In today's Malankara World Journal we explain the importance of Magnificat. You can learn more from our archives listed as well as from the Malankara World Supplement on St. Mary that can be found here:

http://www.MalankaraWorld.com/Library/shunoyo/StMary.htm 

Orthodox Church and Catholic Church honors St. Mary as 'Theotokos', meaning the mother of God. The protestant church passionately object to this; instead they call Mary the Mother of Jesus rather than Mother of God. Of course, both churches honor and respect St. Mary. We recognize the power of intercessionary prayers to St. Mary; the protestants don't.

Today, I came across the article, 'Mary, Holy Mother' by Dr. Scott Hahn, founder of The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, that may put to rest some of the arguments of the protestant church. Protestant Church gives great importance to what is in the bible (Sola Scriptura). Dr. Scott Hahn was a member of the Protestant Church. Later, he converted to Catholicism. So, he understands the teachings of both churches and the associated theology well. He is an ardent devotee of St. Mary now. Dr. Hahn looked at Luke 1 and discovered the importance of a quote we miss often.

"And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" - Luke 1:43 (KJV) (emphasis mine)

Protestants and evangelicals protest the use of the term Theotokos ("mother of God.") Dr. Hahn says they should see it's got a Biblical precedent in (Luke 1) verse 43, "the mother of my Lord". Elizabeth continues,

"For behold when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy and blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."

Dr. Hahn wrote,

John the Baptist, the forerunner of Messiah has already pointed out the word becoming flesh in Mary's womb while he was still in Elizabeth's womb! And Elizabeth, inspired by John the Baptist, calls Mary the Theotokos. It is in the Bible; it is inspired by the Holy Spirit. Mary is the Mother of God.

End of discussion.

Inspired by what Elizabeth said, Mary gives the discourse called Magnificat.

There are four Sundays between now to Christmas. This Sunday (Nov. 29) is the first Sunday of Advent according to Western Calendar. Many will decorate their houses with an advent wreath, a ring-shaped ornament made of evergreen, and an advent candle. The wreath is circular which has no beginning or end. This denotes everlasting. The evergreen will stay green throughout the advent into the Christmas Season. This is the time to recall the promises and covenants made by God to us. The fulfillment of the covenant is manifested by the birth of the child of God in human form to redeem the mankind from eternal damnation. Light the first candle this week denoting the the first week, waiting for the arrival of the light (the savior).

By the time you read this, the Thanksgiving will be over. Most people think they have nothing to thank for. They have a whole set of complaints, instead. Think of what people like Mary had to go through in life without complaining or the situation of the persecuted Christians in Iraq and Syria today. They have lost all they had and is spending time in refugee camps. Most do not complain. They trust God and do the best with the cards they are dealt with. Today I came across an interview with the legendary Warren Buffet, Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, and the second richest man in the world. (I am a big fan of his.)

Yahoo Finance asked him, "What gives you optimism right now?"

Warren Buffet answered:

How can you not be optimistic? If I'd been born 200 years ago, my life would have been just a tiny, tiny, tiny fraction of what it is now. Every time I get in a dentist chair I'm thankful it wasn't 100 years ago. They would've been pouring whiskey down me and holding me down. Everything: medicine, education, you know, just the conveniences of the life, transportation, entertainment, everything is dramatically better than it was 50 years ago.

In fact, I tell the students, these students in that class today are actually living better than John D. Rockefeller Senior lived when I was born. Here was the richest man in the world -- he could not travel as well as they can travel, he could not be entertained as well as they can be entertained, he did not have the medicine they have. In all kinds of ways they're living better than the richest man in the world lived at the time of my birth.

The luckiest group of babies ever born in the world are the babies being born in the United States today.

You can read the complete interview here:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/what-warren-buffett-is-most-optimistic-about-133456334.html

Everyone talks about the "good old days" and the problems with ISIS, etc. But Warren Buffet likes to look at the positive things. And that was why he is blessed to be one of the richest man on the planet and is described as the 'Oracle of Omaha'. He and Bill Gates, the richest man on earth, are also very generous. They have donated a sizable portion of their wealth to charity through Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that makes a difference all over the world. I am sure you will say that they can afford it because they are rich. But name a wealthy man (other than Jamshedji Tata) who has done anything for charity in India - Ambani, Mittal, ??

Take time off from your busy holiday season and reflect on what Mary said in Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).