The Magnificat (also known as the Song of Mary) is a canticle frequently sung (or said) liturgically in Christian church services. Julian May (born July 10, 1931) is an American Science fiction writer best known for her Saga of Pliocene Exile ( Julian May 's Galactic Milieu Series of Science fiction Novels is the sequel (and prequel A canticle (from the Latin canticulum, a diminutive of canticum, song is a Hymn (strictly excluding the Psalms taken from the Bible A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group according to their particular traditions A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth The text of the canticle is taken directly from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:46-55) where it spoken by the Virgin Mary upon the occasion of her Visitation to her cousin Elizabeth. The Gospel of Luke (Gk Κατά Λουκάν Ευαγγέλιον) is a synoptic Gospel, and is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels of the The Visitation is the visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Saint Elizabeth as recorded in the Gospel of Luke. Elizabeth or Elisabeth is the Greek form Ελισ(σάβετ Elis(savet of the Hebrew Elisheva, meaning "my God is an oath" In the narrative, after Mary greets Elizabeth, who is pregnant with the future John the Baptist, the child moves within Elizabeth's womb. Pregnancy ( Latin graviditas) is the carrying of one or more offspring known as a Fetus or Embryo, inside the Uterus of a Female Saint John the Baptist ( heb. Jochanan ben Sacharja, arab. يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, aram. When Elizabeth praises Mary for her faith, Mary sings the Magnificat in response.

The canticle echoes several Old Testament biblical passages, but the most pronounced allusions are to the Song of Hannah, from the Books of Samuel (1Samuel 2:1-10). The Song of Hannah is a Poem interrupting the Prose text of the Books of Samuel. The Books of Samuel ( Hebrew: Sefer Sh'muel ספר שמואל are part of the Tanakh (part of Judaism 's Hebrew Bible) and also of Along with the Benedictus, as well as several Old Testament canticles, the Magnificat is included in the Book of Odes, an ancient liturgical collection found in some manuscripts of the Septuagint. The Benedictus (also Song of Zechariah or Canticle of Zachary) given in Gospel of, is one of the three Canticles ref>Along with the Odes ( is a book of the Bible found only in Eastern Orthodox Bibles and included or appended after Psalms in Alfred Rahlfs ' critical edition The Septuagint (ˈsɛptuədʒɪnt or simply " LXX " is the Koine Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, translated in stages between the

Within Christianity, the Magnificat is most frequently recited within the Liturgy of the Hours. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings This article refers to the Liturgy of the Hours as a specific manifestation of public prayer in the Roman Catholic Church. In Western Christianity, the Magnificat is most often sung or recited during the main evening prayer service: Vespers within Roman Catholicism and Evening Prayer within Anglicanism. Western Christianity is a term used to cover the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, the Churches of the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran Church Vespers is the evening Prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Eastern (Byzantine Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, liturgies of the Evening Prayer is a Liturgy in use in the Anglican Communion (and other churches in the Anglican tradition such as the Continuing Anglican Movement and Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs In Eastern Christianity, the Magnificat is usually sung at Sunday Matins. Families of churches Eastern Christians have a shared tradition but they became divided ( Schism) during the early centuries of Christianity in disputes about Matins (also known as Orthros or Oútrenya in Eastern Churches) is the early morning or night Prayer service in the Roman Catholic Within protestant groups, the Magnificat may be sung during worship services. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation.

Contents 1 Text 2 Liturgical use 3 Controversy 4 Trivia 5 References 6 External links

Text

Like all other New Testament texts the Magnificat was originally written in Greek. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly However, in the Western Church it is most often to be found in Latin or the vernacular. The Latin Rite is one of the 23 Sui iuris Particular Churches within the Catholic Church. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Its name comes from the first word of the Latin version (see incipit). The incipit of a text such as a Poem, Song, or Book, is its first few words or opening line

Greek:

Μεγαλύνει ἡ ψυχή μου τὸν Κύριον

καὶ ἠγαλλίασεν τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐπὶ τῷ Θεῷ τῷ σωτῆρί μου,

ὅτι ἐπέβλεψεν ἐπὶ τὴν ταπείνωσιν της δούλης αυτοῦ. Koine Greek (Κοινὴ Ἑλληνική, "common Greek" or, ciˈni ðiˈale̞kto̞s "the common dialect" is the popular form of Greek which emerged in

ἰδού γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν μακαριοῦσίν με πᾶσαι αἱ γενεαί,

ὅτι ἐποίησέν μοι μεγάλα ὁ δυνατός,

καὶ ἅγιον τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ,

καὶ τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ εἰς γενεὰς καὶ γενεὰς

τοῖς φοβουμένοῖς αυτόν.

