The Song of Mary (Magnificat)
Luke 1:46-55.
Contemporary (Canticle 15)
Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 91
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
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 *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Traditional (Canticle 3)
Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 50
My soul doth magnify the Lord, *
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
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 showed 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.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
History
Mary sings this song when she visits her cousin Elizabeth, who greets her as the mother of the Lord. It echoes Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel 2, praising a God who lifts up the lowly and brings down the mighty.
The Western church has long sung it at Vespers. In 1549, when Cranmer made Evening Prayer out of Vespers and Compline, he kept it after the first lesson. The first American prayer book, in 1789, left it out, and it did not return until 1892. The contemporary version is the shared ecumenical translation from the International Consultation on English Texts.
Sources: Book of Common Prayer (1549), Evensong; Book of Common Prayer (1789), Evening Prayer; Book of Common Prayer (1892), Evening Prayer; English Language Liturgical Consultation, Praying Together (1988).
When it is sung
- Saturday, October 17, 2026Evening Prayer
- Sunday, October 18, 2026Evening Prayer
- Monday, October 19, 2026Evening Prayer
- Tuesday, October 20, 2026Evening Prayer
- Thursday, October 22, 2026Evening Prayer
- Friday, October 23, 2026Evening Prayer
- Saturday, October 24, 2026Evening Prayer
- Sunday, October 25, 2026Evening Prayer