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Home , Magnificat, Magnificat (Bach)

OUR PRA YERS: The Magnifi cat

Deep in every human heart is a desire for the living God that expresses itself in prayerprayer.. In the Catholic traditiontradition,, somes prayers have become classic expressions of what the human heart seeks. Words of Faith: Our Prayers explores prayersrayersyers ththat ffor centuries have revealed a faith that fosters a deep, personal, growing, and loving relationship with Christ.ist. Th ese prayers teachteact us much about who we aarere andand aaboutbout tthehe GoGodd to wwhomhom we bbelong.elong. —Keith J. Egan,EEg Series Editor Wee PrayPray † My soul proclaims ththehe grggreatnessreatnneesss ofof tthehhee Lord,Loro dd, my spiritpirit rerejoicesjoj iceses in GGoGodoodd mmyy SSavioraavvioor for hee hhasaass llookedoookked wiwiththh ffavorava oorr oonn hihiss lolowllowlywlly seservant.ervaantt.. Fromm tthishhihiss daddayy alallll gegenerationsenneraatiioonns willwiw lll callcalll meme bblessed:bleslelesssed: the AlmightyAllmmimightyighg tyy hashass donedoone ggrgreateaeat thingsthhinngsg forfor me;me; and hoholyollyy iiss hihisis nnaname.mem . He hasas mmercyerrcyy o onn tththoseose who fear him in every generation. We Practice He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit. he name of this prayer, comes from the fi rst words of it in Latin: Magnifi - He cast down the mighty from their thrones, FAiTH cat anima mea DominuDominum,m which means: and hhasas lifted up tthehe lowly.lowly. T “My soul magnifi es tthehe LordLorLord.Lord.”” Also known as He hasas fi lled tthehe hungryhungry withwith good things,things, the Canticleanticle of Mary,MMary, the prayprayere comes direct- and thehe richrich hhee hashas sent awayaway empty.empty. lly fromfrom thee GospelGoosp el of LukLuke ((1:46–55). These of He hasas come to the helphelp of his servant IsrIsraelael wordswordds aree spokspokenenn bbyy tthehe VirginVirgi Mary during

for hee has remembered his prpromiseomise ofo mmercy,eerrcy, herher visitvvis t to Elizabeth,Elizabeetht , herheer elderlyeldeele d r cousin, who the promiseromise made to ourour fafathers,aththeerrss, is ppregnantregnant withwiithth JohnJ h the Baptist.Ba Elizabeth to Abrahambraham and hhisiss cchildrenhhiilldldrendreren ffoforor eveverever.verr. greetsetsetss MarMaryMa with the words: “Most blessed –LiturgyLiLituturgr y off tthehhee HoursHouurss are youyou among women, andand blessed is the fruit of youryour womb” (Lk 1:42).1 Mary re- sspondsponds witwithh ththe words of the MMagniagnifi cacatt. The MaMagnig fi cat is prayed DIDD YOU KNOWW? every dayd in the . Sometimes • A is a called the Divine Offi ce, this is biblical or song the Church’s offi cial daily prayer. that is not part of the Priests and those in rreligiousel life pray bookbook ofof Psalms.Psalms. the Hours daily. Manyny laylay pepeople also pray Morninging and EvEveningene ing PPrayePrayerPrayer and some par- • Therehere are three iinn thehe CChurch’shurch’s ddailyaily lliturgicaliturgical pprayer:rayer: ishesshes celecelebratee themthem ccommucommuncommunally.omm n TheT e MagnMagniifi ccatat isi pprayed dduring Evening All threeee canticles are found in chapters 1 and 2 of Luke’suke’se’s .G Prayer,Praayer, knownkn wn ass .Vesperss. AAn ancient tra- The CanticleCanticle ooff ZeZechariahchariah att MornMorningrning Prayer (Lk(Lk 1:68–791:68–79)) ditionditioon ofof thetthe ChurchChhu tells us that it was probablyprobabpprobabl evening when MaryM arrived at The Canticlee of MaMaryryy at Evening Prayer (Lk(Lk 1:46–55)1:46–5 ElizabetElizabeth’sh’s hhouse,ouse, tthushus the connection The CanticleCanticanticlele ooff SimeSimeonon at NightNight PrayePrayerr (Lk 2:24–32)2:24–324–32) withwith thisthis liturgicalliturgical Hour.Hour

WORDS By Robert M.. Hamma, Editorial DirectorDirecD at Ave Maria Press.Press. Series Editor,itor, Keith J. Egan,Ega PPhD, is President of the Carmelite Institute; Adjunct Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame; and Aquinasnas ChairiE EEmeritEmeritus,us, St. MMary’sary’s ColCollege.lege. We Believe We Live

