My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness
My soul proclaims your greatness, Lord; I sing my Savior’s praise!
You looked upon my lowliness, and I am full of grace.
Now ev’ry land and ev’ry age this blessing shall proclaim –
Great wonders you have done for me, and holy is your name.
“My soul magnifies the Lord! My spirit rejoices in my Savior! He has seen the humble state of my heart. And now all will call me Blessed!” The Magnificat
The beginning of Mary’s Song: what thankfulness, joy, excitement, and hope she expresses as she sings these words. In these few words, we begin to see some of the truths of Christmas. What joy Mary feels to find out that she is going to be blessed with a child, which is quite a joy in itself. But she has just received the news that her son will be the Son of God and the Savior of the World! By her expression we understand her thankfulness and her excitement for this most precious gift. Not only to her, but to the whole world. Her words also give the feeling of hope for the future. The people in those days had been praying and waiting for a Savior, and now he was coming! Imagine how that would make you feel!
Each Christmas Season I find myself experiencing these same feelings Mary felt a long time ago. When I was little I was often consumed with the excitement, hopefulness, joy and, thankfulness that surrounds all of the parties, family get-togethers, and of course all of the presents I would receive Christmas morning. At this point I did not really understand what the greatest gift we receive each Christmas was. As I have gotten older; although I still get really excited about all the parties, family get-togethers, decorating etc., I have begun to understand the reason for all of Mary’s feelings she so eloquently expresses. Each Christmas we receive the greatest gift of all: the Birth of our Savior, who came to give us life everlasting! And each Christmas season we are able to experience that anticipation that hope that joy, the birth of the Savior brings. And as Mary had a thankful hopeful heart, we too can look back on the year and be thankful for the blessings we have been given, and be hopeful for the blessings and memories to come. Each year as I sit in the Christmas Eve candlelight service, I find myself overwhelmed by the excitement, joy, and hope Christ brings, and each year during that service I say a little prayer thanking God for the many blessings I have been given, and for the miraculous gift of His Son, Emanuel!
Dear Lord: Thank you so much for allowing us to experience the anticipation, joy, excitement, and hope that surrounds the birth of your Son. May we never lose sight of the glory of this most precious gift. Help us not get too caught up in the hustle and bustle of the Season, but enjoy each moment we get to share with friends, family, and loved ones. In your Most Holy Name we pray. Amen.
Katie Pinson McNeil
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