NOTES:
1] LK's focus now shifts to Mary & the child she is to bear. 2] In 46-55 ('Magnificat') Mary recalls & reshapes Hannah's song at the birth of Samuel (1SAM2:1-10) It's a revolutionary song! Someone (I've forgotten who) wrote: "The red flag looks dim when Our Lady sings Magnificat in tones so soft & sweet" or very similar. 3] v.42, together with v.28, forms the basis for the 'Rosary'.

WARMING UP: Could we sing / say the Magnificat, or is it not (no longer?) part of our repertoire?

TREASURES OLD & NEW: Afterthoughts from, follow-up to last week's Group, or since?

EXPLORING GOSPEL:

39-45    Do we sense the strong 'connectedness' between Mary & Elizabeth is just because they're relatives? Or is it, more importantly, that each of them is also closely connected with God? Do we also sense in Mary (& Elizabeth, too) a connectedness with Hannah of 1000 years before, reflected in vv.46-55? Is this more than a 'women's network' (to rival the patriarchal ones that dominate both Hebrew Bible & our New Testament?) Are we ourselves 'networkers'? What do we think of those who 'network'? What network(s) do we belong to? Are any of them alternatives to traditional ones?

From our own experience, what are the charcteristics of blessedness? How are we to know when  it's Holy Spirit bringing on a deep religious experience (as in 41-42)? How do we recognize the 'genuine article'? Have we ever been in a position to do that? Do we ever, like Elizabeth, ask "Why me?" of a good experience, when many have become used to asking the question of a bad one?

46-55    How might we express 'magnifying the Lord' today? Do we often find ourselves 'rejoicing in God our Saviour'? Do we ever catch God 'looking with favour on our lowliness'? Are these ideas past their 'use by date', the old way of expressing them, or neither? If they're still valid, how might we take them to heart in the spirit of how (Hannah), Mary, & Elizabeth respond to God? What kind of responses do we make to God? Or are we short on responses to God these days?
How 'blessed' do we personally feel in day to day life? Very? Not much? What's 'blessed' anyway?

Picking up some of the words Mary uses, how much are qualities like: mighty, holy, mercy, strength, part of our experience of God today? Or even our expectation of God? Are God-qualities, God- actions like: 'showing strength with his arm..scattering the proud...bringing down the powerful...lifting up the lowly..filling the hungry with good things...sending the rich away empty..' just a pipe dream? If they are, is that God's fault or ours? How would we fare if we tried to put such ideals into practice? Any better than Jesus? Is that exactly what stops us taking them seriously?
How relevant to us today are the promises God once made long ago to our (Hebrew) spiritual ancestors?