The Magnificat is the song of praise that the Virgin Mary sang when she visited her cousin Elizabeth, beginning “My soul doth magnify the Lord.” Its name is the first word of the Latin text, Magnificat anima mea Dominum. It is the longest speech of Mary in the Bible, and the Church sings it every evening at Vespers. Below is the Magnificat in English and Latin, its meaning, when it is prayed, its great musical settings, and how to pray it yourself.
The Magnificat in English
From the Gospel of St. Luke, in the Douay-Rheims translation:
And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name.
And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him.
He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy:
As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
The Magnificat in Latin
Magníficat ánima mea Dóminum,
et exsultávit spíritus meus
in Deo, salutári meo,
quia respéxit humilitatem
ancíllae suae.
Ecce enim ex hoc beátam
me dicent omnes generatiónes,
quia fecit mihi magna,
qui potens est,
et sanctum nomen eius,
et misericórdia eius in progénies
et progénies timéntibus eum.
Fecit poténtiam in bráchio suo,
dispérsit supérbos mente cordis sui;
depósuit poténtes de sede
et exaltávit húmiles;
esuriéntes implévit bonis
et dívites dimísit inánes.
Suscépit Ísrael púerum suum,
recordátus misericórdiae suæ,
sicut locútus est ad patres nostros,
Ábraham et sémini eius in sæcula.
Glória Patri et Fílio
et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio,
et nunc et semper,
et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
When did Mary pray the Magnificat?
After the angel Gabriel announced that she would be the Mother of the Savior, Mary went “with haste” to visit her elderly cousin Elizabeth, who was expecting John the Baptist. When Elizabeth greeted her, “Blessed art thou among women,” Mary answered with this canticle (Luke 1:39–56). The Church celebrates this moment on the feast of the Visitation, May 31.
The meaning of the Magnificat
- “My soul doth magnify the Lord”: Mary’s whole being gives glory to God, not to herself.
- “He hath regarded the humility of his handmaid”: God looks with love on the lowly. Mary sees her greatness as a gift.
- “All generations shall call me blessed”: a prophecy fulfilled every time Christians honor Mary, as in the Hail Mary.
- “He hath put down the mighty… and hath exalted the humble”: God reverses the world’s values, as Jesus will in the Beatitudes. See the Beatitudes.
- “He hath received Israel his servant”: God keeps the promises he made to Abraham and his descendants.
The Magnificat is full of the Old Testament, especially the song of Hannah, the mother of Samuel (1 Samuel 2:1–10). Mary prays with the words of her people’s Scriptures.
When does the Church pray the Magnificat?
The Magnificat is the Gospel canticle of Evening Prayer (Vespers) in the Liturgy of the Hours, sung every evening of the year. All stand and make the Sign of the Cross at its beginning, and on solemn occasions the altar, the priest and the people are incensed. See Vespers and the Liturgy of the Hours.
The Magnificat in music
Because it is sung every evening, the Magnificat has been set to music more than almost any other text:
- Gregorian chant, in all eight psalm tones.
- Claudio Monteverdi, in his Vespers of the Blessed Virgin (1610).
- Johann Sebastian Bach, Magnificat in D major (1723, revised 1733).
- The Taizé Community, whose simple Latin canon Magnificat is sung around the world.
How to pray the Magnificat
- Pray it in the evening, as the Church does, to thank God for the day.
- Stand, if you can, and make the Sign of the Cross at the first words.
- Pray it slowly, stopping at one phrase that speaks to you.
- End with the Glory Be.
- Pray it in thanksgiving for an answered prayer, a birth or any good news.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Magnificat in the Bible?
Luke 1:46–55.
Why is it called the Magnificat?
Because the first word of the Latin text is Magnificat, “(my soul) magnifies.”
Is the Magnificat a prayer or a song?
Both. It is a canticle, a song from Scripture, prayed or sung in the liturgy and in private devotion.
What are the three Gospel canticles?
The Benedictus (Canticle of Zechariah) at Morning Prayer, the Magnificat (Canticle of Mary) at Evening Prayer, and the Nunc dimittis (Canticle of Simeon) at Night Prayer. See Lauds and Compline.
More Marian prayers
- Psalm 113 (Laudate pueri)
- Catholic hymns: lyrics and meaning
- Ave Maria (Schubert and Gounod)
- Ave Maris Stella
- Total Consecration to Mary
- Hail Mary
- Vespers (Evening Prayer)
- Marian feast days
- Litany of Loreto
- Angelus
- Stabat Mater
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Luke 1:46–55, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- Latin text: Latin Wikisource, “Magnificat,” public domain.