TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1

CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................................................ 2

OLD TESTAMENT FOUNDATIONS OF THE MAGNIFICAT ............................................ 2

1.1. Prophetic Old Testament References .......................................................................... 2

1.1.1. Isaiah 7:14 ............................................................................................................ 2

1.1.2. Micah 5:2 ............................................................................................................. 2

1.1.3. Genesis 3:15 ......................................................................................................... 3

1.2. Hannah’s song ............................................................................................................. 3

1.3. Judith’s Song ............................................................................................................... 4

1.4. Mary as the New Eve .................................................................................................. 4

1.5. Mary as the Memory of Israel ..................................................................................... 4

CHAPTER TWO ....................................................................................................................... 6

MARY’S MAGNIFICAT .......................................................................................................... 6

2.1. Mary’s Covenantal Response ...................................................................................... 6

2.1.1. Acceptance of the Word of God .......................................................................... 6

2.1.2. The Ark of the Covenant...................................................................................... 6

2.1.3. Daughter of Zion .................................................................................................. 6

2.2. Characteristics of the Magnificat ................................................................................ 7

2.2.1. Hymn of Mary...................................................................................................... 7

2.2.2. Expression of Praise and Blessing ....................................................................... 7

2.2.3. Divine Canticle .................................................................................................... 7

2.2.4. Prayer filled with Mystery ................................................................................... 8

2.3. The Lukan View of the Magnificat ............................................................................. 8

2.3.1. Themes of Jesus’ Ministry in the Magnificat ...................................................... 8

2.3.2. Liturgical Implications ......................................................................................... 9

2.3.3. Moral Implications ............................................................................................... 9

 2.4. Mary at the Point of Reversal .................................................................................... 10

CHAPTER THREE ................................................................................................................. 11

MAGNIFICAT AS THE SONG OF LIBERATION............................................................... 11

3.1. The Magnificat in Contemporary Thought ............................................................... 11

3.1.1. Theological hymn .............................................................................................. 11

3.1.2. Salvific Hymn .................................................................................................... 12

3.1.3. Song of Liberation ............................................................................................. 12

3.1.4. Ecumenical Song ............................................................................................... 13

3.2. The Implications of the Magnificat Today ................................................................ 14

3.2.1. Global and Critical Approach ............................................................................ 14

3.2.2. Salvation History Reading ................................................................................. 14

3.2.3. Current-day Reading .......................................................................................... 14

3.2.4. In Communion with Mary ................................................................................. 14

CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................ 15

BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................................... 16
 INTRODUCTION

Magnificat (Lk. 1:46-55)1 is a canticle that forms an important part of the Church’s liturgical
practices. 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). In
Scripture, the hymn is found after the jubilant meeting of Mary, pregnant with Jesus, and her
relative Elizabeth, pregnant with St. John the Baptist. Though some scholars have contended
that this canticle was a song of Elizabeth, most early Greek and Latin manuscripts regard it as
the “Song of Mary”.2 Even a simple reading of the Magnificat reveals the hymn as a
thanksgiving to God for the wonders that He has done. The context of the hymn is from the
viewpoint of an Israel that is bound by its enemies and is not free. Though the background is
political and social, the transformation effected is spiritual. The element of freedom is clearly
seen.

In the first chapter, I will refer back to the Old Testament which forms the ground for the
Canticle of and the very person of Mary. We shall see how Mary becomes the agent for
realization of the promises of God. How she becomes a model for the liberation that has always
been the hope of Israel.

Secondly, I shall dwell on the text of the Magnificat. I will attempt to enumerate the themes,
the meaning and the implications in the canticle.

Thirdly, I will try to find elements of liberation in the Magnificat. How it is a song of liberation
– a hope for the oppressed those who seek liberation and the glorious song of praise of the
people liberated by the presence of God in their lives.

