The Gospel Reading of December 22, just three days before Christmas, is the Magnificat, Mary’s canticle (Luke 1:46-56), in response to Elizabeth’s benediction on Mary as the Theotokos, her womb, and the fruit of her womb, the incarnated Christ to be named “Jesus”, and those who believe in him (Luke 1:42-45), also reflecting what archangel Gabriel told her about her virgin pregnancy at the Annunciation (Luke 1:28, 30-33,35-37).
So, Mary sung of glorifying God with joy and gratitude for choosing her as His most favored anav (lowly humble servant of God) and praising God for His mighty salvific power bestowed upon the conceived child in her womb(Luke 1:46b-55):
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;
behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name. (vv.46-49)
His mercy is from age to age
to those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm,
dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones
but lifted up the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty. (vv.50-53)
He has helped Israel his servant,
remembering his mercy,
according to his promise to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever. (vv. 54-55).
In the first stanza (vv. 46-49), Mary joyfully magnifies Yahweh, “the great “I am” (Exodus 3:14), in her soul, as her spirit rejoices in Elohim (e.g. Genesis 1:1) who is her moshiah (e.g. Jeremiah 23:5, as moshiah ben David). She was grateful that Yahweh made her His most favored one, namely “full of grace”, the Immaculate Conception, as told by Gabriel (Luke 1:28, 30) to be the mother of the Son of God the Most High, the eternal Davidic King (Luke 1:32-33, 35). Mary also joyfully acknowledges God’s choice of her as His most favored one to serve as the Theotokos as great things done by beaddir (e.g. Isaiah 10:34; Luke 1:49), to which she responded to this with her fiat to serve as the handmaid of God (Luke 1:38; cf. 48). It seemed that Mary has been already hinted that she was destined to be the King’s Gebirah (Queen-Mother, e.g. 1 Kings 2:20), namely, the hail Holy Queen, the Mother of Mercy, the Queen of Heaven and Earth. Because of this great favor on her, for which Elizabeth blessed her, Mary knows her beatitude. And, she acknowledges kodesh is God’s name (hashem, adonai, YHWH).
In the second stanza (vv. 50-53), Mary shifts the gear from herself to God’s rachum (e.g. Deuteronomy 4:31) and tzedek (Deuteronomy 16:20). Here, Mary prophesizes how God’s rachum and tzedek, namely, mercy and justice, will be brought by the Son of God the Most High in her womb: strike the arrogant and lift up anawim (lowly ones), while the poor are fed and the rich are chastised unless they share their wealth with the poor. This is Mary’s prophecy that the Son in her womb, who is moshiah ben David (the savior of the Davidic lineage), is to bring God’s rachum and tzedek (mercy and justice) as the fulfillment of His chesed (covenant love and mercy).
Yes, Mary knew already for this prophetic foresight of what her Son, who is the Son of God the Most High will do.
So, in the last stanza (vv. 54-55), Mary affirms what is sung in Psalm 136, God’s chesed (covenant love and mercy), endures forever, as God keeps His promise (covenant) as he did to Abraham, for generations to come, as they remember His chesed.
The Magnificat canticle of Mary (Luke 1:46-55) also reflects that Mary is the woman in God's promise to destroy Satan (Genesis 3:15).
So now, we know the answer to Mark Lawry’s this song:
Mary did you know that your baby boy will some day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.
Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when your kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.
Oh Mary did you know
The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb
Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am.
Yes, indeed, Mary knew all this, as she had reflected in her canticle, known as the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55), while the incarnated Christ was still in her womb.
For this, Mary let her beloved Son go, when it was time to see John the Baptist to start his public ministry. Mary let him go when it was time for him to suffer and die on the Cross.
Yes, Mary knew that the Son in her womb was the fulfillment of the chesed of God the Most High, the Almighty (El Shaddai). So, she let him go away from her to let God’s will be fulfilled for us!
The First Reading (1 Samuel 1:24-28) reminds that Hannah, the mother of Samuel, also let her son go for him to become a more effective servant of God – for His will to be done through Samuel. So, it happen as Samuel, the son of Hannah was instrumental for God to anoint David as king (1 Samuel 16:12-13), as a prototype of Christ the King (Romans 1:3-4).
So, Hannah sung this canticle as she offered Samuel to God:
My heart exults in the LORD,
my horn is exalted by my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in your victory.
There is no Holy One like the LORD;
there is no Rock like our God.
Speak boastfully no longer,
Do not let arrogance issue from your mouths.
For an all-knowing God is the LORD,
a God who weighs actions.
The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry no longer have to toil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes.
The LORD puts to death and gives life,
casts down to Sheol and brings up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich,
humbles, and also exalts.
He raises the needy from the dust;
from the ash heap lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.
For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s,
and he has set the world upon them.
He guards the footsteps of his faithful ones,
but the wicked shall perish in the darkness;
for not by strength does one prevail.
The LORD’s foes shall be shattered;
the Most High in heaven thunders;
the LORD judges the ends of the earth.
May he give strength to his king,
and exalt the horn of his anointed! (2 Samuel 2:1-10).
It is no coincidence that Hannah’s canticle (1 Samuel 2:1-10) and Mary’s canticle (Luke 1:46-55) are strikingly similar in juxtaposition. Both of these mothers knew their respective sons were to be powerful instruments of God for His will to be done for us.
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