A translation of the article “ Величит душа моя Господа ” from the Stephanus issue 4|2021 of the Russian site
The original source of the first two chapters of Luke's Gospel was undoubtedly Mary's testimony, which, full of grace and truth, recounts the coming of the Savior into this world. After a span of more than 33 years, she reverently repeated the praise she had uttered in her virginity: "My soul magnifies the Lord" (Luke 1:46). Mary, a true servant of the Lord, drew these words anew from the depths of her heart. And it is evident that they not only came from her memory, but she was truly living them! And this beauty of spirit, this vigor of soul, this strength of faith conveyed through the gospel is now a precious source of blessing for all who desire to magnify God in their hearts.
The praise of Mary is the prayer that God offers from His throne to the brokenhearted. It was born in the dire circumstances of Mary's life. Just imagine: an unmarried, betrothed virgin must bear a child! In the East, she was stoned for this. Not a single generation in the last two thousand years has been without people spreading vile rumors about it. And here she is, the Virgin Mary, who looks only to God and pays no heed to the opinions of men. Her words are: " My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior" (Luke 1:46-47) .
What a sublimity! If God, then the Savior! Calvary is still a long way off, but the Lord enters Mary's life with only one purpose and in only one capacity—He is her Savior and Redeemer! And Mary understands this and accepts it. He is not the one to whom one can say, "We now have such a relationship that I must ask you for something." These are earthly thoughts. The relationship between Mary and the Lord, however, is based on the perfect readiness to accept what the Lord gave her. When we approach God's throne, we must learn from those who have been there. Their knowledge and understanding of God is endorsed and given to us by the Holy Spirit in the pages of Scripture.
If we consider the praise of Mary from a purely practical perspective, we must learn to pray in this way before God. Whether this applies to you or not often depends on your spiritual condition. If God has not revealed Himself to you as your Savior, if you do not thirst for Him, and if you do not remember that He has saved you, then you must reflect on your spiritual state. Therefore, try to pray in this way, and the words from the throne of God will enliven, renew, and purify your heart.
“Because he has looked upon the lowliness of his servant, for behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name” (Luke 1:48-49).
Even approaching God's throne is something great for us. What has the Lord done for us? The mighty one created majesty. His power and might are such that they can lift a person to heaven through prayer, or in other words, exalt them. This is the essence of prayer. How does the Lord do this? He looks to our humility, for humility arises from the recognition of God's greatness and love. And holy is His name. But God's holiness lies in His love. He has washed us with His blood, given us the ability to live, and allowed us to turn to Him with our faith. We may call ourselves His children and worship Him in spirit and in truth, drawing life from His Word.
Humility lies in the recognition of His majesty and love. And if we do not trust God's love, it is necessary that we ask for forgiveness. We can lift our hearts to Him in simple words: "Forgive me for thanking You so little, for the loneliness, bitterness, and fear that still remain in my heart, and for not yet feeling Your victory. But holy is Your name, and Your love is great, to feel it and be strengthened in faith." And only after the soul has lifted up God and the spirit has rejoiced can we ask for something and expect it, for the Lord will look upon a humble heart.
“His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation” (Luke 1:50) .
This must be repeated and remembered. Often it seems to us that God bestows His mercy indiscriminately. But that is not so. His mercy is more precious than pearls and more precious than gold purified by fire! It does not extend to those who ask for their ungodly desires and lusts. God grants mercy to those who fear Him and obey His voice. Lord, let us be among those who fear You and never—never—leave their bed!
“He has done mighty things with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the mind of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty” (Luke 1:51-53).
This is a very important part of prayer. It is spoken after we have praised the Lord and our spirits have rejoiced. After we have glorified God, we stand humbly before His throne. And then the Lord fills the humble with the majesty of God and lets the rich go away empty-handed. And do not allow yourself to pray as the Pharisee prayed: “I thank you that I am not like other people” (Luke 18:11). Instead, the words of the Apostle Paul should be heard from our lips: “[You] came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst” (1 Timothy 1:15). God’s mercy is very great, but only to the humble and those who fear Him. But He will scatter the proud in the minds of their hearts.
Interestingly, this part of Mary's prayer is written in the past tense (in the Russian translation), which means that the Lord has already done everything! It's not worth thinking that He is just about to do, scatter, remove, raise up, fulfill, or send away. We simply cannot see with our physical eyes what God has already done. Lord, help us to understand this very important and essential part of the prayer! It is a profession of our faith. We rarely pray this prayer, yet we affirm its holy principles for living. And whoever does not pray such a prayer will sooner or later say, "I have a weak faith, and I hope for nothing more than that my loved ones will convert so that my problems will be solved, for I have no strength left." Only the person who constantly exalts God, thirsts and hungers for God, loves Him with all their heart, with all their mind, and with all their strength, will understand that the Lord "satisfies the hungry with good things" (He has already satisfied!).
“He will help his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and his descendants, forever!” (Luke 1:54-55).
Mary had no other people. She prayed for Israel. For us today, it is also a prayer for the church, for the faithful. God is great; today He is the head, not only of Israel. These words fully reflect what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Gentiles: “My great sorrow and the desire of my heart, and my prayer to God for Israel’s salvation.” Praying for Israel’s salvation is a great blessing for the children of God, for through the blessing of Israel, each of us will be blessed by God. Now that the Gentile era is drawing to a close before our eyes, and the time has come for the conversion of Israel, the establishment of the Church of Israel, and the return of the Word of Christ to Zion, our unanimous prayers are especially precious to God. We must pray that God’s mercy toward Israel be remembered. We must remember His great promises to His firstborn and that He is the King of the Jews who died on the cross.
I am not asking you to simply read this prayer day after day. May the spirit that permeates it preserve freedom in each of us!
Our prayers are often cold, bleak, indifferent, and full of unbelief. They can be very different from Mary's uplifting prayer. It seems to us that we must fully expose the workings of our fallen mind and the searching of the lost soul. It is necessary to direct our hearts toward the crucifixion of the flesh and to win our souls for Christ.
For those who cannot pray: Open the Book of Praise of Mary or any psalm that glorifies the Most High. Reflect on what it speaks of. It certainly requires a considerable struggle of the mind and spiritual crucifixion, inner stillness, and complete freedom from worldly vanity. Pray in this way for an hour, and the wind from God's mountains and from His throne will descend into your heart, transform it, and fill it with joy. And you will possess the same divine feelings that made Mary exclaim, "My soul magnifies the Lord!"
Leonid Odessky,
Tel Aviv