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INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1
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.
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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.
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
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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
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.
13
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.
14
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.
John Paul II. “Redemptoris Mater [Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of the Pilgrim Church].”
Vatican.va. 25 March 1987. http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-
ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031987_redemptoris-mater.html
(accessed January 25, 2019).
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
Virgin Mary].” Vatican.va. 2 February 1974. http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-
vi/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19740202_marialis-cultus.html
(accessed January 26, 2019).
16