Mary's Song: The Magnificat

based on Luke 1.46-55 and its Hebrew Bible sources
[ three voices ]

A

Gabriel, messenger of God
spoke to a virgin from Nazareth named Mary
and told her

B

“You will conceive in your womb and bear a son
and you will name him Jesus

A

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High
and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David

B

He will reign over the house of Jacob forever
and of his kingdom there will be no end”

A

Mary said

C

“Here am I, the servant of the Lord
let it be with me according to your word”

 

A

Mary hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea
where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth

C

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting
the baby leaped in her womb
and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit

A

In a loud voice she exclaimed

B

“Blessed are you among women
and blessed is the child you will bear!

C

Blessed is she who believed
that the promise made her by the LORD

A

would be fulfilled”

 

A

And Mary said

C

“My soul glorifies the Lord

B

and proclaims the greatness of the LORD

C

My spirit exults

B

and rejoices in God my Saviour

C

for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant
From this day forward all generations will call me blessed
for the Mighty One

B

the Almighty

C

has done great things for me —

B

holy is his name

C

His faithful love extends to those who fear him
from generation to generation

B

from one age to the next

C

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm

B

he has routed the arrogant of heart

C

He has pulled down rulers from their thrones

B

but has lifted up the lowly

C

He has filled the hungry with good things

B

but has sent the rich away empty

C

He has come to the help of his servant Israel
fully mindful of his faithful love

B

according to the promise he made to our ancestors

C

fully mindful of his mercy
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever””

A

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months
and then returned homeLuke 1.31-56

pause - the heart and voice of Hannah

B

Mary was blessed.

A

For she believed that what the Lord had said to her
would be fulfilled
She spoke as with the heart and voice of Hannah
and many of God’s people before her

B

Hannah had prayed to the LORD in the bitterness of her soul
that he remove the shame of her barrenness

A

And when God had blessed her
she dedicated her son, Samuel, to the LORD, saying

C

“My heart exults in the LORD
in my God is my strength lifted up
There is no Holy One like the LORD
indeed, there is none but you
There is no Rock like our God

A

The bows of the mighty are broken
but the feeble are now girded with strength

C

Those who were full are hiring themselves out for bread
but the hungry need labour no more

B

the barren woman bears sevenfold
but the mother of many is left desolate

A

The LORD makes poor and makes rich
he brings low, he also exalts

B

He raises up the poor from the dust
He lifts the needy from the ash heap
to give them a place with princes and assign them a seat of honor”
1Samuel 2.1-8

pause - the heart and voice of Eliphaz

B

Mary was blessed

A

For she believed
that what the Lord had said to her would be fulfilled
She spoke as with the heart and voice of Eliphaz
and many of God’s people before her

B

Eliphaz was Job’s friend, who counselled him
after he received his great misfortune
saying

C

“The works of God are great, past all reckoning
marvelous things without number

A

He sends down rain to the earth, pours down water on the fields

C

He sets on high those who are lowly
and those who mourn are lifted to safety

B

The LORD frustrates the plans of the crafty
so that they cannot succeed in their intrigues

A

But he saves the needy from the sword of their mouth
from the hand of the mighty

C

So the poor have hope
and injustice must shut its mouth”JOB 5.9-16

pause - the heart and voice of Leah

B

Mary was blessed

A

For she believed
that what the Lord had said to her would be fulfilled

B

She spoke as with the heart and voice of Leah
the wife of Jacob

A

and many of God’s people before her

B

Leah exclaimed at the birth of her son, Asher, saying

C

“What happiness!
All women will call me blessed!” Genesis 30.13

pause - the heart and voice of the psalmist

B

Mary was blessed

A

For she believed
that what the Lord had said to her would be fulfilled
She spoke as with the heart and voice of the Psalmist
and many of God’s people before her

C

“My soul praises God from my heart
let the humble hear and be glad
Proclaim with me the greatness of the LORD
let us acclaim his name together Psalm 34.2,3
"Holy is he, and mighty!"
You are a king who loves justice,
who insists on honesty, justice and virtue
as you have done for Jacob” Psalm 99.3,4

A

“Sing a new song to the LORD, for he has performed wonders
his right hand and his holy arm have scattered the enemies
and gained for him the victory” Psalm 98.1, 89.10

B

“When the LORD builds Zion anew, he will be seen in his glory
he will answer the prayer of the abandoned
and will not scorn their petitions
God leaned down from the heights of his sanctuary
has looked down from heaven to earth
to hear the sighing of the captive
and set free those condemned to die” Psalm 102.16-20

C

“He raises the poor from the dust
he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to give them a place among princes
He lets the barren woman be seated at home
the happy mother of sons” Psalm 113.7-9

B

“He has fed the hungry to their hearts' content
filled the starving with good things” Psalm 107.9

C

“He remembers his covenant for ever
the promise he laid down for a thousand generations
the covenant he made with Abraham
the oath he swore to Isaac” Psalm 105.8,9

pause - the heart and voice of Isaiah

B

Mary was blessed

A

For she believed
that what the Lord had said to her would be fulfilled
She spoke as with the heart and voice of Isaiah
and many of God’s people before her

B

Isaiah was a prophet of the LORD
who proclaimed God’s might and justice

C

“Yahweh is the everlasting God,
his understanding is beyond fathoming

A

He gives strength to the weary

B

he strengthens the powerless

A

Young men may grow tired and weary, the young stumble and fall

B

but those who hope in Yahweh
will regain their strength” Isaiah 40.28-30

A

“For thus says the High and Exalted One whose name is holy

C

'I live in a high and holy place,
but I am also with the contrite and humble

A

to revive the spirit of the humble

B

to revive the heart of the contrite” Isaiah 57.15

C

“Here is Lord Yahweh coming with power
his arm subduing all things to him

A

the prize of his victory is with him” Isaiah 40.10

C

”He reduces princes to nothing

B

the rulers of the world to mere emptiness” Isaiah 40.23

C

“I shall recount Yahweh's acts of faithful love, Yahweh's praises
in return for all that Yahweh has done for us

A

for his great kindness to the House of Israel

B

for all that he has done in his mercy

C

for the abundance of his acts of faithful love” Isaiah 63.7

pause - Closing

A

With her one voice,

C

Mary spoke with the voices
of many of God's people who came before her

B

At the same time, she addressed all those to come after her

A

She spoke of promises of mercy and salvation fulfilled

B

and promises yet to be fulfilled

BC

“My soul glorifies the Lord

A

and proclaims the greatness of the LORD

AC

My spirit exults

B

and rejoices in God my Saviour”