And they, if they had faith, will have first places of honor. A Concern for a Vague Translation in the Lectionary and a Missed Moment for Teaching, A Picture of a Prophet – A Homily for the Second Sunday of the Year, Wading in the Troubled Water Saves You, Not Taking a Bridge Over It – A Homily for the Baptism of the Lord. How could the meek, humble, docile woman of pious legend ever have raised such a perplexing son and then not gone totally to pieces when he seemingly met an ignominious end on a cross? He had only to will our souls into existence and we were made, existing only because God wills it. Yes, this is a bold and edgy prayer. He will be with me as long as I am with Him. I read you regularly, and am always blessed by your insight. That is why my faith in Heaven and Hell is strengthened when I read the Magnificat, and I am assured of what God eventually does. Truly we cannot think of God's Love too much, but not to look at our sins is nonsense! Its name comes from the first word in its Latin translation, and the first line is: ‘My soul proclaims Your greatness, O my God’. The Magnificat is a poem of praise to God, praising Him for His blessing to Mary and His faithfulness to Israel. She does not shove herself to the forefront. 4. I’ve since forgotten both languages but can remember that the Old Slavonic was incredibly beautiful to my child mind of the time. He has lifted up the lowly. 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. God is accomplishing his purposes through Mary. But how often do we take time to contemplate the message contained in the words? The Maryland Magnificat really is a fantastic work, and it’s unfortunate it’s not had more play. With this in mind, we are happy to offer the below special trial subscription offers to make the transition both easy and affordable, and we encourage you to read and pray with Magnificat on a regular basis. We must remain serene and calm and never allow ourselves to be discouraged. Be careful who and what you esteem and who and what you do not esteem. Proverb 31:29, surley must have been referring to Mary where it declares: “Many daughters (Women) have done virtuosly (admirable things), but thou excellest (surpass) them all.” Mary is the Mediatrix of all graces which come from Christ, and pass to us through Mary’s hands. She is in a safe place. He has put down the mighty from their thrones and has exalted the lowly. I do not have to tell you what worldly means. 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. It is a prayer of great joy and I often say to Mary, “Yes Mother, the Lord has done great things for me too! I see, rather, a joyful, young woman, filled with exuberance, head raised in serene confidence and hands upraised in joyful, yes, even charismatic,  gestures. The portrait I have here presented is not the usual one in Western culture. Magnificat, be first and foremost a prayer of love. "Three old Latin manuscripts substitute the name "Elisabeth" for "Mary" in 1:46, but against this is the authority of all Greek manuscripts and other Latin versions. Lastly, Mary tells us that God keeps His promises. "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 will 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 to those who fear Him. Amen. But as I read Mary’s prayer, the Magnificat day after day, and as I read it today’s Gospel, I cannot help but be struck at how bold and charismatic it is. Two thousand years ago there were no drycleaners, washers, dryers, irons, dishwashers, microwaves, or frozen dinners! When she returns, we learn of Joseph’s dreams and we know not what she must endure from her neighbors and friends. I had heard from a source that in the end of Mary’s earthly life that she had taken the form of a leper woman ,absolutely ,beutiful story to the end, Thank you so much, Monsignor! 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?? It has been recited or sung daily by ancient monks and hermits and other Religious who have consecrated themselves to God. What a lie to think that joy is found in our self will. Help us to believe in Him as you did, that the promises He makes to us He will fulfill. It is indeed the prayer of consecrated souls and all clients of Mary. The canticle beginning Magnificat anima mea Dominum (“My soul doth magnify the Lord”). It is based largely on the canticle of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2: 1-10 and some of the psalms. Mary proclaims, and she rejoices and says: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;  My spirit rejoices in God my savior. Amen, my sisters and brothers in the Lord!! My soul Magnifies the Lord! Some also chose to sit comfortably in chairs. Mary announces a great reversal that is come. I, too, had the image of Mary as meek and mild, head bowed in prayer, always submissive. As I have prayed this prayer every day for the last 25 years I have come to experience that I cannot see Mary saying  this prayer with hands folded and head bowed. 3:54 . When she went to visit Elizebeth, it appears she traveled alone, probally on an ass. 