Mary's Magnificat: What is It?
The Significance and Meaning of the Magnificat
The Magnificat
Our Blessed Mother does not have a lot of recorded words in Sacred Scripture. She says a few words to the Angel Gabriel and she tells the servants at the Wedding Feast at Cana to “do whatever He tells you.” But the Blessed Virgin Mary has a rather lengthy soliloquy in the Gospel of Luke called the Magnificat.
The Magnificat is sometimes called the Canticle of Mary and is found in Luke 1:46-55. It is a hymn of praise and thanksgiving to God. In the Latin Rite and many other traditions, the Magnificat is recited during Evening Prayers of the Divine Office.
But what is it? And what is our Blessed Mother saying?
First, let’s start with the text:
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior,
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever." (Luke 1:46-55)
We will make a few remarks on each section of the Magnificat and then I will offer a reflection on the hymn as a whole.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
Mary begins her hymn of thanksgiving and praise by acknowledging what is true about God: that He is great. And she could have said: “God is great.” But by saying “my soul proclaims,” she is showing us the metaphysical reality that we are body and soul and the powers of intellect and will reside in the soul. By beginning this way, she is also showing the heights of true Christian humility.
my spirit rejoices in God my savior,
Humility is nothing more than standing before God as we are, no more and no less. We see God as He is and we see ourselves as God sees us. What is the fruit of humility? It is joy! And Mary rejoices in God who came to save us. Not only that, but Mary is keenly aware by this point in the Gospel that she is taking part in a particular way in God’s redemptive plan for the world. Though we as Catholics acknowledge that Mary was born without the stain of original sin by a singular grace, we completely acknowledge that this is the fruit, outside of time, of Christ’s act of redemption upon the Cross.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
God loves the poor in spirit. Well, God loves all. But His heart and His kingdom belong to the humble of heart who know who they are before God. Mary is not distracted. She knows that she is lowly and in need of God; she knows that she is His willing servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
As the Mother of Jesus, the mother of the Messiah, Mary has a unique role in salvation history. Certainly, this grace is a tremendous honor. She would soon after her Assumption be crowned as Queen of Heaven and Earth. Every generation since her fiat has called her blessed. And still, we rightly call her the Blessed Virgin Mary and Blessed Mother.
the Almighty has done great things for me ,and holy is his Name.
Mary said ‘yes’ to God’s plan through the Angel Gabriel. Mary knows that her great station as blessed among all generations is due first and foremost to God’s action. As we all should foster, Blessed Mary has a deep sense of wonder and awe of the Lord and knows that His holy Name must be revered. He is “I AM WHO AM” - He is the ground of being. In Him, we live, and move, and have our being. Apart from Him, we do not exist.
He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation.
We stand before God who made the heavens and the earth, tremendous in majesty and worthy of awe and wonder. What are we other than sinful, fallen creatures? Of course, Mary was without sin, but her preservation at the beginning was a gift of grace as well. God’s mercy is extended to those who fear Him, who behold Him with authentic wonder and awe.
He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly.
The so-called “God of the Old Testament” was one of justice and wrath. Of course, this is a mischaracterization of the Almighty. We see just judgement and wrath, but we also see tremendous mercy and love. But as God rained down fire and brimstone on Sodom or made the walls of Jericho come crashing down, He has overwhelming strength. To the proud, He will bring them down in the end, and the humble will be lifted up. There is a great reversal from worldly expectations.
One of the most beautiful realities of the Blessed Virgin Mary is her witness to the truth, often without speaking a word. She, a humble girl from Nazareth, has become the Queen of the Angels. It is not because she was proud. It is not because she earned anything special. It is because of who she is: a humble lover of Almighty God. Her will is to do the will of God, always.
He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
Throughout the Old Testament, we see God’s particular care and concern for the widow and the orphan. The materially poor have a special place in God’s priorities for us. Today, we call this the preferential option for the poor. It is not that being rich is evil; rather Scripture says that the love of money is the root of all evil. So, the Lord issues a challenge to the rich to be generous and give of their excess to those in need. When the Blessed Virgin says that He has filled the hungry with good things, she is well aware, as are we, that this is often through the ordinary means of fraternal charity. We see our fellow man in need and we meet their needs.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever.
Finally, Mary recalls that God has made covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David. He promised to be with the Chosen People of Israel and draw them out of the slavery to sin. This New Covenant, in Jesus Christ, would fulfill all previous covenants and continue for all time. Mary knew that the time had come because it had been revealed to her by the Angel Gabriel (Yes… Mary knew, lest that horrible Christmas song convince us otherwise…).
The Big Picture
So, what is happening here? The Blessed Mother gives us this hymn of thanksgiving and praise to encapsulate the broad themes of the Christian life: humility, gratitude, joy, justice, God’s faithfulness. As with her whole life, Mary offers us the model of Christian discipleship and prayer. She gives us the vision to see God’s transformative power in our own life and in the world.
It is also clear to anyone familiar with the Old Testament that Mary is taking the Song of Hannah, the mother of Samuel, and making it her own. Without going into detail, you will be able to clearly see the parallels:
1 My heart exults in the Lord;
my horn is exalted in the Lord.
My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.2 “There is none holy like the Lord:
for there is none besides you;
there is no rock like our God.
3 Talk no more so very proudly,
let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and by him actions are weighed.
4 The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the feeble bind on strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.
The barren has borne seven,
but she who has many children is forlorn.
6 The Lord kills and brings to life;
he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low and he exalts.
8 He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's,
and on them he has set the world.9 “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,
for not by might shall a man prevail.
10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces;
against them he will thunder in heaven.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
he will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed. (1 Samuel 2:1-10)
We see a tremendous continuity between what is acclaimed by the mother of Samuel and what is later acclaimed by the Mother of God. What is starkly different is the proclamation of the Gospel: He has come to the help of His servant Israel.
Mary knows that the child in her womb is the Christ who is to be named Jesus (“God saves us”). He is Emmanuel (“God with us”). He is the promised of ages. And He will rescue His people from their sins.
Thanks be to God. May our souls, too, proclaim the greatness of the Lord and rejoice in God our savior! Amen.