1
Henceforth all biblical quotations will be taken from the Catholic Edition of the New Revised Standard Version
of the Bible unless noted otherwise.
2
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Magnificat” in Encyclopædia Britannica (Edinburg: Encyclopædia
Britannica Inc, 2010), 1121.

1
 CHAPTER ONE
OLD TESTAMENT FOUNDATIONS OF THE MAGNIFICAT

The Old Testament form the background and the foundation to what becomes the New
Testament. Without an old there cannot be a new. The New Testament mentions Mary only in
the context of her son, Jesus. The most prominent role of Mary in the New Testament is in the
infancy narratives. However, we can find parallel texts in the Old Testament with symbols such
as Daughter of Zion, Virgin, Davidic lineage and Ark of the Covenant.

1.1. Prophetic Old Testament References

1.1.1. Isaiah 7:14
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep
as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to
the test. Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary
mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.
Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him
Immanuel. (Is. 7:10-14)

Matthew’s use of Isiah 7:14 is the most important texts of the Hebrew Scriptures for the
Church’s Mariological reflections of the first centuries. In the Christian writing, she is
presented in the context of a relationship to the primary purpose of the New Testament which
has a soteriological and Christological focus. The Isaian text is actually a reference of an
immediate event. Mathew 1:23 cites the verse in the context of the Annunciation to Joseph in
the dream. The text has to be seen in the context of the genealogy that is presented and the link
to the royal line of David. The text also refers to the virginity of Mary. It is suspected that the
original text contained the word parthenos which means virgin was changed with a different
word changing the import to a young maiden to devalue the text.3

1.1.2. Micah 5:2

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,

3
Bertrand Buby, Mary of Galilee Vol. II (New York: Alba House, 1995), 29.

2
 from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth; (Micah 5:2-4)
The text of Micah 5:1-5 has been used closely by Luke 2:4-14. A text comparative study reveals
that Luke makes use of this reference to show the completion of the prophecy of Micah. The
high place Zion was where David, a messianic king had his throne (Mic. 4:8) the text speaks
of a commander being born in Bethlehem-Ephrata, from the house of David (Mic. 5:1b).4 This
is the prophecy that leads Herod to slaughter the infants according to the Gospel.

1.1.3. Genesis 3:15

The Book of Genesis speaks about the seed of the woman in this section, which is also known
as the proto-evangelium, who is pitted against the seed of the serpent. The seed of the woman
is prophesied to crush the head of the serpent. The seed can be interpreted both singularly,
meaning the Messiah or collectively, or Israel. Targum on Gen. 3:15 sees the woman not only
represents the humanity in general, but also the community of Israel in pilgrimage towards
messianic redemption.

1.2. Hannah’s song

Scholarly research shows that the song of Hannah in 1 Sam. 2:1-10 is very much similar to the
Magnificat. Hannah is the wife of Elkanah, and the mother of the prophet Samuel. But, again,
Hannah is more than simply someone’s mother. She is a prophet in her own right, and sings
the promise that her child is not only for her, but for all Israel, and for the cause of the Lord. A
comparison of Hannah’s Song with the Magnificat shows the inter-connectedness of the two
songs. Both Hannah and Mary exclaim their joy in their God. Both Hannah and Mary take heart
in the promise (here sung as a declaration of that promise) that the Lord considers, cares for,
and acts on behalf of the lowly -- despite what one might expect (and contrary to how we
human beings behave ourselves) it is not for kings or the mighty and powerful that the Lord

4
Buby, 30-31.

3
has regard, rather it is for all the rest that God does great things. Both Hannah and Mary identify
what God is doing as being not just for them, but also through them for the whole people.5

1.3. Judith’s Song

Judith’s celebratory hymn after saving Israel has many of the same characteristics. She also
thanks Yahweh for working a miracle through her (Judith 16:6–7). She sings of the Lord’s
greatness, how God brings down those who brag of their own strength, and how wonderful
God’s mercy is towards those who fear God (16:2, 5, 13, 15–16).6 She is a type of Mary and
in interceding for the whole Jewish nation, is a figure of the Virgin Mother of God interceding
for the Church, which takes the place of the people of God, Israel of the Old Testament.7