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. Introduction. God, however, does not fail us even when we fail Him. One popular route of interpretation—especially among Roman Catholics, in some Eastern churches, and within parts of Anglicanism—is to emphasize Mary’s exaltation within the Magnificat. Perhaps the clearest sign of our being just creatures, is the distance that separates what we want to do from what we can do. Let us accept, then, the invitation that St. Ambrose makes to us in his commentary on the Magnificat. Thanks, Msgr. It seems Mary was always on the move. Each and every person proclaims the greatness of God. mag-nif'-i-kat: The name given to the hymn of Mary in Luke 1:46-55, commencing "My soul doth magnify the Lord. He wants us to become more humble, more patient, more prayerful than we would have been had we not always sinned. Sadly but obviously the proud get prouder and are exalted. (italics) the hymn of the Virgin Mary in Luke, 1:46–55, beginning “My soul doth magnify the Lord,” used as a canticle at evensong or vespers. http://www.morningstarmusic.com/pdfs/70-007.pdf. “The Lord has done great things for me.” is my favorite line in all of scripture. As we will see, the Magnificat is Mary’s response of joy and worship to the announcement of God’s salvation. Maria, the sister of Moses sang a song after the crossing of the Red Sea. Mother of Jesus and Mother of God, teach us something of your quiet peacefulness and childlike confidence in your Son. THE LORD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR ME, AND HOLY IS HIS NAME!! Fr. As long as He is with me, who can do me harm? I confess I have not heard this. Deborah sang after the defeat of the Canaanites. Indeed, God has shown us how best to love Him. If anything, I am invigorated in my love for our Blessed Mother, and her Son Who gave her to us at the foot of His cross. How is God Power? Everything else, including ourselves, need not be. I think that the black women in your congregation have it right. 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. We pray this prayer so often that it is easy to miss its meaning – and how much it tells us about the way God has acted, and continues to act, in human history. I know he did not question much of marian doctrine, though his later Lutheran members did. She praises His name. Mary's Hymn of Praise: Magnificat. The Latin names come from the phrases that begin the hymns. How is God Holiness? I pray you might indulge me a little speculation that cuts against the usual “visuals” surrounding the Magnificat. He is Holiness because He is Wholly Other. Few are remembered, Mary was prophetic in saying all generations would call her Blessed. When He was older and began His public ministry, this is almost the theme of His Gospels. His faithfulness in the face of the disloyalty of the Jewish people over the centuries before Christ is hardly credible. I’ve been having a hard time relating to the prayer, making it mine, if you will. Its meaning and substance are both private and public, for Mary's experience is essentially open to the future. “Now you let your servant to in peace” is my second favorite line. More recenty, I became aware of the extension of this mission through the Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary devotion, which is described in some detail at http://www.theflameoflove.org. Dear friends, I wish it did. She is a woman of wonderful strength and immense courage who makes a role model for us all. He wants us to become holy, more holy because we have sinned. 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. Modern Magnificat. Whenever I hear this verse, I am struck by that word. She certainly is all of that, and then some. And Mary probably was not some frail little waif who didn’t want to break a nail doing chores … no!! Yet faith tells us that prayers of praise and adoration are the most important form of prayer. I am aware that many have rather specific notions of what Mary is, or should be like. The span of human life on earth, even the longest life, is short compared to eternity. Mary also knew by whose favor she was thus blessed. Find this and more Catholic prayers at Loyola Press. He has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent empty away. The Magnificat (Latin for "[My soul] magnifies [the Lord]") is a canticle, also known as the Song of Mary, the Canticle of Mary and, in the Byzantine tradition, the Ode of the Theotokos (Greek: Ἡ ᾨδὴ τῆς Θεοτόκου). The Real Presence, unknown We have many reasons to give due consideration and prayerful reflection to the Magnificat. THE MEMORARE of ST. BERNARD: Oh, what people do for dramatic effect. 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. