The Meaning of the Magnificat
- Text: Luke 1:46-55. ...
- The Setting (vs. ...
- “Magnify the Lord” when we are blessed (46-49) The “Magnificat” is actually Mary’s response to this amazing scene. ...
- God Uses the Weak (50-53) Mary goes beyond noting her personal blessing, though. ...
- God Keeps His Covenant (50, 54-55) Mary connects this theme of God working through the weak with His covenant. ...
What does the Magnificat mean in the Bible?
As we will see, the Magnificat is Mary’s response of joy and worship to the announcement of God’s salvation. That He would choose her as a vessel of His grace overwhelms her soul. She praises His name. In this song, Mary shows us how to receive God’s grace. She explains how God always works.
Why is Mary's response called the Magnificat?
The reason Mary's poetic response is referred to as the Magnificat is because in Latin, magnificat (meaning "magnify," "glorify," "exalt," etc.) is the first word of her response. In this reply, Mary glorified God for blessing her and for His faithfulness to Israel.
Why did Mary Magdalen sing the Magnificat?
Luke devotes a good deal of space to her in the beginning of his gospel. Our text today is one such space, her famous “song,” the Magnificat, which has held a special place in Christian history. I’d like for us to take a look at it today. As we will see, the Magnificat is Mary’s response of joy and worship to the announcement of God’s salvation.
What does it mean when Mary says my Soul magnify the Lord?
The “Magnificat” is actually Mary’s response to this amazing scene. After Elizabeth blesses her, she says, “My soul magnifies the Lord.” This expression means that Mary’s soul, her innermost being, exalts the Lord. She makes His name great. She gives Him glory.
What is the meaning of the prayer Magnificat?
1:003:54The Meaning of the Magnificat Prayer - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWhat is it that magnifies the Lord magnifies the Lord's presence in our lives in our hearts. AndMoreWhat is it that magnifies the Lord magnifies the Lord's presence in our lives in our hearts. And then secondly the translation we might we say you know my soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.
What does the Magnificat teach about Mary and the kingdom of God?
Mary is considered to be the perfect disciple. The magnificat is a prayer that Mary says to celebrate God and all he has done for her. The prayer details how God has fulifilled the promises made to Israel and Mary's trust and acceptance in God.
Did Mary really say the Magnificat?
Magnificat, also called Canticle of Mary or Ode of the Theotokos, in Christianity, the hymn of praise by Mary, the mother of Jesus, found in Luke 1:46–55.
What can we learn from Mary?
The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus” (Luke 1:30-31). In the heart of the Lenten season, Christians await Resurrection Sunday with eager anticipation.
What is the Magnificat about?
The Magnificat also highlights a series of reversals in which the proud are humbled and the humble are exalted—not the least being a poor young girl who will be the mother of the Messiah. for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. and holy is his name. from generation to generation.
What is the Magnificat in Luke 1?
Answer. The Magnificat is Mary’s prayer/poem/hymn of praise found in Luke 1:46–55. Luke 1 records many of the events preliminary to the birth of Jesus, leading up to the famous passage in Luke 2. The Magnificat is part of this introductory section of Luke. Luke 1:5–24 foretells the coming of John the Baptist, who is to prepare the way for ...
Who was pregnant when she heard Mary's voice?
Elizabeth, who is about 6 months pregnant at this time, is filled with the Holy Spirit and reports that, the moment she heard Mary’s voice, her unborn baby (John) leaped in her womb. Elizabeth then goes on to bless Mary. In Luke 1:46–55 Mary responds to Elizabeth’ s blessing with what is now commonly called the Magnificat.
Who is Zechariah's wife?
This is shocking news, since Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, are childless. Elizabeth had been barren and is well past child-bearing years.
Is Elizabeth a virgin?
Elizabeth also happens to be the cousin of Mary. In Luke 1:26–38 an angel appears to Mary and explains that, even though she is a virgin, she is to give birth to the Messiah.
Did Mary sing the Magnificat?
Some Bibles will label this passage the “Song of Mary,” although the Bible does not report that she sang it. (The Magnificat is poetic and is now sung at various services during the Advent/Christmas season, especially in churches with a liturgical tradition.) The first line of Mary’s response is translated variously:
What is the Magnificat of Mary?
In short, the Magnificat is Mary's hymn of praise recorded in Luke 1:46–55 spoken in response to her cousin Elizabeth's greeting and blessing. Finding herself pregnant after the angel Gabriel's visit, Mary went to Elizabeth's house to see if Elizabeth was also pregnant like the angel had said. Elizabeth was visibly pregnant, being six months along ...
Why is Mary's poem called the Magnificat?
In this reply, Mary glorified God for blessing her and for His faithfulness to Israel.
What is Mary's response to the birth of Christ?
Mary's response is one of four hymns of praise recorded in Luke in response to the birth of Christ. The other three are Zechariah's Benedictus ( Luke 1:67–79 ), the angels' Gloria in Excelsis Deo ( Luke 2:13–14 ), and Simeon's Nunc Dimittis ( Luke 2:28–32 ).