1.4. Mary as the New Eve

Though Adam and Eve both sinned, they did not sin equally. The Bible says “in Adam all die”
(1 Cor. 15:22); it also says “by one man sin entered into the world” (Rom. 5:12). Eve's sin was
not equal to that of Adam. Hers was the first human sin, and the impetus for his disobedience,
but his sin actually caused the Fall since he was the first human being and thus the head of the
human race. Because the man's sin caused the Fall, the Savior had to be a man - a “New Adam”
to be the head of a new, redeemed humanity (1 Cor. 15:22; Rom. 5:19). The first man sinned,
the Man Jesus saves us from sin. The first woman's sin did not directly cause the Fall, but it
was the first act of disobedience against God. So, God chose to have another woman – Mary
– undo that first act of disobedience. As Eve disobeyed God and became the indirect cause of
the Fall by giving Adam the fruit (Gen. 3:6), so Mary obeyed God (Lk. 1:38) and so became
the indirect cause of our salvation by bringing the Savior into the world.8

1.5. Mary as the Memory of Israel

Mary is seen as always keeping everything in her heart and pondering over it. The theme of
God’s saving act wherein Israel is saved from its enemies is always in the background of the
thought of the people. So, it is with Mary. She ponders over and remembers God’s promises
(Lk 2:19, 51). She preserves her Jewish heritage and the messianic hopes of her people.
Remembering is an important response of God’s people throughout the scriptures from the
Torah to the Gospels. Remembering involves the significant events that have been

5
Cf. Amy Smith Carman, “Ave Maria: Old Testament Allusions in the Magnificat,” in Priscilla Papers 31, no.
2 (Spring 2017): 14.
6
Carman, 14.
7
Alan De Lastic, “Mary and the Church,” (PhD dissertation, University of Propaganda, 1992), 24
8
John Henry Newman, The New Eve (Oxford: Newman Bookshop, 1952), 14-15.

4
accomplished in the midst of God’s people and also the covenant given to them freely by the
‫( חֶ סֶ ד‬hesed: mercy) of God. This ἀνάμνησιν (anamnesis: remembering) is universal.9 The
memory is real and sacramental in character for the Jews. She has also surely heard of the pious
stories of the heroic women like Sarah, Hannah and many others, who have been very much
instrumental in the history of Israel. These memories of the journey and the stories are emphatic
in the response that Mary makes to the arch-angel Gabriel at the annunciation and ultimately
in the expression of the Magnificat.

9
Buby, 25.

5
 CHAPTER TWO
MARY’S MAGNIFICAT

2.1. Mary’s Covenantal Response

2.1.1. Acceptance of the Word of God
Mary is seen saying “yes” at both Annunciation (Lk. 1:26-38) and at Cana (Jn. 2:1-11). This is
seen parallel to the narrative of the desert in Exodus (19:3-8), where Moses went up mount
Sinai. God laid down the rules by which the Israelites were to live. It was a choice to be with
God. Moses comes down the mountain and tells the people all that God has said and the people
with one voice reply “yes”. It is the espousal of Israel to the Lord God. Also, in Mary’s case,
she chooses the part of God in fulfilling his plans.10

2.1.2. The Ark of the Covenant

The presence of the Lord is perceived in the Holy of Holies. The glory of the Lord remained
with the Israelites as they travelled through the desert in the ark of the covenant. The ark was
kept within a tent when it wasn’t being carried. After the temple was built, the ark was kept in
the sanctuary in the Holy of Holies (1 Kgs. 8:10-11; 2 Chr. 5:13; 2 Chr. 14). Finally, in 587
BCE, when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed the prophet Jeremiah hides it in the
mountains where it was to remain until the time came for it to be revealed (2 Macc. 2:4-8).
There were many attempts to recover the ark, but in vain. Luke compares Mary to the ark. The
ark of the covenant returned to its people, the Israelites. Mary is symbolically the living ark of
the covenant. This can be definitively established from the fact that Luke uses the Septuagint
terminology ἐπισκιάζω (episkiazo), which is used for the overshadowing of the ark (Ex. 40:35),
for the overshadowing of Mary by the Holy Spirit (Lk. 1:35).11

