Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent - Today's Readings
Today's Gospel continues with the story of the visitation. And I love the imagery Mary's Magnificat calls forth. The first line in particular, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord...." Mary's SOUL is proclaiming the greatness of God, not her mouth. What does it mean to have your soul proclaim the glory of God?
Again I attribute part of the beauty of her soul to being conceived without sin. At the same time, I know we are all on a journey towards the perfection of soul. So, how can my soul proclaim God's glory? I don't quite have the answer but I presume it has a lot to do with prayer, Sacraments and spiritual practices. The beauty of Mary for me, comes not from her outward appearance, because I don't know what she looks like. Mary's beauty comes from gentleness, her openness, her faith and fierce devotion.
For those of us without sinless souls, these things take practice. How can I cultivate these fruits of the spirit, to purify my soul and thus praise God with my entire being? What a joy it would be to encounter another person, as Mary did, and for them to instantly know of God's goodness because of my presence!
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