My Soul Magnifies the Lord

Details: 08 January 2010

Immediately after the angel Gabriel left the Virgin Mary announcing the Incarnation, Mary went “with haste” (Lk 1:39) to visit and help her older cousin Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist. After the greeting of Elizabeth where she said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Lk 1:42), Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior …”(Lk 1:46-47).

Just days before Christmas, before I left the office to visit our staff across the diocese with little gifts of appreciation, I had an ‘urge’ to take some cash along. I have learned by experience that when these ‘urges’ or inspirations occur I need to take note, for things usually happen.

Once along the way, I met briefly with a brother priest who suggested I pay a visit to a young woman. As it turns out, I knew her personally and had concelebrated her wedding Mass. She had recently lost her husband and youngest daughter in a motor vehicle accident. She now lives with one of her sisters who recently lost her husband to the ravages of cancer. Since they are both unemployed and Christmas was near, they were suffering. Their pastor had just left their home after giving them some money for gifts for their children.

After opening the door and greeting me, she soon opened a photo album which contained many of her family pictures, including those of her wedding. She picked out two pictures that I will always keep, one with her and her late husband standing in front of the altar and the tabernacle containing Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and myself at their side, and another of her daughters - including the youngest who died in the crash. Yes, there were tears…

She related that her surviving daughters wondered why God would have allowed this to happen. Needless to say, I spent considerable time with her explaining the mystery of creation, original sin, the incarnation, redemption, the very reason the Son of God came to us around 2,000 years ago. Life itself was born in time to die, so we who were dead in sin could live. I, of course, was only reiterating the very things her pastor had related. Before I left, I gave her and her sister a little badly-needed money.

How does our soul magnify the Lord? By giving the love of God to others, especially those in need. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to the Blessed Virgin Mary because without her “yes,” the incarnation would not have happened. Without Mary, there would not be Jesus. As for the two sisters, helping them was only possible in part because of the generosity of the faithful of southern Nebraska.

To our faithful benefactors I also owe a debt of gratitude, for around Christmas we helped many more people than we ever did before… with emergency services, food, clothing, grants for counseling, and toys for more than 4,000 needy children (over 1,000 more than last year). I know that because the love of God lives in your hearts, your generosity will continue. This is comforting for me to know because Jesus Himself said, “The poor you always have with you” (Jn 12:8).

Please know that we at Catholic Social Services will keep you, your family and intentions in our prayers this New Year and beyond!