n the New Testamentent there are only four times when Mary he Magnifi cat is fi rst and foremost an speaks: to the angelel at thethe , to Eliza- invitation to pray and too praise. WhWhenW Ibeth at the Visitation,ion, to thethe boyboy Jesus whenwhen hehe is fi nallynally Twe say the ,Mary, we praprayy to MarMaMary; found in the Temple, andnd to Jesus at the WeddinWeddingg Feast at Cana. when wee say ththe Magnifi cat, we pray The account of Mary’s vvisitisit to ElizabetElizabethh contains tthehe longest re- wiwithithth Mary.Mary. Consider making thethe MaMag-Mag- TheThe MagnifiMagnifi cat is cord of her words and gives us a wonderful insight into herr faith nifi cat part ooff youryour dailydaily prayerprayer prac-prac- “the“t“ththehe song both of the and trust in God. tice,e, perhaps in the evening.. EIn thithisth MotherMother ooff God aandnd ooff Mary begins by proclaimingclaiming herr joy at God’s greatness and wayay you will joinin witwith the whole thethe Church.”Church.” her gratitude for all thee thingshings God has done for her. She calls Churchh as it praysp with Mary who is ––The––The CatechismCatechism of tthehe herself God’s “lowly servant”ervant”e vant” and in this way identifi es herself our model for servant discipleship. Catholic ChurchChurch,, 26261919 with the “poor ones” off tthehe (in Hebrew theyhey are IIff we praprayy thethe Magnifi cat, we must The Magnifi cat is somethingommemethingethhing lilikekke aann ovoovertureerture bbee willing to live thethe Magnifi cat. Like MarMaryy iin Luke’s Gospel, we are ccalledalled to rerejoicejoice and trust in God’s promises aand to be humble enough sounding many of the kkeyeyy t ththemesheh mes of Luke’s GoGospel.spel. S tto letl t GodG d createt wonderfuld f l thingsthi outt off our emptiness. This prayer called the anawim). These are people who are often oppressed keeps the needs of the poor before us. It challenges us to fi ll the hun- but do not lose faith in the Lord. They are the ones singled out for gry with “good things” and to “lift up the lowly.” Like Mary, we are God’s favor and who fear the Lord. “Fear” here does not mean called to proclaim with our lives (to magnify) the greatness of God’s terror or fright, but a sense of profoundp, awe, humble trust, , and mercyy and love. steadfast confi dence. • Make a list of the good thingsngsgs God has ggivegiven you. Make another of The next verses describescribe God’s faitfaithfulness.hfulness. God lifts uupp how you can sharearere thosethos gifts. the lowly and casts downwn tthehe migmighty;hty; hhee scatters “t“thehe proud in • Createatete time for a lonely neighbor, coworkecowocoworker, or fellow parishioner. their conceit.” He fi lls tthehe hungrhungryy with good things and sends • Prepare a meal for a family dealing with sisicknessck or grief. the rich away empty. Mary’sary’s Magnifi cat foreshadows Jesus’ own • Begin or end these actions by gratefullyully prappraying the Magnifi cat. words and deeds. For example,xample, in announcing hiss ministministrystry JesJesus quotes the prophet Isaiahah (61:1) and says:ays: “The“ThThe Spirit of the Lord WithWiWitthh cchildrenhhilldrren . . . is upon me, because he hasas anointedanoi me to bring glad tidings to Create a Magnifi catca Tree by using an actual trtree branch or cutting one the poor” (Lk 4:18). from coloredc paper. Cut out leaves on which children can write good In the fi nal verses off this great canticle, Mary recalls God’s deeds ttheyhey do tthathat sshowhow tthehe greatness of GGod.o Keep yet-to-be-fi lled faithfulness in coming to thehe help of his people and remember- leaves nearbnearbyy as a reminder to live thethe messamessageg of Mary’s prayer each ing his promise forever. SAMPLEdaday.y. A BIT OF HISTORY The Magnifi cat is very similar to a prayer in the Old Testament called ’s Song (1 2:1– My heart exults in the Lord, 10). In the story, Hannahah is childless and praysprays fer- my horn is exalted in mymy GodGod.. vently for a son, promisingsing to ddedicateedicate hhimim to GodGod if her prayer is answered.ed. She eventually gives birth Like the Magnifi cat, HanHannah’snah’h’ss songsos nng speakssppeeakaks to the prophet Samuel.l. ((ItIt is SamueSamuell wwhoho anoints of how God comes toto thethhhee helpheellp ofof theththe poorpoor r andand Saul and as thee fi rst kings of Israel.) When simple, anandnd off IIsraelsrrraelaael as God’sGodd’s cchosenhhosseen pepeople.oppllee. Hannah presents her ssonon in tthehe temtemple,ple, sshehe ggivesives It sspeakspep akks of thethhee reversalreeveerrssaal ofof fortunesfoorrtuunees betweenbbetweeeen praise to God in a canticleticle tthathat bbegins:egins: ththee mmimightygghhty andanndd thethee powerless,poowerrlleess, thethhe fullfuulll andandd tththee hhuhungry,unnggryy, ththee bbabarrenarrenn aandndd tthehe ffertile.eerrtitile.

© 2009 by avevee maria press®, inc.iincnc. • Notre Dame, Indianaa • www.avemariapress.comwww • Ph: 1-800-282-1865 • A Ministry of the IndianaIndi Province of Holy Cross. Scripture texts in thist series are taken from the NewwwAm AmericanAm with Revised and Psalms © 1991, 1986, 1970, coconfraternityn of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved.serveveded. Nihil Obstat: Reverend Michaelel HeHeintz,eintz, PhDPhD,, Censornsor liborumlib Imprimatur: Most Reverend Johnhn M.. SD’Arcy,D’Arcy BBishop of Fort Wayne–South Bend, May 29, 2009 WOFØ1.Ø6