The Magnificat
The Canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Luke 1:46-55
My soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name.
And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him.
He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy:
As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Contexte Historique
The Magnificat, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke (1:46-55), is the Blessed Virgin Mary’s hymn of praise to God. She proclaimed this canticle upon her visit to her cousin, St. Elizabeth, who had just greeted her as ‘the mother of my Lord.’ For centuries, the Church has incorporated this sacred song into her official liturgy. It is the great canticle of the Office of Vespers (Evening Prayer) in the Liturgy of the Hours, recited or sung daily throughout the world as a perpetual thanksgiving for the Incarnation and for all the great things God has done for His humble servants.