Who was pregnant when Mary arrived?
Elizabeth was visibly pregnant, being six months along in her pregnancy with John the Baptist who leapt inside her womb when Mary arrived. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth exclaimed, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
The Canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Scott P. Richert is senior content network manager of Our Sunday Visitor. He has written about Catholicism for outlets including Humanitas and Catholic Answers Magazine.
Definitions of Words Used in the Magnificat
Handmaid: a female servant, especially one attached to her master by affection
What is Mary's song about?
Since Mary’s song follows the Bible’s covenant-literary “matrix,” it is also a subtle retelling of Israel’s history , one which includes both Adam and Abraham. Read in this light, the song is not only a celebration of promises soon to be fulfilled for all humanity, but also the pronouncement of a threat to “the kings of the earth” ( Revelation 6:15; 17:2; 18:9; 21:24 ). These were the rulers of the oikoumene, a social construct based upon the sacred architecture which existed before the flood: the Pharisees (Garden), the Herods (Land) and the Caesars (World). This “liturgical” confession of Mary is every bit as threatening as the curses upon Israel from the lips of Goliath ( 1 Samuel 17:26; 43-44 ).
Is Mary's song political?
Mary’s song is indeed political, but she sings as part of a triune process, one sourced in heaven but measured out on the earth. Once the architectural significance of the Magnificat is understood, its beauty becomes even more apparent:
What is Mary's Magnificat song?
Mary’s song, also known as the Magnificat, is an inspiring piece of Scripture. Her words are profound in the face of what she was about to do. We don’t know what she was thinking regarding the pregnancy. We don’t have a written word that describes her fear of what others will think or how they will treat her.
What is the revolutionary magnificat?
This is a revolutionary example of praise given by a young girl who is carrying the one and only son of God.
What does Mary say in verse 47?
In verse 47 Mary says “… my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”. She recognizes that God is her savior – meaning she recognizes she is a sinner. Mary recognizes who she is and where she comes from. She is not a person of prestige or from a wealthy family. Anyone could be a better choice than her.
Why is Mary called blessed?
In verse 49 Mary says that she will be called blessed because “the Mighty One has done great things for me, and his name is holy.”. She praises God for the mercy he bestows on all who will fear him.
What does the song "The Last Four Verses" mean?
In the last four verses of her song, she speaks of the wondrous things God has done for her ancestors, for her, and for all who will believe. Her recognition of the mighty deeds God has performed and the mercies He has given to the people of Israel is significant.
What does Mary say in the song "He has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exal
Secondly, we can look at her song in a social revolutionary frame of mind. Mary says, “he has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly.”. Mary knows she is nothing special to the eyes of the world. She is a poor young girl who is to be married.
What does Hannah sing in 1 Samuel?
She also alludes to Hannah’s song found in 1 Samuel. Just as Mary is, Hannah was singing a song of praise for the child God was giving her. Mary knew the Scriptures. She had them hidden in her heart and mind. Mary also displayed a heart of humility. In verse 47 Mary says “… my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”.
What does the mouth magnify God?
A mouth magnifies God by saying, "God is magnificent," by speaking his praises. But no one hears a soul. No one but you and God. But I doubt that Mary means she is verbalizing a silent prayer. I think she means that at this moment her soul feels the greatness and holiness and mercy of God.
What does Mary feel in her heart?
First, there is Mary's expression of what she feels in her heart (verses 46 and 47), namely, joy. Second, she mentions what God has done specifically for her as an individual (verses 48 and 49): regarded her lowliness, did great things for her, and thus gave her an enduring reputation for blessedness.
What does Mary see in her own experience?
Here Mary simply sees in her own experience an example of the way God is. He condescends to Mary's lowliness and does a great thing for her: he makes her the mother of God! It is such a singular and unimaginable blessing that all generations from that time on have acknowledged Mary's blessedness.
What does Mary say about God's name?
In the second half of verse 49 Mary makes the general statement that God's name is holy. That is, God's nature, his essence is holiness. He is completely free from sin, and his ways are not our ways. He is separate from and exalted above the creature.
What does Mary see about God?
That's all the confirmation Mary needs. She sees clearly a most remarkable thing about God: He is about to change the course of all human history; the most important three decades in all of time are about to begin. And where is God? Occupying himself with two obscure, humble women—one old and barren, one young and virginal. And Mary is so moved by this vision of God, the lover of the lowly, that she breaks out in song—a song that has come to be known as the Magnificat.
What did Gabriel tell Mary?
When the angel Gabriel (1:26) told the young virgin Mary that she was going to have a child who would be the Son of God and reign over the house of Jacob forever (1:32f. ), she said, "How can this be?". He answered her that the Holy Spirit would come upon her so that the child's conception would be divine.
Who said blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that you sucked?
Luke tells us that once after Jesus had spoken "a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, 'Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that you sucked!'. But he said, 'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it.'".
