Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Mary the Virgin, the principal feast of Mary in all branches of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic church, and indeed, in some Protestant churches as well. The honor paid to Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus Christ our Lord and God, goes back to the earliest days of the Church. Indeed, it goes back further, for even before the birth of her Son, Mary prophesied, "From this time forth, all generations shall call me blessed." The first Book of Samuel proclaims the song of Hannah. In presenting her child to God, Hannah invokes the ancient priestly instinct. The "Magnificat" of Mary is Hannah's song in a different octave!  Together they have become a lyrical manifestation of a people in praise of God.