The pericope of the Visitation (Lk. 1:41-44) is analogous to the carrying of the ark by David
from Baala to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:1-2). The joy of David is a precursor to the joy that Elizabeth
and by extension John the Baptist felt when Mary visited them, carrying in her womb Jesus.

2.1.3. Daughter of Zion

Israel as the pilgrim in the desert purifies itself. It is lost and wearied with the journey. The
experience of Israel was that of abandonment and desolation. In other words, they were poor
and dependant on God. The journey makes them realize that they are the children of God. Mary

10
Cf. Buby, 15.
11
Cf. Buby, 15-17.

6
as the poor anawim of Yahweh is identified with the remnant of Israel. Ancient Israel on
pilgrimage towards its messianic redemption realizes itself in this her daughter, a woman of
Israel.12

2.2. Characteristics of the Magnificat

2.2.1. Hymn of Mary
The first is that it is a hymn of Mary, reflecting the exceptional richness of her interior world.
It is the only prayer we have which was composed by our Lady, or rather, composed by Jesus
in her, for it was he who spoke through her lips. Not only is it a prayer suggested by the Holy
Spirit; it is uttered by Jesus himself from the mouth of his mother. This is certainly a singular
vision, but highly indicative of the communion between the Virgin and her Son and of the
theological aspect of this sublime hymn.

2.2.2. Expression of Praise and Blessing

It is an expression of praise and blessing, of thanksgiving and petition. It is a prayer addressed
to God in return for the blessings granted to the Virgin and continuously delivered to all those
who place their trust in her. It is the greatest offering of praise that God ever received under
the law of grace. On the one hand, it is the humblest hymn of thanksgiving and, on the other,
it is the most sublime and exalted.

2.2.3. Divine Canticle

The Magnificat is a divine canticle that comes from Jesus in the Spirit and returns to the Father.
The Magnificat is an attempt at exploring the mysteries of “theological dimension”: the
celebration of God and God’s work in the history of salvation, especially the virginal
conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary, the specific object of the Magnificat. The Virgin,
through her hymn, returns to the Lord the praise and benedictions that are addressed to her, like
a faithful echo. The Trinitarian implications of this theological dimension is that the hymn is
“most glorious to the Blessed Trinity, for any honour we pay to our Lady returns inevitably to
God, the source of all her perfections and virtues. God the Father is glorified when we honour
the most perfect of his creatures; God the Son is glorified when we praise his most pure Mother;
the Holy Spirit is glorified when we are lost in admiration at the graces with which he has filled
his spouse”.

12
Buby, 18.

7
2.2.4. Prayer filled with Mystery
Finally, the Magnificat is a prayer filled with mystery. It contains the secrets of God, which
human thought cannot attain and which should only be approached in reverence and fear.
Contained in it are mysteries so great and so hidden that even the angels do not understand
them.

2.3. The Lukan View of the Magnificat

St. Luke the Evangelist, though deriving from parallels in Mark and Matthew and his own
sources, gives a prominent place for Mary, who is almost not mentioned in the other
Synoptics.13 The Song of Mary commonly known as the Magnificat is only found in the first
Chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke extending from the forty-sixth verse to the fifty-fifth verse.
The title derives from incipit of the Latin text of the canticle which begins with the words,
“Magnificat anima mea Dominum”.14 The text of the hymn is taken directly from the Gospel.
It is found as part of a greater narrative of the Visitation (Lk. 1:39-56). Mary visits her cousin
Elizabeth after the angel Gabriel tells her that she is about to bear child in her old age (Lk.
1:36). Mary leaves her home for the hill country of Judea. The child, the future John the Baptist,
who is yet in his mother’s womb jumps for joy when Mary greets Elizabeth (Lk. 1:41).
Elizabeth praises Mary for the faith that she has shown and Mary responds with the Magnificat.

