The Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Mark Winward
Tomorrow is the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, so it is highly appropriate that we mark this important day in the Church calendar at our mid-week service. In the Roman Catholic Church, this is a major feast day known as the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, commemorating when Mary was taken bodily into heaven.
However, although she holds a preeminent place among the saints, Anglicans traditionally recognize only what the biblical record tells us about the Blessed Virgin Mary. Along with most Protestants and the Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglicans have not necessarily acknowledged Mary’s Assumption, her sinless life, or perpetual virginity—nor do they see her as an intercessor for believers.
Nevertheless, historically Anglicans have affirmed her honored place among the saints, the virgin birth, and her example for us in humility, obedience, and trust in God. Nothing expresses this better than the Magnificat in today’s Gospel selection from Matthew.
In keeping with Jewish tradition, Mary was most likely only twelve to fourteen years old. Yet, despite being engaged, despite the certainty of social rejection, and despite her world being turned upside down, Mary demonstrated courageous faith. Her response was that of a child—unrehearsed but bursting with joy: “My soul magnifies the Lord!” She then goes on to tell us who God is, what God has done, and what God is still doing in the world today.
First, the Magnificat is personal. Mary begins with “my soul, my spirit, my Savior.” This teenage peasant girl from an obscure village describes her relationship with God in the most personal terms. God turns the world upside down, beginning with this humble young girl.
She does not simply acknowledge her blessing—she magnifies it. Her small vision of God expands into something much greater, both in her own eyes and in the eyes of those around her.
Second, the Magnificat is prophetic.
Mary’s joyous song shifts from the personal to the universal. Written in the first century, her prophecy—“…from now on, all generations will call me blessed…”—has surely come true. Then, echoing the writer of Proverbs, “…the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…”, she affirms, “His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.”
It is not the proud, the powerful, or the rich whom God favors, but those who know their place before the Almighty. Notice what is turned upside down:
- The powerful are toppled.
- The humble are lifted.
- The hungry are fed.
- The rich are sent away empty.
Mary speaks of this future in faith as though it has already arrived.
Finally, the Magnificat is anchored in faithfulness.
Mary knows this is much bigger than herself or even her child. This is the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham, with her people, and with all humanity—that God will redeem history and this tired old world.
The Magnificat is not just the musings of an ancient scribe—it is the Mother of our Savior’s challenge to us today. Magnify God in your life and know Him personally through Mary’s child. Stand with God’s reversal of priorities: reject the self-important, lift up the lowly, feed the hungry. And finally, rest in God’s promises. Even when things look the darkest, remember God’s faithfulness to Mary and be assured that He will be faithful to you.
God turned the world upside down in the least likely place, with the least likely young woman, at the least likely time. Yet this humble girl challenges us to magnify God in our lives, stand for God’s priorities, and rest on God’s promises. So—are you ready for such a courageous faith?