Listen to a simple service of prayer and reflection centred on Luke 1.46-56 for 22 December
O Rex Gentium
O King of the nations, and their desire,
the cornerstone making both one:
Come and save the human race,
which you fashioned from clay.
Reflection on Luke 1.46-56
One of the most loved services in the Church of England is the service of Evensong. Within that service lies Mary’s Song of Praise, the Magnificat. If you spent your younger years singing in a church or cathedral choir you will be very familiar with the words of the Magnificat, although probably in the version that is found in the Book of Common Prayer. Every day of the year these words are recited or sung as a daily reminder of the response we should be offering to God’s presence in our lives.
The Magnificat opens with Mary’s words of praise and thanksgiving for all that God is working through her. She goes on to give us a glimpse of the world that will come into being through the birth of her Son, a world in which those who hold and value worldly power will be overthrown, a world in which there will be hope for all.
When we are overcome with joy we often feel like bursting into song, but what songs do we sing? Couples have that ‘special song’ that reminds them of the time they met; sports fans have their favourite songs that help them celebrate moments of elation, or despair; nations have their anthems that help them to establish their unique identity in the world. Whatever song you may feel like singing when overcome with joy, does it really match the praise and hope that we find in Mary’s Song of Praise?
Too often we refrain from expressing our joy in song, or in other ways that demonstrate the feelings that are surging through us. We look around us and think about the reactions of others. We might use an excuse like, ‘I can’t sing,’ or we might just choose to remain dumb, rather than let anyone know how we really feel. Today we see the young Mary, the one who is to become the mother of Our Lord, burst into a spontaneous song as she gives thanks and looks forward in hope. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus in the coming days, let us pray that we might not keep our joy to ourselves, but might let it pour out of us … even in song!