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THE MAGNIFICAT (The Canticle of Mary from Luke 1:46-55) [Catholic Caucus]
OurCatholicPrayers.com ^ | 2000+ years ago | BlessedVirginMary/Luke

Posted on 01/18/2012 10:30:04 AM PST by Salvation

THE MAGNIFICAT

Picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her cousin Elizabeth in the Visitation by Philippe de Champagne courtesy of Wikipedia

 
 
The Magnificat, taken from Luke’s Gospel (1:46-55), is the Blessed Virgin Mary’s hymn of praise to the Lord. It is also known as the Canticle of Mary in the Liturgy of the Hours, a special collection of scripture readings, psalms, and hymns that constitute what is known as the prayer of the church. (Priests and other religious are required to pray sections from the Liturgy of the Hours each day.)

Although the Magnificat has had numerous musical settings from such composers as Palestrina, Bach and Mozart, it can be recited as well as sung. Its name comes from the first line of its text in Latin (“Magnificat anima mea Dominum”) translated in the first line below. Mary proclaims the Lord’s greatness with characteristic humility and grace here.

My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
Because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid;
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;
Because he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name;
And his mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of his mercy
Even as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.

The Magnificat provides great material for meditation on the Visitation, the second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, pictured above. When the angel Gabriel informs Mary that she is to be the Mother of God, he also tells her of her Cousin Elizabeth’s pregnancy with John the Baptist.

After Mary gives her famous consent to becoming the Mother of God, -- “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38) -- she goes “with haste” (1:39) to help Elizabeth, who is delighted to see her. Our Lady then expresses her joy in the Magnificat.

Clearly Mary, in hastening to help her cousin, is focused on service to others. In this way she glorifies the Lord in reflecting (and “magnifying”) His goodness and love. And, of course by becoming the Mother of God she will help Him redeem us for our salvation in His Passion!

Speaking of magnifying, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen once referred to our Blessed Mother as being like “a magnifying glass that intensifies our love of her Son.”

Note that Mary’s joyful claim that “all generations shall call me blessed” in no way takes away from her humility. If she seems to boast here, it is much as St. Paul does later on in scripture when he says “whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord” (2 Cor 10:17), that is to say, in God’s work being done through us.

In this regard, the Magnificat is more than a prayer of praise. It also reminds us about the essential link between humility and holiness. Just as God has “regarded the lowliness of his handmaid” and “has done great things” for Mary in making her the Mother of his Son, so too “he has put down the mighty from their thrones (with his own might!) and has exalted the lowly.”

(Note also our Blessed Mother’s humility in referring to herself in this prayer, as she does in giving her consent to Gabriel mentioned earlier, as the Lord’s handmaid, his servant!)

As her Divine Son later stressed “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matt 23:12, also in slightly different words in Luke 18:14 and Luke 14:11).

Jesus wasn’t saying anything new here, either! We read similar thoughts in throughout the Old Testament such as in the Psalms and in this example from the book of Sirach “Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God.” (Sirach 3:19)

The line about God filling “the hungry with good things” resonates later in the Gospels as well, when our Lord says “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled” (Matt 5:7). This serves as a good reminder for us to “stay hungry” for God’s graces in praying and in reading His word in scripture.

And as for the rich being sent away empty? This line refers to those who live for wealth and power and feel they have everything figured out. These people in, effect wish to be Gods rather than God’s. How can our Lord fill those who are already full--of themselves?

How about you? Does your soul magnify the Lord? We may never be able to approach Him from Mary’s level of sanctity as the Mother of God. Still, we are all called to be saints nonetheless.

Your good example, like our Blessed Mother’s, can help others in their spiritual growth. Do people see Christ’s love and goodness in you? Are you letting God work within you to accomplish His will? Let Mary help give you the graces you need to follow her Son and His Church in praying the Magnificat.

As St. Ambrose once said in referring to this wonderful prayer, "Let Mary's soul be in us to glorify the Lord; let her spirit be in us that we may rejoice in God our Saviour."


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; Prayer; Theology
KEYWORDS: blessedvirginmary; brokencaucus; catholic; prayer
May edifies God the Father and God the Son:

My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;


1 posted on 01/18/2012 10:30:10 AM PST by Salvation
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To: Salvation

Oops

Mary edifies God the Father and God the Son:


2 posted on 01/18/2012 10:44:58 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: nickcarraway; NYer; ELS; Pyro7480; livius; ArrogantBustard; Catholicguy; RobbyS; marshmallow; ...

Magnificat Ping!


