Gospel in Art: Mary said, 'My soul magnifies the Lord'

The Madonna of the Magnificat, by Sandro Botticelli, 1483 © Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 22 December 2025
Luke 1:46-56

At that time: Mary said,

'My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,

for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

for he who is mighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

And his mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

he has brought down the mighty from their thrones

and exalted those of humble estate;

he has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

as he spoke to our fathers,

to Abraham and to his offspring for ever.'

And Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and returned to her home.

Reflection on the painting

After the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, she visited her cousin Elizabeth. And within the context of this visit, Mary says her great Magnificat prayer. When Elizabeth greeted Mary, she declared Mary blessed. Mary's response in turn was to praise God, 'My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour'. Her prayer sprung from an event in her life, a visit to her relative. This can be true of our prayer too. Our prayer, like Mary's, tends to be rooted in our lives. It is often the case that our prayer is rooted in the pain and struggle of our life. We find ourselves in some dark or difficult situation, and we cry to God for help. Or even in moments of great joy, like Mary, we tend to want to give paise to the Lord's goodness. That is what this beautiful magnificat prayer is: a prayer of thanksgiving for all the goodness that the Lord has done for us.

Why this is such a powerful prayer is that the prayer highlights how Mary's relationship with God may be personal, but it is not private. She shared her words with the world. It is the same for all of us. God comes to us through the new people, new neighbours, a homeless person in the street, the church. Our relationship with God is, hopefully, personal, but it is not private... it is always communal!

Our painting by Sandro Botticelli is called the Madonna of the Magnificat. The Virgin Mary, crowned by two angels, is depicted on a throne. Under the guidance of her Son, she is writing the canticle "Magnificat anima mea Dominum", the words of our reading today. Jesus is sitting on His mother's lap, looking upwards to His Father. Mary and Jesus are touching with their left hands on a pomegranate, whose red seeds foretell the blood shed by Jesus to save humankind and… those seeds are also symbolic of the seeds of the Word which will multiply into the world.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-1-46-56-2025/