In his General Audience on February 5, 2025, Pope Francis highlighted the significance of the Magnificat, a hymn of praise that reflects both God’s mercy and His promises to humanity.
As part of his ongoing catechesis for the Jubilee Year, the Pope focused on the theme “Blessed are you who believed” (Lk 1:45), drawing attention to the Visitation of the Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth and the subsequent Magnificat.
The Pope began his address by noting the profound spiritual significance of the Visitation. “The Virgin Mary visits Saint Elizabeth; but it is above all Jesus, in His mother’s womb, who visits His people,” he explained, drawing attention to the depth of the event.
He described Mary’s journey as an act of profound faith, saying, “This young daughter of Israel does not choose to protect herself from the world; she does not fear dangers and the judgements of others, but goes out towards other people.”
The Pope emphasized that Mary’s visit to Elizabeth was motivated by love, a love that was “set in motion” by the love of Christ, which, as St. Paul says, “impels us” (2 Cor 5:14). He elaborated, “Mary feels the push of this love, and goes to help a woman who is her relative, but also an elderly woman who, after a long wait, is welcoming an unhoped-for pregnancy, difficult to deal with at her age.”
The encounter between the two women sparked a profound blessing, with Elizabeth proclaiming, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (Lk 1:42). The Pope reflected on this, saying that Elizabeth’s words echo a deeper truth: “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled” (Lk 1:45).
In response to this recognition, Mary lifts her voice in the Magnificat, a hymn of praise to God that has resonated through the Church for centuries. The Holy Father described the Magnificat as a “praise to God the saviour,” expressing Mary’s faith, hope, and joy. “Mary does not want to sing ‘out of the choir,’ but to tune in with the forefathers, exalting her compassion for the humble, those little ones whom Jesus in His preaching will declare ‘blessed’,” the Pope said.
The Magnificat, the Pope continued, is not just a personal hymn of Mary, but a song that reflects the salvation of all of humanity. It recalls God’s actions throughout history, with a special focus on the liberation of Israel from Egypt and the promises made to Abraham. “The verbs are all in the past, imbued with a memory of the love that lights up the present with faith and illuminates the future with hope,” Pope Francis explained.
Mary’s Magnificat encapsulates the entire history of salvation, from the promises made to Abraham to the fulfillment of those promises in Jesus Christ. “The Lord, who bowed down to the humble Mary to fulfil ‘great things’ in her and make her the mother of the Lord, began to save His people starting from the exodus,” the Pope said, highlighting the continuity of God’s salvation throughout time.