Ἐποίησεν κράτος ἐν βραχίονι αὐτοῦ,

διεσκόρπισεν ὑπερηφάνους διανοίᾳ καρδίας αὐτῶν·

καθεῖλεν δυνάστας ἀπὸ θρόνων

καὶ ὕψωσεν ταπεινούς,

πεινῶντας ἐνέπλησεν ἀγαθῶν

καὶ πλουτοῦντας ἐξαπέστειλεν κενούς.

ἀντελάβετο Ἰσραὴλ παιδὸς αὐτοῦ,

μνησθῆναι ἐλέους,

καθὼς ἐλάλησεν πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν

τῷ Αβραὰμ καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. ^[1]

Latin:

Magnificat anima mea Dominum,

et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salvatore meo,

quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae.

Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes,

quia fecit mihi magna, qui potens est,

et sanctum nomen eius,

et misericordia eius in progenies et progenies

timentibus eum.

Fecit potentiam in brachio suo,

dispersit superbos mente cordis sui;

deposuit potentes de sede

et exaltavit humiles;

esurientes implevit bonis

et divites dimisit inanes.

Suscepit Israel puerum suum,

recordatus misericordiae,

sicut locutus est ad patres nostros,

Abraham et semini eius in saecula. ^[2]

English (Douay-Rheims):

My soul doth magnify the Lord. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The Douay-Rheims Bible, also known as the Rheims-Douai Bible or Douai Bible and abbreviated as D-R, is a translation of the Bible from the

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.

English (Book of Common Prayer):

My soul doth magnify the Lord : and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. The Book of Common Prayer is the common title of a number of prayer books of the Church of England and used throughout the Anglican Communion.

For he hath regarded : the lowliness of his handmaiden.

For behold, from henceforth : all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath magnified me : and holy is his Name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him : throughout all generations.

He hath shewed strength with his arm : he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat : and hath exalted the humble and meek.

He hath filled the hungry with good things : and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel : as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.

English (Common Worship):

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;

he has looked with favour on his lowly servant. Common Worship is the name given to the series of services authorised by the General Synod of the Church of England and launched on the first Sunday of Advent

From this day all generations will call me blessed;

the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name.

He has mercy on those who fear him,

from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm

and has scattered the proud in their conceit,

Casting down the mighty from their thrones

and lifting up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good thing

and sent the rich away empty.

He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,

to remember his promise of mercy,

The promise made to our ancestors,

to Abraham and his children for ever.

Liturgical use

(Tonus VIII G in Liber usualis p. 212[1])

The text forms a part of the daily office in the Catholic Vespers service and the Anglican services of Evening Prayer according to both the Book of Common Prayer and Common Worship (see Evening Prayer (Anglican)). Canonical hours are divisions of time developed by the Christian Church, serving as increments between the prescribed Prayers of the daily round As a Christian Ecclesiastical term Catholic —from the Greek adjective, meaning "general" or "universal"—is described Vespers is the evening Prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Eastern (Byzantine Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, liturgies of the Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs The Book of Common Prayer is the common title of a number of prayer books of the Church of England and used throughout the Anglican Communion. Common Worship is the name given to the series of services authorised by the General Synod of the Church of England and launched on the first Sunday of Advent Evening Prayer is a Liturgy in use in the Anglican Communion (and other churches in the Anglican tradition such as the Continuing Anglican Movement and In the Book of Common Prayer Evening Prayer service it is paired with the Nunc dimittis. The Nunc dimittis (also Song of Simeon or Canticle of Simeon) is a Canticle from a text in the second chapter of Luke (Luke 229–32 named (Modern Anglican rubrics generally allow for a wider selection of canticles at Evening Prayer; but the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis remain the most popular. ) In both Anglican and Roman Catholic services it is generally followed by the Gloria Patri. Glory Be to the Father, also known as Gloria Patri, is a Doxology, a short Hymn of praise to God in various Christian liturgies It has accordingly been a popular text for many composers.

