(The Magnificat is a name which was attached to Mary’s utterance in the early age of the church— from the Latin word to magnify.)
Let these words of Mary be given in their entirety, that the reader may perceive more fully their divine meaning and beauty:
My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden:
For, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He that is mighty hath done to me great things;
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on them that fear Him
From generation to generation.
He hath showed strength with His arm;
He hath scattered the proud in the imagination
of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seats,
And exalted them of low degree.
He hath filled the hungry with good things;
And the rich He hath sent empty away.
He hath holpen His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy;
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham, and to his seed forever.”