross and the pain.
We need Mary’s song as a reminder that we must cling to that honest hope with a trust that is able to say, “Nothing will be impossible with God.”
We need Mary’s song to the blessed and the broken hearted, to the weary and wicked, to the sad and smiling, to the content and the complaining, we need to listen and believe that song even when the nights are cloudy as there is still a light that shine on us, on the world, in the darkness. Shine on until tomorrow.
The wisdom and the honesty of Christmas is in the song of Mary. Every single year at Christmas, we are reminded that we should sing Mary’s song and not just songs about White Christmases and Jingle Bells.
A song to sing together carried by wisdom and not by indifference og intolerance.
A song to sing instead of speaking words of hate and fear.
A song to sing instead of closing our moths unwilling to speak up for or speak out against injustice and cruelty.
Mary’s song would make our world a different place, a better place, a place where we might even catch a glimpse of the kingdom of God. It is a song that trusts in God’s future, and it is sung to insist on making God’s future present for all people.
So let us sing Mary’s song this Christmas. Let us believe in Mother Mary’s words of wisdom. Let us pause and sit with Mary by the manger, waiting for the world, our world, to be changed, to be better, to be brighter and to bring glimpses of God’s Kingdom through love, faith and hope.
Let there be light!
Let here be hope!
Let it be Christmas!