Readings: 1 Corinthians 13:1-6 and Luke 1:46-55.

The boundary, or the meeting point between the old and the new covenant is set in the Song of Mary, the Magnificat. She has become a participant in the new Exodus action of God, the new pathway through the great deep which leads a chosen people from captivity to freedom – a freedom from the law of sin and death through the coming of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Sing to the Lord for He is highly exalted! (Exodus 15:21).

Our new life, its sweetness and our hope is given to us by a mother. A good mother is to tend to her children like a shepherd tends to his flock. She gathers her children in her arms, holding them close to her heart, gently leading them on their way.

In Mary’s womb the body of Christ, the good shepherd was knit together. In her womb the Word was made flesh. Unique among all people, she was set apart by God to become the living sanctuary, the most Holy place of God’s presence. A woman whose purity exceeds beyond that of ritual cleansing, for otherwise a carrying the Presence within her would have resulted in death. Her purity shines like a woman clothed with the sun in this prayer, for purity is about being the same within as without. Her wholehearted joy and gratitude to God is made clear, as is her righteousness.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (Matthew 5:8).

Her life, her soul exalts or magnifies God – which is to recognise and make God greater than ourselves. Have you ever stood under a clear night sky, looking up at the stars? The light we see is so old and the universe is so big – that we can feel so small, and so tiny – that we can obtain this same perspective, that same way of seeing ourselves before God as Mary did.

We stand in awe before the works of God who created the universe and all that is in it, the Almighty, who with great signs and wonders rescued His people from slavery to live in the promised land. The same Almighty God looked with favour upon Mary – who considered herself small and lowly, having no material wealth or fame, but was in her words a humble servant. Poor in the world maybe, but Mary was instead rich in her heart, for she was filled with the real treasure, which is of course the love that we have for one another.

Mary who was sanctified by God, and freed from the stain of sin, still made the choice to say yes, thereby choosing to be a participant in the works of Love. As Saint Paul writes, it could not have been for her faith alone that God chose her, for without love we are nothing. What in this world exists by itself, or is truly self-sufficient? Can a lamp be lit with the Holy Spirit and then hidden under a basket? If faith without works was enough, then why was God angry with Moses when he did not speak His Word with gentleness to a rock in the wilderness?

“I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:19).

Love is the Way. Love is born in the tenderness of our hearts. Love is patient and kind. Love is the thread that weaves itself through the fabric of our lives. It is the cord that runs through both our faith and our works. Nothing exists by itself, no thing is independent of an other. Love is not born in isolation – but in all things that work together for each other.

Love is pure. Love is the treasure of heaven that we can collect and take with us. God is love and it is on God alone that our soul in stillness waits. And Jesus tells us the greatest commandments are ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,’ and: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’

Saint Therese of Lisieux said “Everything is a grace because everything is God’s gift. Whatever be the character of life or its unexpected events – to the heart that loves, all is well.”

How can we develop the same heart of Mary and the saints? Pope Francis said recently “Joy, prayer and gratitude are the attitudes that prepare us to experience Christmas in an authentic way.”

Mary’s song teaches us about joy and gratitude while waiting for something to come in our lives, it teaches us that perspective matters. She says God ‘has been mindful of the humble state of His servant.’ Mindfulness is about paying attention, of being awake – about noticing not just the big things in life, but also the small.

“Behold” says the Lord, “I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19).

What can we notice in our everyday that is small, perhaps easy to miss or overlook? When we begin to notice the things we take for granted because they happen every day – a smile on a friends face, the cup of tea someone makes for us, the glow in the clouds as the sun rises and sets, the raindrops clinging on to a leaf – when we notice the smallest of things, we begin to participate in the joy of creation, the joy of our being. We begin to see the beauty in our everyday ordinary moments, and this brings us gratitude. From this attitude of thankfulness come the fruits of the spirit – love and patience, kindness, and gentleness – things that will make our Christmastime sparkle in the darkness of winter as we wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.