Day 16: Hope of the Humble

“Mary’s song, Magnificat, strengthens the hope of the humble, the hungry, the faithful servants of God. These are the men and women of the Beatitudes who, even in tribulation, already see the invisible: the mighty cast down from their thrones, the rich sent away empty, the promises of God fulfilled.”  – Pope Leo XIV

With tears brimming in my eyes and my heart swelling, I begin to whisper the words, “Your soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, our spirits rejoice in God our Savior…” I am in the delivery room of MedStar Hospital in Washington DC. My wife is laying in the hospital bed holding our newborn son in her arms. Not even yet named, speechless to have this small bundle finally here, the words of the Magnificat, adapted to fit the occasion, tumble from our lips, the first prayer of our new family together. 

We decided to pray the Magnificat because of its tremendous confidence, its bold promise, and its loving vision of hope that we hoped would lead our new child’s life. I imagined Mary singing this song to her cousin, her heart swelling, her tears spilling over too. Her smile and joy, present on her face. 

I hope we will teach our son, Leo, to always pray the Magnificat and to remember that it was said for him on the day of his birth. It is a prayer that is both a promise fulfilled and a day hoped for. The Almighty indeed has done great things for us. We are alive! From that joy, the lowly must be lifted up. From that spirit of life, we must strive to bring about His promise of mercy to all. What a gift it would be if the words of the Magnificat can be a blueprint for his life.

I do not think there is anyone more humble than a newborn. Entirely dependent on others, newborns let their hopes be heard, loudly, with each cry of hunger or discomfort. They are powerless to change their status but they cry out in hope that we, their parents, will do something to change it for them, and we do! 

Sitting with this image of a newborn, I wonder how I might imitate them in my relationship with God. Do I cry out to God in confidence that He will hear me? How am I finding rest in the arms of God when I am in a place of stillness? How do I let God reassure me when I am crying and in need? 

Being a new parent, I see how often Leo calls on us to be there for him. Sometimes in the middle of the night, sometimes when it seems all his needs are taken care of. As his parents, we always respond. We try to give him what he needs and try to discern what’s best for him. If I am able to do that, how much more can God do the same for me if I surrender to Him? 

When Leo is particularly tired, it is often when he cries the most. It is funny that the thing Leo needs most is actually to be quiet and go to sleep but instead, he cries out to signal that he is tired. How often do I do the thing that is opposite of what I really need? How do I get back on track? Leo shows me the answer. He lets himself be soothed by my presence and my voice and my rocking and falls asleep. Let us all do our best to do the same with God!

Question for Reflection: How can you imitate a humble newborn in your relationship with God?