MAGNIFICAT | CANTICLE OF MARY
MEDITATE ON THE VISITATION AND PROCLAIM THE GREATNESS OF THE LORD, FROM LUKE 1:46-55
About This Prayer
The Magnificat (also known as the Canticle of Mary) is Mary's hymn of praise spoken at the Visitation, recorded in Luke 1:46-55. It is prayed daily in the Liturgy of the Hours at Vespers (Evening Prayer). The Magnificat proclaims God's greatness and His special love for the humble and lowly.
MAGNIFICAT [TTS: "Magníficat ánima méa Dóminum. Et exultávit spíritus méus: in Déo salutári méo. Quia respéxit humilitátem ancíllæ súæ: Ecce enim ex hoc beátam me dícent ómnes generatiónes. Quia fécit míhi mágna qui pótens est: et sánctum nómen éius. Et misericórdia éius in progénie in progénies timéntibus éum. Fécit poténtiam in bráchio súo: dispérsit supérbos ménte córdis súi. Depósuit poténtes de séde: et exaltávit húmiles. Esuriéntes implévit bónis: et dívites dimísit inánes. Suscépit Israël púerum súum: recordátus misericórdiæ súæ. Sicut locútus est ad pátres nóstros, Ábraham, et sémini éius in sǽcula. Amen."]
Magníficat ánima méa Dóminum.
Et exultávit spíritus méus: in Déo salutári méo.
Quia respéxit humilitátem ancíllæ súæ:
Ecce enim ex hoc beátam me dícent ómnes generatiónes.
Quia fécit míhi mágna qui pótens est:
et sánctum nómen éius.
Et misericórdia éius in progénie in progénies timéntibus éum.
Fécit poténtiam in bráchio súo: dispérsit supérbos ménte córdis súi.
Depósuit poténtes de séde:
et exaltávit húmiles.
Esuriéntes implévit bónis:
et dívites dimísit inánes.
Suscépit Israël púerum súum:
recordátus misericórdiæ súæ.
Sicut locútus est ad pátres nóstros,
Ábraham, et sémini éius in sǽcula.
Amen.
CANTICLE OF MARY
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Luke 1:46-55
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Common Questions
When and how is the Magnificat prayed?
The Magnificat is prayed daily at Vespers (Evening Prayer) in the Liturgy of the Hours, the Church's official daily prayer. As one of the three great Gospel canticles (alongside the Benedictus at Lauds and the Nunc Dimittis at Compline), it stands at the heart of the Church's daily worship. Many Catholics also pray it privately in the evening, alone or with the family, as a way of gathering the day into thanksgiving.
What is the biblical context of the Magnificat?
The Magnificat is the prayer Mary speaks during her Visitation to her cousin Elizabeth, recorded in Luke 1:46-55. Pregnant with John the Baptist, Elizabeth has just greeted Mary with the words 'Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,' and Mary responds with this great hymn of praise. It is the longest single passage spoken by Mary in the Gospels.
What does the Magnificat say?
The Magnificat begins, 'My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,' and unfolds in two great movements: praise of God for what he has done in Mary, and praise of God for the great reversal he is bringing to the world. The mighty are cast down and the lowly are lifted up; the rich are sent away empty and the hungry are filled with good things. It is at once a personal song and a prophetic announcement of God's reign.
How has the Magnificat been received in Christian tradition?
The Magnificat has been continuously prayed and sung in the Church since the earliest centuries, and its place in daily Vespers makes it one of the most recited prayers of all time. It has inspired beloved musical settings by composers including Palestrina, J.S. Bach, Vivaldi, Pärt, and many others. Saint Bede the Venerable in the 8th century wrote a tender homily on this canticle, and it remains a school of humility, justice, and hope for the faithful.