Read Online
Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit
rejoices in God my savior… He has cast down the mighty from their
thrones and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with
good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.” Luke 1:46;
52–53
The last two sentences quoted from our Blessed Mother’s song of
praise give us much to ponder. She, who is the Mother of God and
full of grace, rejoiced that God “cast the mighty down from their
thrones” and “the rich he sent away empty.” It’s understandable
that she rejoiced in God Who “has lifted up the lowly” and “has
filled the hungry with good things,” but the first two statements
might give us pause.
In this context, when people are “mighty” and “rich,” we must
understand this to mean those who act in a self-sufficient way, not
recognizing their need for God. This tendency is easy to fall into.
It is especially tempting for those who are successful in life.
Without a deep prayer life and awareness of God’s activity in our
lives, we can easily fall into the trap of thinking that we are in
charge of our own destiny. When this happens, the most merciful
thing God can do for us is to cast us down from our self-sufficient
throne and send us away to experience the emptiness of our worldly
riches. The key to happiness in life is not attaining great power
or riches.
The key is found in humility, by which we recognize our absolute
need for and dependence on God. Why? Because as the great Saint
Augustine wrote in his book Confessions, “You have formed us
for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You,
oh Lord.”
Would you be happier if you were rich or poor? Powerful or
powerless? Famous or unknown? These questions cannot be answered
because neither riches nor poverty, power nor powerlessness, fame
nor obscurity have anything to do with true happiness. Though each
person falling into any of these categories can find happiness, the
categories themselves do not determine that happiness. True
happiness comes by discovering God within one’s spiritual poverty
and hunger.
When we perceive our souls correctly, we will understand Saint
Augustine’s famous quote. We will realize that God alone fulfills
us, and that doing His will enables us to become who we were
created to be. When that discovery happens, we will hunger and
thirst for God, and doing the will of God will become the
all-consuming desire of our souls. Our God, in His great mercy and
love for us, loves such a humble and hungry soul, lavishing
spiritual riches upon it.
Reflect today on the intense interior fulfillment our Blessed
Mother had. She did not live in a lavish castle with numerous
servants. She was not the governor of her town, exercising great
temporal power. But she was happy beyond what we can imagine
because in her lowliness, humility, and hunger for God, she found
perfect satisfaction. As you ponder her happiness, seek her
intercession and strive to follow her example, no matter what
temporal or worldly situation you find yourself in.
Dearest Mother Mary, you rejoiced and proclaimed God’s
greatness, not because of any material or passing blessings God
gave you but because of the spiritual richness you possessed within
your soul. Please pray for me, that I will discover God’s presence
in my life as the true source of fulfillment and will hunger for
Him with every desire of my soul. Mother Mary, pray for me. Jesus,
I trust in You.
Image: Magnificat by Lawrence OP, license CC BY-NC-ND
2.0.
Source of content:
catholic-daily-reflections.com
Copyright 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved.
Used with permission via RSS feed.
Kommentare (0)
Melde dich an, um einen Kommentar zu schreiben.