Magnificat, be first and foremost a prayer of love. It is a true statement that we should all realize because it is a truth of creation. However, we we also sully and distort that greatness, and this too we should realize. Mary's Song, The Magnificat - Luke 1; Scriptures: Luke 1:46-55. The journey through the “hill country” I read once, took five days. Ok I won’t tell. The recent performance was a family affair: I sang with the altos, my 4th-grader sang with the children’s choir and my husband was drafted to play crash cymbals. He discusses Mary's gratitude to God, Her praise for His Power, Holiness and Mercy, how God is Mercy, how Mary compares the lot of the humble and proud and how she tells us that God keeps His promises. And, if you don’t mind a brief aside, after a lot of busy searching I found a modern copy of some Greek records, which were allegedly written before the existance of Rome, which indicates that misunderstandings about the use of certain letters caused a mispronounciation which led to a confusion in how the Ethnic name “Slav” came into being. The Song of Mary is the soul in ecstacy. 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. In the first strophe, Mary expresses her gratitude to God; in the second, she praises God for his power, His holiness and His mercy; in the third, she compares how differently God deals with the proud and the humble; in the fourth, she recalls that all the ancient prophecies to the Jews are now being fulfilled in the Messiah, Who was at that moment present in her womb. God really wants us to be happy. She praises His name. It is extended as a prayer of loving praise, of loving thanksgiving, of loving conciliation, and of loving petition. African American Catholics often refer to this joyful disposition as “havin’ church,” and would say something like: “Mother Mary and Sister Elizabeth were havin’ some church up in there!”. Ecce-Fiat-Magnificat Breath Prayer. By the way, I too am puzzled why in the Nativity movie the Magnificat was omitted. I think that the black women in your congregation have it right. He has shown might with His Arm, He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. The Orthodox tradition which has affected the Catholic church of the Byzantine Rite holds that, when Mary first entered the temple at the age of three, she immediatey danced all the way from the door to the alter. We are all asked to be open to the Spirit; to nurture that new life within us, and thus bring God into the world. That He would choose her as a vessel of His grace overwhelms her soul. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy, hear and answer me. Our Sinai is the "Sermon on the Mount", and our Decalogue is the "Beatitudes." My soul Magnifies the Lord! It is based largely on the canticle of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2: 1-10 and some of the psalms. The Magnificat is a poem of praise to God, praising Him for His blessing to Mary and His faithfulness to Israel. The One I adore is the only One I fear, God Almighty. We mean that we are to grow more and more like God What in the last analysis makes God Holy? Let us ask our Lord to enlighten us as to what it means to be unworldly. We fulfill scripture when we call her blessed! Compare the two phrases "lowliness of His handmaid" and "He that is mighty has done great things for me." When I am among people who make a profession of pursuing sanctity, I tell them, "In God's Name don't be worldly!" So again, I beg your indulgence. Sometimes I let myself go when I’m alone in prayer. Mary arrives and greets Elizabeth and John the Baptist starts leaping for joy in her womb. The Maryland Magnificat really is a fantastic work, and it’s unfortunate it’s not had more play. Composer Andrew Carter’s “Maryland Magnificat” perfectly captures this prayer in the spirit that you present. Mary has told us that “In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph.” She says that the Flame of Love of her Immaculate Heart is Jesus Himself. In Luke’s Gospel, Mary is portrayed as the model disciple. I know he did not question much of marian doctrine, though his later Lutheran members did. I’ve been having a hard time relating to the prayer, making it mine, if you will. Like a great artist her song is gracefull, and revolutionary, or as Msgr Pope says “edgy.” It begins with her personal experiences, and ends when she identifies herself with the entire human race. For, unless this form of prayer is at least implicit, we are not even praying. Heaven is the glorification of humility, and hell is the humiliation of pride. When she returns, we learn of Joseph’s dreams and we know not what she must endure from her neighbors and friends. Help us never to worry or be sad but always rejoice like you, in God, your Savior and ours, your beloved Son and our dearest Lord. My Spirit REJOICES in God my Savior! How God longs for us to tell Him: "How great Thou art, O Lord, how great Thou art!" The unworldly are not preoccupied with