2.3.1. Themes of Jesus’ Ministry in the Magnificat

The Magnificat serves as the foretaste of the themes that are dealt within the Gospel. It is also
the key to viewing how Luke understands the OT and who Jesus is; Luke narrates “the story of
Jesus in a way that joins seamlessly to Israel’s story.”15 Mary’s hymn, a prophecy of Jesus’s
significance, emphasizes women, the poor, the reversal of fortunes, and the fulfilment of God’s
promises.

First, Mary says “He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts…” The kingdom of
God, which Jesus will bring to fruition, will produce a moral revolution. Pride in one’s
accomplishments will be turned upside down and replaced by the acknowledgement of our
sinful nature and reliance upon the grace of God for our salvation.16

13
Raymond E. Brown, et. al. eds., Mary in the New Testament (Bangalore: Theological Publications in India,
1981), 18.
14
All Latin texts of the Scripture is taken from the Biblia Sacra Vulgata (the Vulgate version of the Holy Bible).
15
Brown, 98-99.
16
Cf. Joel Green, The Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 98–99.

8
Secondly, Mary says “He has brought down the powerful, and lifted up the lowly…” By this,
Luke is telling us that the kingdom of God will bring about a revolution of justice. God will
vindicate the oppressed and those whose rights have been trampled on by the powerful of this
world.17

Finally, Mary says “He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty…”
By this, Luke is telling us that the kingdom of God will bring about an economic revolution.
Those who are members of the kingdom of God are to share their wealth with the poor and
those in need, rather than to amass wealth for their own security.18

Mary’s song juxtaposes the mighty and rich against the lowly and hungry; the former is put
down while the latter are exalted. This is the core of Luke’s gospel: Jesus is good news to all,
but especially to those who have none. Luke places a special emphasis on those who are on the
periphery. Characters who oppose Jesus desire honour and exclude the less fortunate and
socially unacceptable. The Magnificat is more than simply a joyous scene of praise; it is an
integral part of the introduction to what the good news means, and it is the lens through which
to read Luke–Acts.19

2.3.2. Liturgical Implications

Mary's song is the magna carta of any and all authentic faith experience. It is a description of
the two columns upon which rests the weight of God's grace in this world; it pictures the two
wings on which the soul is elevated toward her final encounter with God. Whenever God
chooses to establish his dwelling-place in a human heart, he stamps it with two of His own
characteristic features, that is, with the attitudes of thanksgiving and sharing. The first feature—
thanksgiving – refers back to God in praise for His gift; the second feature helps us to reach
out and share this gift with other human beings.

2.3.3. Moral Implications

Mary did not have to tap the power of goddess-archetypes, she did not have to resort to a
mythically-upgraded personality trait, in order to know that there was God's Grace within her,
growing into a human being and feeding on her very own biological and psychological
substance. Mary's pregnancy evolves into a unique faith experience: it involves the total

17
Cf. Green, 98-99.
18
Cf. Green, 98-99.
19
Similarly, Jesus proclaims his purpose in coming in 4:14–37. Many view this pericope as the inaugural
address of Jesus’s ministry, but Luke establishes these themes while Christ is still in the womb through Mary’s
song.

9
woman, the physical, psychological and mental dimensions of her being. Simultaneously, her
faith experience is the culmination of all of the Old Testament's positive attitudes towards God,
altogether a personal crystallization of what generations before Mary had experienced on an
often troubled and disturbed faith-journey. At the same time, her faith represents a qualitative
leap from conditional to unconditional faith. For Mary, faith is no longer only a quality of life,
it is life itself.

