Luke 1:39-56 NRSVue
39In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
46And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant. Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed, 49for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name; 50indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; 53he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. 54He has come to the aid of his child Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
56And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
“Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.”
Reflection on Luke 1:39-56
Inspiration from 2025-08-15 Daily Prayer
Elizabeth praises Mary for her faith in the fulfilment of God’s promises to her. Mary is a great model of a Christian, a true follower of her Son Jesus Christ. She lived out her ‘yes’ to God through all the events of her life and in all the joys and sorrows that came to her. At Cana she said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ We ask her to help us to be obedient to her Son.
Mary is also a model in her humility. In her Magnificat she acknowledges her own littleness and gives praise to God for all the great things that he has done for her. Let us join with her in giving thanks to God for all he has done in and for us.
Further reflection
The Magnificat was a daily prayer of Mary, spoken in good times and bad. We can imagine that she often prayed words like that. Even at times like the passion and death of her son, her faith remained strong that God would care of her and of him. In prayer we can pray our own Magnificat, thanking God for blessings, for good times, for bad times through which God protected us, and for the ways in which we have grown up - in good times and bad. The faithfulness promised to God’s people is also promised to each of us now.
Try today to walk around a place of beauty. Look and listen, smell and touch the beauty of nature. As you walk pray the first lines of Mary's poem - 'my soul glorifies the Lord'. Be filled for this time with thanks for all you see, hear, touch and feel of the creation of God.
The Magnificat was a daily prayer of Mary, spoken in good times and bad. We can imagine that she often prayed words like that. Even at times like the passion and death of her son, her faith remained strong that God would care of her and of him. In prayer we can pray our own Magnificat, thanking God for blessings, for good times, for bad times through which God protected us, and for the ways in which we have grown up - in good times and bad. The faithfulness promised to God’s people is also promised to each of us now.
Try today to walk around a place of beauty. Look and listen, smell and touch the beauty of nature. As you walk pray the first lines of Mary's poem - 'my soul glorifies the Lord'. Be filled for this time with thanks for all you see, hear, touch and feel of the creation of God.