Perhaps the best known Magnificats are those from Claudio Monteverdi's Vespers for the Blessed Virgin, 1610 or the extended setting by Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 243. Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610 ( SV 206 and 206a Vespers for the Blessed Virgin 1610 or simply the Vespers of 1610, as it is commonly called WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section.2 This article is written in British English including maximised use of "-ise" The Magnificat in D major BWV 243 is one of the major vocal works of Johann Sebastian Bach. In the same vein, many other "classical" composers such as Vivaldi and Rachmaninoff and more recently John Rutter have set extended versions for orchestra, chorus, and solos. WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff (Сергей Васильевич Рахманинов John Milford Rutter CBE (born) is an English Composer, choral conductor, editor, Arranger and Record producer However, most of these concerted settings were neither intended nor convenient for liturgical use; more often choirs will sing a shorter, simpler setting a cappella or with only organ accompaniment. A cappella (Italian or Latin "From the chapel/choir" Music is Vocal music or Singing without instrumental Accompaniment The organ (from Greek όργανον – organon "organ instrument tool" is a Keyboard instrument of one or more divisions each Several such settings from the Renaissance remain popular (for example, that of Thomas Tallis); and nearly every composer in the 19th and 20th century Anglican choral tradition has composed one or more settings of the "Mag and Nunc", as have Arvo Pärt and John Tavener. Renaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance, approximately 1400 - 1600 Thomas Tallis (c 1505 &ndash 23 November 1585) was an English Composer. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The twentieth century of the Common Era began on Anglican church music is music that is written for liturgical performance in Anglican church services WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Arvo Pärt (born 11 September 1935 in Paide, Estonia) (ˈɑr̺vɔ WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Not to be confused with John Taverner Since these canticles are sung nearly every day at some Cathedrals and Oxbridge college chapels, there is a real need for multiple settings; at its extreme this led such composers as Charles Villiers Stanford to write a Magnificat in every major key; Herbert Howells, another noted composer of these canticles, published twenty settings of them over his career. This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral Oxbridge was originally a fictional composite of the University of '''Ox'''ford and the University of Cam'''bridge''' in England, and the term is now Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (30 September 1852 &ndash 29 March 1924 was an Irish composer resident in England for much of his life Herbert Norman Howells CH (17 October 1892 &ndash 23 February 1983 was an English Composer, organist, and teacher

In Eastern Orthodox worship, the Magnificat is usually sung during the Matins service before the Irmos of the ninth ode of the canon. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Matins (also known as Orthros or Oútrenya in Eastern Churches) is the early morning or night Prayer service in the Roman Catholic The irmos is the initial verse of each individual Ode in a canon, sung by the choir from the Greek verb "to tie" meaning that it poetically connects A canon is a structured Hymn used in a number of Eastern Orthodox services After each verse the troparion is sung:

"More honourable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim, without corruption thou gavest birth to God the Word: true Theotokos, we magnify thee. A troparion ( Greek: τροπάριον plural troparia, τροπάρια Church Slavonic: тропа́рь tropar) in Byzantine CHERUB is a series of young adult books written by the author Robert Muchamore. A seraph ( Heb. שׂרף, pl שׂרפים Seraphim, lat. seraph'' pl grc-Latn Logos (ˈloʊːgɒs ( Greek, logos) is an important term in Philosophy, Analytical psychology, Rhetoric and Religion Theotokos (Θεοτόκος translit Theotókos) is a title of Mary the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, "

Controversy

During the 1980s, the dictators of Guatemala outlawed the public reading of the Magnificat because of its revolutionary tones. Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest ^[3]

Trivia

In Nicaragua, the Magnificat is a favourite prayer among many peasants and is often carried as an amulet. During the Somoza years, campesinos were required to carry proof of having voted for Somoza and this document was mockingly referred to as the Magnificat. ^[4]

References

1. ^ The Resurgence Greek Project
2. ^ Evangelium secundum Lucam
3. ^ Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith, Kathleen Norris (New York: Riverhead Books, 1998) p. 117.
4. ^ 'The Gospel in Solentiname', Ernesto Cardenal (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1978) p. 25.

External links

• The Magnificat
• Exegesis and Sermon Study of Luke 1:46-55: The Magnificat, by Curtis A. Jahn
• ChoralWiki: Magnificat
•   "Magnificat". Catholic Encyclopedia. The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia (1913). New York: Robert Appleton Company.  

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