things of time and space, but have their minds and hearts on eternity. Who are honored and praised and who are ignored in this world? http://www.morningstarmusic.com/pdfs/70-007.pdf. The gift is not for the proud, for they have no room for it. God does not need the world, even though there would be no world without Him. I admit that my self interest runs rampant here and will do my best to feel no resentment if the side comment doen’t make it to the ‘blog. But I doubt that Mary means she is verbalizing a silent prayer. Thank you for this beautiful article, in it you tell the truth about our Blessed Mother. Its name comes from the first word in its Latin translation, and the first line is: ‘My soul proclaims Your greatness, O my God’. I am in no way scandalized by your post, Monsignor. Be careful who and what you esteem and who and what you do not esteem. Does it mean increase? If this is true; the ethnic name would mean (roughly) the glorious people. Many people come and go. Theotokos, Mother of God. One who had come in haste bearing our savior,  and another, filled with the Holy Spirit and her infant dancing for joy in her womb. But their critique of the vainglory of this world cannot simply be seen as an abstraction or a generality. But with Elizabeth, she can and I am so happy it has been captured in the Gospel and Bach put it to music. Amen. The text from Luke then says Elizabeth “cried out with a loud voice: Most blessed are you among women…!” Mary goes on to respond how her soul rejoices in God her savior. Some may which to spiritualize these words, and they surely do have a spiritual meaning. Nowadays, many books of spiritual counsel warn us not to be so conscious of our sins, but to keep thinking of God's Love. But as a prayer, it is no gentle meditation. In our western culture we tend to think of Mary in very soft focus, humbly praying, head bowed, quiet and almost shy in her demeanor. It is indeed the prayer of consecrated souls and all clients of Mary. The scene sets up with Mary travelling “in haste” to see Elizabeth. Mary visits Elizabeth and Elizabeth already knows and Mary is no longer afraid so she can spill her joy. First Known Use of magnificat 13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a History and Etymology for magnificat Middle English, from Latin, magnifies, from magnificare to magnify; from the first word … Let us examine our consciences on how seldom we praise God. Hannah sang centuries before at the door of the Tabernacle of Shiloh, when she brought Samuel to “lend” him to the Lord. Yes the Greek is μεγαλύνει (megalunei) meaning to make great, magnify ,to make conspicuous, to deem or declare great, to esteem highly, to extol, laud, or celebrate. Certainly inspired, it was pronounced by Mary herself when she was carrying the Divine Child in her womb. The hymn forms a part of the Daily Office in the Roman Catholic Vespers service. I once heard J.S. One day he picked up a … Two thousand years ago there were no drycleaners, washers, dryers, irons, dishwashers, microwaves, or frozen dinners! Unlike with Elizabeth and Zechariah, whose words of praise Luke attributes to a special filling of the Holy Spirit (see Luke 1:41-45 and Luke 1:67-79), … He wants us to rejoice in Him, but on His conditions: in doing His Will and not the world's or the evil spirit's or as our natural inclinations urge. My soul adores, praises, and honors the Lord. We have infinity at our disposal, provided we have humility and the honesty to acknowledge that God alone has the right to tell us what to do. This recalls Jesus’ statement in Luke that “I have come to set the world on fire.” All of these things are, to me, indicators of the rapidly approaching battle described in Revelation. Sadly but obviously the proud get prouder and are exalted. (I made my total consecration to Jesus through Mary last spring.) God exalts the humble; He humbles the proud. Many are the stories written telling about the heart of Mary as shown in that beautiful prayer. I guess not, since after reading your post pointing out to us that Mother Mary was filled with joy – how could she possibly contain herself?? I think what is true of Mary is true of us all. It is, after all, her song of praise. News, analysis & spirituality by email, twice-weekly from CatholicCulture.org. Mary's song focuses on God's great works, especially his tendency to turn everything upside down. Everything else, including ourselves, need not be. The Magnificat has been incorporated into the liturgical services of the Western churches (at vespers) and of the Eastern Orthodox churches (at the morning services). Elizabeth, speaking by the power of the Holy Spirit, called Mary “The Mother of my Lord” and this might have been a revelation to Mary, perhaps the first time she came to understand exactly why it was that God had kept her sinless her whole life. In my opinion, after the Our Father this is the most important prayer. 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