Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Luke (1: 46-56) in which Mary sings the praise of God, saying ‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my Saviour…’In today’s Gospel, Mary rejoices over the favours that have been show to her by God.  ‘The Magnificat’, which is what we’ve heard in today’s Gospel is where we hear Mary proclaim and it sums up the Gospel.  There is the gratitude and praise of God. There is the tender reverence for the holiness of God.  God is so close and, yet, so distant.  There is God’s love for the hungry and the powerless.  Fr Paul says, think of how Luke stresses the poverty surrounding the birth of Jesus.  Luke is constantly aware of the dangers of wealth. So, with Mary’s song of praise she rejoices over the favours that God has given her, for our reflection today, Fr Paul asks, ‘What do I need to thank God for in my life?’