2.4. Mary at the Point of Reversal

A closer look at the structure of the Magnificat shows that hymn can be divided into two
sections. This progression divides the song in half, with vv. 46–50 dealing with God’s
graciousness to Mary herself and vv. 51–55 concerned with God’s mercy to Israel. Mary now
expands her praise from her individual experience to what God is accomplishing for all Israel.
The corporate implications of God’s activity now come into full view. These two portions of
Mary’s song contain repeated terms and images:20

Mary Israel
v. 48 Notion of the Servant v. 54
vv. 48-50 The Object of favour and mercy v. 54
v. 48 Lowliness v. 52
v. 50 God’s mercy v. 55

20
John Nolland, Luke 1–9:20, Vol. 35 of Word Biblical Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Inc., 1993),
101.

10
 CHAPTER THREE
MAGNIFICAT AS THE SONG OF LIBERATION

3.1. The Magnificat in Contemporary Thought

With the endorsing of scientific research into the Biblical texts in the documents Divino
Afflante Spiritu (1943) and Pontifical Biblical Commission’s letter Sancta Mater Ecclesia
(1964) and the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation Dei Verbum (1965) there have
been many inroads into the study of the text of the Magnificat.

The figure of the Blessed Virgin has been considered not simply in herself but as part of a
relationship of living continuity between Israel and the Church. The song’s impact on the actual
history of the world, of a mankind still marked by violence and oppression and in need of true
liberation, has also been studied. We can now see the Magnificat as a dynamic,
multidimensional song, compelling us to commit ourselves to God’s plan. To proclaim the
hymn means to assume the attitudes of concrete responsibility before God and the world.

3.1.1. Theological hymn

The theological dimension of the hymn is the most obvious and also the most important, on
which every other aspect of the hymn depends. The Lord is not simply the direct object of the
Virgin’s song (“my whole being rejoices in God my Savior”: v. 47) but also the subject-
protagonist, even from a literary standpoint, of the verbs from verse 48 through verse 54 that
make up the powerful dynamic structure on which the entire song rests. The Magnificat does
not define God; it speaks of God in terms of different aspects of His saving intervention,
beginning with the Annunciation, of which Mary—according to Luke—is the first witness. The
Magnificat locates the mystery of the Savior God and gives its coordinates. In the words of
Redemptoris mater, the canticle reveals “the truth about the God of the Covenant,” 21 a truth
that has been obscured by sin and lack of faith. The Magnificat “sees uprooted that sin which
is found at the outset of the earthly history of man and woman, the sin of disbelief and of ‘little
faith’ in God. In contrast with the ‘suspicion’ that the ‘father of lies’ sowed in the heart of Eve,
the first woman, Mary . . . boldly proclaims the undimmed truth about God: the holy and

21
John Paul II, “Redemptoris Mater [Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of the Pilgrim Church],” Vatican.va,
March 25, 1987, sec. 36, accessed January 25, 2019, http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-
ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031987_redemptoris-mater.html. This document will henceforth be
referred to by the abbreviation RM.

11
almighty God, who from the beginning is the source of all gifts, he who ‘has done great things’
in her”.22

This theological “re-centring” of the hymn seems to us to be one of the most notable
rediscoveries that contemporary exegesis and theology have made.

3.1.2. Salvific Hymn

The theological dimension is closely bound with its salvific dimension. This is no philosophical
or abstract God but a living God Who acts in history and works among His people. Salvation,
the central element of the biblical story and Revelation, occupies an exceptional place in the
Magnificat. Within the song, all of past history is synthesized and future history is anticipated,
and both are centred on the birth of the Saviour.

