Singing Mary's Song

When the angel appears to Mary to reveal that she has been chosen to bear Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah, Mary must have felt shocked, afraid, dismayed, and confused. Yet her response is a beautiful statement of faith in the form of a song, known as the Magnificat. This song glorifying God's presence and promise reveals many of the themes that will later be the foundation of Jesus' ministry—justice, grace, and deliverance. By focusing prayerful attention on the song of Mary and her witness thro