Luke 1:47
• Synopsis of Luke's Gospel
Luke 1:39-55
39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."
46 And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
51 "He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."
Church of Reconciliation, Taizé,
courtesy of Vanderbilt University Divinity Library
Canticles
Luke includes three canticles—essentially psalms or songs:
• Mary's Magnificat: "My soul magnifies the Lord; he has put down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up the lowly…" –Luke 1:46-55
• Zechariah's Benedictus: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; he has visited his people." –Luke 1:67-79
• Simeon's Nunc Dimittis: "Lord, now let thy servant depart in peace; mine eyes have seen they salvation, which thou hast prepared…" –Luke 2:29-32
Both responsive psalm and gospel reading for the Fourth Sunday of Advent include the Magnificat. The office of Vespers or Evening Prayer (that's ideally prayed at sunset) in the liturgy of the canonical hours always includes a spoken or sung Magnificat.
Today's gospel opens with pregnant Mary's visit to her cousin Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist, and then Mary responds to Elizabeth's exuberant greeting with a song.
Magnificat
Luke especially celebrates women, prayer, the Holy Spirit, and history. Today's passage is about two women, the Holy Spirit, attitudes of prayer and prophecy, allusions to Israel's history, and the reliability of God's promises. We receive hints of the great reversal, the reign of life that subverts the unjust status quo, those possibilities that will be fulfilled when we follow Mary's son Jesus.
Today for the psalmody and the gospel reading, we hear Mary's Magnificat—making God larger or greater. Magnifying! We've mentioned how well people knew and memorized scripture two millennia ago. Although we have words Luke wrote, it's very likely Mary sang a similar song because this passage is closely based upon Hannah's song in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. Mary would have been so familiar with large portions of scripture she'd have been able to recite and paraphrase them, making those texts her own.
Mary's words anticipate Jesus's first act of public ministry recorded in Luke 4:16-20 with its announcement of good news to the poor (it won't always be the way it has been), release of every kind of prisoner, freedom, the Jubilee Year of Leviticus 25.
How about us? Do you have any scripture in your heart and head you instinctively remember, recite, and maybe elaborate on?
Musical Settings
YouTube videos don't always have a long shelf life, so I no longer link to them, but here are three of my favorite musical settings of the Magnificat that capture its promise:
• J.S. Bach, Magnificat in D Major, BWV 243 for 5-part (2 sopranos, alto, tenor, and bass) chorus and orchestra that includes trumpets and timpani.
• Dale Wood, "My Soul Proclaims the Greatness of the Lord" from Evening Prayer in the Lutheran Book of Worship. I'll never be able to comprehend why this powerful setting didn't get into the denomination's most recent hymnal, Evangelical Lutheran Worship.
• Rory Cooney, "Canticle of the Turning," set to a traditional Irish tune – Star of the County Down – is in almost all recent English language hymnals. You need to dane to this song!
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