Advent 3c,           December 17, 2006

In one culture, a person is born with a song. Jack Kornfield writes in his book “How, Then, Shall We Live?” it is the custom in one African tribe that each person has their own particular song. It begins at birth.

When a woman wants to have a child, she goes and sits alone under a tree, and she listens. She listens until she hears the song of the child she will bring into the world. Once she hears the song, she returns to her husband and teaches the song to him. As they try to have a baby, they sing the song the woman has chosen for the baby.

Once that woman gets pregnant, she teaches the child's song to the midwives and old women of the village. When she gives birth, all the women surround her and the newborn baby to welcome the baby into the world and into their village. As the child grows up, the whole village learns the song.

If the child falls or hurts his knee someone picks him up and sings the song. When the child does something wonderful, the people of the village sing the child’s song. As the child grows up and becomes an adult, the villagers all sing the song with each rite of passage. When the child becomes an adult, they all sing the song. When the child gets married, the songs of both the new husband and new wife are sung together. Finally, when a person lies in bed and is ready to die, all the villagers sing it for the last time.

We certainly don’t have that custom in our culture. But if we did, what how would your song go? Perhaps that’s just too over the top right now. Then, what’s the favorite song in your life? What song, when you hear it, sings the song within your own heart and soul? Perhaps your song would be a song that steps aside from deep sorrow and true joy.

We don’t have that custom in our culture, but I have been to a few Christmas parties. At many Christmas parties, people will sing karaoke songs that reflect their own life story. I did an internet search on favorite karaoke songs. From all the songs I’ve heard people sing, I really expected to find Frank Sinatra’s “I did It My Way” near the top, followed by “I’ll Walk the Line” second, by Johnny Cash. But I was surprised. Maybe that tells you about the kind of people I hear signing! :-)

I was surprised to find out the most popular song today at karaoke.com is, “Before He Cheats,” by Carrie Underwood. I suppose one reason is that many people are recently heartbroken by their failed relationships. Come to think of it, during the Christmas season I hear lots of stories of cheating hearts and broken relationships.

But I was even more surprised to find that the second most popular song was “Mary Did you Know?” This song about Mary and her baby has been recorded by at least a dozen different singers. Listen to this one by Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Judd.

(Play Mary Did You Know)

This song asks question. Did Mary, the mother of Jesus know what her baby was going to do and become? Today's Gospel answers that question. Yes, she certainly did know.

The gospel reading tells us that the young pregnant Mary sings her song about her child, who he is, and who he will become. She sings it in response to her cousin Elizabeth's spirited greeting, Hail Mary, full of grace, blessed is the fruit of your womb. Mary’s song is rooted in the faithful consummation of her relation to God through the child God has conceived with her.

Nowhere in the song do we hear the name of her child, but somehow he is there in every phrase. Jesus! This song echoes in the events of her son's life, his death, and his exaltation. The song celebrates the God who keeps promises not only to Abraham, but also to us.

Mary is the one human being who knew Jesus the best, influenced him most, and remained faithful to him even when most of the other disciples had abandoned him on the cross. Mary's song, The Magnificat, is a central text in the liturgy of the historic Church. Who knows what number of settings musicians have composed for it through the years? Who knows how many voices have joined with Mary’s in singing her song through the centuries?

I’ll ask Lorena to sing it now.

(Lorena Sings Magnificat)

Mary’s song, The Magnificat announces that God scatters the prideful, dethrones the powerful, and drives away the rich. The God of the Magnificat takes sides, lifting up the lowly, providing a feast for the destitute. Like mother, like son! Jesus preached and lived what is known as the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes call those in need, those who hunger, those who weep are blessed by God. Jesus opens the kingdom of God, but the doorway to has a low lintel; all must bow to enter.

The song pronounces the redemption Jesus achieved once for all, but that continues to unfold in those who hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. The overthrow of oppression that Mary's song proclaims turns out to be a continuing revolution that all people free from sin and captivity. It is a battle cry against all evil, and the battleground is every community of people and every human heart. Faith is the search to hear and sing this song each day. I assure you, Mary sung this song for you and for us all!

Let us sing her song to our children and to our children’s children. Sing it in the hope that comes from a heart full of God’s grace. Let us live in a way that magnifies and rejoices in the Lord. We can do this by the grace of her Son, Jesus. The song that turned out true in his life can turn out true in ours as well.

Let us sing The Magnificat with our lives in our families, in our church, in our communities. When our final hour arrives, may we hear this song of divine triumph sounding in our hearts and ringing all around us and know it as our own. For the God who kept faith with Abraham, and Mary, and Jesus, and every past generation keeps faith with us as well.

Amen