The Magnificat--Mary's Song of Praise

by Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is called The Magnificat. In sung Latin, this is pronounced mahn-yee-fee-kaht, emphasis on the second syllable. The words are found in Luke 1:46-55. These are the recorded words of Mary at learning that she is to be the mother of the Son of God.

I cannot imagine being the very young Mary and hearing that she has been chosen from among all the women on the face of the earth to carry within her, God’s only Son, the Savior of the world, the long-awaited Messiah. Her words are so beautiful, I am in awe of her ability to express so eloquently what she felt at the time.

Music Is a Fair and Glorious Gift of God

By Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

This has been a week in which my life was enriched by a musical experience. That isn’t unusual since I am a musician, but I had the privilege of hearing the Tampa Bay Symphony play their last concert of the year. They were joined by Jeffrey Multer, Concert Master of the Florida Orchestra. He played Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D Major, Opus 35. I wish you had been there, as it was a superb performance by Mr. Multer and the symphony members. That performance brought to mind the quote that is the title of this post. In doing a search for its origins, I found these quotes, all by Martin Luther. The title of this post is also attributed to him.