This is the third in a 4-part series leading up to the celebration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth
I am not a fan of teenybopper movies or TV series which include "Disney-esque" highly-produced musical theater filmed for TV audiences. (Don't recall me over such a trivial pet-peeve.)
I am a huge fan of a particular musical but I have not seen it performed on any screen. I only imagined it after reading a Text from a couple thousand years ago. A revolutionary musical far beyond any revolution you may have seen in Hamilton, it depicts a far greater love story than West Side Story.
Picture this: a young girl with an unplanned pregnancy exclaimed in the sweetest voice she had:
"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors." (Luke 1:46b-55)
This surely isn't the kind of song you'd expect from a woman facing an unplanned pregnancy. This is the song of a holy woman who trusts in God.
The Magnificat, as it has been called through the centuries, is also a song of revolution—with a belief in God's mighty deeds and that he brings down rulers from their thrones and lifts up the humble.
Next time you read about that young girl Mary, don't think of a woman in distress—though she likely had her moments. Instead, think of a woman trusting in God to do great things, in and through her.
As William Ross Wallace wrote, "...the hand that rocks the cradle, is the hand that rules the world."
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.