Throughout the month of August, our church will be contemplating St. Mary’s Song of Praise (Luke 1:46-55). This Song of Praise reveals the virtues of the Theotokos and the relationship she has with God. The first few verses of this Song of Praise focus on humility as St. Mary glorifies God saying, “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” (Luke 1:46-48).
When St. Mary says “My soul magnifies the Lord” (Luke 1:46), she is explaining how the glory of God will be revealed through her. To magnify is to make seen and the salvation of mankind is being seen through her giving birth to Christ. As Origen the Scholar explains, “As sin started by the woman (Eve) and moved along to the man (Adam); So did the salvation in the world through women, who have overcome the weakness of their gender.” Because sin entered the world through the mistake of a woman, salvation had to enter the world through the Theotokos. Yet, despite God selecting Mary to be the Theotokos, she does not bask in this glory and actually indicates that her “spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:47).
Rather than being filled with pride, St. Mary understands that she is still in need of salvation through a Savior. As Father Tadros Malaty explains, “St. Mary, with her great exaltation, is in need of salvation as any other human; for being, herself born, she bears the original serious sin, which we inherited from our first parents Adam and Eve.” This is the essence of humility. As St. Antony the Great explains, “Humility is to deem all humankind better than you, being certain in your heart that you are more sinful than all.” At a moment in which St. Mary could have easily glorified herself, she instead glorifies God and indicates that she is in need of salvation just like any of us.
The criteria by which God selected St. Mary to be the Theotokos is also important to note. St. Mary does not say that God chose her because of her fervent prayer life or fasting, rather He “looked on the humble estate of His servant” (Luke 1:48). As St. John El-Daragi explains, “If Satan fell from heaven by pride alone, humility alone lifts man to heaven.” St. Mary reveals to us this simple lesson. Humility is the key to salvation.
Lord, please allow us to regard you with a lowly and humble heart, just as St. Mary did when God called on her to give birth to our Lord Jesus Christ. You are our Savior. It is through You and only You that we will find salvation.
Sources:
- Bible, English Standard Bible
- Catena Bible
- Commentaries of the Gospel of St. Luke by Father Tadros Malaty
- SELECTED SAYINGS ON HUMILITY BY OUR CHURCH HOLY FATHERS, St. John the Beloved Coptic Orthodox Monastery.