Mary professed her fiat.She gave her consent. And at that very moment she conceived by the power of the Spirit. So she was already with child when she went in haste to visit her cousin who was six months pregnant. The moment they met they proclaimed their praises to God's wondrous works. This is the event of the visitation.
Mary looked at herself and saw a handmaid- she saw how lowly she was. Then Mary looked at God and proclaimed Him "mighty."In her lowliness, she was able to see the magnificence of God. She proclaimed God's tremendous deeds.
The poor are really blessed with the gift of "life" - their worship is highly spirited. When one is "lowly" and humble or poor in spirit, he will praise God even for the small miracles in his life. Every blessing becomes an occasion of praising. Only when one humbles himself he be able to see the greatness of of the things that God performs in his life.And this is where the poor really rank high. Thus, they are truly blessed. Mary really identified herself with the poor, being an anawin herself. And her lowly disposition opened her mouth to utter words of genuine praise to God.
In Matthew 19, Jesus' exhortation to the rich young man was received with a sad heart prompting Jesus to say that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 19: 24). This is a powerful image Jesus used here. It is tantamount to saying that it is impossible for a person with much wealth to enter heaven. In Luke 1, Mary prophesied about how the hungry shall be filled with good things and the rich shall be driven away empty handed(v. 53). In Luke 6, Jesus said quite strongly, "Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation "(v.24). The rich will remain an object of our faith's of disfavor unless they find the blessedness of becoming poor in spirit. Real satisfaction will only come to them if, like Mary, they are able to yield to the greater power of God, humble themseleves befrore Him and offer Him the most sincere prayer of praise and thanks.
Mary looked at herself and saw a handmaid- she saw how lowly she was. Then Mary looked at God and proclaimed Him "mighty."In her lowliness, she was able to see the magnificence of God. She proclaimed God's tremendous deeds.
The poor are really blessed with the gift of "life" - their worship is highly spirited. When one is "lowly" and humble or poor in spirit, he will praise God even for the small miracles in his life. Every blessing becomes an occasion of praising. Only when one humbles himself he be able to see the greatness of of the things that God performs in his life.And this is where the poor really rank high. Thus, they are truly blessed. Mary really identified herself with the poor, being an anawin herself. And her lowly disposition opened her mouth to utter words of genuine praise to God.
In Matthew 19, Jesus' exhortation to the rich young man was received with a sad heart prompting Jesus to say that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 19: 24). This is a powerful image Jesus used here. It is tantamount to saying that it is impossible for a person with much wealth to enter heaven. In Luke 1, Mary prophesied about how the hungry shall be filled with good things and the rich shall be driven away empty handed(v. 53). In Luke 6, Jesus said quite strongly, "Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation "(v.24). The rich will remain an object of our faith's of disfavor unless they find the blessedness of becoming poor in spirit. Real satisfaction will only come to them if, like Mary, they are able to yield to the greater power of God, humble themseleves befrore Him and offer Him the most sincere prayer of praise and thanks.
