The
Psalm of Mary
By Lisa Rampton
“My
soul doth magnify the Lord.”
Thus spake the Virgin
Mary upon hearing of her grand calling to be the mother of the Savior
of the world. And so begins one of the purest and humblest passages
in all scripture (Luke 1:46-55), referred to in the Christian world
as the “Magnificat”, from the first word of the Latin canticle (Magnificat
anima mea Dominum, et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo).
But who is this “precious and chosen vessel” (Alma 7:10) who expresses
a willingness to submit to the will of the Father and to magnify Him?
In truth, the scriptures
give us very few details about Mary’s personal history, though much
has been speculated. Still, the song of praise that bursts forth from
Mary’s own lips in response to the tremendous news is our best resource
of insight into her heart and her faith. In it, Mary speaks of the
true nature of God, and models ways of responding to Him. We see a
woman eager to fulfill any mission – no matter how daunting or seemingly
impossible – that the Father might place before her. Though aware of
her weaknesses and humble in her approach to Deity, she also knows that
“with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37); as she magnifies
Him, Mary recognizes that the Father will magnify her. In addition,
Mary’s song of praise shows a deep knowledge of Old Testament scripture
and God’s covenants with Israel. She draws freely from the words of
Deuteronomy, Psalms, and Isaiah, scriptures which later become some
of the most important for the New Testament Church.
When we look closely
at Mary’s “Magnificat”, each phrase is instructive. Moreover, each
one is echoed in other scripture. Let us now make a journey through
her “psalm”, illuminated by scriptures of a similar nature. In doing
so we too can come closer to Mary’s understanding of God the Father
and thus, like she, more readily trust in His power.
The Psalm
of Mary or Mary’s Magnificat
46
And Mary said, My
soul doth magnify the Lord
My
soul delighteth to prophesy concerning [the Savior], for I have seen
his day,
and my heart
doth magnify his holy name. (2 Nephi 25:13)
Let your light so shine
before this people, that they may see your good works,
and glorify
your Father who is in heaven. (3 Nephi 12:16)
And whatsoever thing ye shall
ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father
may be glorified
in the Son. (John 14:13)
47 And
my spirit hath rejoiced in the Lord my Savior.
And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth
in the Lord, mine horn is
exalted
in the Lord…; I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy
as the Lord.
(1 Samuel 2:1-2)
And we talk
of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ,
we prophesy
of Christ, and we write according to our prophesies,
that our
children may know to what source they may look
for a remission
of their sins. (2 Nephi 25:26)
48 For
he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden:
And [Hannah] said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed
look on the affliction
of thine
handmaiden, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid,
but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him
unto the Lord
all the days of his life. (1 Samuel 1:11)
The Lord...inviteth them all to come unto him and partake
of his goodness,
and he
denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male
and female…; and all are alike unto God… (2 Nephi 26:33)
Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart.
(Matthew 11:29)
for, behold, from henceforth all
generations shall call me blessed.
Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above
rubies…
Her children
arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also…
A woman
that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
(Prov 31:10, 28, 30)
And the angel
came in unto [Mary], and said, Hail, thou virgin, who art
highly
favored of the Lord. The Lord is with thee, for thou art chosen
and
blessed
among women. (JST Luke 1:28)
Elizabeth was
filled with the Holy Ghost; and she spake out with a loud voice, and
said, Blessed art thou among women, & blessed is the fruit of thy
womb.
(Luke 1:42)
She [the woman who anointed Christ with oil] hath done
what she could: and this
which she has done unto me, shall be had in remembrance in generations
to come, wheresoever my gospel shall be preached; for verily she
has come beforehand to anoint my body to the burying. (JST
Mark 14:8)
49 For
he that is mighty had done great things;
Then was our
mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with signing: then said they
among the heathen, The Lord hath done great
things for them.
(Psalm 126:2)
Yea, how is it that ye have forgotten
what great things the Lord hath done for us…,
and how it is that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all
things
according to his will, for the children of men, if they exercise
faith in
him? Wherefore, let us be faithful unto him. (1 Nephi 7:11-12)
By small and simple things are
great things brought to pass; and small means in many
instances doth confound the wise. And the Lord God doth work by means
to bring about his great and eternal purposes. (Alma 37:6-7)
Let them praise
thy great and terrible name, for it is holy. (Psalm 99:3)
Our Father
which are in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. (Matthew 6:9)
Who shall not
fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name?
For
thou only art holy. (Revelation 15:4)
50 And
his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
Gather me the
people together, and I will make them hear my words,
that they may
learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and
that
they may teach their children. (Deuteronomy 4:10)
The Lord is
merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy…For as
the
heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that
fear
him…The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon
them
that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children.
(Psalm
103)
51 He
hath showed strength with his arm;
Awake, awake,
put on strength, O arm of the Lord…The Lord hath made bare his holy
arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall
see the
salvation of our God. (Isaiah 51:9; 52:10)
And [Jesus]
took [the little children] up in his arms, put his hands upon them,
and
blessed them. (Mark 10:16)
The Lord hath
redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and am I encircled
about eternally in the arms of his love. (2 Nephi 1:15)
he hath scattered the proud in
the imagination of their hearts.
For, behold,
the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, year,
and
all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall
burn
them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root
nor
branch. (Malachi 4:1)
52 He
hath put down the mighty from their seats,
But it must
need be done in mine own way; and behold this is the way that I, the
Lord,
have decreed to provide for my saints, that the poor shall be exalted,
in
that the rich are made low. (Doctrine & Covenants 104:16)
and exalted them of low degree.
And Jesus
went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought
in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the
seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My
house
shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed
them. (Matthew 21:12-13)
But he that
is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt
himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
(Matthew 23:11-12)
53 He
hath filled the hungry with good things;
And he took
the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples
to set before them; and they did set them before the people. And they
had a few small fishes; and he blessed, and commanded to set them also
before them. So they did eat, and were filled…(Mark 8:6-8)
And blessed
are they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall
be
filled with the Holy Ghost. (3 Nephi 12:6)
And he said
unto them: He that eateth this bread eateth of my body to his soul;
and
he that drinketh of this wine drinketh of my blood to his soul; and
his soul
shall never thirst, but shall be filled. (3 Nephi 20:8)
and the rich he hath sent empty
away.
And behold,
one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do,
that I may have eternal life?...Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be
perfect,
go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have
treasure
in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard
that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
(Matthew
19:16, 21-22)
54 He
hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy.
Thou wilt perform
the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou has sworn
unto our fathers from the days of old. (Micah 7:20)
55
As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
Blessed be
the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people…To
perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his
holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham…
(Luke 1:68, 72-73)
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