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy, hear and answer me. The Magnificat, or the Canticle of Mary, is the song that Mary prayed while visiting Elizabeth. You might say he gets things started. When God decided to break into human history as a human being he turned the world upside down, and that started with Mary. Yet, after their infidelity, murdering their Prophets, ignoring Yahweh's laws and resisting His Will, there was nevertheless a Covenant between Yahweh and His people. I really dont think that you needed to preface it by kinda apologizing for your rendering. Oh how true this rings for me and I am not the least bit charismatic (well, maybe a little but only when no one is looking…). I recently came across some Gregorian chants as well and they are beautiful too. Thank you. I see three distinct sections in the Magnificat. I wonder if Mary foresaw all or part of this when she procaimed her Magnificat: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” What a wonderful Mother we have! Praised be the woman who crushed the head of the serpent! (Priests and other religious are required to pray sections from the Liturgy of the Hours each day.) For, unless this form of prayer is at least implicit, we are not even praying. It is precisely that combination of Divine Love and our sins that brings us to God's Mercy. The gift is not for the proud, for they have no room for it. The stress is always on 'the Lord.'. No one but you and God. It is extended as a prayer of loving praise, of loving thanksgiving, of loving conciliation, and of loving petition. The One I adore is the only One I fear, God Almighty. That He would choose her as a vessel of His grace overwhelms her soul. Not even speaking of Heaven, there is no other true joy on earth except in God, with God, and because God became man, like God. This meditation has helped me immeasurably. Amen. And I would never have picture Mary as pouty in the earlier part. 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 the perfect act of humility and of profound humble adoration. He has shown might with His Arm, He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. Her Son Jesus echoed it: Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first (Matt 19:30). Let us ask our Lord to enlighten us as to what it means to be unworldly. 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). Who were the great heroes about whom we read and whose exploits we memorized; the men who ran roughshod over human beings, and who destroyed empires in order to achieve their ambitions. The scene sets up with Mary travelling “in haste” to see Elizabeth. But no one hears a soul. 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. I pray you might indulge me a little speculation that cuts against the usual “visuals” surrounding the Magnificat. It is the longest discourse recorded of Mary in Divine Revelation. Monsignor I found your piece comforting as always…. We all know about Napoleon and how few remember the Pope he forced into exile. I’m dancing in the mystery of God. But as a prayer, it is no gentle meditation. So again, I beg your indulgence. God is Merciful for He loves the sinner even as He hates the sin. They had failed Him miserably and sadly, but as Mary says, God does not fail. This short retreat encourages you to prayerfully reflect on the words of Mary’s Song from the Gospel of Luke. In this reply, Mary glorified God for blessing her and for His faithfulness to Israel. That is what we are made for–not to lose ourselves but to be ourselves and Mary shows us how. I sang in a performance of this work several weeks ago. I think the biblical portrait is sometimes at odds with more sentimental notions that we sometimes see today and am aware that some do not care for their vison of Mary to be altered. The hymn forms a part of the Daily Office in the Roman Catholic Vespers service. And by contrast, how unimportant, how trifling is everything and everyone else. It makes me want to dance for joy (but don’t tell anyone..) Thank you for this wonderful, wonderful post. This sort of exchange is not uncommon among some of the African American women in my parish. Her song has been copied into the Book of Common Prayer and for most Protestant churches, is sung during the Advent season. My soul sings in gratitude. Mary’s song contained only praise, without any petitions. I did not know this about Martin Luther. How God longs for us to tell Him: "How great Thou art, O Lord, how great Thou art!" In my spiritual journal I wrote that it was like being in a nuclear furnace, only it was a protective shield, not destructive. Bach’s “Magnificat” put down because it is “too masculine.” No way! 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 … By the way, I too am puzzled why in the Nativity movie the Magnificat was omitted. The Magnificat is a Bold Prayer! We have many reasons to give due consideration and prayerful reflection to the Magnificat. Mary Praises God for His Power, Holiness and Mercy. I think Mary at that moment might not have had full comprehension of Gods plan for her but she understood that being highly favored by God – kept sinless – that “God had done great things” for her since her immaculate conception. A good starting point for a deeper appreciation of the Song of Mary is simply recognizing that it can be (and should be) our song, too. The spirit of the Magnificat seems to have hit the Diocese of Arlington in Fredericksburg, VA at the Spotsylvania Towne Center food court momentarily sanctifying the secular church and breaking through the secular veil. My personal experience won’t help on that one because I was very young and can only recall that the OId Slavonic was somewhat ponderous by our modern standards; like the English in the original King James Bible, but moreso. 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