“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
And Mary said:
“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.
A Psalm of Prophetic Praise to the One Who Keeps Promises - after Mary (Luke 1:45-55)
Author’s Note: I sat down to write a Christmas prayer and found, like so many of us, that I am tired –this year has done a number on a lot of us. And the weariness was blocking my sight. So, after wrestling with a lot of words that felt trite in my mouth, I decided to just stop. And pray with Mary. I decided I needed to praise with Mary this Christmas, taking her words and putting them in my own speech. And letting her faith, her profound praise, and her wonder that the life inside her WAS GOD’S LIFE FOR THE WORLD speak me into faith.
Pray with me, as those who would follow in Christ’s way of peace and justice, as I pray with Mary and let her faith speak us into faith.
-Jacqui
Our souls are stirring, erupting to praise the goodness that You are.
You are strong and mighty. Who would have thought you could do such a thing. In us.
Oh Lord, there is something rumbling in our souls, an awakening, wanting to trust and more, wanting to celebrate.
When we get glimpses of you at work, and we do, we glorify you Lord.
You see us. In our innermost being, you witness to life.
You have us in mind, even though we are human, humble, of this earth, so dependant, not grand.
But we know you that even in our times, and for all times there are things YOU do that are great. How lucky are we.
You, the Mighty One, could do anything and you choose to see us.
You have mercy, extending from your being, for us who are in awe, who stand gob smacked by wonder and power and the kindness of it all. You are mercy, and mercy is the ocean we sail these little boats in.
Your mercy, the source of your might, scatters the proud.
Oh, keep going God.
Even in their secret thoughts, scatter them. Do not let the proud determine our whole future but lift up the humble.
The rich have everything and still are so hungry, so you send them away empty, unable to be satisfied. While the poor are full, to the brim, with your beauty, your joy, your love – with good things.
This is a wonder.
And we praise you.
You never forget to be merciful. Oh God, you will never forget.
You have helped your people, the generations before us. You have moved within ages and cultures and the currents of history to bring your peace.
You promise and you deliver, even into today, you deliver.
Finally, Oh Lord who has done great things, even in this Christmas, help us to trust. Even when it gets dark, help us to trust the Jesus life placed within us, born amongst us, the word that will not return void.
We pray that this belief, this trust, becomes second nature to us who long for peace. Help us trust, long for, and then act boldly out of the promises for peace, for a kingdom that turns us inside out and upside down and makes us -this whole cosmos- right.
Amen.
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