The Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church reflects on the Magnificat, the words recorded in the Gospel of Luke as being spoken by Mary.

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is His Name. He has mercy on those who fear Him in every generation. He has shown the strength of His arm, He has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has come to the help of His servant Israel, for He has remembered His promise of mercy, the promise He made to our forebears, to Abraham and His children forever.

“This Christmastide as we look upon the crib we remember not simply the birth of a child, but the birth of the Christ Child. God incarnate here among us. And we listen to those words that Mary spoke when she was greeted by Elizabeth. Words not of humbleness, words not of cuteness, words of power. Words talking about turning the world upside down. Words that talked about the powerful being cast down. Words that talked about the hungry being lifted up.

“This Christmastide help us to remember that our task is not to be simply warm and cuddly, but to be people prepared to speak of the power of God. To share that power, to enable the World to know that the child born in Bethlehem, the child that has grown among us, who died for us, and who rose again, is a child, as his mother Mary declared, is a child to change the world. To bring God’s love in to the world. And for us to share that love throughout all of our lives, so that we can truly, truly declare: unto us a Son is born, unto us a Child is given.”

– St Andrew’s Church, Fortrose, Christmas Day 2019