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What is the Magnificat, and when did Mary say it?
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Mary
Madonna and Child, oil and tempera on panel by Antonello da Messina, 1475; in the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
The Magnificat is a hymn of praise attributed to Mary, the mother of Jesus, found in the Gospel According to Luke. Its name is derived from the first word of the Latin text, Magnificat anima mea Dominum, which translates to "My soul magnifies the Lord".1
Mary spoke this canticle during the Visitation—a journey she took while pregnant with Jesus to visit her relative St. Elizabeth, who was pregnant with St. John the Baptist. Upon Mary’s arrival and greeting, Elizabeth felt her unborn child leap in her womb, prompting Mary to recite the hymn as an expression of gratitude and praise to God. While some scholars have historically debated the authorship, most early manuscripts identify it as the "Song of Mary".12