“In every generation, there has to be some fool who will speak the truth as he sees it.”
~ Boris Pasternak
Mary has many title with which we honor her: Mother of God, Queen of Heaven, Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix of All Graces, Madonna, Blessed Mother. But hardly ever as a Prophet.
Prophets are important persons in the Bible. The usual view of prophets are persons who can foretell the future. I But in the words of Pasternak, they are “fools who speak the truth as they see it.” They see truth clearly and they see the consequences when truth is debased. They see clearly God’s will and plan and can tell its unfolding. And people believe they can see the future when all they do is to speak the truth as it is. And one often has to be a fool to speak the truth, specially if it is contrary to what those in power believe. Just look at John the Baptizer and Jesus himself.
Mary spoke the truth as she saw it. In her song, the Magnificat, she declares the truth and the plan and will of God for his people:
- 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 humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
In response to God’s call and will, her response was the response of all the prophets who came before her: “May it be done unto me according to thy word.”
In our times, specially now, I hold dear and close to my heart the prophetic words of Mary – that God will scatter the the proud and cast down the mighty who oppress and abuse the humble and the poor whom he will lift up and fill with good things. her words are as relevant and meaningful today as they were thousand of years ago. Her actions are are right path then; they are still now. Goodness will always triumph over evil. light over the darkness and life over death. This truth will set us free and will give us hope. And the hope deep in our hearts will strengthen out faith.