The history of men and women in the ancient covenant, and the vicissitudes of Israel, the people
of the covenant, are recapitulated in Mary, the servant of the Lord. Here we should note the
link between verse 48 (“he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant”) and verse
54 (“he has helped his servant Israel”). In a way, Israel’s experience of grace is concentrated
in Mary. Her song anticipates the voice of the Church, and in it resounds the eschatological
praise of the redeemed. The Magnificat is “the song of the messianic times, in which there
mingles the joy of the ancient and the new Israel… It is in Mary’s canticle that there was heard
once more the rejoicing of Abraham… and there rang out in prophetic anticipation the voice
of the Church… And in fact, Mary’s hymn has spread far and wide and has become the prayer
of the whole Church in all ages”.23

3.1.3. Song of Liberation

Few biblical passages have received so much attention and so successfully energized various
contemporary groups and movements, not only religious and spiritual but also socially or
politically inspired. The hymn of the Virgin has become an important point of reference for
contemporary theology and spirituality and a basis for Christian involvement with society.
Contact with the hymn has led theology to a rediscovery of its character as the word of salvation
and liberation and has taught spirituality to unite praise and joy in God—in the experience of
poverty—with the reality of involvement, in accordance with God’s plan to overthrow the

22
RM 37.
23
Paul VI, “Marialis Cultus [Right Ordering and Development of Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary],”
Vatican.va, February 2, 1974, sec. 18, accessed January 26, 2019, http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-
vi/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19740202_marialis-cultus.html. Henceforth, MC

12
powerful and raise the lowly. The perspective of the Magnificat is in harmony with the liveliest
contemporary expectations.

The song, which has been rediscovered both within and outside the Church, has been pre-
eminently validated over the past several years in Latin America: “The Magnificat expresses
well this spirituality of liberation. A song of thanksgiving for the gifts of the Lord, it expresses
humbly the joy of being loved by Him… But at the same time, it is one of the New Testament
texts which contains great implications both as regards liberation and the political sphere. This
thanksgiving and joy are closely linked to the action of God who liberates the oppressed and
humbles the powerful.”

The Magisterium of the Church has also turned its attention to the Magnificat as a hymn of
liberation of the poor. We refer in particular to the encyclical Redemptoris Mater. The song of
Mary not only reveals the truth about the God of the covenant but also—and precisely through
this revelation—displays its preferential love for the poor, of which the song itself is the
privileged expression. Through the

Magnificat, the Church will become ever more aware that “the truth about the God who saves
… cannot be separated from the manifestation of his love of preference for the poor and
humble, that love which, celebrated in the Magnificat, is later expressed in the words and works
of Jesus”.24

3.1.4. Ecumenical Song

The ecumenical impulse not only inspired the body of work produced by the Second Vatican
Council but is apparent in conciliar statements on the Virgin Mary.25 This aspect of the
devotion to Our Lady is explicitly stressed by Paul VI, who believed ecumenism should be one
of the fundamental characteristics of a renewed devotion to the Blessed Virgin.26 Since ancient
times, the Magnificat’s vocation has been of reconciliation and communion: we need only
remember how its daily recitation in the prayer of Lauds or Vespers has always united diverse
Christian confessions in praise of God. In addition, this NT psalm contains an excellent
synthesis of Hebraic spirituality.

24
RM 37.
25
cf. Second Vatican Council, “Lumen Gentium [Dogmatic Constitution on the Church],” Vatican.va,
November 21, 1964, sec. 62, 67, 69, accessed January 21, 2019,
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-
gentium_en.html.
26
Cf. MC 32-33.

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3.2. The Implications of the Magnificat Today
3.2.1. Global and Critical Approach
The scientific character of research on the Magnificat has now brought us to a point of
consensus such that it is becoming more difficult to distinguish among the diverse confessional
origins of the hymn’s exegetes. Without taking anything away from the secular tradition of the
past, a “critical” reading has today become the basis for all subsequent progress.

3.2.2. Salvation History Reading

Another fundamental aspect of any reading of the Magnificat is the story of salvation: the
Magnificat is not an expression of individual piety or private sentiment but a liberation hymn
celebrating God’s great works of salvation on behalf of His servants, of those who fear Him,
of Israel, of the redeemed. This is a powerful synthesis of the history of salvation that begins
with the Exodus and reaches its fulfilment in the coming of the Saviour, anticipating the
eschatological aspect of the world’s redemption.

