ACC ~ Luke 1 v46 - 49

SALVATION BEGINS WITH WOMEN

ORIGEN: Elizabeth prophesies before John. Before the birth of the Lord and Savior, Mary prophesies. Sin began from the woman and then spread to the man. In the same way, salvation had its first beginnings from women. Thus the rest of women can also lay aside the weakness of their sex and imitate as closely as possible the lives and conduct of these holy women whom the Gospel now describes. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 8.1. [1]

[1] FC 94:33.

MARY PREACHES THE NEW KINGDOM

EPHREM THE SYRIAN: [Mary] revealed to Elizabeth what the angel spoke to her in secret, and that he called her blessed because she believed in the realization of the prophecy and the teaching that she heard. Then Mary gently brought forth the fruit of what she heard from the angel and Elizabeth: “My soul bless the Lord.” Elizabeth had said, “Blessed is she who has believed,” and Mary replied, “From henceforth all generations will call me blessed.” It was then that Mary began to preach the new kingdom. “She returned home after three months,” so that the Lord whom she was carrying would not begin service before his servant. She returned to her husband to clarify the matter, for if she had become pregnant through human fruit, it would have been appropriate for her to flee from her husband. COMMENTARY ON TATIAN’S DIATESSARON 1.28. [1]

[1] ECTD 56-57*.

THE LORD IS MAGNIFIED IN OUR IMAGE OF HIM

ORIGEN: Let us consider the Virgin’s prophecy. She says, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” Two subjects, “soul” and “spirit,” carry out a double praise. The soul praises the Lord, the Spirit praises God—not because the praise of the Lord differs from the praise of God but because he who is God is also Lord, and he who is Lord is also God.

We ask how a soul can magnify the Lord. The Lord can undergo neither increase nor loss. He is what he is. Thus, why does Mary now say, “My soul magnifies the Lord?”… My soul is not directly an image of God. It was created as the image of an Image that already existed. … Each one of us shapes his soul into the image of Christ and makes either a larger or a smaller image of him. The image is either dingy and dirty, or it is clean and bright and corresponds to the form of the original. Therefore, when I make the image of the Image—that is, my soul—large and magnify it by work, thought and speech, then the Lord himself is magnified in my soul, because it is an image of him. Just as the Lord is thus magnified in our image of him, so too, if we are sinners, he diminishes and decreases.

But surely the Lord is not diminished, nor does he decrease. Rather, we create other images in ourselves instead of the Savior’s image. Instead of being the image of the Word, or of wisdom, justice and the rest of the virtues, we assume the form of the devil. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 8.1-3. [1]

[1] FC 94:33-34*.

MARY PROCLAIMS HER HUMILITY AND GOD’S HOLINESS

BEDE: In the following words she teaches us how worthless she felt of herself and that she received by the heavenly grace that was lavished on her every sort of good merit that she had. She says, “For he has considered the humility of his handmaid. For behold from this time on all generations will call me blessed.” She demonstrates that in her own judgment she was indeed Christ’s humble handmaid, but with respect to heavenly grace she pronounces herself all at once lifted up and glorified to such a degree that rightly her preeminent blessedness would be marveled at by the voices of all nations. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPELS 1.4. [1]

[1] CS 110:36-37**.

GOD DOES POWERFUL THINGS FOR THE HUMBLE

ORIGEN: “For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.” If I take “all generations” literally, I apply it to believers. But, if I search for something more profound, I will notice how valuable it is to join to it, “because he who is powerful has done great things for me.” For “everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.” God looked upon the blessed Mary’s humility, and on account of it “he who is powerful did great things for her, and holy is his name.” HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 8.6. [1]

[1] FC 94:36*.