3 posted on 01/18/2012 10:45:20 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
THE MAGNIFICAT (The Canticle of Mary from Luke 1:46-55) [Catholic Caucus]
THE MAGNIFICAT [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]

The Magnificat is a Bold Prayer! [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Magnificat
Mary’s Song of Praise: The Magnificat (Ecumenical)
Magnificat: The Hymn of the Blessed Virgin Mary [Catholic Caucus]
Mary's Magnificat: Beautiful and Theologically Profound (Protestant Caucus)
"The Visitation and the Song of Mary, the Magnificat" (Sermon for the Fourth Sunday in Advent)
The Prayer of the Virgin Mary, The Magnificat - The Canticle of Mary
MARY SINGS THE PRAISES OF GOD’S MERCY [Magnificat, Canticle of Mary]
The Magnificat: Mary’s Own Prayer
Prayer and Meditation: Magnificat anima mea Dominum

4 posted on 01/18/2012 11:08:07 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
MAGNIFICAT anima mea Dominum: et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo, salutari meo.
Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae: ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes.
Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est: et sanctum nomen eius.
Et misericordia eius a progenie in progenies timentibus eum.
Fecit potentiam in bracchio suo: dispersit superbos mente cordis sui.
Deposuit potentes de sede, et exaltavit humiles.
Esurientes implevit bonis: et divites dimisit inanes.
Suscepit Israel, puerum suum, recordatus misericordiae suae.
Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros, Abraham et semini eius in saecula.

Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum.
Amen.


Etiam non princeps sed usque ad genua, Principis Pacis!
5 posted on 01/18/2012 12:17:10 PM PST by ConorMacNessa (HM/2 USN, 3/5 Marines RVN 1969 - St. Michael the Archangel defend us in Battle!)
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To: Salvation
Photobucket
6 posted on 01/18/2012 12:28:01 PM PST by johngrace (I am a 1 John 4! Christian- declared at every Sunday Mass ,Divine Mercy and Rosary prayers!)
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To: Salvation

7 posted on 01/18/2012 12:30:12 PM PST by johngrace (I am a 1 John 4! Christian- declared at every Sunday Mass ,Divine Mercy and Rosary prayers!)
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To: Salvation
Photobucket
8 posted on 01/18/2012 12:31:32 PM PST by johngrace (I am a 1 John 4! Christian- declared at every Sunday Mass ,Divine Mercy and Rosary prayers!)
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To: Salvation

The Ping be: A -partial indulgence- is granted to the faithful, who piously recite the Canticle of the Magnificat.


9 posted on 01/18/2012 12:31:52 PM PST by gghd
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To: Salvation

Behold by David Kauffman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1qbiBkzIb8


10 posted on 01/18/2012 12:47:42 PM PST by rwa265 ("This is My Beloved Son, Listen to Him.")
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To: Salvation

http://www.catholicbible101.com/theblessedvirginmary.htm


11 posted on 01/18/2012 12:56:19 PM PST by johngrace (I am a 1 John 4! Christian- declared at every Sunday Mass ,Divine Mercy and Rosary prayers!)
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To: rwa265
Hi RWA!!

Photobucket

That is beautiful!

It starts with one voice then many towards the end! Very anointed. Thanks for sharing!!

12 posted on 01/18/2012 1:04:52 PM PST by johngrace (I am a 1 John 4! Christian- declared at every Sunday Mass ,Divine Mercy and Rosary prayers!)
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To: johngrace

I love this by John Michael Talbot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TEL_7TS5FE


13 posted on 01/18/2012 7:30:51 PM PST by Not gonna take it anymore (If Obama were twice as smart as he is, he would be a wit)
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUdYeYy3NQA

The Truth About Mary and Scripture: MUST SEE!

I love this.


14 posted on 01/18/2012 7:49:23 PM PST by Not gonna take it anymore (If Obama were twice as smart as he is, he would be a wit)
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To: Salvation
Found this on another forum discussing a myhrr-streaming Icon in northeast Pennsylvania:

http://janotec.typepad.com/terrace/2012/01/a-prophetic-postscript.html

Is Mary not weeping, in her Heavenly Ever-Virginity, because we have too much pride in the imagination of our hearts?

Because we have exalted ourselves on our autonomous thrones?

Because we have sent the hungry away, and we have hungered, ironically, for less than good things?

Because we have not sought mercy enough to give it, and to seek nothing less?

Because of too many abortions, too many deaths from hunger or polluted water or lack of doctors? Too much destruction of nature, too much scarring of creation?

And ... too little deification, abnormality? Too much corporate thinking at the centers? Too much forgetful ennui, quiet desperation on the marches?

History begins in the Nous, the essence of the soul. "Thy Kingdom come" starts in the heart, blossoms in language, and is harvested in the world of history.

She smiles. Her spirit, after all, rejoices in God the Saviour, for the Lord is magnified, not forgotten, by her soul.

15 posted on 01/18/2012 7:55:31 PM PST by lightman (Adjutorium nostrum (+) in nomine Domini--nevertheless, Vote Santorum!)
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To: Not gonna take it anymore
Photobucket

He is anointed while he sings.

16 posted on 01/18/2012 10:04:04 PM PST by johngrace (I am a 1 John 4! Christian- declared at every Sunday Mass ,Divine Mercy and Rosary prayers!)
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To: Salvation

Your good example, like our Blessed Mother’s, can help others in their spiritual growth. Do people see Christ’s love and goodness in you? Are you letting God work within you to accomplish His will?

***
Wonderful way to look at the “Magnificat” as an example for our behavior and attitude. Thank you.


17 posted on 01/19/2012 7:27:28 AM PST by Bigg Red (Pray for our republic.)
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