3.2.3. Current-day Reading

Finally, we must read the Magnificat in light of the contemporary vicissitudes of humanity,
listening for the prophetic voices of the world’s believers and of those who are building a
society that is worthier of God’s plan and open to the salvific content of the Blessed Virgin’s
hymn. The Magnificat leads us to a “theological” reading of history, which, in all its
contradictions, obliges us to rethink the canticle and extract from it the meaning of salvation
for our time.

3.2.4. In Communion with Mary

The Magnificat is a prayer that Scripture has placed on the lips of the Virgin Mary and that the
Church places on the lips of believers. The call is to an intimate identification with Mary, whose
soul glorifies the Lord, whose spirit rejoices in God the Saviour. The Magnificat sprang forth
from the heart of Mary while she carried the Saviour in her womb, and it should resound in the
hearts of the faithful when they receive Jesus Christ, the Lord, in Holy Communion. Mary thus
becomes the symbol of the Church who gives thanks to God for His saving interventions in the
history of salvation, especially the coming of Christ in history and in hearts. We must recover
the “piety” of the Magnificat and also its theological and ecclesial dimensions, with its great
historical and salvific wealth, and with attention to the signs of our times. God’s salvation is
still at work in the world today; it must be celebrated and proclaimed.

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 CONCLUSION

What she has to tell us is a beautiful synthesis of historical retrospective and eschatological
prophecy. Her proclamation is the public account of a highly personal and intimate experience
and, at the same time, a sharp insight into God's own policy toward humanity. The "Magnificat"
is both a Song of joy and a manifesto of hope. It is filled to the brim with sentiments of
thanksgiving and sharing.

What some consider to be a colourful patchwork of Old Testament literary titbits and others
regard as a sophisticated composition of Lucan and/or Hellenistic poetry, is in fact and on a
deeper level the astounding answer to a seemingly impossible question: How does a human
being react when it becomes aware of God's own physical presence and growth within it?

The Magnificat is the reaction of a woman who knows that God inhabits her virginal womb,
reaches out both to the past and to the future, is retrospective and prophetic at the same time.
The Magnificat is totally imbued with the faith and hope of Israel, but simultaneously it
becomes the "scale of perfection" for all future generations. Its meaning and substance are both
private and public, for Mary's experience is essentially open to the future. Her song announces
not only the birth of Christ, but also the birth of a new people, a liberated people, a people
whose life will be centred on the Spirit of Life.

15
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brown, Raymond E., Karl P. Donfried, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and John Reumann, . Mary in the
New Testament. Bangalore: Theological Publications in India, 1981.

Buby, Bertrand. Mary of Galilee. Vol. II. New York: Alba House, 1995.

Carman, Amy Smith. “Ave Maria: Old Testament Allusions in the Magnificat.” Priscilla
Papers 31, no. 2 (2017): 14-19.

Green, Joel. The Gospel of Luke. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997.

John Paul II. “Redemptoris Mater [Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of the Pilgrim Church].”
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Lastic, Alan De. Mary and the Church. Rome: University of Propaganda, 1992.

Newman, John Henry. The New Eve. Oxford: Newman Bookshop, 1952.

Nolland, John. Luke 1–9:20. Vol. 35. 61 vols. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Inc., 1993.

Paul VI. “Marialis Cultus [Right Ordering and Development of Devotion to the Blessed
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vi/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19740202_marialis-cultus.html
(accessed January 26, 2019).

Second Vatican Council. “Lumen Gentium [Dogmatic Constitution on the Church].”

Vatican.va. 21 November 1964.
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-
ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html (accessed January 21, 2019).

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Magnificat.” In Encyclopædia Britannica, 1120-

22. Edinburg: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc, 2010.

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