Magnifying Littleness
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“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
Far from being blinded by the arrogance of seeking mighty things, the Immaculate Heart is lifted up - she clearly can see what the Lord has done for her. Like some kind of precursor to the Assumption, she is lifted up above the ones that thought themselves great and the noise of this world that clings to false notions of magnanimity to breathe the clear air reality - God is good.
To call her “blessed” isn’t a self-imposed accolade… it is a statement of what is true - how could one not call her blessed in light of seeing the strength of His arm… how he scatters the proud and brings down the mighty?
Yet, we still busy ourselves with endless attempts to seek the lie of the mighty, filling ourselves with superficial visions of heaven that will be brought low by His strength.
This is also what is true - sooner or later - we will be cut down. Whether we kneel before Him now or at the hour of death, the pale horse approaches.
The gaze returns to her, not proud, nor arrogant, but one who had hungered and is now satisfied. To be poor - it mustn’t be that bad - better than being sent away empty.
How oddly beautiful - to be poor. How can this poor, little heart be so beautiful? Is it not a heart covered in filth or a heart that is mentally ill or heart that has been abandoned or the heart that has given up?
Perhaps wrapped in what may be or seem ugly, is an anamnetic heart - a heart that ponders and remembers. A heart that remembers with the One who remembers all - especially His promises.
Why have hope? Because He is worthy of praise. Even if found in the fetal position, face covered in tears - He is worth of praise… praise you Jesus.
To speak of what is good, true, and beautiful demands a heart that is little. Such big things - goodness, truth, beauty - would seem to only fit in a heart that is equally as large; yet, let’s not confuse littleness of heart with a weak faith, oftentimes overcompensated with arrogance, a littleness of self in the worst of ways.
No, a true littleness of heart places us firmly within the Beatitudes - the poor in spirit - it aligns our hearts with the Immaculate Heart.