“My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid;
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;
Because He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name;
And His mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear Him.
He has shown might with His arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of His mercy
Even as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.” Luke (1:46-55)

The Magnificat has the biblical answers to why God chose Mary to the be the Mother of Jesus, the New Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Womb in which the Word was made flesh. In this prayer Mary is glorifying the Lord as her Savior and merciful Father of Israel. The Magnificat also exemplifies the humility of Mother Mary.

Mother Mary’s Humility

God created Mother Mary endowed with all graces. This is evident from Angel Gabriel’s salutation to Mother Mary. “And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28). The Angel’s choice of words “Chaire, Kecharitomene” (Greek words Luke 1:28) during the Annunciation clearly indicate Mother Mary had been already endowed with graces and indeed she was born without sin!

During the visitation Elizabeth filled with the Holy Spirit addresses Mother Mary as the “Mother of my Lord”  “Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:41-43)

Mother Mary responds back with the Magnificat. “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid” Luke (1:46-48).

“Because He who is mighty has done great things for me” (Luke 1:49). Through these verses Mary is acknowledging with utmost humility that she is a handmaid of the Lord and the Lord has done great things for her. We can observe Mary is magnifying God rather than herself.

Fall of Pride

Satan was an angel created by God with full of wisdom and perfect in beauty says Ezekiel 28:12-13. He was perfect in his ways until the day sin entered his heart (Ezekiel 28:15). His sin was pride and he thought himself to be equivalent to God and this resulted in his fall. “For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’” (Isaiah 14:13-14)

Mother Mary humbled herself and gave glory to God but Satan filled with pride rebelled against God.  From the example of Mary we learn that being humble is important to gain Holiness and God gives graces to the humble. “Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5)

Mary compares the humble and the proud

Mary also proclaims in her Magnificat how God protects the humble and punishes the proud. God will scatter the proud in heart, will put down the mighty from their throne and sent away the rich empty handed. But He will exalt the lowly and fill the hungry with good things.

“He has shown might with His arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.” (Luke 1:51-53)

Blessed are thou amongst women

Mary also prophecies that all generations will call her blessed (Luke 1:48). The Word was made flesh in her and it is through her child, Jesus Christ Our Savior the ancient serpent will be destroyed. The humble will be exalted and the proud will be opposed!